The headache that nearly killed me
Often referred to as Suicide Headache, Cluster Headache is one of the most painful primary headaches you can get.
There’s no cure, it’s ten times worse than a migraine and it affects around 0.2% of the UK’s population. Chronic sufferer, Val Hobbs says the pain is so intense, “it’s like someone drilling through the top of my head and at the same time they’re trying to shove a knitting needle through my ear.”
Because of the severity of the pain, many sufferers contemplate killing themselves. It can often appear the only way to escape the pain. We meet three people who have had to learn how to live with and manage this condition. Sometimes though, it can all get too much.
“You literally are suicidal. I have been on a number of occasions…..” Chronic sufferer, Mike Pollock says he has seriously considered it. “The closest I ever came to suicide was one morning at 4.30 I was going to kill myself. I thought I’ve got a rope in the garage, I’ll get the rope out of the garage and I’ll throw it around the oak tree I’ve got in the back garden. And I went into the garage to get the rope and my son had used it to tie all his toys up so I couldn’t even use the rope and I wasn’t capable of undoing all the rope. You’re capable of absolutely nothing at all accept screaming.”
Mike has coped with daily attacks for almost twenty years, but has suffered since childhood. Being Chronic means there’s no let up in his attacks – the cycle just keeps going will little or no respite. He’s had over six thousand attacks in the last five years alone and says it’s hard to cope. “My personal worst was the 15th June 2005 when I actually had fifteen attacks varying between fifteen minutes and three hours and I was absolutely exhausted.”
Peter May also copes with Cluster Headache. At first he thought he had a brain tumour. He says when the pain gets really bad you would do almost anything to get at the pain.
“During one particular bad attack there was a Black and Decker drill lying on the window sill and I really seriously thought about picking it up and drilling through my temple.”
Peter is Episodic, which means his attacks come as a cluster usually at the same time of year and can last for up to two months. But he says you can never be complacent.
For more information:
Please visit the website for OUCH (UK)
Or call the OUCH (UK) Helpline on 01646 651 979
