Are cluster migraines a thing?
I've noticed a pattern in my migraines that I can't find information on anywhere. I get migraines in twos--anytime I get a migraine, twenty-four hours later I get a second migraine. It has been consistent with this pattern for at least the last couple of years.
It goes like this: I start feeling the warning signs of a migraine (stiffness in the left side of my neck, astigmatism in my left eye worse than usual). If it's during the day, I might take a Back-Aid Max (acetominophen and pamabrom combo OTC that I've found mitigates the migraine long enough for me to get through my day. I take a Sumatriptan and the migraine is gone when I wake up the next morning. Post-drome symptoms, but no neck stiffness, no pain. Almost exactly twenty-four hours after the migraine initially started, another migraine begins. I do the exact same thing and the next morning, migraine gone but it doesn't recur the third day or after.
I've read about bounceback but that doesn't really fit since I'm not taking a lot of pain meds--just one or two doses of acetominophen/pamabrom to get me through the day and the Sumatriptan and I do the exact same thing on day two. A few times I've even tried pre-empting the second migraine with mitigation strategies that have worked in the past but I always end up needing a Sumatriptan by the end of the second day. It doesn't matter whether I ingest the exact same things or not, it's like the migraine lasts two days but takes a break in the middle. Unfortunately, I think the trigger is weather pattern changes so there's not much I can do to prevent. It's just getting frustrating to know that I will be getting a migraine if I just had one.
Anybody else get cluster migraines or migraines in pairs?
Hi
, thank you for reaching out! I hear how much you are struggling with the way your migraine attacks group together in pairs. It is super frustrating to get through one attack only to have another follow immediately on its heels. You are not alone having a cyclical pattern to your migraine attacks. I do want to clarify though that "cluster migraine" is not an official diagnosis or term. Cluster headache is a separate neurological disorder from migraine. There are those who are diagnosed with both disorders, but the attacks for each are unique. A person with both can tell what is a cluster headache attack and what is a migraine attack or migraine cycle. I thought these articles might be helpful!
https://migraine.com/living-migraine/cluster-explained
https://migraine.com/living-migraine/cluster-headache-difference
https://migraine.com/living-migraine/cluster-headache-differencesThat said, it is not uncommon to have an experience like yours, where you have a consistent, cyclical migraine pattern. I'm glad you have a treatment approach that helps you manage! Medication overuse headache (MOH) typically results from using medications on a more daily, regular basis. It is definitely worth discussing with your doctor, but most information would suggest taking it to treat 2 days of migraine and then not using anything until the next round would not lead to MOH. But, it could also depend on the frequency of your migraine attack cycles! This article gives some general information about MOH that might be useful: https://migraine.com/headache-types/medication-overuse-rebound
I hope some of this is helpful. How are you feeling today? Please follow up if you have further questions! We are always here to listen and are happy to chat! Wishing you a gentle day. ~Allyson (team member)
