Cluster Headaches: My Tips And Tricks For How I've Managed Them For 20+ Years
- Amy Mastrogiuseppe
- Apr 17
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 18
Cluster headaches—sometimes called “suicide headaches”—are among the most severe and intense pain conditions known. If you’re reading this, you probably already know the agony: sudden, one-sided attacks that strike like a lightning bolt behind your eye or around the occipital nerve and up the side of your head. They can last anywhere from 15 minutes to 3 hours, and you might get them up to 8 times a day, often at the same time every day or even waking you from sleep.
Here’s my journey, what I’ve learned, and how I survive these brutal attacks.
What Are Cluster Headaches?
Intensity: The pain is excruciating, often described as a searing, pounding sensation behind one eye or along the side and back of the head.
Duration & Frequency: Each attack typically lasts 15–180 minutes, and you can have multiple attacks a day, often in predictable cycles or “clusters"".
Symptoms: Tearing of the eye, nasal congestion, facial sweating, drooping eyelid, small pupil, and restlessness—all on the side where the headache occurs.
Patterns: Attacks often come seasonally, most commonly in the fall (sometimes spring), likely linked to changes in melatonin production as daylight shifts.
Triggers: Personally, alcohol, poor sleep, stress, sugar, neck tension, and allergies can all play a role. Some research points to a “clock gene” and hypothalamic dysfunction as underlying causes.
Why Me? The Science & Who Gets Them
Rarity: Cluster headaches are rare, affecting about 1 in 500 people, and are one of the few headache disorders more common in men.
Biology: The hypothalamus, which controls your body clock, is hyperactive during attacks, triggering the trigeminal nerve and causing intense facial pain.
Diagnosis: Many sufferers, including myself, go years without a proper diagnosis. On average, it takes about 5 years to get accurately diagnosed.
My Survival Toolkit
After decades of trial and error, here’s what helps me get through a cluster period:
1. Melatonin
What I do: 15 mg at night during active periods (I use Nature’s Answer with lavender and chamomile).
Why: Melatonin can help regulate your body’s clock and may reduce attacks, especially when your natural levels dip seasonally.
How I use them: I apply pressure to the occipital area at the base of my skull. To see a video about how I use them, click here. About 75% of the time, this can abort an attack quickly. I also use a massage ball or soft foam roller so I can apply pressure to the other trigger points along the side of the head and eye (watch video for tips). The massage balls are portable, so I can carry them with me easily.
Why: It doesn’t stop the attack, but helps with lingering tension and may lessen the next headache’s severity.
4. Ice Packs
5. CBD
My regimen: 50 mg for sleep, 25 mg during the day (Cornbread brand), plus Charlotte’s Web CBD cream on neck and head points.
6. Oxygen
What helps: Inhaling pure oxygen can abort attacks for many people. Boost Oxygen from Amazon helped me, but it can get expensive. Ask your doctor about a prescription oxygen tank for home use.
7. Blood Sugar Management
Observation: I often get the shakes during attacks. Drinking Ripple Pea Protein Chocolate milk at night helps stabilize my blood sugar.
8. EFT Tapping & Meditation
Why: Stress is a huge trigger. Tapping and meditation, especially headache-specific routines, help lower my baseline stress. I love using the Tapping Solution App.
9. Sleep Hygiene
Routine: I avoid early morning appointments and prioritize getting enough rest, since sleep disruption is a major trigger.
10. Minimize Triggers
What I avoid: Alcohol, excess sugar, poor sleep, stress, and neck tension. I also manage allergies and sinus congestion as best I can with nasal sprays, loratadine and guaifenesin.
11. Acupuncture & Massage
Alternative medicine and treatments: Acupuncture is great for alleviating tension in the trigger points that pulse and pound when I get a cluster headache. It's also helpful for sleep and stress. Massage helps keep the physical tension out of my body.
Other Tips from the Experts
Track Your Attacks: Keep a headache diary to spot patterns and triggers3.
Exercise & Yoga: Gentle movement and stretching can reduce stress and improve sleep, both of which help prevent attacks. I crank down strength workouts that can leave me sore.
Try a nVNS Device: The gammaCore is a non-invasive vagus nerve stimulator you apply to your neck and is supposed to get rid of cluster headaches. You need a prescription and it can cost upwards of $600.
Prescription meds: Galcanezumab is a shot you take once a month. It's a newer medicine.
Final Thoughts
Cluster headaches are relentless, but you’re not powerless. With the right mix of medical support, lifestyle changes, and your own personalized toolkit, you can make it through even the worst cycles. If you’re struggling, don’t go it alone—reach out for help, keep searching for what works for you, and remember: you’re tougher than this pain.
“Cluster headache is a severely painful primary headache disorder characterized by unilateral, orbitally located head pain and is often accompanied by autonomic symptoms, such as lacrimation or ptosis, or a feeling of restlessness. During an active bout, headache attacks occur up to 8 times per day and last between 15 and 180 minutes.”
Stay strong. You’re not alone.
I'd love to hear about any tips or tricks you've used to manage cluster headaches. Leave a comment below!
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