Lump on the back of head?

30 Apr, 2012 - 2:08 pm

Hi everyone, lucky for me I have not been on these boards for a long time. I was on sando migran daily and while my shadows are somewhat constant I had not had a sever attack in a long time time until a few months ago. I had stopped taking the meds as I was too tired all of the time. Anyway, had an attack which lasted approx a week a few months ago (used imigran for releif) and can feel my winter cycle reving up at the moment and amongst the blurred vision, watering eye, face and teeth pain and non stop shadow headache I also have a very hard lump on the back of my head on the same side that I get CH. Does this happen to anyone else? I had noticed it a few times with other attacks too and had a CT with no results a few yrs ago. I'm off to the docs again tomorrow and would love to know if anyone else experiences this.

Thanks Lauren

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30 Apr, 2012 - 8:32 pm

Hi Lauren
Sorry you had to come back, but glad you did (if you know what I mean!!).

I haven't heard of anyone having a lump on the head, but no doubt other members will chime in with their own experiences.

Glad you are getting yourself straight back to the doctor

Let us know how you get on

Cheers
Sara

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01 May, 2012 - 4:00 pm

Hi, I dont get any lumps, but yesterday I noticed the side of my head had swollen near my temple. That was odd.

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01 May, 2012 - 4:48 pm

Thanks Sara,
So dr thinks it could be a sort physiological reaction to pain but had a ct today, results pending, just in case. I did google it and found some references to the 'cluster bump' in the exact same spot. I am also about to try propranolol for the first time as ihad experienced hefty weight gain and fatigue from sandomigran. What are people's experiences of propranolol? I'm hoping it can interrupt this cycle at the moment as I'm only in the early days with symptoms at about a 2-3 at the moment.

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01 May, 2012 - 5:45 pm

Hi Lauren
I had a bit of a "google" too of cluster headaches and lumps on head, and found a few references as well - very interesting!

Hope all goes well with scan and medication - keep in touch

Cheers
Sara

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01 May, 2012 - 6:46 pm

Yes, I have had the bump on and off for about 3 years which is when my attacks became quite bad and I was diagnosed. Should be interesting to see what the dr makes of it.

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02 May, 2012 - 12:43 am

I had a lump about 3 fingers down from my ear in the neck in my last cycle.

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02 May, 2012 - 6:41 am

Interesting Leslie, my bump is behind my ear aprox 3cm in. There are a line of lymph nodes where both your and my lump is so perhaps they get inflamed. Mines quite sore this time.

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02 May, 2012 - 1:24 pm

Hi M.I.A read My profile page ALL THE BEST Les

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02 May, 2012 - 1:39 pm

Hi, M.I.A

I hope your cycle ends shortly! Mine too have seemed to have started up again after a good period of several months. I am on propanolol, I was put on them years ago, I would say they have made me gain weight for sure and the increase in appetite was the first thing i noticed. I have tried to come off them slowly a couple of times but when i reduced the amount I started suffering CH pretty much soon after. So at the moment i 'feel' a little stuck on them. For me they definately had an effect on my motivation to excercise which created the vicious circle of appetite=weight gain+no excersise= more weight gain.. Only my experience, I too have a small lump beind my CH side of my head behind the ear although i always thought it was a gland so might ask next time im at the docs.

All the best.

Kris..

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02 May, 2012 - 2:01 pm

That's very interesting, where did you find information on the lymph nodes a CH? I'd give anything today for some relief!

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03 May, 2012 - 5:09 am

Hi Lauren, sorry to hear you're suffering again.
Re: propranolol. I was prescribed it long ago, and from memory dropped it fairly quickly. You might find, as I did, weight gain and tiredness are also side effects of propranolol ( as they are for a lot of meds for CH), so it might not do much good, but it's only you that can find that out.
With regards to lymph nodes and CH, I would caution you strongly about attempting the treatment described by Leslie. It worked for him, but in all the material I could find on castor oil poultices, slathering yourself all over with it for 18 hours is NOT mentioned (unless it's actually his posts), and in fact extended contact with the skin is specifically proscribed as potentially highly dangerous. Castor oil poultice is also not mentioned in connection with CH unless it's by Leslie, although the magic of the internet now links castor oil to the treatment of CH because of those posts. Proceed as you wish, but do so with caution, and do your research first.
Best wishes, Peter.

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03 May, 2012 - 7:19 am

Thanks Peter, I certainly wouldn't try anything natural or otherwise without consultation with the dr, it's just too crappy already without the risk of adding to the problems. I have another appointment in a week to discuss said lump and the propranolol so hopefully she might have some ideas. As the lump isn't typical of CH I'm more collection info to discuss with doctor and key her decide what to do next. I am very interested in teaming meds with healthy lifestyle choices/treatments as well so if anyone has links to this sort of material I would appreciate it.
Lauren

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03 May, 2012 - 8:33 am

Hi Lauren,
unfortunately the titles have fallen off a lot of threads on this forum for some reason, so cross-referrencing is not so easy, but years back we had a thread about healthy living and it's effect on CH.
For many people, me included, dropping proccessed foods from the diet, and particularly anything that might contain nitrates (food preservative), and eating as much fresh / raw food as possible, combined with a high intake of pure water, has meant a major improvement to length, strength and frequency of attacks, as well as to length of cycle. This has meant cutting out McD's and the like, but that's not been such a hardship.

Some years ago I met an old bloke in South Africa when I was holidaying there, who suffered a ruptured bowel (sorry for the graphic nature (ahem)) and had to have colonic irrigation treatment to clean him out (urg). Well, according to him, and I have no reason to dis -believe him, he's never had an attack since. So perhaps colonic irrigation could help, I don't know. I would think a raw/ fresh diet should go some way to achieving the same end result
Do ask about Imigran (sumatriptan). it's available as fast acting tablets, nasal spray and injections, and is the oldest of the triptan drugs and possibly the widest used. There's also Zomig (zolmitriptan) and a couple of others, but i'm not familiar with them.
Anyway, that should give you something to go on with.
cheers peter.

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03 May, 2012 - 9:14 am

Thanks Peter, I'm already on low processed food diet for other issues and drink alot of water. I also use imigran during attacks. Just got to keep on with it all I guess, thanks for your advice

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03 May, 2012 - 10:33 am

Hi Lauren

The lump or Cluster bump is quite common but will not show up in every one, it's medical term is ganglion..

Here's a link to some discussion on it from the old CH,US site.

http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=chspeci
fic;action=display;num=1160235186

Here's a picture of one of the Ganglions at the back of the head it's nota great shot but gives an idea.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Gray778.png

Hope this helps
Cheers
BarryThis post was edited on 03/05/2012 at 10:36 am

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03 May, 2012 - 10:37 am

I have a ganglion cyst on my wrist. Interesting, thankyOu

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03 May, 2012 - 11:47 am

A very good post Barry MANY THANKS Les

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24 Jul, 2012 - 9:28 pm

Hi Lauren. My first time on forum. Am type on mo ph. I to get lump when suffering, but mine is on the roof of mouth CH side. Goes up & down with ch. Very sensetive to the O2 when hypo venting. Has come & gone with ch cycles over decades. Can feel it with tounge & it is soft. I guess we all vary a little with our symptoms. O2 is my only medication used so isnt due to a drug. I wish you all the best for the future. Any feed back is welcome. Neil

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24 Jul, 2012 - 11:39 pm

Hello and welcome Neil
We are an odd bunch aren't we!
Whilst I have a lump on the roof of my mouth, it is simply a cyst and does not change.
I do however, have a lump on my forehead which comes and goes depending upon the intensity of the attack.
At least it gives me something to rub!
Cheers
Heather
can I draw your attention to the link re the survery--this is not a survey by us, but a research survey by a psychologist etc.

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25 Jul, 2012 - 7:02 am

Hi Neil, hope feeling well. The best description my dr has been able to give me is that it just a reaction to the pain. I think I am out of cycle at the moment (I am on propronolol daily which surprisingly is giving me some lasting relief) but about two months ago I ended up with my usual lump, plus one on my forehead and then another one on the other side of the back of my head. Was a little bizarre! I'm waiting for a neuro appointment so I am hoping they might shed some light. Anyway, hope your not suffering too badly,
Take care
Lauren

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25 Jul, 2012 - 11:28 am

Hi Lauren
Great to hear from you, and that you are currently out of cycle. I had a break last week of 5 days without a headache since September last year! Woopee; it indeed was wonderful.
Can you please check out the link to the survey--doesn't take long, and definitely has a spot to say Cluster Headache as a diagnosis. It would be good if one of the results of the survey was "wow--look how many there are out there"!
Cheers Heather

quick snap shot of the information
However, our sample is still currently made up of mostly Migraine headache sufferers and to increase the Cluster Headache sample to an appropriate size to run comparison analyses between the different headache diagnoses and support group use we need approximately 30 more cluster headache sufferers!

Here is a link to the survey for you to look at:

Survey Link:
https://prodsurvey.rcs.griffith.edu.au/prodls190/index.php?sid=8451

9&lang=en

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25 Jul, 2012 - 6:00 pm

Thanks Heather & Lauren. I hav done survey today, making only 29 more people needed. (Hopefully they cant be found cos they dont exist). You must feel relieved Lauren, that the cycle is about over, (hopefully forever). Maybe these lumps are the demons horns as it moves about, playing havic & having a great time in our heads? My last 2 days have been a challenge. Quite worn out actually. Im in the thick of them, so regularly on O2. It generally works for me after time, therefore not reaching total agony, (like prior to discovering it). Tried an array of meds over time, but found O2s the one for me. Im sure its saved my life. One day I may use the LSD or mushrooms to hopefully get rid of them forever, as I have heard of this happening. Big decision though as Im not cronic & dont want to muck that clock up the wrong way. Scary! Anyway, "may your lives be free, of the demons that be". Neil

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25 Jul, 2012 - 10:52 pm

Hi Neil
Thanks for doing the survey.
Glad to hear that oxygen is helping you--so often we find that this simple treatment is not mentioned by doctors--we need to spread the word!
Cheers
Heather

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10 Sep, 2012 - 2:36 pm

Hello MIA

I'm new on this forum and am working my way through all the posts. In relation to lumps on the back of my head, yes - same side as the headache (RHS) and also have ganglions on my wrists. The lump on the head is about 3cm behind the ear.

The lump on the back of the head comes and goes - interesting that not there at present and I am in a cluster now.

The ganglions on my wrists are there permanently, have had them for about 10 years.

For info and good luck!

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12 Sep, 2013 - 1:52 am

Hi everyone!
I'm new here, and looking around and learning a lot. I have noticed for many years swelling where the headache is when I have them (Ie- during the headache).
I was told about swelling in the neck while suffering a headache as well. As soon as the pain goes, so does the swelling.
I am not sure if this is related, but my daughter also mentioned to me that my eyes go black... Like I am wearing a mask (she nicknamed me a racoon- and thought it was amusing how animals look like their owners, and it just so happens I own an Alaskan Malamute!- I hope you had a bit of a laugh too!)

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07 Jul, 2014 - 2:50 pm

Does anyone still post here? I'm new.

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