Can you suffer from mild cluster headaches?!

Question: Can you suffer from mild cluster headaches?

Ok, so I know there's the cluster headaches where you can't handle the pain, it's so severe. You roll around on the ground screaming. Well, I was told I have cluster headaches from a doctor. Set to see a neurologist and everything. I have all the symptoms. Eyes feel like they're being pulled back into my head. A burning pain behind my eyes and around them. Splitting headache. Runny nose. Seeing shadows. Thing is, they're tolerable. This is where I'm told the line is crossed. Real cluster headaches are not tolerable, and is literally impossible to manage when they are occurring. So, if I don't qualify for the severe ones, what would you call it? I mean, it's all the symptoms of a cluster headache. One of my eyes (depending on which side has the pain) droops and swells too. So, if it's not a full fledged cluster headache, what then would you call it?

Answers:

There is a range of pain levels, no one has the exact same experience. I have been an episodic sufferer for 11 years and am currently in a cycle at the moment and this cycle has been more manageable than some of the previous ones but I have been @ 5-6 attacks per day for a number of weeks.

There is a pain scale that you can find on clusterheadaches.com called the Kip Scale:

Pain level 0
No pain, life is beautiful

Pain level 1
Very minor, shadow's come and go. Life is still beautiful

Pain level 2
More persistent shadow's

Pain level 3
Shadow's are getting constant but can deal with it

Pain level 4
Starting to get bad, want to be left alone

Pain level 5
Still not a "pacer" but need space

Pain level 6
Wake up grumbling, curse a bit, but can get back to sleep with out "dancing"

Pain level 7
Wake up, sleep not an option, take the beast for a walk and finally fall into bed exhausted

Pain level 8
Time to scream, yell, curse, head bang, rock, whatever work's

Pain level 9
The "Why me?" syndrome starts to set in

Pain level 10
Major pain, screaming, head banging, ER trip. Depressed. Suicidal.

You are still a sufferer no matter what your pain level might be. Hopefully you never reach 9 or 10.

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Can you suffer from mild cluster headaches?!

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