Cluster Headaches
More debilitating than a migraine, cluster headaches produce sudden, sharp pain that’s usually concentrated around one eye or one side of the head, and episodes occur in clusters for weeks or months. “It’s nicknamed the suicide headache because patients have suicidal thoughts to get away from the pain,” says Mackey.
“My patients have told me that it makes them want to bang their heads against a wall or take a drill to their head.” While the cause isn’t known, steroids, calcium-channel blockers, and anti-seizure medication may bring relief for sufferers, most of whom are men.
