Cluster headaches are on an upsurge in the past 2 weeks. Is sun to blame?

Solar activity is high again – NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory reported a flare on October 1. And in the past two weeks we’ve been seeing many more patients whose cluster headaches returned. The last time we had a surge in the number of cluster patients was last October, when solar activity was also high (see this post).

Unfortunately, there is not a lot we can do about the solar activity, but we do have many treatment options for cluster headaches. These include intravenous magnesium (40% of cluster headache sufferers are deficient), occipital nerve blocks, steroids, daily prevention with verapamil, Botox injections, oxygen inhallation, nasal spray of zolmitriptan (Zomig NS), and sumatriptan (Imitrex) injections. For most cluster patients one more often several of these treatments provide good relief. If these are ineffective, we also use drugs such as lithium, topiramate, and even an herbal supplement, Boswellia.