★★★★★
Hello and much thanks to all at Earth Clinic for all of the information and postings. I have been reading this site for a few years, and have used many remedies from here for several health issues for myself, dear hubby, dogs, relatives and friends. I am female, almost 50, in relatively good health but since childhood I suffer from cluster headaches (episodic) and usually the only thing offered by doctors and which helped somewhat, was prescribed Triptans. ( Imitrex, Sumitriptan) but they also had their problems, such as rebound headaches, built up tolerance to meds, i.e. needing more and more to find relief and sometimes during the last weeks of a 4-6 week cycle, not even working at all. During my period of cluster headaches, they slowly build up from one early in the am, till 3-4 headaches a day. Plus, the doctors say don't use no more than 2 Triptan pills in a 24 hour period!
I saw where cayenne pepper, or rather the capsaicin in peppers worked to relieve headaches. There are some commercial formulations you can buy without a prescription but since I am overseas for a year, and my meds are of limited supply, I decided to make my own intranasal pepper spray. Yes, I was that desperate. I took just 1/2 tsp of dried red peppers, ground them in a fine paste, mixed with a little warm water, let sit for few minutes ( the longer the hotter it is) strained it and put the strained liquid into a old emptied nasal spray bottle. Do not inhale! Spray a shot, in the nostril on same side of headache, just spray and blow your nose afterwards, but more likely your nostril will start running and your eye will tear up too. Wow, I felt the burning over the headache, but the burning sensation was gone in a few minutes, and the headache was reduced. I went on to do this every 15 mins for the next 1 hour and all I can say is that it gets less burning as you continue to use it, and the headache continued to reduce and I could get back to sleep. The next morning, I was not headachy, dopey or as brain fogged as usual when I take the meds. This gives me so much hope that my cluster headaches will not render me as useless and hopeless as it usually does. Many praises to all who suffer! This is what I tried as I had awakened with a full blown cluster headache and I knew meds would take 15 mins to even begin to lower the pain, before I could get back to sleep, so what did I have to lose, either way I would have to endure the pain for 15 mins. Maybe if I had been awake and felt it coming and started right away, it would have taken less shots of spray over less time.
