"The worst pain a human can endure"

John Martin Fulton • Published 2 Sep 2009 13:00

"Suicide headache" man's appeal for brain surgery

A KILWINNING man who suffers from headaches described as "the worst pain known to man" is hoping to reclaim his life.

Chris Allison is hoping that pioneering surgery will help control the nightmarish cluster headaches which have afflicted him for the past five years.

But he must now wait to find out if he will receive funding from the NHS for the £18,000 operation.

The 42-year-old travelled down to London last week to meet neurosurgeon Laurence Watkins, of the University College Hospital London, and was given the chance to meet a number of sufferers of cluster headaches.

The condition can often begin like a migraine, affecting the eyes, but develops in intensity and pain to such an extent that it has been dubbed the "suicide headache".

Some suffer "episodic" headaches, which occur in bursts and can then

disappear for long periods at a time.

Others, like Chris, suffer chronic symptoms.

"I have only had four days without the pain in the past five and a half years,"

he told us.

For the full story see this week's Irvine Times

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This article appeared in Irvine Times 02 Sep 09

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