Headaches or Migraines

PrettyGirl · July 26th, 2007, 01:50 PM

Does anyone get headaches pretty often? I've been getting them a lot lately and it's so annoying. I'd say off and on the past 3 months or so, but pretty regularly. It sounds like such a cliche, "Oh, I have a headache" but they can be so painful when you really do. I just called the doctor to make an appt. I told the lady I suffer from headaches daily. I go to bed with one, I wake up with one at least 4 or 5 days out of the week. It’s off and on through the day but I rarely get relief. I’m always feeling crappy...and forget it, they get worse around that time of the month. I go home and lay down and I feel like it goes away but I basically try and sleep it off every day and then I'm up really late because I've napped in the afternoon. But I do it, because I basically need to rest my head. I’m starting to feel like these headaches are ruining my life! I wonder if it’s tension…fighting and arguing with people all day at work...haha. But, no, I feel them on the weekensd too, just not as much. It’s awful. Now I know how people who suffer from migraines feel…sometimes they get BAD. I wonder of that's what I'm getting, migraines...wha'ts the difference between a really bad headache and a migraine? I can’t think of anything that triggers them either. I haven’t eaten chocolate in 2 or 3 weeks. I drank my coffee today. I don’t know what it is….I wonder if there’s medicine they can give you for that. I've even wondered if it's the weather, my sinuses or what...it sucks.

Anyone here ever felt this way or suffered from headaches more than usual?

LynnieD · July 26th, 2007, 02:00 PM

I used to suffer from Migraines when I was in my early teens--into late teens.

They were AWFUL. Had to lay down, couldn't move my head....I would just cry...luckily I didn't get them often, maybe 2 times a year.

I have had some really bad headaches in my day too, and migraines are heads and tails worse. But that is just my opinion.

If you continue to suffer from headaches, I would consult a physician. Perhaps it's allegies, or sinus. But could be something else. Better to be on the safe side you know??
Good luck!

msdeb · July 26th, 2007, 02:26 PM

at my last job, i had migraines something fierce. i was on maxalt for them. it was a very high stress job, and they had those flourescent lights. i'm sure that caused a lot of it. since i left there i havent had a migraine since.

PaintTheTownRed · July 26th, 2007, 02:58 PM

I have headaches similiar to you. I started getting them when I was 13 and have never found a cure. They're usually triggered by coffee,alcohol, bad posture and junk food. All the good stuff in life

The only way I can keep it under control so I don't wake up and go to bed with a headache is healthy eating and lifting weights.

Since your headaches are new and you have tried food elimination you should ask your dentist to check your teeth to see if you have been grinding. That can also cause headaches.

KrisNine · July 26th, 2007, 03:04 PM

I have migraines and I get one every 4 or 5 days. They suck and they get worse around my period. Once you start getting migraines from one thing, you are likely to develop them from other things as well. Too much sleep, too little sleep, certain foods, your period, fluorescent lights, grinding your teeth, stress, etc. If you wake up with them, you might be a teeth grinder.

Go to your doc and see what he or she thinks. They may do a CT scan to rule out anything weird. After that, if they think you have migraines, they'll put you on a medication that you can take when you get the headache. It works in about an hour and you can go on with your life.

twitchy · July 26th, 2007, 04:37 PM

Headaches aren't in the same class as migraines. I get both. A migraine will have you curled in a fetal position in a darkened room. Light hurts. If you blink your eyes it hurts. If you move your head, even slightly, it seems as though your brain is slamming into the sides of your skull. They can last for several days. I've never been able to narrow down triggers or found a medication that works.

Mabel · July 26th, 2007, 04:40 PM

I have migraines. Some are worse than others. Go to see a good neurologist. You need to make sure your headaches are not the result of something else. Mine are pretty well undercontrol. I take a beta blocker which helps prevent the headaches. (usually taken for blood pressure.) Sometimes neurologists also give an antiseizure medicine like depakote to limit the return of migraines and lessen the strength of them. There are also medications you can take at the time of the headache. I also found my migraines were sometimes caused by certain foods, like cheese and red wine. I avoid most dairy products. Processed foods also give me headaches. I also find that they come most often premenstrual when my hormones are surging. I try and meditate plus get enough sleep. I also take Exedrin Migraine formula at the first sign of a headache. My neurologist also said caffeine helps. (most over the counter aspirins and such contain caffeine.) My headaches have also lessened as I have gotten older. My grandmother had them and she found the same thing.

KrisNine · July 26th, 2007, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twitchy

Headaches aren't in the same class as migraines. I get both. A migraine will have you curled in a fetal position in a darkened room. Light hurts. If you blink your eyes it hurts. If you move your head, even slightly, it seems as though your brain is slamming into the sides of your skull. They can last for several days. I've never been able to narrow down triggers or found a medication that works.

Damn, twitchy...that stinks. Have you tried all of the triptans?

PrettyGirl · July 26th, 2007, 08:25 PM

I'm going to the doctor at 6:30pm tonight but I know they're not going to do anything for me or have any real answers. Like right now, I DON'T have a headache, it gradually went away but it wasn't until about 2pm this afternoon when I realized it was gone...but I guarantee you, by 10pm tonight, I'll have one again, I'll feel like crap and I'll go to sleep with one and wake up with one...and the whole process starts all over again. Day after day after day. It gets really annoying, like Jesus, will I ever wake up feeling GOOD??! lol. Maybe I'll get lucky and won't get a headache 2 days out of the week but for the most part, lately I have...and the weather has sucked too, so maybe it is partly the dry weather. But I hear so many things: flourescent lighting, bad air (air conditioning), perfumes, certain foods, etc...it could be anything in this building. How am I supposed to know what it is? Have you seen the list of foods that can cause migraines? Jeez, I have to stop eating period--it's the whole food group! And then you read that skipping meals or not eating enough can also cause severe migraines, so then what's the answer? lol

Also, I'm sort of worried because these headaches and/or sinuses cause me to take so many sudafed/motrin/Tylenol, pills daily...I keep thinking I'm going to ruin the lining of my stomach the way I pop these pills every day looking for headache relief. At the very least, it just dulls the pain somewhat, not completely cures it.

Well, we'll see...I'll keep you guys updated...and if I don't, it's probably because I have a headache and am too nauseated to type! haha.(Hey, when you can't cry, laugh instead, right? lol)

Icepik · July 26th, 2007, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twitchy

Headaches aren't in the same class as migraines. I get both. A migraine will have you curled in a fetal position in a darkened room. Light hurts. If you blink your eyes it hurts. If you move your head, even slightly, it seems as though your brain is slamming into the sides of your skull. They can last for several days. I've never been able to narrow down triggers or found a medication that works.

I feel your pain - literally.

I am of absolutely no use to anyone when I get a migraine. I can do nothing more than lay in bed and cry from the pain... and this lasts for 2 - 3 days everytime one hits (usually right before my period)

I do take Imitrex 100mg, but they don't do much more than make me extremely loopy. It does dull the pain slightly and I usually pass out after taking one, so I consider the pills helpful.

Pippin69 · July 26th, 2007, 10:33 PM

I get migraines as well.

I used to get them every other day, now it's around 0-3 times a month. Usually whenever I mess up and eat something with a trigger in it accidentally (Why is wine in so much restaurant food?!), or it's menstral.

I've found that certain vitamins and minerals help reduce the frequency of them, B2, B12, B6, iron, and/or magnesium especially. I was told that a lot of migraine suffers have deficiencies in some, if not all, of these. So far they really have decreased the number of headaches I've had.

McJag · July 26th, 2007, 10:58 PM

I have never even had a headache,but felt really guilty because my sister had horrible migraines. They have stopped -totally. Guess what it was? She was allergic to tomatoes!
Our Grandfather had migraines-our Grandmother (his wife) never had one in her life. We got different genes there!

PrettyGirl · July 27th, 2007, 01:18 PM

Well, I went to the doctor last night and he referred me to an allergy/sinus specialist. No answers, but he said headaches (especially among women) are very common. He said it could be anything: weather, diet, stress, medications, hormonal, environmental, etc...basically, until I see a specialist, he advised me to take benadryl at night and he gave me some Flonase nasal spray. He also said to keep a log of my headaches and not try to make any major changes regarding my caffeine intake. One cup of coffe (what I drink daily) isn't bad, so he said don't eliminate it or I'll probably make the headaches worse. He gave me this thick packet to fill out (regarding my food, my daily habits, my work environment, my home, any allergies I may have, etc...) and I send it in to the specialist and they'll evaluate it before they actually see me. I guess they try and figure out what could be triggering these headaches or if I'm allergic to something and not aware of it. We'll see...maybe I am just having really bad sinus headaches and pressure. Thanks everyone for your input.

cynic · July 27th, 2007, 01:31 PM

.....have more sex.....it releases the "feel good" chemicals in the brain, increases the circulation and relaxes tight muscles......

....if you are smart, you offer to trade more sex for back and foot rubs which also reduce pain and make your partner think he's getting a bargain......

.....if that doesn't suit, then try a warm/hot shower and allow the water to hit the bottom of your neck. This not only relaxes tense muscles, but drains and moistens your sinuses, too......

.....smelling a freshly cut lemon can also misdirect the brain into "forgetting" that it has pain.....it does however usually make your spit glands go into hyperdrive....small price to pay though......

Can you tell that I've heard "I've got a headache" a lot? And, can you tell that I spend a lot of time trying to get rid of another's headaches?

twitchy · July 27th, 2007, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cynic

.....smelling a freshly cut lemon can also misdirect the brain into "forgetting" that it has pain.....it does however usually make your spit glands go into hyperdrive....small price to pay though......

That's a really good one for regular headaches as is mint. Just shove your nose in a box of mint tea and inhale. I don't know why or how it works but it does.