Chronic Headaches
Hi everyone! I've been getting headaches almost every day now, or at least a few times a week. I've had headaches on and off since I was little and no one is sure why. I have bad eyesight and wear pretty strong prescription glasses but I don't think that's it. It can be frustrating because I take painkillers a lot and feel like it only makes things worse in the long run because then I can suffer withdrawal from them and get more headaches...but nothing else really helps! Does anyone else suffer from them, and what helps you alleviate them?
Hi. Are you experiencing migraines or is it a different type of headache ? Can you explain what it feels like and where it's located?
No, it might be a tension headache? It's usually in the front of my head or on the sides, never in the back. I get migraine sometimes but not too often.
What makes the headaches not a migraine? How are they different?
They aren't triggered by lights and lights/loud noises don't make it worse. They also aren't very strong in pain and don't make me nauseous like migraines do.
Ok. Good description. Do you have neck pain? Sometimes headaches are caused by tension in the neck and shoulders.
No neck pain. I get back pain a lot but it seems to be unrelated.
I have headaches almost everyday. Sometimes they are nasty and sometimes they are just annoying. You said they aren't too painful, does something simple like Tylenol or Advil help? Have you tried any relaxation/ visualization to help?
Usually Excedrin helps but I take it a few times a week and don't want to become hooked on it. Relaxation and the like usually doesn't help.
Well, have you talked with the doctor? Maybe there is a different solution they can suggest. My doctor told me to find a massage therapist who knows about referred neck pain as thats what causes my headaches. I hope you are able to get some relief. .
My doctor has prescribed me a myriad of drugs from ibe800 to oxy's. Honestly it's hit or miss with the medicine you can get, it can work and have bad effects, be addicting, not do anything at all. The best medicine I have ever had for my migraines was cannabis, which actually helped me kill both of my cancers (prostate and brain tumors). I wish you luck!
Hi. I also suffer from debilitating headaches several times a week. Mine are a result of strokes I had. The areas around the damaged areas of my brain get inflamed and usually wind me up in the ER. The pain would reach a 10 (and I have a high pain tolerance) I went through several rounds of Botox and trigger point injections with a neurologist. One day, I had one of these headaches during an appt. with my pain management doc. He was amazed at how bad it was. He asked me to try a procedure then and there to see if it helped. I said yes. It sounds gross, but he got 2 REALLY LONG q-tips and soaked them in lidocaine and then inserted them into my nostrils as far as they would go, it was pretty damn far. Every 10 minutes he would come in and inject more lidocaine into the hollow end of the q-tip. After half an hour of this, the headache was gone. It turns out that there are 2 bundles of nerves, one on each side of your face under your cheekbones and can be accessed through your sinuses. You might look into trying this, because if it works, they can go in and cauterize those nerves so they don't bother you anymore. I know there is a doc. In Cleveland that performs the procedure. Good luck!
