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Headaches
Doe anyone else suffer from chronic debilitating headaches? I get horrioble headache about once a week where the muscles in my neck, face, and even the top and back of my head are so tight I start throwing up. I seriously feel like I have tried everything to get rid of them. i've done massage, accupuncture, chiropractics, physical therapy, botox injections, and tried a bunch of meds including vicodin, muscle relaxers, seizure drugs, anti-depressants, etc. I have tried multi-vitamins too and coffee.
I need help! I can't think of what else to do. These headaches put me out for an entire day or 2 and make it hard to live a normal life.
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41 Replies
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Have they ever found a cause of these? That is the only way you will ever find relief.
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I suspect what you're talking about is a migraine, and those are difficult to deal with. I have them, often around certain times of the month, but I used to get them far more often.
So, first of all, what does your doctor think of them? Have you managed to go to the doctor while having one? Does he say "tension headache" or "migraine"? They're similar for some people, and very different for others! Do you get sensitive to light or sound during your headaches?
Otherwise, I know that for me, my migraines were caused by caffeine, especially since I used to drink so much of it. Seriously, I'd go through 2 litres in half a day. Pop was all I drank, and I was told I had to stop. It sucked, but I did…I'm now very careful about how much, what kind, and when I have caffeinated drinks!
Have you noticed any patterns, such as time of month (or, time of your girly cycle), what you may have eaten or drank within the last day, or stress levels? Sometimes the body will react to things we aren't aware of.
I have hope that, if nothing I've mentioned is helpful, someone here can help!
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I have had those too. I started getting them when I was a child but they have gotten better and there were differences in how they manifested — supper strong headaches or migraines. I have had to learn to deal with them and I get them a lot less frequently nowadays.
Some things that have helped me: seeing an eye doctor – I needed glasses, and that alone helped. I also discovered some of them were food related, so heavy stuff like cream and chocolate can be damaging to me if I have loads of them or every day… I also was prescribed some migraine drugs, but you have to take them when you feel they a migraine is coming, otherwise they do not work so well. I am also very sensitive to smells and am allergic to some of the,, strong perfumes can trigger horrible headaches, so I have learned to stay away from people who wear scents that don't go well with me and I avoid the perfume corners in duty free shops etc. I used to have them connected to my menstrual cycle when I was younger, but luckily they stopped.
Some herbal teas and essencial oils help too. I am particularly fond of mint and one called "boldo" that I have never seen in the northern hemisphere.
Try to see the patterns in your headaches, they will probably help you physician in diagnosing possible triggers.
Good luck!
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My youngest son (now 21) had weekly migraines (for lack of a better word) much like you describe. He too took all the docs had to offer including even an injectable one.
Crazy as it sounds: What WORKED for HIM… An all orgainic diet. Yep. He was 16 or so at the time While waiting for my diet supplies to come in, I switched to all orgainic foods, so that's what he got too. After about ten days, I LOST 11 LBS, as well!! 🙂
He did not have another headache for a year or more. There is likely something in processed food you are allergic to.
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Lone Star…I was also thinking allergic reaction. Branquinha also had a really good suggestion of logging when you get the headaches, this way you can see patterns and possible causes.
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I agree with what these ladies said. Watch your salt/caffeine/processed foods intake and stay hydrated! I know you mentioned you tried massage- was it relaxation or local therapeutic? When people come to me with that same group of symptoms I try to stay in the problematic areas. Sinus cativities, the crown, scalenes and SCM (anterior/posterior neck) are usually the culprits. I would try to find an LMT that specializes in migraines. If not, just tell the therapist to work these areas to find some relief. I know it can be really hard to find a knowledgable LMT in some areas (I can't find anyone I like to work on me! 🙁 ) Also, I find that sitting (slumping) on my couch is a MAJOR issue for my neck/back. Sit on a folding chair or lay flat on the ground when watching t.v. Hope you find some relief lady!
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Have you checked your blood sugar? It could be low and it could be causing the headaches as well…are you eating regularly throughout the day. The idea about the journal is really good. It might help you identify what the "trigger" is.
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I've dropped caffeine before, I drink a lot of water, and I have tried this crazy migraine diet. Nothing helped. I literally get these headaches almost the same day every week, plus or minus a day. They fluctuate between Tuesdays and Thursdays. They used to be every Saturday. I've been eating a mostly vegan diet lately for weight purposes, but I haven't had any change. My eyes are 20/15, so that can't be the cause. The muscles in my neck are literally always contracted (involuntarily) and one day a week they just go into overdrive for 24 hours. It's usually the left side of my neck, but sometime it shifts to the other side. You can literally see that my left shoulder is pulled in closer to my body than the right shoulder. When I stretch my neck, I can feel a tightness deep in my neck that I can never quite pinpoint, and it never releases.
I stretch frequently, I try to exercise (when my body will LET me), I put heat on my neck when I start to feel it tensing. Sometimes that keeps it from escalating, but other times it doesn't. I take tylenol like it's food, not that it does anything anyways.
I've been diagnosed with tension headaches, myofascial pain, and cervical dystonia (all for the same issue.)
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I get A typical rapid cycle cluster migranes. They typicaly last for about 30 days.
The most common trigger aparently is wheat. I went wheat free, headaches went away. Other culprits are red & yellow food colouring, weather and hormones.
Good luck, it took me 10 years to determine my triggers now that I know them all I'm headache free.
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Wheat huh? Does oatmeal count as wheat? I did have some whole wheat lasagne on Monday. I'll have to look into that one. I doubt it's weather since I live in Oregon where it rains, adn these were occurring is So. Cal with the sun out all the time.
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Oats are not wheat. Wheat is a species of grain, oats are a different one. However most oats are contaminated with wheat but you have to be very sensitive for that to bother you.
Wheat is not the same as rye, spelt, barley, oats, and many other common cereal grains. Any of them could bug you but it's usualy just wheat, like white flour, enriched white flour, pastry flour, whole wheat. Pasta, begals, toast/bread, doughnuts, pastries, cake etc, most baked goods.
Try cutting it out for a few weeks and see how you feel. I noticed a difference after about a week, took 3 months to really tell the difference. I can still cheat every so offten but it always gives me a mild headach when I do.
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My sister suffers from headaches like this. The doctors told her it was hormonal. She is on a birth control pill now for it. I am not sure if it helped though I would need to ask her. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_heart1.gif
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The doc told me hormonal too, put me on pills, the headaches lessened but were still preasent.
Only thing that made them go away completly was diet. I only get headaches when I am at that time of the month AND it's a thunderstorm/blizzard at the same time, and even then they aren't so bad by comparison.
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I've been on birth control since I was 15 or 16, so at least 10 years. If it's the birth control, then I'm screwed https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif. How long does it take for your body to become sensitive to caffeine again? I haven't gotten to where I can drink an energy drink and not shake, where I used to shake like I was on crack.
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Caffeine starts to bother me (withdrawl if I don't have a cup of coffee in the morning) after about a week of drinking it daily. So it must build up the 'need' quickly. It takes about twice as long to get off it again for me.
The shakes are no fun either the had caffeen shakes or the didn't have caffeen shakes… both bad.
Good luck.
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