Headache Help

[maroonytun]

I have been getting headaches for over four weeks now. The last two have been the worst. Last week, I left school four days straight. I had a CT scan and it showed nothing. For the last few days I would have about 30-45 headaches a day. They would occur on the front, top, back, and sides of my head. I have gone to a neurologist and they changed my medicine. I am taking antiproxin and I think it is making it worse.
Sorry for the long story, but it's getting to the point that I am paniccing, my grades are dropping, and all of my friends feel bad.
Any one have any ideas what could be causing my headaches????
Maroonytun

 

[pontius]

how do you have 30-45 headaches in a day? I"ve always had migraines and they generally last several hours. are you talking about actual headaches, or separate shooting pains?
if it's the latter, it could be some kind of pinched nerve or something (hopefully not something worse)
if it's migraine headaches, it's probably due to some new stress that you're facing. in that case, probably medicine and getting away from the stress would help. how's your blood pressure?

 

[maroonytun]

They come and go. They will come for about five to twenty minutes then go, then come back about 10 minutes later. My blood pressure is normal according to the neruologist, I will be going to give him a visit this week. They are all random. I can't tell when they are going to occur and stop.
Thank you a lot,
Maroonytun

 

[dragonladylea]

First question I have is are you Male? Usually Cluster Migraines affect males and it sounds like what you are describing. Stress, Barometric Pressure and some foods are the most common triggers for Migraines. I had so many problems with rebound headaches from my meds that I quit taking them and someone recommended taking Midol. Now I know it sounds crasy but it has worked the best out of everything I have taken. The person that recommended Midol to me is Male and I have since talked to quite a few people male and female alike that have had good results with this. Makes ya wonder!!

 

[hot883]

Do you need glasses? Straining yor eyes sometimes will cause them. Good luck.

 

[lovethesea]

Originally Posted by Dragonladylea
First question I have is are you Male? Usually Cluster Migraines affect males and it sounds like what you are describing. Stress, Barometric Pressure and some foods are the most common triggers for Migraines. !

B I N G O !! I have had migraines most of my life....since about 13. Now Imitrex saves my days. I used to have them for days, now I feel them coming on and I take one right away. My uncle used to get clustuer headaches. He would be fine one minute and bam...the next minute in pain. I don't know what if anything helped him. Unfortunately he passed away a few years ago from something unrelated to the headaches.
Stress and the barometric pressure are 2 of my big triggers.

 

[sinner's girl]

ah, headaches. what kind? there are different kinds, different causes, and different preventions and treatments.
1. stop taking otc stuff...(if you are) they just cause rebound headaches...
2. since this is new, what's changed in your life? new med? change in diet? stress? lack of sleep?
3. if the med makes it worse, talk to your doc, see if you can stop or switch
4.
Do you need glasses? Straining yor eyes sometimes will cause them.
Ditto. that's the first thing I try.
In high school I started getting migraines, only I did't know that's what they were, I was taking otc like crazy, when my mom saw the bottles she just bought was empty she took me to a doc. My mom and grandmom had always gotten them, but they never needed a doc. The ladies at the front desk wouldn't give me anything anymore. I was in pain and needed help. General Doc was a dumb butt, (the side effect of the med he gave me caused headaches, so I didn't get migrains, just daily headaches, he wanted to do a mri and cat scan and blood work, but I didn't let him) but that got me a real head doc, (neurologist), I learned that the otc meds caused rebounds, ect. He put me on a prevenitive that worked wonders...it's also used in treating depression and some other stuff. I had to stop taking otc. I make sure I don't take too much, but I stopped cold for a long time.
I'm not on any meds now (no insurence) but over the years I've learned to control them, I know my triggers, I know my thrush hold. Cheese, chocolete, stress, lack of sleep, too much stress, bright light, msg, caffinee (too much), ect. Each alone won't do it, but too much of one, or a combo...in highschool I knew a Papa John's pizza with cheese sause would cause one, I took a pill when I ate the pizza. Migrains work different for different people, same with the meds. some love Imitrex, I hate it, it's evil stuff. Doc gave me long list of triggers...exercise, ---, fresh bread or donuts, nuts, citrus fruits, ect. Some are triggers for some, others aren't. The sleep thing never was for me till I read about it.
what did the head doc say?
good luck!
lovethesea, I know your pain, there are tons of other triggers. A book I read had suggestions for figuring out which ones were tiggers, since it differs. I can't take Imitrex, niether can Sinner, evil stuff, yet others swear by it. A preventive was the best thing for me...I was able to live without pain, and I had

[hr]
that worked in the middle of the pain and would stop it.

 

[dragonladylea]

I can't take Imitrex, niether can Sinner, evil stuff, yet others swear by it. A preventive was the best thing for me...I was able to live without pain, and I had

[hr]
that worked in the middle of the pain and would stop it.
That was my problem, seriously when you feel one coming on take 2 Midol. Trust me works wonders.

 

[sinner's girl]

That was my problem, seriously when you feel one coming on take 2 Midol. Trust me works wonders.
It's been years since I've taken Midol, does it come in capsels? (has to be coated or I'll get sick). I still don't like taking otc, but I will sometimes, just not that often.

 

[lovethesea]

midol will work for me every so often. A friend of mine told be about it. I think it works sometimes because of the diurectic (spell) in it. Don't know why, but it does. That is an ingredient to a lot of the migraine meds too. Go figure.
Sinners Girl......I also have more triggers, those are just the top 2. Some meds would make me so sick. But the migraine would last so long that I was sick with that also. Right now Imitrex works great for me. I worked with a girl that got really sick from it and ended up in the ER. Something about her heartbeat.
I don't know., but I do know I inherited them from my greatgrandma, grandma and Mom.
So now I watch my daughter like a hawk.

 

[dragonladylea]

Midol does come in coated capsules and the Rite-Aide generic version works just as good. The combination of the ingredients is the key, Ihave tried all combos and only the three seems to work (the Diuretic, caffeine and the analgesic).
As far as the Imitrex goes it has a tendancy to drop some peoples blood pressure, I suspect that is what happened to your co-worker Lovesthesea. The one and only time I took it I kept passing out and ended up in the hospital.
Doctors used to say it wasnt Genetic but have found that they are. I was hoping mine was caused by a car accident that I had when I was sixteen (they started right after the accident) Unfortunately though my youngest has them now.
My biggest pet-peeve is that people who do not suffer cant understand why you cant take a "headache". My newest response is get me a cast iron frying pan and I'll show you!!

 

[maroonytun]

Drangonladylea: I am a male,
hot883: I had my eyes checked and they were fine
Sinner: I don't get this
" stop taking otc stuff...(if you are) they just cause rebound headaches..."
I have swiched meds twice now, I get about 9-10 hours of sleep, and I haven't changed the way I eat.
Lovethesea: I have gone to the neurologist and he changed my meds, the meds are imo making it worse, I will be going back this week though
I am thinking about getting an MRI, any have any opinions on this???

 

[hot883]

otc stuff = over the counter

 

[maroonytun]

Thanks, hot,
No it's not otc, it was prescribed by the neurologist it is call Anaprox and I am taking it 2 times a day and it is 275mg, I am 11, anyone see something wrong here???

 

[sinner's girl]

sorry, I should have written it out, yep over the counter. What may start out as a few heahaches, can end up as a ton of headaches..
As far as the Imitrex goes it has a tendancy to drop some peoples blood pressure
Lol, my blood pressure was already low, (side effect of the med I was on). In fact, once the nurse tested me three times, with two different mechine, the doc didn't believe what was written down and he retested me...(which would explain my tendency to faint). Imitrex knocked me out, but I couldn't wake up, I was in horrible pain but could't move, and I had horrible dreams.
I like codine, works best for me. T3's were good, the stuff my doc gave me was better.
They are. Grandmom, Mom and me...mine started in high school, got really bad my senior year. I hate docs, I mean hate them. But I was willing to go and do whatever it took to stop the pain. Learning how to control is the best thing. Though sometimes I'll still get a bad one. I got what my doc call holiday mirgrains. Which means I could get throught the period of stress, then wamp, on my butt in pain. Stress, not sleeping and not eating right...but it's hard to control those things while in college/grad school. Now that I'm out of school and jobless, I don't get as many or as bad.
If the doc can't tell you why, or what kind of headaches, then I'd go for the MRI, given my family history, and type of pain I had, a MRI wasn't needed for me, my doc could figure out what was wrong (he did something with my head, and played with my feet...).
If your doc hasn't already told you to, start writing it all down. When you get a headach, what you feel, other symtoms (tension, light, sound, dizziness, anything), what you've eaten, what you've done, rate the pain, how long did it last, keep a record of all med's you take (for what ever reason, even if it's unrelatled), what kind, how much, how often. What are you doing when the pain starts, what's going on around you, heck the weather...anything you can think of.
If someone else cooks your food, have they added a new spice or anything different?
IME, before a problem can be fixed, you need to know the reason, what's causing the problem. ANY new stress or change in livestyle?

 

[lovethesea]

everything Sinner said and OTC's can cause rebound headaches due to the caffine and whatnot that is in them. Similar to the headaches that people get when they are addicted to a ton a caffine and then go cold turkey. H O R R I B L E headaches and mood swings for days. I bet a bunch of people can relate to those.
Wouldn't hurt to write stuff down and get the MRI. I feel for ya, cause headaches can and are debiltating and some people just don't get it. I know someone that actually says he has never had a headache !!!

 

[maroonytun]

Sinner: The neurologist switched the codine I was on to Anaprox. I have a log of everything I do for the day. I will have to check with some people on the food though. No new changes in anything, but a new fish tank.
Lovethesea: I will get the MRI as soon as I talk to the neurologist.

 

[dragonladylea]

I would get the MRI just to rule out anything more serious, but to be honest if your having Cluster Migraines the MRI wont show a thing. As for the OTC causing rebounds I had more problems with the prescription drugs causing rebounds than the Midol. I've had every kind of Prescription for Migraines available and a few that arent available anymore. I have been fighting Migraine syndrome for over 20 years. You are going to have to find out what your triggers are and what treatment works best for you. One thing that also helps me is a heat pack on my neck. Easiest thing to make take a tube sock fill it with rice (not instant) and tie a knot in it. Pop it in the microwave for two minutes instant and cheap hot pack and it fits around your neck the best. If you find that your not getting any relief from the prescriptions try the Midol - wont kill you and might suprise you. My job I cant afford to have a migraine and cant take meds that make me "dummy". The person who turned me onto them was my boss's wife because it was the only thing that worked for him as well. He's a Paramedic and I'm an EMT worst job in the world to have a migraine and try to work lights, sirens etc.
www.migraines.org and www.mayoclinic.com/health/migraine are sites with good information.

 

[zman1]

When you have one (Migraine), you know, it's truly debilitating. In 44years, I can count on one hand the number I have had, and nothing works. usually lasts a day. If it's a disease then I am lucky not to have had more. I have had my share of headaches, mostly my kids....
My predominate symptoms are vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, and severe semihemispherical head pain. Glad I didn't have the other lucky symptoms.
From your Link Dragonladylea
Unlike a headache, the Migraine disease has many symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, auras (light spots), sensitivity to light and sound, numbness, difficulty in speech, and severe semihemispherical head pain.

 

[dragonladylea]

Unlike a headache, the Migraine disease has many symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, auras (light spots), sensitivity to light and sound, numbness, difficulty in speech, and severe semihemispherical head pain.
Thats just the average symptoms for what are classified as Aura Migraines, about three years ago I developed Occular Migraines (scared the tar out of me) No pain but your vision is completely messed up. I thought I was going blind the first time it happened. Then of course there is the Cluster Migraines which is what I believe Maroonytun is experiencing.