MASSIVE Headaches, can't take it anymore - HELP

First of all, I'm so very sorry, Chapelle! I know how horrid migraines can be and I know that you have children that you have to take care of/oversee, so it's not like you can just stay in bed all day until this goes away!

Don't forget that these are likely tied to the large blood loss you had. So there are many medicines that likely won't help.

Stay in as dark of a room as you can if your eyes are bothering you - dark glasses are helpful even inside the house as Sayyadina has said.

Noise levels are an all time important thing usually. I hope the kids and hubby are being cooperative!!

From: www.livestrong.com/article/495836-what-to-eat-after-you-lose-blood/

"You lose iron when you lose blood. Continued iron deficiency can cause anemia, a condition caused when your body does not have enough red blood cells. Eating foods with calcium, B vitamins, folate, vitamin C and vitamin K will also help your body replenish its blood supply.

Eating fruits and vegetables will provide your body with vitamin C, folate, vitamin K and vitamins B-1, B-6 and B-12. Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron. Folate and vitamin B-12 help to form red blood cells. Vitamin K helps your blood coagulate, or clot. Vitamins B-1 and B-6 help your heart and keep red blood cells healthy. Citrus fruits, including kiwi, oranges, berries and pineapple, are a source of vitamin C. Vitamin B-6 can be found in bananas and avocado. Asparagus and romaine lettuce can boost your folate levels. Green, leafy vegetables can provide vitamin C, vitamin K and folate. Peas are a source of vitamin B-1."

My hubby had a very large blood loss (literally 1/2 of his blood) due to a stomach bleed and they put him on prenatal vitamins to help rebuild his blood since he refused a transfusion. It's something to consider as well.

I hope this comes to an end quickly for you!!! Please let us know how you are doing soon!!

I use lavender oil. I dab some on my temples or put a couple of drops on a warm wet rag and set it on my forehead. I also don't take any rx for my headaches, even the over the counter stuff.

I also do oil pulling when I get a migraine...with either coconut or sesame oil.

Hope you feel better!

Hugs, no advice, hope this passes and you feel better soon. Adding insult to injury is just awful!!!!!!!!! You have been thought too much...

Thank you all so much. Well I skipped the Excedrin and tried motrin 600mg this afternoon and that helped, thank goodness. Traveler - thank you for all of that info. I am going to give the prenatals a try - worth a shot, I have nothing to lose! Same with alkaselzer gold as pirouette advised, I just don't have any left, will have to get some tmrw. I am taking iron already, and have been eating lots of liver and steak! gonna have to work on losing weight after all of this, LOL

and tmrw a huge snowstorm is headed this way! 12-18" expected! the kids are crazy excited! And you know what this means - shoveling snow, making snowmen, snowball fights, snowangels, baking cookies, hot chocolate.....I can't wait. I hate snow when I have to commute, but I am all stocked up, and the kids are expected to have a snow day on Tuesday - so it will so much fun - BUT I HAVE TO GET RID OF THIS HEADACHE so I can enjoy it all !!

healing98 - it is not a tension headache (not in the front or above my eyebrows at all), it is towards the back of my head. If I tilt my head back, there is tremendous pressure in the back of my head. I also have throbbing pain more to the right - it feels very localized. /I will try th primrose oil too - Sigh....sorry I am complaining, but as lovemychildrenmom said, I have been through more than enough in one week!!!

Chapelle why aren't you breaking the migraine with a triptan? Get a 100mg nasal spray, a flexible reusable ice pack (or 2) wrapped in a hand towel and go to sleep. Place the ice packs on your forehead and under your neck. If you sleep on your side you can rest your face on the cold. Texture will help you sleep. Place a hand towel on your pillow and find the softest blanket to have against your face. I don't understand the logic but it works.
Excedrin Migraine is acetaminophen and caffeine. If you don't want to get a triptan than get something that has a significantly higher amount of caffeine. Have your husband/partner get you a double or triple shot espresso or one of those energy shots.

Prior to my cervical fusion I dealt with about 20 migraines a month for years.

Keep in mind that because of your blood loss your brain over compensated and other blood vessels dilated to compensate causing the migraine.

I always found the spicier food I ate the better I felt and I'm not someone who likes things spicy. I know other people who say the same. Avoid anything with sugar including natural sugar, no fruit, nothing acidic at all. Wait until the migraine is completely gone for two days before you have any triggers.

Sorry to hear this Chapelle, could the massive snow storm also be wrecking havoc on your head? I sometimes get massive headaches when the pressure changes.

I got a burning like headache today as well!!! But mine I am blaming on bartonella. Darn bart I wish it would just go away lol. But on the positive side that was pretty much my only symptom today.

well, I set my alarm for 5am so that I could take some medicine before getting up so that I wouldn't have a pounding headache when it was time to get the kids ready for school.

I woke up at 5am - no sign of a headache, so I went back to sleep and woke up with one at 630 - grrrrr!!

anyway, I am going to run out to the nature's pantry store where I buy all of my vitamins and such and pick up some of the oils, this way I will have my supply and not have to run out once the snow hits!!!

well, last night I waited until 8pm to take my second dose of Excedrin (only 1/2 tablet). My head was hurting, but i figured if i took it later, maybe i wouldn't wake up with a headache. My husband also did a huge head massage - LOL - so whether it was one or both things, I woke up feeling way better this morning. Still had some sharp pains in my head, but not as bad and no throbbing. So I took the Excedrin morning and then my vitamins and I feel great right now (as i did yesterday afternoon when I also took my vitamins). Also, when I washed my hair this morning, some strands cam out - this always happens after my miscarriages. So I truly believe it is a mixture of blood loss and hormones causing this. I do hope I can slowly wean off the Excedrin and go back to normal soon! At least i feel well enough to enjoy the snow with my kids!

Awe thank you - and its because of everyone's help/suggestions on this forum!!

Remember that iron is absorbed better under acidic conditions in the stomach. Throbbing headaches are often caffeine withdrawal headaches which is often from BHMT mutations. Migraine headaches can occur due to methylation pathway dysfunction. The dysfunction can occur at several places along the pathway and if you don't know your genes, you need to try to bypass the problem spots one at a time.

The first spot you need to try to clean up is in the Ornithine Cycle. Since you are eating a lot of red meat to build up your iron levels, this seems like a plausible culprit. Protein (nitrogen) is broken down in this cycle and turned into urea and eliminated. If adequate H20 isn't available or too much NO is present, then ammonia (NH3) can be produced. I would even guess that a depleted blood volume would have an effect on this as well so make sure you drink plenty of water and have sufficient sodium levels. Iron level restoration will take time and eating too much protein right now could be causing your headaches. There is a fine line between too much and not enough protein. I err on the side of lower protein but that is just me. This is a major part in producing oxidative stress and neuronal damage and it starts with something simple like brain fog.

The second place that could cause migraines is in the Neurotransmitter Pathway (Biopterin Pathway). If you are low on BH4 (tetrahydrobiopterin), you won't be able to produce serotonin, melatonin, dopamine, GABA, and norepinephrine. If this was causing your headaches, you would have other problems like sleep disturbance, mood swings, depression, anger, and possibly be aggressive. Supplementation with BH4, tryptophan, tyrosine, melatonin, or GABA are options. With a high pathogen load, this pathway takes a huge hit and seems to always function poorly. Mg, Cu, and P-5-P are all substrates in this pathway so you could be low on one of those and supplementing with them could be beneficial. I've found copper to be extremely beneficial.

Connected into the BH4 pathway is another cycle that can be the culprit of migraines. The Foltate producing pathway of the Methylation Cycle can be blocked and you have a reduction of B-12 and Folate production. Genetic mutations or metal accumulation often block this cycle and supplementing with methyl folate, methylcobalamin, and Vitamin D can help this pathway function more efficiently. Most patients with Lyme have problems with this pathway and it's due to mutation and Vit. D levels. My thoughts are the Vit D level is reduced due to an increased immune response but that it is often also blocked which is an interesting concept to study.

The Methionine Pathway can also be the culprit of migraine headaches when it doesn't function properly. Mutations and Vitamin D deficiency contribute to this pathway as well but so does caffeine. If you have one or several of the BHMT mutations, this pathway can almost stop or run with very little efficiency. Methionine comes from the meat you eat and from homocysteine conversion and it is converted to SAMe, which is converted to homocysteine. If you have joint problems like stiffness, pain, arthritis, this cycle most likely isn't functioning properly. You could supplement with SAMe but it wouldn't be high on my list of supplements even though it is greatest methyl donor in the body. Mg and Zn are both substrates for this pathway so their supplementation may be beneficial.

The Transuluration Pathway can be the culprit of migraines. It can lead to the production of ammonia as well so knowing if you have a CBS699T mutation would be important to know. Sulfites can be produced so this could be a situation where you need to limit your cysteine and sulfur intake. Knowing the genes is important for this pathway. The CBS699T with BHMT mutations is more of an issue because the cycle can't replenish the B-12 or methionine. What you eat can play a bigger role in headaches for this pathway. Mg, Mb, and P-5-P are substrates in this pathway and supplementing with them may be beneficial. I take Mb.

If you are deficient of some of these substrates, your pathways will not function correctly. They are often overlooked and are not supplied in sufficient quantities in our diet.

I deal with migraines on an almost daily basis.  Have you tried heat on your neck and ice on your forehead?  Putting one on either side of my head when i lay down in a dark room with warm covers often help.

I would also recommend "rescue remedy" it is Bach Flower essenses and it is helpful for stress.  It used to help me and maybe it will help you!

I am so sorry you are going through this.