headache

Hi Sam 1238.

Have you had any neck pain? Is your headache constant or does is stop at all during the day? Have you started any new foods? Did you recently stop any medicines suddenly? When your doctor(s) prescribed the various medicines you've tried, did they stop one medicine and try another, or keep what you were taking and add another?  When I began to have constant migraines several years ago, my doctor didn't want to make two changes at once. So if one medicine wasn't working, he added another. Once I started having fewer migraines, he had me taper off one medicine at a time. If the migraines got worse, we knew I had to keep the one that I'd just started to discontinue.

Is an MRI exam possible? They can give a better picture of what's going on. How about an EEG? It doesn't sound like Migraine, but I know daily headaches, no matter what kind they are, can be a real frustrating disruption to your life! I'm glad you're on a CPAP machine. If your sleep apnea was causing the headaches, I would have hoped 6 weeks on the machine would have helped.

Sorry I can't offer a solution. Just more questions.

~~Pegasis

Hi Sam,

I'm checking into Feverfew myself, for migraines. I'm currently taking it daily in a combo supplement that has B2 and Magnesium. I've copied and pasted a couple paragraphs from a website:

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Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) is an herb that has been used for years to prevent and treat Inflammation of tissue around blood vessels in the brain is thought to play a role in headache pain and other symptoms associated with migraines. It is thought that feverfew reduces inflammation in blood vessels which seems to decrease these symptoms. The active ingredient in feverfew is parthenolide, which acts similarly to a combination of nonsteroidal, such as aspirin, and a corticosteroid, such as prednisone, to reduce inflammation and pain.

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Since you and your doctor are trying several things, you should really discuss taking ANY other medicines, even non-prescription products, because they can interact with other drugs.

Check the warnings for side effects on your allergy meds and on your inhaler. Even though you've been using them for several years, you could have developed a reaction to the meds. It's possible that you're experiencing rebound headaches from the medicines you've taken for awhile. I used an inhaler for about a month because of pneumonia and I had some terrible headaches.

I take Amitriptyline, too. Brand name: Elavil----it's easier to spell :) I'm not familiar with Relafan. Did your doctor have you discontinue the Relafan when he put you on Elavil? Look back at my first letter about not making two changes at once. Again: Just tossing ideas at you...

Good luck. Keep us posted.

~~Pegasis

Post Edited By Moderator (Admin) : 8/7/2010 10:47:16 PM (GMT-6)

I have recently looked into a mouth splint for clenching. I know that I clench my teeth and wake with headaches. Also diagnosed with Chronic daily headaches/migraines but have been suffering with them for 19 yrs. I'm hoping that this splint can offer me some relief. Have you been down that avenue?
I also have herniated disc in my neck and back and know that my neck gets extremely sore when I have a bad headache. Did they check you neck when they did an MRI?

Hi Sam,

I'm sorry to hear your having such a tough time with headaches. I can empathize with you. I suffer from chronic daily migraines but am having an especially difficult time right now reacting to medications and the headaches are similar to what you describe, start behind my eyes, move to my temples and then mine move to my whole head.

Further to the questions Pegasis asked, how quickly or slowly did the neurologist / doctor take you off the medications. I have learned during the last six months that I am extremely sensitive to medications and have severe reactions. I have also found that because I don't see the neurologist as often as my family doctor he tends to recommend the "norm" for procedures which are often too quick or too much for me. I often check with my family doctor before starting a new course of medication.

I also have real problems with any type of sinus / breathing medications. If I get a cold it often turns into bronchitis or a sinus infection and I end up getting a prescription for Flonase, Nasocort or something similar. These medications cause me terrible headaches. I realize that the medications you are taking are different but if a side effect is headaches they may be causing them. It was by accident that I finally figured out these medications were causing the headaches. The headache was continuous and didn't happen immediately when I took the medication.

I've also found that whenever the doctor's prescribe something that it's best to do as much research as possible online. I've learned the hard way that doctors will only tell you the "common" side effects rather than all of them. Being sensitive to medications I'm the 1 in 1000 that gets a headache from the medication. If I know all of the side effects ahead of time I can stop before I get to the debilitating headache.

And, like Tracey D, I also have a mouth splint, it stops me from clenching my jaw at night and reduces the pain in the morning.

If all else fails never be concerned about getting a second opinion. Doctors are human too and can make mistakes.

Good Luck! Keep checking back here, I found the people very supportive with excellent advice and suggestions.