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asymmetrical headaches

sensing progress

Senior Member
Messages
296
Location
Tucson, AZ
I get headaches around my left temple, but never on the right side. When it occurs I can distinctly feel the blood vessel there harden up. Again, this is only by the left temple and never on the right. Taking ibuprofen usually clears it right up. It just seems so odd that it's always on the left side only. Anyone have any idea why that could be?
 

maryb

iherb code TAK122
Messages
3,602
Location
UK
My migraines always start on my left temple, never the right - strange innit!!
 

illsince1977

A shadow of my former self
Messages
356
Mine too! But I'd describe it more as throbbing. I think of it is as more palpable, not hard. Is that what you mean? Migraine is usually only on one of the side of the head.
 

sensing progress

Senior Member
Messages
296
Location
Tucson, AZ
Mine too! But I'd describe it more as throbbing. I think of it is as more palpable, not hard. Is that what you mean? Migraine is usually only on one of the side of the head.

Yes, throbbing. You're right, it's palpable, I just couldn't find the right word to describe it. You get them on the left side also?
 

illsince1977

A shadow of my former self
Messages
356
Yes. I get them on the left side almost exclusively. I've had them since childhood and they predate the illness for me. I do not get the aura that some migraine sufferers get.
 

sensing progress

Senior Member
Messages
296
Location
Tucson, AZ
Yes. I get them on the left side almost exclusively. I've had them since childhood and they predate the illness for me. I do not get the aura that some migraine sufferers get.

Interesting. Can't recall if they predate my illness or not. It sure is strange that they would be on one side only. Wish I could figure out why that is.
 

Athene

ihateticks.me
Messages
1,143
Location
Italy
Hi, Sensing progress!

Migraines are just about always one-sided, and this is the main diagnostic clue that distinguishes them from other types of headache.
The fact that you haven't mentioned getting an aura and that ibuprofen clears them up makes me think you are lucky enough to have really mild ones.
I think you may possibly have auras but don't know how to recognise them. Some people just get standard symptoms of CFS as their aura, for example. Read this and see if anything sounds familiar:
http://headaches.about.com/cs/headpain101/a/anatomy_mig.htm

By the way, I had a fabulous holiday in Arizona in 1998 and I have recently been reading lots of books about Arizona as I am desperately yearning to return and see that spectacular landscape again! I think you're very lucky to live somewhere so stunning!
 
Messages
29
Very interesting!! I used to get left temple headaches, with a spot on the left side of my neck involved too.

Recently, I began to have extreme pains on the left side of my face, from the eye to the ear and down to the upper jaw, and that same spot at the left side of my neck. They called it Trigeminal Neuralgia at first, but then revised that to "Atypical Face Pain".

I sure hope yours does not progress to include more of your face, but I am sure the pain is just as bad in any case. It is odd how if 5 spots hurt that bad it is almost the same as if one spot hurts like that.

Any pain in your neck?
 

Athene

ihateticks.me
Messages
1,143
Location
Italy
Noah scape, have you been tested for Lyme? This trigeminus nerve gets inflamed and the "face ache" you describe is a typical symptom. Unlike migraines, whish usually last a day or two, this can drag on for weeks.
 
Messages
29
Athene - sorry I didn't get back sooner.... NO, I have not been tested for Lyme. I wish I could be.... there is still a "debate" about Lyme here and they don't recognise it or test for it regularly. And, I used to spend a lot of time in the bush...

But these "Face Pains" were also there 10 years ago when I was having dental issues. I got all my teeth removed and the face pains went away completely until now. I suspected deep infections, perhaps in root canal teeth, were doing something. Maybe this is a clue to Lyme - does it get into root canal teeth?? {light bulb, anyone??}

sensingprogress - Ibuprofen might be helping these face pains. I have been taking three different meds and so I am not sure. but yesterday I felt an attack coming on and took two Ibuprofen 350s and it did not develop further.

It has been 6 weeks so far. I am getting pretty tired - it usually strikes about 20 minutes after going to sleep.
 

meadowlark

Senior Member
Messages
241
Location
Toronto, Canada
I have had an almost daily migraine on the left side since the early 80s, and though it is not a classic migraine it is extremely vicious. It feels as though nails are being pounded through every inch of my left skull and temple, and as though there's a fireball behind my eye. The migraine also stiffens my facial muscles and causes one eye to tear. I also have "cluster" attacks as though a huge sword has suddenly bisected my head. At one point, years ago, I dug sharp objects into my skull to counteract the pain; it hurt, but it briefly defeated the migraine. (Unfortunately, it also drew blood, so I stopped this. Obviously, the pain had made me very irrational.) So I have never believed that the classic migraine is the mothership of head pain.

I have heard that dental nerves can get mixed up in head pain. It was must be awful.

These days, I can't take ibuprofen due to ulcers, but back in the day, I found it quite helpful, as well as the hideously expensive imitrex. (Have you tried it?) Tiger balm, rubbed on a temple, can help, but beware -- it's painful elsewhere on the face. I also used to have success with ice packs and heat, applied one after the other.

It's interesting that your headaches start just before going to sleep. Mine start about a minute after waking.