Headache so I'm sick of headaches

[Emmarose47]

I feel wanna rip my head off I'm sooooo sick of.having headache ...been pretty constant now for 2 plus months maybe 3 ...I've always been a headache sufferer since young on and off past few yrs chronic sinus which I steam and do salts for to try keep clear ...
This headache is across forehead , throbbing temples and can go severe to left side of head ( this is the side where the lymph swells too ..
I think it's.a.combo.pf.cfs / stress and sinus ...
When I exert lately I get pressure in my head and headache gets worse ...

I got amitriptyline.10 mg from doc when the side.head nerve pain was.severe ... It did help.but the sedation and crazy dreams were too much ... I find ice packs.help .and.relaxing ...

All.experience knowledge welcome

 

[Judee]

Excedrine helps but then I feel toxic even if I only take part of a pill so most of the times now I just take a Tylenol Junior strength 180mg. It will at least take the edge off.

I've also had times when taking an artichoke pill helps. I think it helps to clear toxins from the liver and gallbladder. I think sometimes when our detox systems get bogged down we can get a headache.

Also I used to have a lot more headaches but when I'd get one, I started to ask myself what I just ate or got exposed to. Lots of times that revealed sensitivities.

One more thing is sulfur/thiols. If I eat them too often, like more than 2x per month, they give me migraines. Sulfur/thiols also include thiamine and biotin, msm, nac. I can't take them for the most part.

Hope you can figure this out. Headaches are miserable and make brain fog 10x worse.

 

[hapl808]

I've suffered with headaches (both baseline headaches and more severe migraines). Not a lot to suggest, but here's things that have helped me more or less at various times.

Ibuprofen with a strong source of caffeine (like tea or coffee or coca-cola) - which I prefer to the 'headache medications' that bundle the two. I try not to take this often as I don't like the side effects of ibuprofen use, but I'll take it when migraines are coming on.

Butterbur with feverfew. LOLA (ornithine and aspartate). BCAA. Magnesium (mixed results). NAC. Vitamin C. Passion flower. Quercetin. Garlic. Antibiotics.

 

[Woof!]

Identifying and eliminating headache/migraine triggers - both dietary and environmental - has made a world of difference for me because the problem (and not just the symptom) was addressed. The biggest triggers for me = fragrances, corn starch (and other starches), smoke and dustmites. Other things, too, and I'm happy to live without them.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

I think it's.a.combo.pf.cfs / stress and sinus

ever tried any acupuncture?

 

[Emmarose47]

Identifying and eliminating headache/migraine triggers - both dietary and environmental - has made a world of difference for me because the problem (and not just the symptom) was addressed. The biggest triggers for me = fragrances, corn starch (and other starches), smoke and dustmites. Other things, too, and I'm happy to live without them.

How did u know what was affecting environmentally ...? I don't spend much time outdoors to get the difference in environment ..
I Def know.dust is one and my room is so cluttered ...

 

[Emmarose47]

ever tried any acupuncture?

Good suggestion can't get out to have any treatments

 

[BrightCandle]

Doing HASP v3.2 is what treats my headaches. Before it I was running on 4-6/10 daily whereas now its 0-2/10 but most of the time its 0. Sodium Benzoate certainly helped for me, so I think it is an ammonia headache in me. I have no idea if the same protocol will do the same for you, people have responded wildly differently to it. My headaches went in about 5 days of starting, the fasting and sodium benzoate just seemed to help and its part of how I deal with crashes since which all begin with a headache.

 

[Woof!]

How did u know what was affecting environmentally ...? I don't spend much time outdoors to get the difference in environment ..
I Def know.dust is one and my room is so cluttered ...

By environment, I mean indoor environment as much if not more than outdoor environment.

My first clue as to the importance of identifying and eliminating headache/migraine triggers was when I linked my 3-day migraine clusters to the use of powdered gloves (it was the corn starch used in the gloves that did it). Once I switched to using only powder-free gloves, a significant number of my migraines went away. (The ones that remain are triggered by a C2 instability that began when a horse rolled over my head - my fault; not his.)

My second clue occurred when someone suggested I was allergic to dustmites. It was easy to test this theory by:
(1) putting dustmite covers on my mattress and all of my pillows (you can get these online or in stores);
(2) eliminating the use when I slept (for a 2-week trial) of all terrycloth items around me (mites love terrycloth) and plush blankets. I now use only baby quilts and some good 600-count sheets.
(3) washing all of my blankets and curtains in hot water using scent-free detergent.
(4) giving my bedroom a deep clean with unscented products.
OMG! I slept soooo much better immediately!

Since I also have vertigo and Sjogrens Syndrome, I was very aware of things (like fragrances, cat litter, cedar chips...) and food ingredients (apples, anything with starches, grains, cucumbers...) that quickly triggered vertigo or dry eyes/nose/mouth for me. It has been a no-brainer to eliminate them from my life.

I happily got rid of all carpeting, too, since lots of creepy molds, mildews, dead skin cells and dustmites live in it.

Yes, I still get headaches and migraines due to C2 instability (mostly during the night) and the occasional exposure to things in public spaces during the day, but they don't ruin things for me for days in a row if I'm watchful about what I'm exposed to. @Emmarose47, please try the above while eliminating the other 'usual suspects' from your life (tobacco smoke, ALL scented products, processed foods/medications/items loaded with starch). And if you sleep with pets, make them comfy on the floor. Pet allergies can also lead to never-ending headaches. Then let me know how you're feeling. Good luck!

THE EFFORT IS WELL WORTH IT!

 

[Azayliah]

I used to get a ton of sinus headaches. Allergic to dust, my cats, etc. Some foods seem to trigger it, but it's weird... for example, ice cream usually causes sinus headaches (and also earaches, if I eat it for a few days), but I can have low-fat milk and yogurt with no problem. Anyway, the only thing I found to help with this is avoidance.

Not sure if this will be helpful, but had several months with severe headaches--pounding, usually on left side. Besides migraines, some of that was probably occipital neuralgia, and the rest is likely triggered as a kind of referred pain. Lamitrogrine brought these down to about 2/week; Ubrelvy, Ibuprofen, and a contoured pillow help me manage the rest.

Sometimes drinking water is enough to ease a headache, particularly if I notice racing/pounding heart feelings. Laying down too, if I've been upright a while.

 

[edawg81]

I got my hands on some nurtec for my migraines… seems to work slowly but lasts longer than triptans.

 

[lenora]

Yes, I agree that bedding can make headaches a lot worse. Dust mites, absolutely, and no question about smoking and fragrances. The latter two gave me headaches as a child....I was forever emptying ashtrays because I couldn't stand the odor. It's especially difficult when it's extremely cold and the smoke builds up inside the house. No, it's not imagination as I was constantly told as a child.

I can tolerate very light fragrances, but heavy ones will do it every time. Are headaches more common with us, I wonder? Yours, Lenora.

 

[Emmarose47]

Besides migraines, some of that was probably occipital neuralgia, and the rest is likely triggered as a kind of referred pain.

Thanks I think mine is occipital neuralgia ... It starts when I use screens ....I'm also waiting for a home eye test

 

[Emmarose47]

By environment, I mean indoor environment as much if not more than outdoor environment.

My first clue as to the importance of identifying and eliminating headache/migraine triggers was when I linked my 3-day migraine clusters to the use of powdered gloves (it was the corn starch used in the gloves that did it). Once I switched to using only powder-free gloves, a significant number of my migraines went away. (The ones that remain are triggered by a C2 instability that began when a horse rolled over my head - my fault; not his.)

My second clue occurred when someone suggested I was allergic to dustmites. It was easy to test this theory by:
(1) putting dustmite covers on my mattress and all of my pillows (you can get these online or in stores);
(2) eliminating the use when I slept (for a 2-week trial) of all terrycloth items around me (mites love terrycloth) and plush blankets. I now use only baby quilts and some good 600-count sheets.
(3) washing all of my blankets and curtains in hot water using scent-free detergent.
(4) giving my bedroom a deep clean with unscented products.
OMG! I slept soooo much better immediately!

Since I also have vertigo and Sjogrens Syndrome, I was very aware of things (like fragrances, cat litter, cedar chips...) and food ingredients (apples, anything with starches, grains, cucumbers...) that quickly triggered vertigo or dry eyes/nose/mouth for me. It has been a no-brainer to eliminate them from my life.

I happily got rid of all carpeting, too, since lots of creepy molds, mildews, dead skin cells and dustmites live in it.

Yes, I still get headaches and migraines due to C2 instability (mostly during the night) and the occasional exposure to things in public spaces during the day, but they don't ruin things for me for days in a row if I'm watchful about what I'm exposed to. @Emmarose47, please try the above while eliminating the other 'usual suspects' from your life (tobacco smoke, ALL scented products, processed foods/medications/items loaded with starch). And if you sleep with pets, make them comfy on the floor. Pet allergies can also lead to never-ending headaches. Then let me know how you're feeling. Good luck!

THE EFFORT IS WELL WORTH IT!

Thanks so much ..
I have a cover on my mattress but not the pillows ... And thinking about it my electric blanket sits on top of the protector so that isn't protected ... Not sure what to do about this as the cover is plastic backed so might melt ?
My room is so cluttered it's Def dusty .. I have a cleaner but my cupboard and shelves are so cluttered as I don't have energy to sort ( or I can't be bothered ...
V old carpet in here which is probably full of God knows what ... Not sure landlady would be up for me changing it ( she already sees me as a big pain I'm sure ...
I do have lots of cushions and blankets in here ... I washed them all in the spring so that's ages ago ...

 

[Woof!]

Thanks so much ..
I have a cover on my mattress but not the pillows ... And thinking about it my electric blanket sits on top of the protector so that isn't protected ... Not sure what to do about this as the cover is plastic backed so might melt ?
My room is so cluttered it's Def dusty .. I have a cleaner but my cupboard and shelves are so cluttered as I don't have energy to sort ( or I can't be bothered ...
V old carpet in here which is probably full of God knows what ... Not sure landlady would be up for me changing it ( she already sees me as a big pain I'm sure ...
I do have lots of cushions and blankets in here ... I washed them all in the spring so that's ages ago ...

It definitely sounds like the one room you spend the most time in could be the reason for all your headaches!!!!

Also: know that all mattress covers aren't dustmite covers. Because you describe your cover as plastic-backed, I suspect you don't have the right kind of cover. Check out these (lots of stores carry this brand):
https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-2...p.ds&msclkid=4a9376f7b50913a7d551174ddef175a0

The same company makes excellent (& very comfortable) pillow covers of the same material. They are what I use.

 

[Azayliah]

Thanks I think mine is occipital neuralgia ... It starts when I use screens ....I'm also waiting for a home eye test

Ibuprofen and the pillow (a XTX Cervical Pillow) seem to help the most for this. Heat is also supposed to help. My eye doc directed me to apply blue light filtering for my migraines, as they are often triggered by light and my many eye issues... if you're getting pain from using screens, you might find some relief with something like that.

 

[Emmarose47]

Ibuprofen and the pillow (a XTX Cervical Pillow) seem to help the most for this. Heat is also supposed to help. My eye doc directed me to apply blue light filtering for my migraines, as they are often triggered by light and my many eye issues... if you're getting pain from using screens, you might find some relief with something like that.

Thanks I use blue light filtering on screens but I heard I can get glasses too .. I'm v long sighted and so am waiting for opticians to come to my house for check up ...maybe I can get filtering put into my glasses ?
What have u used please ?

 

[Emmarose47]

Thanks woof for the info and link that's great

 

[heapsreal]

When my headaches get severe i take 300mg lyrica (normally i take 150mg before bed) and if 8 hrs until bed i will take my normal 150mg before bed.
So 300mg lyrica, 5mg endone, 1 panadeine forte and 2 nurofen maybe 5mg valium. Then find a dark corner of the house and hopefully im too smashed to feel my head thumping away and the meds calm things down.
Not recommending the above but afteryears of dealing with this crap, this is what it takes and ive spoken it over with my dr. Its a step by step where i add things until it settles.
Ice packs, hot packs, magnesium etc miss alot more than hit.
How often, no more than once a week the whole cocktail but then i could go a month and just need an endone to sort it or just 150mg lyrica. I find for fast results for symptom relief, pharma stuff is best for me.
I went through alot of the nerve type pain preventers like snri or nri with no help and sides effects, consistent high dose lyrica morning and night helped alot but i just put too much weight on i really didnt need to. Dosing lyrica once at night i seem to avoid sides and initially was lrescribed lyrica for nerve pain in legs at night, which it works well for.

 

[Woof!]

Thanks woof for the info and link that's great

One of the ah-ha! moments for me, when it comes to the topic of migraines, was the realization that they often result from several things combining to push me over my "migraine threshold," where when experienced alone they may not do that.

For example: Let's say I cheat a little and eat a very small amount of rice one day. If the day has been a relaxing one and I haven't had exposure to other stressors or triggers, it's unlikely that I'll get a migraine even though rice is a known trigger for me. But if I get exposed to other triggers that day (i.e.: smoke, someone's scented lotion or a lot of dust...) and/or my neck gets bent in a weird position when I sleep, then a migraine occurs.

Think of all the household and dietary triggers I mentioned (together with neck position and screen use) as potential steps up a staircase leading to a migraine/headache. The more steps you don't take, the better your day is going to turn out.