Need Help…BAD headaches

luvlife · 03-14-2007, 07:00 AM

I have been getting some pretty intense headaches the past week and a half. They last around three or so hours (unless I can fall asleep, then when I wake up it is gone) I get them the worst after I eat. Tonight I have a really bad one…and I had a milk shake (oops I cheated on my diet! Lol) But it’s a really bad one tonight! AF is here for a visit…but I have never gotten headaches with AF before. I have not changed my eating habits or sleeping or anything like that.

I just really have these bad headaches and nothing gets rid of them! Please any ideas as to what is causing this…any advice would be great, thanks!!!

{{{HUGS}}}

brown092901 · 03-14-2007, 02:25 PM

Ooooh. I'm sorry! Headaches are terrible.

I'm curious, what type of pain is it, and where is the pain located? Is it one side of your head, or all over? Do you have any sort of other symptoms with it, like numbness or tingling in your fingers, flashing lights...anything like that?

Does ibuprofen/tylenol anything OTC help you?

You said you don't usually get headaches with AF, but have you recently changed any of your hormone regimine, ie meds for PCOS, Birth control?

Any unusual stress in your life lately?

I suffer from all types of headaches: tension, sinus and migraine and I have been able to find relief for all of them. Tell me a little bit more about them, and maybe I can share some of what helps me.

Amanda

lil annie · 03-14-2007, 05:52 PM

Have you checked your blood pressure lately? I was having what I thought were severe migraines lasting days at a time. After a week of them, I got to my doctor and he checked my blood pressure and it was a whooping 182/151! I started BP meds in his office that day.

If it's not your blood pressure, it might be a migraine related to your hormones. If it continues, go see your doctor. It it's the worst headache of your life, go to the ER.

Jashobeam · 03-14-2007, 06:24 PM

I developed food intolerances, some not till past age 30. As long as I behave myself I don't get bad headaches, maybe one a year. There is a migrane support thread I think.

Mustangsally82 · 03-14-2007, 08:22 PM

The worst headaches I've had are vascular in nature. I have tension headaches too from tight muscles, but they are greatly helped with ibuprofen. The vascular headaches (I call them that because while they're similar to migraines, I've had migraines before and these are a bit different: the pain isn't constant. It's intense but only lasts a few seconds then dies down. it seems to be related to getting up and down, moving, anything that gets your heart pumping and your blood flowing).

does it feel like a throbbing in your head? Along with your heartbeat? I've had some headaches recently that vary in intensity and are only around for a few hours. I used to call them mini-migraines but they're not nearly as bad as a migraine: just as intense but not nearly as long lasting.

I had hormone-associated migraines when I was on a certain type of birht control. When I switched to a progesterone-only pill they got much better. I still had headaches during my period but ibuprofen took the edge off. And when you have a headache that bad, taking the edge off makes all the difference. I hope you find some relief.

luvlife · 03-14-2007, 08:28 PM

Thanks everyone for all your advice and interest…I’m so grateful for SC and cysters like you!!

Here are some more clues to the mysterious headaches..
-the pain is usually across my forehead, up to my hair line….but definitely not sinus headaches, I get those sometimes and this is different,
-usually the pain is sharp/stabbing…but not throbbing more constant.
-OTC things don’t work for long, they will take of the edge for an hour or so but then the headaches come back with vengeance! Lol
-I have a really high pain tolerance and after years of sports and injuries OTC pain killers don’t do to much for me.
-I have been noticing that when I stand up sometimes I feel light headed…but only sometimes. That has only started in the last month of so.
-I have been on Yasmin for about 2 years. I took 2 months off (doc. orders) in May-June to see “if my body would remember AF itself” haha that didn’t work! Lol
-Im not taking any other meds or anything new.
-Like I said I have a really high pain tolerance so for me to post an new thread after looking around other threads, it must be bad….although from what I know its not a migraine…so I really feel bad for those of you who suffer from migraines because that must be SOOOOO bad! :0(

Amanda-thanks for your interest…I really appreciate it! I’m so sorry you have all those headaches! That is not fun! Any advice would be so appreciated! Thanks!

Lil Annie- I actually went in to the doc for a balder & kidney infection (& yeast and Bacterial infection!!!) a few weeks ago and they took my blood pressure…I need to go in for a re-check this week so ill ask what my numbers are…but I hope that if they were high they would have told me, but who knows! Thanks for the tip..ill ask!

Jashobeam-I did find out I was lactose intolerant about 6 months ago. But with that I get nauseous and stuff like that…and I get the same deep headaches no matter what I eat. So it doesn’t have do with the milk…but I’m going to check out the migraine thread right now. Thanks for the advice!!!

Hears The Water · 03-15-2007, 04:11 AM

Jackie, my methods of dealing with headaches tend to run towards natural thearpies, so if you are not into them...disregard what I write. *grin* I have been told that hormone headaches are across the forehead, like what yours sounds like. In an essential oil guide that I use as a refrence it is stated that headaches are vascular in nature. Some are caused by vessels constricting and some by them dialating. I am sorry that I can't remember which is what. The author recomends using peppermint oil for one cause and lemon oil for the other. I get optic migraines, the full light show but a minor headache from what I have had full blown migraines described as. For my headaches I use lemon oil. But I have a friend that uses peppermint for hers. I think it is something that each individual has to try. When I say "use" these two oils, I mean that I inhale them straight from the bottle. If you think that you might be interested in learning more or how to use inhalational essential oils, I would be happy to share more and even dig out my book. I just don't want to make anyone feel like I am shoving my choice in thearapies on anyone. HTH,
God bless you and yours
Deb

Wendy M. · 03-15-2007, 01:21 PM

I haven't read all the other posts but I wanted to let you know that these foods are likely to trigger headaches:

-Caffiene (coffee,tea,icedtea,cola)
-Chocolate
-Cheese (except cream cheese, cottage cheese and American Cheese)
-Yogurt and sour cream
-Nuts(including peanut butter)
-Processed cured and aged meats(including hot dogs,sausage,bacon,salami and bologna)
-Alcoholic Drinks (especially red wine, champagne and dark heavy drinks; vodka is least likely to provoke headaches)
-MSG (monosodium glutamate)
-Citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruit,lemons,limes) and pineapples and their juices.
-Other fruits(bananas,raisins,red plums,canned figs, avacados)
-Certain vegetables(broad,lima,fava and navy beans,pea pods, sauekraut and onions)
-Certain bread products (homeadeyeast breads, sour dough breads and other yeast-risen baked goods)
-Aspartame (NutraSweet)

*If your eating any of these foods then you might want to stop eating them and see what happens. It could be your blood pressure or stress headaches. If you continue to have them and they don't go away and you get them often go to the Dr. This was happening to me a few months ago.

chrissyw · 03-15-2007, 01:33 PM

Have you had your blood sugars checked. It sounds to me like your headaches could be sugar related, because of the headaches getting worse after eating. Hypoglycemia ( which I believe is similar to diabetes but not quite the same ). You mentioned getting light headed when standing, this sounds like it could be hypotension ( When your blood pressure drops too low ). This can also have a link to blood sugar levels being off. But I would definately recommend that you go see a doc about it.

luvlife · 03-16-2007, 05:24 AM

Thanks so much everyone for all your input and great ideas/advice!

I’m going to look into ALL of them!! Hopefully ill be able to get my blood sugars checked when i go to the Doc next week (just made an appointment today) I’m very interested in natural remedies...as I haven’t found any OTC things that will work (...so far) and thank you for that list of foods….I will try and avoid those from now on and see how that helps. However…I did notice that I don’t eat/drink many of those things..but there are a few (…chocolate lol) and at this point ill give up any thing to get ride of these headaches.

Good new though, my headache today seems to be less intense! So I’m happy about that but I’m just hoping it wont come back tomorrow. Who knows!

But thanks for all your help! I’m going to try the things you all recommended and go to the doctors next week so, hopefully between all of that, something will make them go away!

Jhawkfan83 · 03-17-2007, 02:46 AM

Jackie,

Thanks for posting this. I have been getting really terrible ones the last 3 days and I NEVER have migraines or headaches. I don't know what it is- my BP & Blood sugars are normal.... OTC take the edge off and so I had to go to a sleeping pill that knocks me out so when I wake up it is gone!

I am going to make a trip to the doctor.

Jamie