Pain In My Head

For several years I was disabled with migraines which occurred almost daily. The condition went undiagnosed because of the severity of the accompanying gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea and diarrhea) led my doctors to believe I suffered some kind of recurring virus.

One particularly disparaging neurologist, renowned for his lack of bedside manner, clung to the belief headaches originated in my sinuses, prescribing a saline rinse twice daily, without success. For people with sinus problems, a saline rinse ranks high among the safe, inexpensive natural cures, but an x-ray or CT scan should be undertaken to eliminate the possibility of a structural problem.

Numerous medications and procedures were tried, including Botox injections to my forehead. Natural cures such as homeopathy, Reiki, and massage were not equal to the crushing pain in my forehead.

A neurologist finally arrived at a combination of medications including a preventative dose of Depakote at bedtime, Promethazine as needed to alleviate nausea, and Zomig.

Depakote works as a prophylactic, or preventative, medication, reducing the frequency and severity of attacks. It should be noted that Depakote induces considerable weight gain, and should not be taken by pregnant women.

Zomig is most effective if it is taken at the first sign of head aches. Fortunately for me, Masshealth provides excellent prescription coverage, as Zomig is too expensive to buy out of pocket. Zomig is part of a class of medications called triptans, which includes Relpax, Maxalt, Imitrex and Amerge. Triptans work by raising your tolerance to migraine pain, and are taken to abort, rather than prevent the migraine. While highly effective in alleviating headache symptoms, triptans should not be regarded as a cure; if the duration of the headache exceeds the effective period of the medication, the patient can end up suffering so-called Rebound Headaches.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) such as ibuprofen (Motrin) or Naprosyn are usually more effective in providing relief for Tension Headache than aspirin or Tylenol.

Various factors can trigger migraines, including bright light, stress, lack of sleep, and certain foods, such as chocolate and garlic. In my case, the primary trigger seems to be artificial fragrances. My doctor suggested that this fragrance hypersensitivity may be prodromal, which is to say, symptomatic of the onset of a migraine. Fragrance sensitivity can be a major social handicap, as most people use either scented shampoo's, makeup, or aftershave.

I find becoming overheated (such as having too many blankets at night) can also trigger or exacerbate headaches. A variety of headache called the exercise-induced migraine has been recognized in recent years. Headaches induced by sexual activity usually have a vascular component. Treatments for headaches of this variety include NSAIDs, applying a cold compress to the forehead, and lying in a dark, quiet room.

Learn How To Help Your Headaches (here)

DOCTORS IN THE HOUSE: A Change in Character of Headaches

I believe you are describing a migraine variant, or, more likely, a 'cluster headache'. The tickler here is what they saw on the MRI. Probably what they saw was an indidentaloma or...

Ovarian Cyst Symptoms

If, however, you have chronically recurring symptoms intense or not then you may need more than simple headache Ovarian Cyst Symptoms relief. If you get recurring headaches or headache...

Headache pills made of rat poison and Viagra made of chalk

Here, you can get whatever you want without the hassle of going to your doctor for a prescription. Need pills for diabetes, cancer or high blood pressure? No problem. Want medication for those ...

Migraine Headache Relief - what to do for immediate results

There are many ways for the migraine headache relief. What is of most importance though is to find ways so that you get instant Relief From Migraine Headaches. To achieve this you can ...

Eighteen Years of Undiagnosed Lyme

I acquired a permanent migraine headache. My digestive problems were out of control. I was exhausted. Doctor after doctor said, "I don't know," or my personal pet peeve,

Account limit of 2000 requests per hour exceeded.

[phpzon]Pain In My Head, 5, All[/phpzon] [phpzon]Pain In My Head, 5, Books[/phpzon]

Compare______________________________________________

Pain

$7.79

Living with chronic pain for over 40 years has taught me valuable lessons. Realizing that millions of Americans share this unkind challenge, I wanted to share practical ideas I found to be quite helpful. The basis of my chronic pain is fibromyalgia and temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD). My body has generalized pain as well as localized pain along with fatigue. Pain is a constant companion. There are times the pain is worse and I call these flare-ups. For me TMD occurred due to a displaced disc in the right jaw. One doctor's theory is that my body had to accommodate the missing disc and fibromyalgia developed. My journey with pain and fatigue began when I was a college student and has progressed through marriage, motherhood, full-time college instructor, and now a retiree. Through the years some doctors told me that my condition is all in my head. I felt the guilt of not being a better daughter, wife, mom, teacher and friend. I work hard to turn frustration into living well with chronic pain. While I live with the pain of fibromyalgia, I believe many of the ideas shared in this book are helpful in coping with pain caused by other conditions. My purpose is to present strategies I have used to cope with pain in the hope that you will have one of those 'ah-ha' moments of thinking, "that might work for me too!" Knowing the very act of reading may be painful, I purposely wrote each topic to stand alone in a concise format. A challenge is given at the end of each topical piece to invite you to consider similar ways of taking control of your pain. Please do not be overwhelmed and discouraged if an idea does not work. Use what works for you and use your imagination to think of other things you can do. Remember, I have been at this for over 40 years. For me, nothing happened overnight. I am constantly refining ways to help me cope with pain. What I have learned about myself and my pain is the basis for this book. My wish is that you too will find helpful ways to improve your life in spite of the pain. You deserve to live well, even with chronic pain

No, It Is NOT In My Head: The Journey of A Chronic Pain Survivor From Wheelchair To Marathon

$7.69

At seventeen, Nicole believed her life was just beginning. She was a senior in high school looking forward to college and living on her own. However, all her dreams vanished the moment she became injured. Diagnosed with the neurological and chronic pain disorder, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), mainstream medicine viewed her pain and symptoms as being untreatable and incurable. She was living a nightmare. With no use of her right hand and minimal use of her arm, she depended on massive amounts of narcotics to survive each day. Yet even that could not control her agony. The crippling pain was so paralyzing that she faced periods where she was bed-ridden or wheelchair bound. All she had to hold on to was hope. Hope that her miracle would someday arrive No, It is Not in My Head: The Journey of a Chronic Pain Survivor will spread hope, present answers, and allow others to believe in the unimaginable. It is not one young woman"s story back to health, but a culmination of our stories back to health.

_____________________________________________________