Headaches + - Page 2

Kunama · #21 02-12-2014, 05:33 PM

I found my biggest migraine trigger was stress when I was in the Police Force.
I changed my line of work and said goodbye to the headaches.

Only other trigger was thunderstorms brewing ....... the base of my skull could forecasts thunderstorms with amazing accuracy.

A friend took up yoga to relax from his stressful work (air traffic controller) and cured his headaches.

Hope you find a solution.

Monstar (Johnny) · #22 02-12-2014, 05:51 PM

Sorry to hear about this, I suffer really crippling headaches too. I'm not saying yours is the same but mine is actually caused by the muscle that runs from your shoulder, up yor neck and clamps onto the skull itself.

Whenever the muscle gets 'stressed' it contracts in a spasm rather like a cramp and also squeezes the C2 nerve. The pain is absolutely ridiculous and the only way to get rid of it is a strong opiate like Oxy for the pain, an NSAID like Celebrex and Valium to relax the muscle, I must say I feel great when the pain has gone ;0)

The thing is to stop them happening and stressing the muscle in the first place, less stress at work, laying on my left side etc I tried accupuncture but that didn't work for me.

It might be worth asking the doc, if you haven't already, if this could be the cause. I never thought it would be that as the pain seems inside my head.

I can only say that I know bad pain and wish you the best of luck.

colinmlegg (Colin) · #23 02-12-2014, 07:57 PM

Hi Kevin,

Have you looked into GAPS or SCD diets for your UC? UC being autoimmune may suggest a dysfunctional gut? My wife had low ferritin and migraines and both improved after 3 months on GAPS.

http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/

Camelopardalis (Dunk) · #24 02-12-2014, 08:23 PM

I know this doesn't sound the most appealing, but check-in to the emergency room and don't let them discharge you until you've had extensive consultation with the neurologist and have a diagnosis.

Hospitals get a bit complacent when they don't find anything on scans that would be immediately life threatening...

cometcatcher (Kevin) · #25 02-12-2014, 09:38 PM

There isn't a full time neurologist here that I'm aware of Dunk. They make visits about once a year. But looks like I'm getting some ideas to explore first, which is good. And to be honest, I don't like the idea of taking strong drugs for it either, which I'm sure a neurologist will load me up with. I have a bad habit of getting more side effects than good effects.

Quote:

mine is actually caused by the muscle that runs from your shoulder, up your neck and clamps onto the skull itself.

That sounds like the source of my pain. The physio pressed on a point on my shoulder and the pain went right up into my head on the left hand side. I will have to look into that further.

I know diet keeps coming up and that is an ongoing thing to explore. My colon is in a state of atrophy due to the long time I've had UC (35+ years now) so I don't absorb nutrients like a normal person would and have to be monitored for deficiencies. The headaches may actually be a secondary effect of having long time UC.

Then again all that may be a red herring. I've not been the same since I had a severe flu in 2012 with my head. Before that I was jogging, albeit slowly, and cycling for an hour 3 or 4 times a week. I miss my cycling and running. I still walk and cycle at a snail's pace but for only 20 minutes. Have to keep it slow so not to flare up the head pain.

Lots to ponder...

Monstar (Johnny) · #26 02-12-2014, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cometcatcher

That sounds like the source of my pain. The physio pressed on a point on my shoulder and the pain went right up into my head on the left hand side. I will have to look into that further.

.

Yes I can do that at will. It's a spot deep in the tissue and when I apply pressure to it I can feel the muscle tighten and the pain begin.

I've had hundreds of tests and no specific answers apart from neuropathic pain. Stress, pressure, sudden jolts etc can bring it on.

mithrandir (Andrew) · #27 02-12-2014, 11:02 PM

I don't know how it would get on with your other problems, but Naprosyn at first signs I'm getting a migrane (coloured circles in my vision) helps me. I was initially prescribed those by a doctor who also suffers from migranes.

If that fails, a Zomig every hour or so until I fall asleep or the migrane goes.

Dehydration is one trigger. Strange as it may seem when dehydration is a cause I find coffee helps, say a couple of double short blacks with sugar.

Ever since I had surgery and radiation to my neck I've woken up with a headache almost every morning. A Naprosyn and hot shower seems to help, but sometimes it lasts all day.

doppler (Rick) · #28 02-12-2014, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cometcatcher

And to be honest, I don't like the idea of taking strong drugs for it either, which I'm sure a neurologist will load me up with. I have a bad habit of getting more side effects than good effects.

The best drug for these stress / tension / nagging type pains is unfortunatley illegal, mainly due to the pleasant side effects. THC worked great for my neck pains, till I had to go and explain why to the Judge and that was a lot more stressfull than the neck pain.

cometcatcher (Kevin) · #29 02-12-2014, 11:42 PM

Unfortunately Naprosyn is an NSAID. Zomig is an abortive medication. I guess I'm more after prevention at the moment. This is where beta blockers have helped me in the past, but presently they drop my BP so low I become light headed, even on crumbs of the stuff like 1/6 of a 50mg pill. I have either become hypersensitive to them or my BP has become lower over the last couple of years.

cometcatcher (Kevin) · #30 02-12-2014, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doppler

The best drug for these stress / tension / nagging type pains is unfortunatley illegal, mainly due to the pleasant side effects. THC worked great for my neck pains, till I had to go and explain why to the Judge and that was a lot more stressfull than the neck pain.

Yeah I hear that stuff is great for pain lol.

doppler (Rick) · #31 03-12-2014, 12:14 AM

It is good for pain seriously. The first time I noticed its pain numbing effects was when my wisdom teeth were growing out in my 20's. Could not sleep with the constant teething pain, but after a smoke slept without a stir. The girls recond it was great for PMT too. My C5 cartilage is stuffed and will only get worse, but I too try to aviod pain killers, astronomy is all about looking up and not the best past time for bad necks though.

OzStarGazer · #32 03-12-2014, 05:10 AM

I just had a horrible night with headaches and got up because even touching the pillow with my head did hurt a lot.

cometcatcher (Kevin) · #33 03-12-2014, 12:53 PM

Sorry to hear about that Oz. Sounds like some of you guys are worse off than me. My night was restless and didn't get a lot of sleep but no headache at least.

OzStarGazer · #34 03-12-2014, 04:43 PM

Thanks, Kevin. There is a thunderstorm almost every night here at the moment. I think it is somehow related. There is one on the way right now.I can already hear a rumbling in the sky! During the day it is fine, but at night the sky goes mad...

Renato1 (Renato) · #35 03-12-2014, 05:22 PM

This may well have nothing to do with your situation, but I know that if I go more than 24 hours without a cup of coffee, I will get an 8 hour headache which won't go away no matter what headache pills I take, or no matter that I do then take a cup of coffee.

Lots of people discover this when they try to do something "healthy" like switching from coffee to tea or some other herbal or fruit juice drink.

Apparently one third of caffeine addicts suffer from this, and they just have to go cold turkey for six weeks of blinding headaches to overcome the issue. I found it easier to make sure I have a cup of coffee or a No Doze pill every 12 hours.
Regards,
Renato

cometcatcher (Kevin) · #36 03-12-2014, 07:52 PM

Thanks heavens I never took up coffee then. It's weird, I love the smell of the stuff but it tastes like muck lol.

Renato1 (Renato) · #37 03-12-2014, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cometcatcher

Thanks heavens I never took up coffee then. It's weird, I love the smell of the stuff but it tastes like muck lol.

Hopefully you've also avoided high caffeine tea, which could theoretically do the same thing as coffee - though most teas have very much less caffeine in them than any coffee.

Yes, coffee the way most people have it is muck to me too. But it's quite nice with three sugars or three artificial sweeteners and lots of milk.
Regards,
Renato

cometcatcher (Kevin) · #38 03-12-2014, 10:24 PM

No I don't drink tea at all.

When I tried coffee I also drowned it in milk and sugar and it was still awful. I can't imagine anyone drinking it black.

Does anyone here have a connection with low hormone levels and headaches? I'm finding a few hits on the subject with Dr Google. Especially on the body building forums.

ZeroID (Brent) · #39 04-12-2014, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renato1

Apparently one third of caffeine addicts suffer from this, and they just have to go cold turkey for six weeks of blinding headaches to overcome the issue. I found it easier to make sure I have a cup of coffee or a No Doze pill every 12 hours.
Regards,
Renato

Been there, done that many years ago and it hurts. Also Coca Cola is as bad along with all the sugar or various substitute additives. I only drink coffee infrequently now and mainly pretty weak tea. ( Wave a tea bag near the cup ). Otherwise it's fizz water, carbonated mineral water cos I don't like the taste of flat water.

Regulus (Trevor) · #40 04-12-2014, 12:32 PM

If magnesium can help it is probably better to take it in a bath as epsom salts. It is absorbed better through the skin according to my Dr friend, and I found mag tablets made me fell a bit 'odd'.
Feverview is the classic aid but I would like to suggest a chiropractic check.
My headaches have cleared after 6/7 visits over as many months. Turns out I had a neck injury from primary school that the dr never found, and I suffered incapacitating headaches until I was 30 and finally had a chiropractic consult.
Anyway mate, best of luck finding a solution because it is an absolute b*****d.
Trev