15 Dec 2011, 1:52 pm
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OliveOilMom
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Age: 62
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Location: About 50 miles past the middle of nowhere
15 Dec 2011, 2:25 pm
I get three different types of headaches. Migraines, tension headaches, and sinus headaches. Lucky me! Each one requires a different treatment.
From what you describe, I'm assuming you are having tension headaches? Mine hurt in the back of my head and a band around the whole head in the forehead area. The pain is pretty much constant and starts mild but escelates. I try to lay down and take a muscle relaxer if I have one and something for pain, whether it's Tylenol, Asperin, Advil, or a prescription. Sometimes, if nothing else works, I'll take something to make me sleep. Usually, all I keep on hand for that is Doxylamine, which is an antihistamine, but one or two usually does the job. I also make sure I'm comfortable in bed, especially my neck region. I tend to either bend my neck too far forward or too far back in bed when I have one of those, and I have to consciously correct it, or else I will wake up sore.
Also, Fiorinal (sp?) works fairly well for me for the tension headaches. It's prescription though.
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15 Dec 2011, 2:29 pm
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15 Dec 2011, 4:20 pm
OliveOilMom
Veteran
Joined: 11 Nov 2011
Age: 62
Gender: Female
Posts: 11,447
Location: About 50 miles past the middle of nowhere
15 Dec 2011, 5:04 pm
Thank you!
To answer - I even have to make sure I don't turn my neck too much or it'll cause a neckache and headache (between the upper neck and my head going behind my ear) - all on the righthand side. I even make sure I get a middle seat in the cinema to avoid this. Also, if I sleep in a slightly awkward position, which isn't really awkward - it brings on the headaches or even migraines. Do you mean this sort of thing brings on a tention headache, or is this different?
I mean those kind, and also the kind from stress. When I get stressed out, my muscles in my back, shoulders and neck tense, even without me knowing it. I also sometimes clench my jaw without noticing it, and that causes muscle pain too. I get them from simple muscle tension without stress when I sit at the computer too long. I sit at a right angle to it with my feet up on something, and so my head is turned to the right the whole time. They keyboard is on my lap. Also, the desk is a little too low for me, and therefore so is the monitor. No way to raise either desk or monitor, I tried sitting the monitor on a very thick book but the cords were not long enough. So, I deal with it.
Last night, I had a whole lot of stress going on here, in fact I was very close to a meltdown so I kept to myself and sat here and kept myself distracted. The stress is resolved now, so that's good. It was resolved before I went to bed, but I still had a horrible tension headache, from the way I was sitting for so long and from tensing muscles due to stress.
Sucks, doesn't it?
When I asked the doctor about the migraines - he diagnosed me as having "the common migraine". I actually have migraines FAR less often now. I used to get them all the time. It would drive me nuts as I couldn't do much except try and sleep them off. When I moved out - they suddenly went...but I still get them once or twice a month. They usually come after something stressful, and are always on the right hand side. In fact, all my headaches are on the right hand side in the same area. I count them as migraines when they get so bad that I need absolute quiet and darkness and can't think straight.
Mine aren't "true migraines" because I'm not sick to my stomach, I don't see auras around lights, and light doesn't bother me. They are very bad and come in waves. Always on my right side too. Each wave is stronger than the last. If something at I take at home doesn't stop it in time, I end up in the ER getting a shot for it. They don't treat them with the migraine specific drugs like Imitrex because they have tried and it doesn't work on it. I get Demerol, or Nubain, or something similar and that usually helps. Sometimes I end up back in about 6 - 8 hours with a rebound headache, but not often. They also usually send me home with a prescription in case it comes back. I usually get Lortab 7.5, Fiorinal/Fioricet, or Tramadol. Those help if I take them when it first starts and Tylenol, etc doesn't help. The one extra dose of Tylenol in the Lortab or Fioricet won't hurt me.
Nurofen is meant to reduce inflammation, but it has no effect on me. What painkiller should I try first?
I've never tried Nurofen. I personally like Goody powders for OTC meds. Goody's, Standback, or BC powders all work well, and fast if something like that is going to work. If those, or some other OTC stuff doesn't work, I will take whatever I happen to have for pain thats prescription at the time. If I don't have anything on hand, I usually get my mother to give me a Lortab. She takes them but not often.
_________________
I'm giving it another shot. We will see.
My forum is still there and everyone is welcome to come join as well. There is a private women only subforum there if anyone is interested. Also, there is no CAPTCHA.
The link to the forum is http://www.rightplanet.proboards.com
15 Dec 2011, 11:18 pm
16 Dec 2011, 12:26 am
16 Dec 2011, 4:49 am
Me too.
