Severe headaches

What are some possible causes of headaches that NEVER go away no matter how much fluid i drink, sleep i *try* to get, eat right and take pills for??

I spoke to my GP about it on several occassions but each time he has said its due to stress and me not relaxing as much as i can to sleep.

Ive had scans before (like yearrrs ago) and nothing showed up.

Im over taking medications that never help. My body is so used to Panadol, Nurofen, Panadeine Forte, Panadeine extra strong, Advil.....its beyond a joke now :wall:

i have a gf who had heaps of reoccuring and persistant headaches. She ended up having surgery on her sinuses and it seemed to fix the problem. HTH

That sounds awful. My neighbour has accupuncture for severe headaches.

Have you tried taking an antihistamine? Sounds crazy I know but it could be an allergy or a sinus infection.

Just a few questions .....

Are they there when you wake up??
Are they there all year or are some days / seasons more intense?? Allergy related headaches can vary in intensity depending on what you are allergic to.
Have you had your eyes tested any time recently?? Pregnancy can alter your vision and visual changes can cause headaches.
Where is the headache?? And what does it feel like - tight, heavy, sharp, pulsing, throbbing??
Do you have tension in your shoulders?? Numbness / aching in the arms or hands?? Any neck pain??
Any previous injuries or MVA with whiplash before??

Some of the answers can give a hint as to whether you need to see an optometrist, doctor or have further testing. Recurrent headaches that aren't getting better should be investigated further +/- a referral to a neurologist or some other specialist.

I get Migraines and take medication quite regularly.

I found that when i was on the pill they were alot worse. So i stopped taking the pill and that helped a bit. Apparently the mini pill is better - havent tried that yet although i currently have a script waiting for me to take to the chemist.

Also went to a physio as since i was little i have had alot of neck trouble - always out of alignment - always felt wrong. I also have a really bad back.
So, the physio said i have a weird neck :redface: . I was waking up with headaches every morning for months. He asked me how many pillows do i sleep with - just one. He suggested i get a childs pillow - quite flat- to put under my normal pillow as i might need that little bit of extra height. If my neck wasnt supported then i get a headache. Anyway - magic happened and i havent woken with anywhere near the amount of headaches that i used to.

Also went to the dentist and saw a guy who deals with all sorts of things and he said that my bite was out - already knew that. Also that i grind my teeth and that i clench my jaw when i sleep ! He could tell all of that by looking in my mouth and checking my posture ! After that i realised that i do clench my teeth and could feel myself doing it as i was drifting off to sleep - now i make a conscious effort not to - except i dont know what i am doing when i am asleep. He wants to see me again but i havent made it back yet.

I do still get headaches but not as many as i used to - i get them for a variety of reasons but alot of it stems from my sleeping issues - pillow, neck, jaw, teeth etc.

These are just a few of my experiences that i thought i would share with you as i thought maybe you might be able to relate it back to you.

Maybe see a physio or someone similar and see if they can find anything.
Not sure if this will help but i hope you find an answer.

Take care :D

xxxooo

kim
as a migrane sufferer- there is nothing worse than a headahce that wont go away
here is some tips that have worked for me
causes could be. . . .

something you are eating/drinking such as
Orange juice
wine
MSG- any food with flavour 621
chocolate
sulfer in dried fruits
preservatives in meats

Your pillow!! maybe time to get a new one

Your posture- tilt your rear vision mirror in your car up a bit so you have to lean back and upright to see out of it to ensure you posture is OK. Just keep an eye on lifting kids- it stuffs you back and neck bad- use your knees etc

Blood pressure- maybe worth getting your bp checked- can cause headaches!!!

Hormones- damm hormonal changes throughout your cycle can cause headaches- perhaps your hormones could be out of whack- charting might pick up on this

Things to do to prevent them
massage
crainial osteopath
heatpacks on your back and neck
warm baths
exercise such as yoga, pilates- or even just stretches in the shower in the morning! Get the blood pumping and moving

DRUGS
ones you can take and still function
panafen plus- love them
nurofen migrane
panadeine
myrsondol day strength
voltaren rapid- anti inflams work a treat with a migrane! Settle everything down!!!!

knock out drugs or woozy drugs
myrsondol nite
panadeine forte
nurofen plus
calmative plus

You can combine ibprofen and paraceatomol products together to double hit you if they dont work on their own. My OB has given my a tab that they give for b/pressure and when i get a migrane i take it and it stops it- they are ACE- first time i have got a tablet that works- otherwise i have to just wait for the migrane to stop on its own and that can take days!

My body gets use to meds really easy so i find that combining drug types works best for me- say 2 panafen plus and 2 panadeine at the same time. Or 2 Voltaren and 2 panadol forte. Just a matter of working out what works for you- ask your pharmists for a drug combo regiment- that way you will know what you can safely combine!!!

Kim it would be worth keeping a food diary and perhaps chart with temps for a bit to see if these are the causes! Unfortuately the cause for one person may be different for another.
hugs and hang in there!!
mwah

I had been getting shocking headaches for years, they would last for 2-3 days and were so painful, my head constantly throbbed. I usually got them when I hadn't been drinking as much water as I should have. I found that going for a walk in the fresh air would help a little, but there wasn't one single pain killer that could take it away.

I started going to a chiropractor once I fell pregnant with this bub because I have a pelvis issue, the chiro has worked on realigning lots of things while I've been going there. It was only last week that I realised that since I've been seeing her I haven't had a single nasty headache. I had been having those headaches for many years, at least once a week! My chiro said it's amazing how much better you feel when your body is aligned properly. So if all else fails Kim, try a chiro or even an osteopath.

I hope you find some answers soon :hug:.

Kim - are u getting them after u eat a certain food?

Are they there when you wake up?? Yep

Are they there all year or are some days / seasons more intense?? Allergy related headaches can vary in intensity depending on what you are allergic to. All year round

Have you had your eyes tested any time recently?? Pregnancy can alter your vision and visual changes can cause headaches. I went to get them tested after Jasmine was born and i was told i had to wait until she was 6 months old as thats how long it takes untileverything has settled down. Of course i then fell pregnant with Zachery.....so im assuming in 2 months time i can get them tested (when he is 6 months)
Where is the headache?? And what does it feel like - tight, heavy, sharp, pulsing, throbbing?? Generally its on my left side or at the front. Sometimes its all over my head. Always throbbing and i feel my heartbeat, it takes over my whole hearing and headspace!

Do you have tension in your shoulders?? Numbness / aching in the arms or hands?? Any neck pain?? I always have problems in my left shoulder from an accident over 12 years ago when i fell down a flight of stairs

Any previous injuries or MVA with whiplash before?? Other then the stair incident, No.

*det* thanks hun for your help and advice. Definately look into some of the things you mentioned.

Hj i generally have them from the time i wake to the time i sleep so i ont notice anything triggering them off from what i eat.

Trish thanks too. I was thinking maybe a chiro might help. Do you need referrals to them?

You don't need a referral to a chiro, just ring one and make an appointment :)

kim, given the headaches are one sided, it's almost a guarantee that the problem is related to your neck or back (unless you have one eye a lot worse than the other - and the headache would get worse as you used the computer and things)

i would suggest getting yourself to a chiro - it will be exxy for a while cos you have 12 years of history since the stair incident to work out - and your muscles and spinal allignment will be VERY stubborn and reluctant to move. you'll likely need at least weekly appointments for a while until the joint that is impacted starts to move properly. i was in a car accident in grade one and had headaches like you describe up until year 11 when all the "traditional" medical options were exhausted and i went to a chiro. it took a couple of months (i won't lie) to get to the point where i wasn't NEEDING the appointments every week, but i went from pretty much every day having a headache that was crippling me (not good in year 11) to getting a nasty one every 4-8 weeks. since being pg, with the relaxin, everything has fallen in a heap again and it's really nasty again so i'm back to weekly visits, but i'm able to stay on top of it most of the time and i know it's a short term thing

get thee to a chiro hun. get recommendations locally (you don't want a "bone cruncher" you want someone that also works with a physio if you can) - your injury may be related to muscle damage in your shoulder (i have that too - lucky me!) and torn muscle that hasn't healed, even though it may not hurt at all now, can link in to headaches as well.

good luck getting treatment - if you were further down this way i'd send you to Mark - he's my miracle worker! even a very "anti-chiro" friend caved when i hassled him enough - he'd been having headaches for years - and is headache free now after probably 5 years of them thinking he may have had a tumor due to the pain!

My headaches were the same & I was put on a few medications to treat them.

Firstly I was put on an epilepsy medication that I can't think of the name right name (will come back to it later). The idea was that it stopped the muscle spasms that were causing the headaches. I was also put on Cipramil which is an anti anxiety medication as my headaches were stress related.

After a few months I weaned off them & all was good. This was not long before I conceived Alexzander and then I had the same issue when he was around 6 months old. Both times it worked within a week & all was good once I stopped taking them. I started getting headaches again just before we started IVF with Juliette, but because I couldn't go on the medications again I made sure that I was very aware of what was stressing me & tried to combat it before I had to go down the medication route again. So far so good I am managing fine without the meds & it's been three years since I've been on them :)

I also am a chiropractor fan. I started getting really bad headaches at uni that I would have to go to bed at 6:00 and just sleep them off. Unfortunately it was never a good sleep and I was still tired the next day. I was given migraine medication that I couldn't take more than 2 per day, 5 times a week and I had to write it all down so I wouldn't go over - and the meds didn't always work.

The doctor sent me for allergy tests that didn't show anything. The dentist said I did a bit of grinding but it wasn't severe.

Then DH suggested a chiro. I was going twice a week for about a month, then weekly for a few months, now I just go once a month unless something flairs up. I used to be a tummy sleeper and that was doing awful things to my neck. I now can go months without a headache. I can feel them coming through my upper back and neck when they do, mine are also triggered by not drinking enough, not eating regularly and driving. Going to the chiro keeps it all in check.

I also went to a massage therapist yesterday who suggested a lot of neck strengthening exercises which I am going to try as well.

So get yourself a good chiro. Some will just lie you down and crack, others will give you a massage for 20mins beforehand to loosen everything up. Ask around, see if any friends have tried it.

If you have private health cover, chiro visits should be covered. We get about $28 back out of a $55 fee.

Good luck.

If you're in the market for a chiro I would recommend someone who uses Sacro-Occipital Technique (SOT), Total Body Management (TBM) or Applied Kinesiology (AK) as these techniques are generally the gentlest. Someone who does cranial adjustments may also help as I know when I get a headache which sounds similar to what you've described, I know my "brainbox" is out of shape!

My dad's a chiropractor and I'm probably bias, but he's THE BEST! A few people we know in Melbourne (including me of course!) reckon he's worth the drive to Daylesford for treatment. Cheaper than city chiros too! ;) But probably not once you factor in the petrol prices :doh:

Being left sided and having a left shoulder injury I would suspect the headaches to be more muscle / alignment related. Having little people you also carry them on one hip which often increases and alignment problems.

A physio / chiro / masseuse (or a combination approach) may help but if it doesn't you really need to get it checked out to make sure there is nothing else. Good luck!!