Do you suffer from headaches?

United States
March 2, 2007 11:05am CST
For the last month and a half I've been getting these awful headaches. They get so bad that I get sick. All I can do to make them better is lay down in a dark room and TRY to go to sleep. I feel guilty because I'm losing time with my family due these headaches. I went to the doctor and he took blood, ran some tests, and gave me painkillers. That isn't help, it's a bandaid. So I'm wondering if anyone else out there suffers from these types of headaches and what you do for them, without the drugs?
2 people like this
11 responses
• United States
2 Mar 07
Well if you want to treat the problem, you have to find out what the issue is. What are you injesting that is causing headaches. Commen things are soda, coffee, chocolate, which are all stimulants, foods you may have a minor allergy to. You can do this by an elimination diet, slowly rid your body of everything you think can be causing them, just not caffine. Caffine is a special case. Do you drink it? How much? Too much will cause headaches if your body isnt used to it, not enouch will cause the most wreched migrane you can imagine. So you walk a fine line when you drink coffe or soda every day. If thats your case you need to wean slowly off, reducing your amount by a half a cup of coffee or a can of soda a day untill you drink just 1. I suffer from cronic migranes and cluster headaches all at once. sometimes i do have to medicate for it, but i have a toddler i cant ignore and sleep past. A few things to do that will help the pain, other then sleeping, take a hot shower and try to pop your neak, see a chiro to pop your neak if you are unable to do it on your own, Get an icepack that you can velcro around your forhead, those are relativly easy to find in stores, and simple to find online, but the cold pack will help SO much with a headache. Try drinking a cup of caffine while you have one, sometimes it helps. Other then that i dont know what else to tell you. Just that i understnad alot!
4 people like this
• United States
2 Mar 07
Thanks for the ideas. I'll have to get that icepack. Even if it costs 1000.00. I'm in the same boat on the kid situation. So thanks alot!
1 person likes this
@teison2 (5921)
• Norway
2 Mar 07
I would try acupuncture. it really helped me alot with my headaches. Hope you find a solution, and feel better soon
2 people like this
• United States
2 Mar 07
Is acupuncture painfull? Might be a silly question but we just had a acupuncturist come to our area. And how expensive is it?
1 person likes this
@teison2 (5921)
• Norway
2 Mar 07
I think the price varies a lot. I live in Norway - here it cost from $30. Prices here tend to be quite high compared to most other countries. I do not think it is painful. It is a strange feeling sometimes. I know some people find it a little painful. I did it every week for three years - I thought the discomfort was tiny compared to the benefits.
2 people like this
• United States
2 Mar 07
I think that's about what they charge here in Wisconsin,USA. Thanks for the help!
1 person likes this
@kmdvmd (357)
• India
6 Mar 07
I also have headache some time.I used to take pain killer,but now i have got pranayams that are very effective on headaches.
• United States
6 Mar 07
What is pranayams? Is it another form of headache medicine like imatrex or something.
• Philippines
6 Mar 07
Yes i do and it normally happens before exams. i guess its because i worry too much and the stress that i get from extensive reviewing. before i would pop some pain killers out but now i tend to just let it go away by itself.
1 person likes this
• United States
6 Mar 07
Yeah that's what I'm trying not to do anymore either. The pain killers help the headache but not much else. Because all they seem to do for me is put me to sleep.
@wendy82 (437)
• United States
2 Mar 07
I have migraine due to the fact that I was giving the wrong birth control pills. But i used to take a current med for it. But because they thought i was pregnant they told me to not take the meds. So I had to deal with it. And because i was not pregnant they have not given me anything for headache. But I try to figure out the cause if it is because i am not eating or caffeine. I try to even rest my eyes. Just to ease it but if i cant then I take tylenol for it. I have tension headache when I am under a lot of stress.
2 people like this
• United States
2 Mar 07
Don't you love stress and what wonders it can do to your body.
1 person likes this
@misheleen73 (6037)
• United States
6 Mar 07
if you need to go into a dark room, the light bothers you, those are wicked migraines. I get them all the time myself. I never have just a slight headache, it's always a full blown migraine. They run in my family, my 9 yo son gets them now too. It may be hereditary, or there may be a "trigger" I am on medication now, just painkillers for now. There are medications that help with migraines, but unfortunately there is a lot of testing that goes on first. Wish I could be of more help, I know how nasty they can be !! Stick it out with your doctor, there may be something thatcan help. I know a co-worker was just put on a special diet to help. Talk with your doctor.
1 person likes this
• United States
8 Mar 07
Well I did the test. It was like sticking my finger in a light socket. And just when I thought it was over he stinks needles in me and puts more electricity into my body. And he still doesn't know what's wrong. He figures they are miagraines, but he'd like to get an MRI of my neck if my symptoms don't improve. So I'm with you I'm on a doctor strike. Hoping your having a better week than me.
• United States
7 Mar 07
well have fun...lol. I have gotten to the point, I have stopped going to the doctor. I know I need to return, but I needed a doctor break.
1 person likes this
• India
3 Mar 07
First of all I take rest for some time. If there is no response, then I approach Doctor, without taking pain killers, by myself.
1 person likes this
• United States
4 Mar 07
That's what I've been doing taking a nap when I need too. But I'm spending more time in bed than anything else some days. Thanks for the thought though.
@cabergren (1181)
• United States
3 Mar 07
It sounds like you have migraine headaches. I don't get them that bad, but I get very bad sinus headaches. When it is really bad I do get sick to my stomach. Mine is mostly affected by the changes in temperature. I just take lots of sinus medication and I can usually get a handle on it.
• United States
4 Mar 07
Yeah my husband gets the sinus headaches. We moved to the middle of Wisconsin from Chicago. He'd been born and raised there. The first fall/winter we were here he ended up with 3 sinus infections. Which then turned into phenomia. I felt so bad for him. Come to find out he's allergic to cows, dirt, grass, mold and a bunch of other things. So now even in the winter he takes his Zyrtec. We have to change up brands come spring, and then again come summer. For some reason each brand only works at certain seasons for him. And they get expensive because our insurance only pays for the one kind. But why take something if it's no longer working. Thanks for your response.
• United States
3 Mar 07
i too have acute migranes. only medication controls them and not well. they are an unfortionate fact of life very much like any other illness that you and i must live with. in my case i learned i was alergic to wheat. wheat makes my condition worse. you may have a similar situation.
• United States
3 Mar 07
Wow I did not relize that you can be alergic to things like wheat. That must be very difficult to live with. How do you avoid wheat when it's in soooo many things. I know you can develop alergies as you get older and with me changing my diet and everything this could be a very valid point. Thanks for the thought I'll have to pay more attention to what I've eaten before they come on. Thanks much for the idea.
@monet0077 (156)
• United States
3 Mar 07
They sound like migrains to me, although I would listen to your doctors advice. Like others here have said, see if its something you are eating or drinking. I get pounding headaches in minutes from Nutrisweet. Sometimes I can't stand to look at a cup of coffee, other times a little caffeine helps some. Others here have mentioned birth control pills. My doctor finally found the cause of my migrains to be menopause, so it came down to the same thing really. Hormones out of balance. Ask about that even if you aren't on the pill. If you have to take medication, than think of it as at least you don't miss quality time with your family. I was missing too much work, so as much as I hate putting chemicals in my body, I think its the only reasonable choice for me. I hope you find a solution soon and wish you pain-free days.
• United States
4 Mar 07
Well it's been about 2 days and no Splenda. I've still had mild headaches, but nothing I can't deal with and keep going. It's funny you say the hormone thing, because my mom said something about that last night. She suffered from cluster headaches. And not long after those started she had to get a hysterectomy. She said after that the headaches slowly went away. Now I've got so many good ideas. Just need to make a list and start figuring out which way to go first. Thanks for the help.
• India
3 Mar 07
you are being suffered by headache for the last half & a month and you have't get rid of it.Now think that why this headache occurs? there can be many why these occurs.A women with a new baby born will have headache due to baby's cryings.It can be other reason that if you go out of your house and you are out without an umbrella ,then you can have headache.There are many reasons for headache.First find out the reason first,then you will be able to get rid of it.
1 person likes this