Last month I had a headache for 7 days straight, no break. So I finally thought I better go to the doctor. She asked me to describe the type of headache I was having. It seemed to move around. Sometimes my ear hurt with it too, like an earache. But a constant throb. I was living on Advil and Tylenol. The doc gave me a persciption for message therapy. I made some inquiries and found someone who came highly recommended. She assessed me and gave me a 45 minute message. Shee worked on my upper back, shoulders, upper chest, neck and head. My head still hurt when I left there that morning. By the evening it was gone. Coincidence?.... I think not! It stayed away for a couple of weeks. Now I go every 2 weeks for a message. I can tell you that I don't enjoy them. They are not relaxing. They actually hurt, but they do the job in the headache department without drugs.

Yah, I go to PT three times a week because I guess the seizures, headaches and being paranoid of having seizures has did a number on my neck. My PT kept trying and trying, but as soon as a new seizure comes her work is gone.

Now they want to do trigger point injections. Eww!

Had my former doctor addressed this a year ago, it probably wouldn't be -as- bad.

And yes, her massages are nice in some spots and others, I have to try not jumping up and hitting her. I HATE my spine and center of my neck touched. It triggers this awful liquid-like bubbling, grinding sound that creeps me out.

Hi, it's me, doody. Decided to finally wander over to headache and see what's up.

Knock on wood, my migraines are fewer and farther between now. I think it's because I got old and went mentalpausal.

I've been on every med you can think of for headache/migraine.

My best med for migraines has been Imitrex nasal spray, NOT the pills. For when that doesn't work, it's because it's turned into an emergency room migraine which used to happen way too often.

Anyway, have you tried Topamax? God I feel for you, those LONG headaches! I even did the go in the hospital routine for a week and have an IV drip of I can't remember what drug. And it didn't work. So the doc said let's try Topamax. Darned if it didn't stop that headache round.

I also go to a masseuse, a wonderful woman (retired nurse) and she is good. But I see her primarily for the fibro and chronic myofacia pain.

My neck is a mess from multiple car accidents so she works on that a lot as well.

OH, for stuff that helps topically for me. Tiger Balm. Whenever I have a headache, I put that on my forehead and it really helps. If nothing else, it detracts from the pain. Also really good on sore muscles. I am never without a big tin of Tiger Balm on my nightstand.

Hugs. Headaches and migraines suck.

And watch out for those rebound headaches from taking aspirin, tylenol, whatever. That gets you into a vicious cycle.

My head hurts just thinking about your pain ((Ellie)).

They have been 'ok' recently, I've had worse. I do my best to control them without medications because to top off what I take for seizures, I try to stay away from everything else for the sake of my poor liver.

I think I just need a way to manage stress levels because those headaches are the worst to try and get rid of. Hopefully, once I get more answers regarding my other medical issues I will be able to keep a load off of my head and perhaps cut back on headaches.

Oh I get terrible headaces too, it can get so awlful at times that I pass out from the pain. but sometimes what works for me is crushing up an excederin and then swallowing it with a coke or pepsi ,,,

Sometimes nothing works,,

: (

hope your doing better

xena

Oh Ellie, I can relate. I've had the never ending headache that not only went on for days but literally months non-stop. I went the route of PT, it did help (along with muscle relaxers and pain killers) although always only temporarily until this last September when I finally (this has been going on for over two years) let the Neuro talk me into trying Topamax (for that and for about the last 6-9 months recurring seizures). I have never been so glad to have gone on medication for anything in my life. I orginially avoided it because I have taken AED's for seizures before and know what they can do to my body and don't want to risk the side effects or long term damage, but finally decided after a bottle of Advil/Excedrin/Tylenol (insert OTC pain killer of choice) a week and no relief for two years I was doing more damage to myself and the pain was unbearable I might as well try it.
Well, that and the fact that the seizures came back. Have you thought that the two may actually be connected? You may be having a change in your seizure frequency or intensity that is causing or presenting itself as headaches. Something you may want to ask your doctor about...
Also, for portable heating pads, most outdoor supply (camping/hunting supply) stores carry small individual heat packs that hunters and campers use that are quite effective some are reusable some are not but that may be another alternative to try also. I loved playing with them when I was a kid, they get really warm.
I hope you get some relief soon.
-Stef

yes, over the past 25 years I have had a handful of full four day migraines where I never left the bed except for the bathroom. ONce I couldn't lift my head to use the bathroom without continual vomitting so I ended up squatting over a trashcan next to the bed with my head still horizontal on the edge of the bed. That is definitely one of my favorite memories

But yes, there are others of us out here with long term migraines. I haven't had one in three years as my doc finally found a combo that helps me.

Good luck,
Suzanne

You need to share the information on that combo!

Thanks everyone for the kind words. It's been going better but I still have my days. If my Trigeminal Neuralgia would get under control I think my headaches would follow suit (short of seizure headaches). I think it hurts so much I stress out and end up with an unholy headache.

My boyfriends mom got me a bunch of Relpax samples and I love her a lot!!! Those are soooo expensive but work well and fast.

Ellie, You asked, so here is what I take:
-2 Fiorinal w/ Codeine
-either 50 mg or 100 mg of Imitrex depending on how bad the pain or aura is
and sometimes
-I also take 1 mg of Xanax since the really bad headaches often throw me into a panic attack.

Most doctors recommend those things alone. Mine suggested I try them together, and I was shocked that it worked. I'm also on MS Contin for spinal pain which doesn't make me drowsy. For some reason Imitrex or any of the triptans tends to make me drowsy so with the caffeine in the Fiorinal and xanax, as well as the deep breathing (quasi-biofeedback) I am usually doing while lying in a VERY dark room with ice bags on my neck and cold packs on my forehead, I often fall asleep. I have much better results if I fall asleep. I wake up about an hour and a half later with the headache gone!!

Don't get me wrong. It doesn't always make it go away. It does ALWAYS lessen the pain though which is more than I had for years!!!!

I don't take Fioricet because the acetaminophen triggers headaches for me. Aspirin doesn't. My body reacts very abnormally to almost all meds. My doc accepts this and works around it. Sleeping medicine wakes me up. Caffeine makes me drowsy.

I have tried triptans with otcs like ibuprofen or naproxen sodium. That combo is definitely better than the triptans alone for me at least.

Obviously anyone should talk to their doctor who knows their medical history and body, but I pray my doc never retires as it took years to find him and more years to find anything that helps. I am homebound disabled from my spine so I can afford to sleep off the meds. I know that is a huge problem for most people. When I was teaching, my migraines would either hit at 5 am giving me a very short period to try to get it at least down to tolerable before I called in sick, or they would hit me at 4 PM in which case I would just go home and collapse in the dark and hope it was gone by the next day!

Hope that info helps someone. I used to post in on braintalk.org whenever it was appropriate. I don't know if anyone ever tried it!

Good luck,
Suzanne

I too take topamax. Twice a day at 100 mg a time. Then I take
indomethacin cap 50 mg for pain and headaches instead of tylenol
or ibprofen now because they don't work anymore. I had two
dislocated elbows that I need something that if necessary I could
take something around the clock if necessary and the other htings
can create rebound headaches. So this has found to be very good.

I don't need near as much.

So now I need very little, plus with the concussion in August the
physical therapy and exercise is helping too.

Donna