[smae]

I don't know what the deal is, but I have a headache nearly every single day. I don't know if it is related to any of the (more than 10) health conditions I have, or if I just have chronic headaches. I also get migraines, but that is not what I am asking about. These are just regular headaches.

I have these headaches that are just bad enough that I can't ignore them... but not bad enough to be considered a migraine.

I only have one good kidney (the less is less than 15% functioning), so I have been told by my PCP and my kidney doctor that I should not take things like ibuprofen, aleve, motrin, or aspirin. Tylenol is the only thing they have said that I can take. The only thing that gets rid of my headaches are extra strength tylenol (brand name only, not generic) or Excedrin products (specifically excedrin mirgraine which I do use for migraines--but it is essentially tylenol and caffeine--there may be one other ingredient).

I know that taking any kind of medication every single day is not good for the body, especially liver and kidneys. I'd like to find some other way to treat or minimize my headaches besides medications. But I am wondering if anyone has any idea of any medicine that may be less harsh on kidneys.

As far as I know, there isn't any other option out there--but since I am bedridden, it has been a long time since I've gone to the store to check it out.

I have a call in to my doctor, so I am waiting to hear if there is anything he can recommend... but in the meantime, I thought I'd ask here.

These headaches are just powerful enough to knock me out and keep me from doing the things I'd like to. I can't just lay here all day useless when this happens 95% of my days.

Please let me know if you know of anything that I may be able to take (I know that my doctor's advice is best and I am not looking for a medical opinion--just ideas from what others have taken) or other solutions to ease a headache without taking medicines. I keep my room dark since the sun hurts my head... and try to keep it cool and quiet. I don't know how else to ease my headaches.

Thanks for reading.

[smae]

I heard back from my doctor. He said to stop taking the excedrin because the aspirin is really bad for me.

He said it is okay to take extra strength tylenol, though not every day. So I am having my mom pick some up for me (she keeps buying the generic which doesn't help me, so she is going to get the brand name tonight).

I am still trying to find other ways to ease a headache, though, so if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. I need more than just a medication to take since these are nearly daily and I can't rely on the meds that much.

[Leesa]

Hi ~ This must be awful ~ I hate headaches, but mine are caused by my cervical spine. I have a herniation in there, so when I get one, I put my soft cervical collar on and it goes away. Is there any possibility that YOU could have a problem with the cervical spine?? You may need an MRI.

If you feel some pain in the back of the head, you could be using some ice on the back of your neck ~ that could help ease the headaches. I wouldn't use it any longer than 20 minutes ~ maybe less, and do it every 2 hours. See if that helps. Don't use HEAT.

Just a couple of suggestions. I hope you feel better soon. God bless & Take care. Hugs, Leesa

[smae]

Originally Posted by Leesa

Hi ~ This must be awful ~ I hate headaches, but mine are caused by my cervical spine. I have a herniation in there, so when I get one, I put my soft cervical collar on and it goes away. Is there any possibility that YOU could have a problem with the cervical spine?? You may need an MRI.

If you feel some pain in the back of the head, you could be using some ice on the back of your neck ~ that could help ease the headaches. I wouldn't use it any longer than 20 minutes ~ maybe less, and do it every 2 hours. See if that helps. Don't use HEAT.

Just a couple of suggestions. I hope you feel better soon. God bless & Take care. Hugs, Leesa

Thank you for the suggestions!

I have degenerative disc disease in my back (lower) and neck... and have spondylolisthesis, arthritis, and disc desiccation in my lower back as well. I have had headaches related to that pain before, especially my neck.

However, when that happens, I always feel pain in my neck like something isn't right. I don't feel that now. Doesn't mean it couldn't be caused by that--but I don't have any symptoms that explain what it could be.

I have had neck pain before that has brought headaches... allergies, sinus problems, etc. None of the above right now!

I have trouble with ice because I usually am freezing anyway and the cold really irritates my pain--even if it isn't put on a painful spot. If I get even a slight bit cold, my PN flares up and my feet go into major spasms.

Heat is the only thing that gives me relief for my neck and back pain... but because I am on the fentanyl patch, I am unable to use heat.

My doctor said it could be pain meds causing these 'rebound' headaches. He said that we will talk more about it Thursday when I go see him for my pre-surgery physical.

It is frustrating to deal with headaches every day. In comparison to all my other pain, it is very very minimal pain. Still, it is one of those annoying pains that prevents me from doing the things I want or need to do. Yuck.

Thanks again for reading and giving me some suggestions!

[Leesa]

Maybe you SHOULD have an MRI done on the cervical spine, since you have DDD. I've got it "up there" too, and that's how the darn herniated occurred. Perhaps you have something going on up there too.

Like I said, the collar really helps me. You can get them at the pharmacy or medical supply store, and they aren't very expensive. They make MY headaches go away quickly. It's worth a try. I hope your doc can help you. God bless. Let us know what he says, ok? Hugs, Lee

[smae]

Originally Posted by Leesa

Maybe you SHOULD have an MRI done on the cervical spine, since you have DDD. I've got it "up there" too, and that's how the darn herniated occurred. Perhaps you have something going on up there too.

Like I said, the collar really helps me. You can get them at the pharmacy or medical supply store, and they aren't very expensive. They make MY headaches go away quickly. It's worth a try. I hope your doc can help you. God bless. Let us know what he says, ok? Hugs, Lee

Well, I have surgery in a week to have a SCS implant and after that, no MRIs are allowed.. and I don't think I can get in and have one done that quickly... but it would make sense that there could be something going on... I go see my doctor tomorrow for a pre-surgical physical so I am hoping he has some ideas on what I can do for these nasty headaches.

I will look online to see what I can find.. since I'm bedridden, I can't go to the store and look for things, but usually anything I need can be found online. I have no money right now as I wait for my SSI to finally kick in... once it does I will finally be able to afford the things I need to make life better! What collar are you talking about, exactly? You talked about ice--are you talking about those things that go around your head/neck to cool you down, or something totally opposite?

Since ice bothers me so much, I am thinking I will try to find a happy medium.. maybe putting gel packs in the fridge instead of the freezer could give me some relief without making all the other pain in my body worse by making me so cold.

[kristenkinley]

If you only suffer from sudden headache, go directly to pharmacy and buy pain reliever medicine. But if pain keeps coming and increasing, this is not just a typical migraine, better consult a physician for further examination.

[Peter B]

These can be hard to find the cause of, let alone find pain relief.
I agree, take pain medication to let you cope for the short term, but really try to find out what is the cause.
There may be a simple one, or they may be several.
So take it slowly and carefully, but do your own research, don't rely on medical advise only. Question everything the doctors say until you are satisfied that both of you understand each other, and that any treatment offered is acceptable.
Medical help tends to be drug and surgery oriented, with no allowance for dietary imbalances, your diet itself, life style, fitness level and so on. These are the areas that you must look into, as it is there that you may well find the answer.

Drugs will mask a symptom ,but won't get to the cause. And we often overlook the very simple things in search of a 'proper' medical diagnosis, if you see what I mean.
Get blood tests for vitamins and minerals, thyroid etc.

Revue your diet and revise it to eliminate modern nasties, such as all sugars, refined foods, soft drinks, fast foods. It can be done.
Drink water throughout the day.

Check your mattress and pillow for proper support. Pillows are leading culprits for headaches.
Monitor and reduce computer time-another great headache cause.

Take magnesium oil. This has almost completely cured me of chronic-25 years-headaches. Magnesium deficiency is estimated to be with 80% of the population, and testing your levels is not easy. The way to go is just take it and see what happens! Can't recommend it highly enough.
I have suggested this to 2 other people recently, and both have had stunning success with it.
I would suggest that you will be able to find and eliminate the cause yourself, if you research it and work through the problem areas.

For a bit of pain relief, also have remedial massage. Muscles can give you intense pain, so they need to be considered too. My neck pain was almost solely from tight muscles.

I am now also taking a high dose of Vit C every 4 hours, and feel very good.

So my 3 strongest suggestions for relief would be magnesium oil, Vit C, and remedial massage. These may cure you, or at least give you breathing space to examine the other areas.