Hi Everyone,

Awhile back, my neuro prescribed me Topomax for the prevention of migraine headaches but I'm not sure that what I have can be classified as migraines.

Since my concussion, I've had strange feelings in my head that I'm trying to understand. They don't really seem like the headaches I've had in the past. The feelings that I get vary between a dull ache, brain numbness, pulsating sensations, and pressure from behind my eyes (along with the usual light sensitivity). The feelings are varied, but occur almost everyday. The feelings are subtle and there is not a lot of intense pain. But, they usually are accompanied by feelings of fatigue and irritability.

Would these feelings be considered headaches? If so, what type of headaches?

Lastly, I'm wondering if anyone out there has tried taking magnesium, B-2, and feverfew as an alternative to medications. I've read that a lot of people have found relief from headaches after taking these supplements and unlike the medications, there are no side effects. (It can take up to 2-4 months of daily doses to start working.)

Can anyone share their experiences with supplements or medications to prevent headaches?

Thanks.

Don

Hi Don,

I was prescribed Topamax in the first few weeks of my concussion to try to prevent migraines. I don't know if you have tried it yet, and I might be biased, but I really disliked the Topamax. I felt as if the side effects were awful, and I did not get any relief from the migraines while I was on it.

The Topamax made me feel as if I couldn't move. It made my whole body and mind feel heavy and slow.

I'm on a good mix of medicines right now that help me manage my symptoms. I still have headaches every day (that sound like your headaches) and other symptoms, but now I'm only getting 1-2 migraines a week instead of almost every day.

I take 20 mg of Amitriptyline every night to help me fall asleep and stay asleep. It is an antidepressant, and is used sometimes to treat TBI symptoms. I take 1 mg of B12 every day to try and help improve brain function and give me energy. I also take Treximet for when my every day headaches turn into migraines. The Treximet works really well for me, but the side effects were difficult to get used to.

A lot of others on here have more experience with other medications and supplements. I definitely didn't like the Topamax, but I'm sure everyone is different. I had a migraine every day when I was on it though.

Hi Kate,

Thanks for responding to my post. I did try the Topomax for about a week and found that it made me feel very tired and loopy. I like the way you said it "made me feel as if I couldn't move. It made my whole body and mind feel heavy and slow." I had a similar experience with it, so I stopped taking it.

Now, I'm trying a natural preventative of B-2, Magnesium, and Feverfew because I've read how it has been effective for migraines without all the side-effects of the topomax. I've only been doing this for a few weeks so it's too early to know if it will work for me.

My neuro also suggested Amitriptyline, but I told her I wanted to wait and see how how I respond to supplements and more time. My "headaches" aren't really painful, but they do slow me down quite a bit. I feel pressure or dullness in my brain and it usually goes along with irritability and fatigue. I feel slowed cognitively and physically when those feelings are present. When I wake up in the mornings with a headache, I also notice a lack of feeling in my hands.

I just am not sure how to describe my "headaches" or if it even matters what kind they are. I've been reading about cluster headaches, migraines, and tension headaches and I'm not sure any of those apply to me. I'm thinking it might be important to know what kind they are because treatment may vary for different kinds of headaches. Does this make sense?

Can anyone help me understand the differences between the various types of headaches and if the types of headaches are treated differently?

Thanks.

Don

When you mentioned the lack of feeling in your hands, It makes me wonder.

What kind of sleeping habits do you have? Do you sleep on your side? What position do you hold your hands?

I find that sleeping behavior is very connected to how I feel in the morning. Personally, I need to sleep on my back with my hands either at my sides or laying on my tummy. If I roll onto my side, I will usually end up laying on an arm. Then, my hand will be numb or tingly.

It took a while to learn to sleep on my back. One trick is to put a pillow under your knees. Wearing wrist splints is also helpful. I had very bad carpal tunnel symptoms but avoided surgery by learning to sleep on my back. It is not very comfortable to sleep on your side wearing carpal tunnel wrist splints.

I also roll the sides of my pillow up so that the pillow cradles my head. I can then roll my head to the right slightly and cuddle my right cheek against the pillow.

You will need to experiment to see if you can find a sleeping position that lessens your symptoms.

Some people sleep with their fists clenched. I have done this from time to time. If I do, I wake up with miserable hands. Now, I take Neurontin before bed. It lessens the jaw and hand clinching and other muscle tension as I sleep.

Do you ever wake with a sore jaw? This would be jaw clenching and can lead to head aches.

Regarding Amitriptyline, the dose for head aches is very small. I think only 5 or 10 mgs.

I find I get good relief with just Tylenol. If the head ache is bad, I take Tylenol and aspirin combined. The combination is safe and very effective, even at maximum dose. My doctor recommended this combination.

I hope this helps.

My best to you.

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your reply. The numbness in my hands in the mornings only occurs about one or two mornings a week. I do sleep on my side and have done that all of my life. I can't imagine sleeping on my back, unless I am completely exhausted and forced to sleep that way.

The numbness is actually becoming less frequent than it was a few months ago so I suspect it has something to do with whatever's going on in my brain. One morning, last March, I woke up and could not even feel or lift my left arm. It felt like a heavy weight attached to my body. I had to use my right arm to lift it in the morning. After I woke up and moved it around, I got my feeling back again. That was very scary, but it hasn't happened since.

What seems very odd to me is that the numbness usually happens when I wake up with a headache. It's almost like my brain shuts down certain functions when it is sleeping and it takes awhile for it to wake up. It definitely seems to be sleep-related.

I just wish I knew how to make the strange headaches go away permanently. It's been almost a year now and that scares me. I've scheduled some biofeedback sessions for early January to see if that helps. I also plan to see a chiropractor to see if my spinal alignment could be causing the headaches and/or numbness.

I'm afraid to try the Amitriptyline because it might cause side effects or interact with my other medication (Lexapro). I read that it might cause problems if taken with one of the SSRI's. I do take Tylenol in the event the headaches don't go away.

Thanks again for your feedback.

Don

I have the exact same kinds of headaches. Not really painful, just throbbing temples and throbbing behind my eyes. I notice the temple throbbing more when I am trying to get to sleep. My eyes throb all the time. I am a year out next week. I was put on nortriptyline about 2 months ago, but quit because of the side effects. The doc feels that if I have side effects from that, that I will have the same side effects from any other drugs in that class. I have decided to wait until the end of January when I see him again to see if I want to be put on Topomax. I also have a seizure disorder so I am assuming that this will help with both? I have just had really good luck with the antiseizure medicine that I am taking and don't want to rock the boat to help my headaches. I am pretty sure that this is something I should probably get used to. I am noticing the past few months that some nights it feels that I am not really sleeping. It's almost is as if I haven't reached a deep sleep and am aware of what is going on around me.

Hi Sheds,

Your concussion must have happened right about the same time as mine. I fell on Christmas Day 2008.

I also have the occasional throbbing behind my eyes. However, my sleep has been very good lately. I usually sleep very well at night, but often need naps after work just to make it through the evenings.

I don't blame you for stopping the medication due to side effects. I did the same with Topomax and figured the headaches were less painful than the side effects. If your anti-seizure is working well for you, it might be better to just stick with it.

I'm praying that your headaches go away soon and also that you find comfort and peace as you continue in your recovery.

Don