Just curious as to how others are treating their daily headaches with abortive medications, analgesics and such. I haven't really been doing anything lately but my headaches have been getting worse so I'm going to need a more aggressive approach. Today I'm starting with Advil. My plan is to take it regularly for three days and then switch to Tylenol for three days to avoid rebound headaches and increased tolerance for either drug. I was prescribed Fioricet so I may rotate with that as well but it has caffeine.. which is a PCS no - no. Anyone else using a similar approach or have any better ideas?

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10 months PCS from mTBI. Chronic Daily Headaches. On Amitriptyline 40mg nightly for headaches.

No better idea here. I know some people alternate doses throughout the day with ibuprofen and tylenol.

I'm sorry your headaches have been worse lately. Has there been any changes in what you're doing, eating, resting? Is it hotter than it has been?

I personally don't take anything. Ibuprofen does help a bit, but I'm taking prednisone, so I'm not supposed to take ibuprofen at the same time.

I've never had any luck with tylenol, it seems to do nothing for me, so I don't bother.

Ice packs, dark rooms, quiet... that's how I try to cope.

Had a crazy busy day yesterday followed by a vet emergency that I had to manage and last night I had the worst headache since the week of my fall. I didn't take anything, but it was a solid 9 - 9.5 out of 10 and I just laid in the dark and tried not to cry. Figured crying would make it a 10 for sure. It was bad enough that I would fall asleep and then wake up a few minutes later in pain.

Today, its still about an 8... I'll soon go lie down and see if that helps.

Best of luck.
Starr

I am sorry to hear that your headaches are getting worse. If you are taking Amitriptyline and the headaches are getting worse, maybe you could speak to your doctor and try something else. There are so many different medicines that are used to prevent headaches.

It seems to me that if the headaches are getting worse on Amitriptyline, that would be the first thing to do. As far as abortive medicines, I use Fioricet myself and find it helps me. But you are not supposed to take it every day. To get the best relief with Fioricet you need to take it at the onset of the headache.

I also was given Motrin (same as Advil), but I developed gastritis from that (inflammation in the stomach), so I can't use it. Be careful to take Advil with food. It is very hard on the stomach.

I hope that you can find something soon to help with the headaches. I know how horrible they can be.

ShellyK

I am so sorry you are suffering through this. Hope something here on site helps.

Above all I wanted to politely express to you the amount of Tylenol (acetaminophen) you are cycling through your liver could be damaging. I see vicodin, fiorocet (which were useless and antiquated for me). But then we are all different so find what works and try, within reason, some different drugs and consider a preventative like Inderal or Topomax. Hopefully you can do it without adding more drugs but sometimes we need help. Inderal 80mg extended release helped me with no side effects. Topomax helps a friend, but not as well for her and with goofy/sleepy side effects. It caused me to be dizzy. I'll list several preventatives, but changing when you take ur meds may help. Early early early is very important.

I am a migraine sufferer (for 40 years) and chronic pain sufferer (back and neck fusions 10 years). I lived with daily migraine for years until I discovered nasal lidocaine spray 3 years ago. The doctor I went to also said take the full dose (spray or pills not a half dose) right away when you "think" you have a migraine. Quit hoarding your pills or spray. If you wait the vessels in your brain start spasming and it's too late by then for any pills to work. She even asked if my hair hurt and surprised I said YES! Finally someone that understands. When my back hurts I have to take Balocet. Neither drug helps for the wrong kind of pain.

Different pills work for my head than work for back. Balocet is the lower Tylenol version of Darvocet. There are lower Tylenol pills for oxycontin, vicodin and many pills taken for migraine. Be careful also with the ibuprofen and NSAIDS. A new medical warning just came out about them and they can and do cause chronic gastrointestinal bleeding and chronic anemia. It happened to my mother and me both with chronic use. See recent new releases the last few months.

Has an NSAID ever gotten rid of a migraine for you? They never did for me. If you take them every day they are also a strain on the liver and even though you are trading out you still could be kicking off daily headaches even with the change. We still don't know how aspirin works. Remember doctors don't know how many very simple drugs work. Try a neurologist that specialized in the specific pain you are experiencing with headache and other pain specialists by body part.

If I take the lidocaine early (which is nice since it's not a narcotic) I can beat a headache 99% of the time. After that I have Esgic and Vicodin to fall back on for migraines. Vicodin is good if all else fails but I have to time it all earlier according to the doctor. I also had the option with her to go in and get trigger point injections in my neck and head where the muscles start up the headache.

There are other treatments that worked, Botox to certain neck muscles, sublingual pills like triptans or other pain relievers help because migraines or severe headaches sometimes shut down how your body digest or integrates medicine. Therefore sublingual goes right to the body, bypassing the stomach.

I am of the opinion (my own humble opinion) after listening to many headache specialists that taking any OTC meds can feed the daily headache cycle. I stopped taking any OTC meds unless I had a migraine, started the lidocaine when needed, stopped caffeine (more than one friends has shown this was the cause), keep a food log and headache diary (any doc worth his salt will ask you for this). There are many foods that we are sensitive to that cause migraines or headaches that seem very innocuous but can cause headaches. Caffeine, chocolate, cured cheeses & meats, processed food additives, things in your tap water (even if in EPA guidelines if you are sensitive). Goggling a list of headache causes should give you a list or better a thorough doc.

I also started taking ribo-mag (vitamin b) and coq10 and I've only had 3 migraines in as many years. This despite an amazing amount of stress during that time. I thought these supplements and spray would NEVER work but agreed to be openminded and try it. I'm glad I did.

I also have recurring viral meningitis-this causes blinding headaches-as does sun exposure on any part of my body. Make sure this isn't the case with you. Lyme disease also causes this type of headache. Good luck with this. I do sympathize and hope you find help.

Thank you all for your responses! I took two Advil around 11am, took a while to kick in, but it seemed to have worked pretty good for me. I didn't have a headache all afternoon. Just head discomfort and the feeling that I could get a headache if I pushed to hard. I did some light exercise on a recumbent bike and then hung out with some friends for a few hours. Around 6pm, the Advil wore off so I took two more. I think I have winner.

As far as the Amitriptyline, my body was likely getting too accomodated to 30mg so just I started 40mg last night. Neurologist recommended. I've been on 30mg for several months now. Also, I took a couple breaks from work and I think this made my symptoms worse. Sat around the house dwelling on my pain. Around April I was starting to have some headache free days so that when I decided to take time off work to get more rest. But I think it backfired and the lack of keeping busy kept my mind too focused on my PCS. I'm going back to work the week after next.

Its hard to classify my headaches but I don't think they are migraines.
They don't make me nauseous, no auras, and lying down in dark room doesn't help. They start when I wake up and last until I go to bed. Rarely do they wake me up in the middle of sleep. The Amitriptyline still keeps me pretty sedated. My headaches can range from a feeling of discomfort, cool tingling sensations in my forehead, all the way to sharp jabbing pains in the top of my head, temples, and forehead. The best way I can describe my worst headaches are a feeling of someone digging a screwdriver into my head and twisting it for hours on end. Computer use and reading exacerbate them and I'm one month into vision therapy to hopefully mitigate those triggers.

Good news is my occipital headaches are becoming less and less frequent. Almost non-existent (knock on wood). Something to celebrate at least.