Help!!! Headaches and anxiety

[Needsomehelp12345]

Hello! I have been suffering for a good 2 months with this- I was having a normal day 2 months back and all of a sudden I got a head ache in the lower left side of my head. I visited my pediatrician to see if it was normal and she diagnosed it as tension headaches and that they would just go over time. I took her word for maybe 2 weeks but the pain refused to leave and I would have moments where I would freak out becuase I thought something more serious was going on in my head. I would get very shaky and have an even worse headache then I started with. I went back to my pediatrician and she did numbers of blood work and everything came back completely clean. She suggested that I have anxiety about my headaches and it's started a viscious cycle. I started seeing a therapist shortly after she made a suggestion to and the therapist has helped me with meditation and trying to feel better but I still can't seem to shake what's going on. I had a recent visit to the ER after I visited my pediatrician again because she sent me there to use IVs to "break the headache". I saw a neuro specialist at the ER and they diagnosed me with migraines and prescribed me to take Naproxin for five days and see if that helps. Naproxen helped the headaches but then I started getting the feeling of being out of it and heartburn that took place at night when I was lying in bed. It felt like someone was sitting on my chest. I feel woozy all of the time and have isolated myself from a lot of the things I used to enjoy doing. My legs also tend to get shakey all the time and I have the constant feeling that I am going to pass out. The feeling in my head has mostly shifted to the right side of my head now which I thought was odd. I go back to my neuro in a month or so but I was just wondering if any of you thought this was serious and what to do? Thanks.

[Agora1]

Hi Needsomehelp12345, tension headaches can be intermittent with Migraines. Meditation is usually used to lessen the frequency of tension/muscular contraction headaches. When you were diagnosed with Migraines in the ER, the IV used most likely was to rehydrate you. (dehydration can bring on Migraines) Naproxen may have helped with the headache pain but can't be used for long or you will get rebound headaches as well as stomach problems. The feeling of pain shifting to the right side of your head is usually associated with Migraines. The Neurologist will be able to give you something to control migraines rather than treat them with pain meds. Meanwhile, watching what you eat may help, making sure you drink plenty of water daily, meditate and deep breathing will lower your threshold of pain. I suffered many years with both kinds of headaches, they do eventually go away.

[Needsomehelp12345 in reply to Agora1]

Thank you so much! I think I'm definitely an over thinker just sometimes they get so bad. Anything that helped you with neck tension?

[Agora1 in reply to Needsomehelp12345]

That remains to be my problem w/o headaches. I tend to hold all my stress, aggravation of life's problems in my neck, by holding my head forward. Bad habit. What I use is deep breathing throughout the day in whatever I am doing. From driving, to housecleaning, to watching tv etc. I also use head from any source including taking a hot piece of clothing out of the dryer and putting it around my shoulders and neck. Practice good posture, hydrate and listen to relaxation tapes both morning and night. If I feel I need a boost in the afternoon I tune into YouTube and listen and watch a DeepBreathing/Relaxation video with Audio. I carry the words I hear from the tapes I listen and use them as reminders to relax, be calm and float.

I very rarely use an OTC pain pill, when I do, it is only 1 Tylenol 325mg. The less meds taken the easier they work when we really need them. Hope this helps...

[Needsomehelp12345 in reply to Agora1]

It does! Thanks. I've also tried heating pads on my neck recently and Bengay that I just bought over the counter at CVS. That released some tension but not all, hope this helps

[Agora1 in reply to Needsomehelp12345]

Oh Ben and I go back for a few years. (comes unscented now)

Thanks...