Headache hell!

[emily_rose]

Hello, I have been suffering with headaches for years, I remember my mom first taking me to the doctors at age 9. I am 24 now. I can go a month without having one and then I will get them 4-5 days a week. They are extremely worse on my days off. I will try and carry on with my day but they just beat me and I end up doing nothink on my days off from work! All the doctors have ever said is take painkillers and sit in a dark room with a cold compress on my head (my favourite saying from the docs) I'm just at my witts end!!!! Can anyone help plz? I dont drink alcohol I do smoke now but like I said I've been getting them since the age of 9. Thankyou

[Hidden]

My family has a history of migraine and my daughter is going through exactly the same as you at the moment. Our doctors don't seem interested in treating them, telling her that they're tension headaches!

I haven't had one since I started having occipital nerve blocks three years ago for neck/arm pain due to slipped discs. Might be worth mentioning a pain clinic? Or how about the centre for migraine in London?

[seawarrior in reply to Hidden]

Unfortunately, the costs for treatment at London's migraine clinic are beyond the means of many sufferers.

[Hidden in reply to seawarrior]

I know that in some cases they will treat for a minimum donation and contribute to travel. I was asked to go down and told them I can't afford it, that was their reply.

[seawarrior]

Insist to your doctor on seeing a neurologist, preferably one who has an interest in migraine. Some hospitals have a headache clinic, e.g. Poole hospital in Dorset. Maybe there's one in your area.

[determined56]

Have you had an MRI?

Cluster headaches can persist for days/weeks along with migraines.

Triggers could be from neck / discs if you are at a computer a lot.

Hormones are the silent troublemakers.

I was eventually diagnosed with "temporal lobe migraines" & "cluster headaches" put on Gabapentin after a course of drugs to block headaches.

I use gabapentin also for my degenerative spine but that's another story .

My thoughts & hugs are with you

xx PS still get migraines but not to same extent.

[Uhaire]

They need to send you to specialist if there so so bad..i would ask them to...i took my first one when I was 16.. At school and had to come home..there is a lot of tablets they can give you....like migraleaf ..I'm sure you have tried them...there's ones you pit in you gum that dissolve and round ones you put on you're tongue that dissolve in like 1 minute...but keep on at them continuously...sorry couldn't spell that lol..hope you get sorted xo

[babs1234]

You poor thing and what a sympathetic doctor you have...NOT. You insist on seeing a specialist. There are preventative drugs you can take daily or if you didn't want to go down that road ask to try immigran though you should not take more than 8/10 a month they definately work if you take at the first sign. You suffer with cluster migraine the same as me. I was having 7 days with then 7 days without. I am now having accupunture and went into it very sceptical, for me it has helped. Less frequent, less intense and not lasting as long. I have been told that after the initial course I should only need to go once a month or less. There are many things you can try but ordinary painkillers don't touch mine. Change your doctor or insist on a second opinion. Good luck and keep us updated

[Gambit62]

The 'weekend' effect is quite common, unfortunately - so actually the relaxing from tension rather than the tension.

Really sorry that your GP is so unsympathetic. There are a lot of potential treatments for migraines as others have mentioned above ... and not really much excuse for a medic who thinks it is okay to leave patients suffering in pain, rather than trying to look at what can be done to alleviate the problem.

[Fran_in_California]

It may seem too stressful, but try to quit smoking.

On a "lighter" note, do insist on being seen by a Neurologist. Let that doc say whether an MRI will help or not (often with Migraine, they don't). Good luck and hope you make progress after that!

[Sewnsew]

Have you had blood tests for your thyroid and B12? My migraines changed and became worse when I turned 50, I kept being told "time of life, change, menopause" yawn.

It's been a long road but now I'm being treated for under active thyroid, I don't get the 3 day migraines anymore. I also had low Vit B12 and Vit D, I think it's helped increasing these.

[stanners552]

Hi, i've recently been diagnosed with underactive thyroid and am on 50mgs of Levothyroxine. I've been on it for about 3 weeks and have had a migraine for about 12 days. It gets considerably worse in the evening, liquid morphine does not take the pain away, i've never felt such extreme pain in my life. It's now 5.30 am and im just about to put another cold compress on my head as these seem to help me. I'm wondering whether to get an emergency appointment at the docs in the morning.