Does anybody else suffer with chronic daily headache with migraine aswell?

[jadekavanagh]

My neurologist tells me its quite common for people to develop chronic daily headche from migraine but i've never met anyone who suffers with both so i was just wondering.

[janjan78]

I have that problem and it's kinda hard to know when to whack in the migraine meds cause you're never quite sure if this headache is going to go on & develop into a full blown migraine =( I can fully sympathise with this problem =)

[estellastar]

Hi, yes I do also. I also get visual disturbance ie bright lights which I'm not sure will develop into a migraine with aura, but which settles down after a few minutes. The only thing that stops me visiting a Migraine Centre is the worry that they will say I need to stop HRT, because without it I am far, far worse, and also have diasabling depression without it. I have had migraine with aura and without aura since puberty. I feel my family and friends must be sick of my migraine!

[zigzag in reply to estellastar]

Hi, I sympathise with you, I have daily headache and migraine and am scared a daily prevention pill may stop myantidepressant working. I am perimenopausal.

[Hidden in reply to zigzag]

Mine appeared in Peri. I waited for menopause for them to improve. They got worse.

Your anti depressant could well be a preventative.

But talk it over with your dr

[nikkykay91 in reply to estellastar]

I am so happy I found this, im only 21 years old and have been suffering with really bad headaches everyday for months now, I was really scared about seeing a doctor, but after seeing this, and knowing im not the only person who has this has made me feel a little bit better.

[JDSouza90 in reply to nikkykay91]

Hi Nikky, Just stumbled across your post. Its crazy how many people start with this at 21 you know. In fact mine started on my 21st birthday. How are you going 3 years on?

[VictoriaS]

I've had Medication Over Use Headache a few times which is such an easy trap to fall into for us! Estellestar - my mum's migraines started during the menopause and lovely Doctors at the National Migraine Centre PUT HER ON HRT to help with her migraines, which they did. As long as you see the right headache specialist, who is understanding (I.e ones from the Nat Migraine Centre) you shouldn't have to worry!

[EMMA74021]

I suffer daily headaches and chronic migraines. I get temple pain all the time too. I am on pregabalin as a prevention for migraine and so far migraine free but nasty headaches daily. I have migraine with no aura but do suffer the prodromal symptoms so am getting aware. I take tramadol and ibuprofen lyseine for pain as I have fibromyalgia too. You are not alone seems there are a few of us !

[Hidden]

I have pretty constant head pain of varying levels, it's been going on for years in spells. It's just part of chronic migraine, but there are a variety of things that might help: diet, medication, TENS, hot/cold packs,complimentary medicine, lifestyle changes etc. Sometimes its the smallest things than can help the most.

[oldtrout48 in reply to Hidden]

Good points - There are so many factors affecting migraine and so many strategies to employ -different ones will work at different times but all those little simple ones should not be underestimated.

I also couldn't help but think that a few of the people here with chronic daily headache are also on a cocktail of other meds and painkillers - which are bound to have an influence. I agree with Victoria - seeing someone at the centre will allow a much more holistic overview of everything that is contributing than seeing different doctors for different things.

[Hidden]

I have a similar problem although I can go two or three days without a headache at all but then the headaches return daily (or nightly) for a week or so. Nothing stops my headaches except sumatriptan (Imigran) so I have to assume that they're all migraines.

[Hidden]

Are there any other men here or am I right in feeling that I'm in a kind of harem??

[Paulacg]

Yes I started with migraine when I went into menopause. It started to get more frequent after I had been on and come off amytriptylline and then I think I made it worse by overtreating during a difficult time at work. Anyhow I've had good improvement with a combination of a TCA and SSRI and mindfulness meditation, but still have some degree of headache 3-4 days a week.

Mine are pretty much only treatable with triptans, but I have to ration them to 2-4 a month to prevent overuse headaches. Since I started the new preventative regime I can sometimes shift a mild-moderate one with aspro-clear and rarely get the ones that nothing touches that I used to get.

I am still the only person I've heard of who's managed to stay working full time through all if this - have cut a day now though as I'd like to reduce the meds.

Would hugely recommend Mindfulness though - doesn't stop the pain, but you can learn to reduce the fear that makes it so much worse. Recommend Mindfulness- finding peace in a frantic world by Mark Williams and Danny Penman or anything by John Kabat Zinn.

Also How to be Sick by Toni Bernhard is a wonderful book.

[Hidden in reply to Paulacg]

I was on a pain course they tried to teach us mindfulness. Only one of twelve got it. Any advice please?

[Paulacg in reply to Hidden]

I'm no great expert but i think what gets in the way for many people is thinking that it's about not thinking and so they get frustrated that the thoughts continue. It is actually about the practice of bringing your mind back to your breath (or whatever else you are meditating on) over and over again. The peace comes not from the world stopping, or your mind being quiet, but from being able to stop and sit and let everything just be how it is for a while without trying to change anything. It's a deliberate non doing and non trying to fix things. It's calls practice because that's what you keep doing - I'm not sure you ever get it 'right' as such. The point is to spot your attention has wandered and keep bringing it back.

So when used for pain it's not about making the pain go away. Only part of pain is the pain itself. The rest is our reaction to it - the fear and sometimes panic. So to start if with you are bringing your thoughts back to the body or breath over and over - which is why it is so important to practice every day, not just when you are in pain. As you get more experienced you learn to 'lean into' the pain (or distressing thought) - to look straight at it rather than pushing it a way and you find that it isn't constant, it changes, coming and going.

Mindfulness specifically for pain is covered in Vidiyamala Burch's book Living Well with Pain and Illness and for Depression in Jon Kabat Zinn's The Mindful Way through Depression. But I tend to recommend the Mark Williams book as that's where I started.

It seems a little new agey but there's good evidence for it and it's actually recommended by NICE for depression. But you do need to put the time in. I do 10 minutes before leaving for work and 20 minutes most evenings. I've found it really helps me deal with difficult situations as well. Best of all it's free apart from eight quid for the book.

Now I'm beginning to feel like everyone thinks I have shares in the book or something.

[Alfie777]

THanks for recommending Mindfulness. My GP has just suggested it to me.

At one stage I could get through a packet of sumatriptan in a week, as I hadn't been warned about overuse. Now that has reduced thankfully and with valproate the intensity of the migraines has been subdued. Still get the 'background headache' though.

[howdy_theresa]

I have a headache every single day so I can't tell which are 'regular' headaches and which are sneaky migraines. I found that getting a nightguard (I apparently had TMJ and didn't know it) helped with the headaches I had when I woke up. I also found that seeing a chiropractor/masseuse helped with sore/tight muscles that lended themselves to tension headaches. But mindfullness/biofeedback and especially Reiki have been the biggest helpers of all with the smaller headaches. I can't sing their praises enough. Alfie777, I am similar with you where I almost always have a background headache where my meds have subdued the migraine headaches.

[Goldenarrrow6]

Hi Yes I have been suffering from Chronic daily migraine for 2 years, with nausea and dizziness. I get ringing in the ears and my headache is mainly one sided with lots of pins and needles, nobody seems to know what to do with me, finally plucked up the courage to go to the centre to be seen. Have tried Asprin, tripitans, nortriptyline, topiramate and alternative medicines seemed to work for a while but no longer effective and never been headache free

[nathaliefiorella]

I am 15 years old and I have been affected by migraine headaches day after day since age 8.

[woodlog]

Many people with chronic headache make things much worse by taking too many painkillers: anything with caffeine in it should be strictly avoided and paracetamol and ibuprofen too since they are known to generate rebound headaches. It's very difficult to break the cycle but two days' agony usually does the trick. Triptans work like magic but they also cause severe rebound headaches so it's important to take no more than two or three doses in any one week otherwise you end up with chronic triptan dependency. Sumatriptan is the cheapest triptan but not the best choice for everyone. Eletriptan works more slowly but the effects are longer-lasting. See if you can persuade your GP to try that. But all triptans cause rebound headaches if you take too many.

More positively, it would be worth looking very carefully at diet since many people are intolerant of things they consume every day: especially bread and milk. You will lose nothing by trying a week without any dairy products, wheat, anything with msg in it, chocolate, any caffeinated drinks (including tea, coffee and cola) or processed meats such as bacon. Simply eating lots of fresh fruit, salads and vegetables can make you feel amazingly healthy. It's also important to drink lots of water.

If none of this helps (it's important to keep a diary so you can see exactly the pattern of headaches) you need to consult a neurologist: GPs simply haven't the expertise. There are lots of other prophylactic treatments but by far the most promising treatment for migraine is botox which has none of the ghastly side-effects drugs have.

[Mizznells]

My daily headache has symptoms of a migraine, so it's tough to answer that question after researching all types of headaches out there. But I was told by a neurologist that you can have a mix of two types of headaches. Justmizzheadache.com

[Josie53]

That is exactly what I have had for the last fifteen months. The headaches never really cease but are always a dull ache in the base of my skull. When I get the least bit stressed about anything they mushroom into a full blown migraine. Had my fourth round of Botox a few weeks ago. Am presently on 600 mg. Gabapentin, 75 mg. Topomax, and Propranolol in addition to OTC Butterbur, CBD oil and B2, CQ10 and Magnesium. Don’t know if any of this helps you, Jade. At least you know you are not alone. All the best. Hang in there.