Tension Migraine

[Raven]

Okay girls. I have suffered from pms tension migraines for ove 15 years. One side of my head, (sometimes they jump over to the other side) they last 3 days no matter what I take for them. They make me sick and exhausted. But I refuse to let them stop my activities even though they make even the most simple task MISERABLE! I dont know what to do. Any suggestions? I've tried just about everything!:(

[Raven]

I would appreciate that! It sucks feeling like this!:(

[valerie]

From an earlier thread:



I just got finished reading a very interesting book, you might try to find

it at your local library. It is called "All in my Head" by Paula Kamen.

She dealt with something called CDH... Chronic Daily Headache. Can you

imagine? For years. At least now finally there is more doctor interest in

the problem.

I used to have them quite frequently, never the vision problems but

sensitivity to sound, etc. and I have found a couple things that work

for me... one is to NOT be a "stoic" and think "Oh it will get better if

I eat something or go for a walk" WRONG!! When I very first think I'm

going to get one, I zap it with 2 Extra-Strength Excedrin. Again, the

caffeine.

You have to be careful though with "rebound headaches" and all that

though, too. Some things to try otherwise are avoiding whatever triggers

you personally have, like chocolate, aged cheese, bright lights, etc.

Some people have had some success with ice packs on the head, and

also a tight headband (never tried that one but I think it's the same

principle of constricting the blood vessels!) or sometimes a hot bath

(with ice pack still on your head!!)

The author I mentioned tried many things like massage, lavender oils,

accupressure, drugs... all with varying degrees of success.

There is evidence of a genetic link. My mom used to call them "sick

headaches" and they were pretty bad for her for many years.

----------------------------------------------------------------



I can't emphasize enough the benefit of the Excedrin immediately

upon first feeling you are getting one of these. Every once in a while,

I have to take them at 6:30 in the morning because I wake up with

one!! I never have caffeine unless it's at these times, so maybe it

works a little better for me than for someone who normally has

caffeine every day, but it's still woth a try.



Hugs!!

[SOJOURNER]

First of all, Raven, I love your new avatar!

Regarding the headaches, you do not mention seeing a doctor........

I use to get "headaches". They were so bad I couldn't move my head without increasing the pain and feeling sick to my stomach. They would be so bad I would actually vomit and then go into dry-heaves when their was nothing more to come up. They use to last from morning till around 4pm. Then it was like nothing had happened.

At first these headaches came once or twice a year. Then they came more frequently. When I had the last two just a week apart I saw my doctor who sent me to a neurologist.

Since nothing seemed to trigger them, I started taking a pill a day -- it was a pill that was given to people with high blood pressure, tho mine was not high.

Thereafter, walla.............. a new life. No more headaches. No more worries about when I might be incapasitated.

My husband thought it was foolish to take a pill every day for something that might happen, but I told him I was not losing any more of my life these headaches if a little pill would prevent it.

I wish you well in your quest for an answer................

[SOJOURNER]

SnoozeControl wrote: I know at least five people at work that suffer from migraines, male and female. I'll try to remember to ask a few what they do for them.


Very nice signature................ :-6

[Raven]

valerie wrote: From an earlier thread:





I just got finished reading a very interesting book, you might try to find

it at your local library. It is called "All in my Head" by Paula Kamen.

She dealt with something called CDH... Chronic Daily Headache. Can you

imagine? For years. At least now finally there is more doctor interest in

the problem.



I used to have them quite frequently, never the vision problems but

sensitivity to sound, etc. and I have found a couple things that work

for me... one is to NOT be a "stoic" and think "Oh it will get better if

I eat something or go for a walk" WRONG!! When I very first think I'm

going to get one, I zap it with 2 Extra-Strength Excedrin. Again, the

caffeine.



You have to be careful though with "rebound headaches" and all that

though, too. Some things to try otherwise are avoiding whatever triggers

you personally have, like chocolate, aged cheese, bright lights, etc.



Some people have had some success with ice packs on the head, and

also a tight headband (never tried that one but I think it's the same

principle of constricting the blood vessels!) or sometimes a hot bath

(with ice pack still on your head!!)



The author I mentioned tried many things like massage, lavender oils,

accupressure, drugs... all with varying degrees of success.



There is evidence of a genetic link. My mom used to call them "sick

headaches" and they were pretty bad for her for many years.



----------------------------------------------------------------



I can't emphasize enough the benefit of the Excedrin immediately

upon first feeling you are getting one of these. Every once in a while,

I have to take them at 6:30 in the morning because I wake up with

one!! I never have caffeine unless it's at these times, so maybe it

works a little better for me than for someone who normally has

caffeine every day, but it's still woth a try.



Hugs!!
Val, I'd give ANYTHING for an extra strength excedrin right now. It's what I used to take for them. But they dont sell them here. Dont get me wrong, they have similar tablets, and thats what I DO take. I am semi successful in nipping them in the bud, but sometimes they slip through. Then they stay 3 days. No matter what. They come along with my periods which make me think they are hormone driven. I'm just guessing. The ice works. Sometimes.

[Raven]

SOJOURNER wrote: First of all, Raven, I love your new avatar!



Regarding the headaches, you do not mention seeing a doctor........



I use to get "headaches". They were so bad I couldn't move my head without increasing the pain and feeling sick to my stomach. They would be so bad I would actually vomit and then go into dry-heaves when their was nothing more to come up. They use to last from morning till around 4pm. Then it was like nothing had happened.



At first these headaches came once or twice a year. Then they came more frequently. When I had the last two just a week apart I saw my doctor who sent me to a neurologist.



Since nothing seemed to trigger them, I started taking a pill a day -- it was a pill that was given to people with high blood pressure, tho mine was not high.



Thereafter, walla.............. a new life. No more headaches. No more worries about when I might be incapasitated.



My husband thought it was foolish to take a pill every day for something that might happen, but I told him I was not losing any more of my life these headaches if a little pill would prevent it.



I wish you well in your quest for an answer................
Thanks sojo! It was made for me by a friend of mine.

I wish he could make my headache go away too! LOL!!

[valerie]

Raven wrote: Val, I'd give ANYTHING for an extra strength excedrin right now. It's what I used to take for them. But they dont sell them here. Dont get me wrong, they have similar tablets, and thats what I DO take. I am semi successful in nipping them in the bud, but sometimes they slip through. Then they stay 3 days. No matter what. They come along with my periods which make me think they are hormone driven. I'm just guessing. The ice works. Sometimes.


I didn't even consider that you wouldn't be able to get them!!



I think you're right with the hormone driven idea. Unfortunately, there's

not a lot of help for that. Unless you were to take the "pill a day" route

with birth control pills. Then you could potentially only have a period

every 3/4 months (and the headache that comes with it!)



The doctors used to give my mom something called Fiorinal, man were

they ever great. Really strong, but they even gave you euphoria 'cause

they kicked the heck out of ANY headache.



More hugs.

[minks]

I hear ya girl, I get the same and for the same length of time, SOme days they travel into my neck and shoulder. I don't often get relief, they ease off a bit with loads of water, exercise (yes including sex), extra sleep and sometimes 3 advil at a time every 4 hours. Yeah they can be killer and the advil is bad for me but I am often that desperate.

[minks]

Oooo also jump into bed, get nice and warm and ask that man of yours for a head massage.

[Raven]

minks wrote: Oooo also jump into bed, get nice and warm and ask that man of yours for a head massage.
Thats my plan! (plus a few other things.....:sneaky: )

[minks]

Raven wrote: Thats my plan! (plus a few other things.....:sneaky: )
hehehe I never found being cold helped my headaches warmth was far better, the other thing I attempt is a hot shower till the water runs out that is often nice though temporary. I have to wonder if the key is to get them before they get to far along, ya know you start to sense them coming toss down some drugs and hope you caught it in time. I have done that at times. Excedrin huh, extra strength, shall I bring along a suitcase full hehehehehe

[Raven]

I'm making my list now! LOL!!

[jennyswan]

I suffered a whole year from these headaches and then my doc put me on a very mild Blood Pressure tablet called Atenolol. It's a Beta blocker and hey presto no headache since. I don't really have high blood pressure either but for some reason this really helps

[Raven]

Far Rider wrote: Raven, my dear... your in luck I am the headache Guru.







My wife has em, and I can get rid of them for her in about 5 minutes.



OK ready?



When you first feel it come on, have your husband stand behind you and place the heel of his hand evenly distributed behind your ear against your skull in the opposite side of the pain. Have him extend his first and second fingers to the side of the front part of your forehead and the second two fingers on the arch that forms your cheekbone. (it looks like the vulcan mind probe)



Now have him take his first and second finger tips (the fleshy soft part not the tips) and set then at the front part of your earwhere it attcthes to the skin of your head. The palm of his hand will naturally cup your ear. now have him slide his fingers up and slightly back about the width of one of your fingers. He should have his fingers resting just behind what is normally refered to as the temple.



Now, have him watch the clock with a second hand, he is going to press gently with his two fingers and the direction will be through to the center of your head, while at the same time just resisteing the other side of your head with the other. Make sure the palms of his hands cup your earsbut do not compress them.



What your going to do is tell him how hard to press, tell him to start gently pressing in, and very gentle and in millipounds add pressure till you begin to feel like the headache subsides. and I guranteee it will, when it starts, tell him to hold there, and mark the time, he will hold it for 120 seconds. then slowly as he can release.



If the headache is gone you win, if it moves to the top of your head PM me. OK?





Ok your a medical person so I'll give you the medical explaination.



The bones your putting pressure on are called the spheniod, it forms the shelf for the bottom half of your eyes, the only part that you can handle is the wing of the sphenoid and thats the part you press on with two fingers. The bones you stabilize are the frontal and the perietal and the zygomatic arch.



The theory is there is movement at the suture lines of these bones, a flexing refilling kind of action, although these bones are considered fused in adults, there appears to be some flexability in them. The technique is called strain/counterstrain and the theaory behind it is that when a muscle has a dysfunction it tightens up. when it tightens in the head it can cause the tension headaches, that later provoke migriane headache. How it works is this, they found out that when you bring the two ends of the muscle in a passive position the receptors in the muscle relax and reset, so when you release the hold the musle return to its normal state of relaxation and the tension is removed and the pain goes away.



I know what your thinkin, Far's Lost it, he's nuts, and I tell ya my wifes headaches drove us nuts. But we worked at it with the many docs till I found this little therapist who got rid of her headaches in 5 minutes.



And it works EVERYTIME.



OK now go do it and be painfree! I'll let you know.......at this point I'm willing to try anything!