Headache help, please

keri1013 · March 2011

Not for me, for DH. Poor guy has been having headaches every day for several weeks. He had a really bad one all day today and finally went to the doctor. They basically said they don't know what's causing him, gave him some meds to take when he gets one, and referred him to a neurologist for an exam. Obviously I'm hoping the neurologist finds nothing, since that's not a road we want to go down.

I don't think they're migraines. Anyone see a headache specialist they like? Or have success treating headaches with acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, naturopathy, etc? I'll take any and all suggestions!

Thanks!

ttgcole · March 2011

I don't have a recommendation for up north, but massage has helped me immensely! If insurance will cover it and you can get a script I would say go for it. Also a neurologist will probably recommend an MRI. GL hope he finds relief very soon!!

kristalovesjared · March 2011

I saw a neurologist for headaches and he did not find anything that he could see that was causing them. He did tell me to try cutting out caffeine for 3 weeks and to see if that helped. He said caffeine stays in your body for 2 weeks! I drank one to two cups of coffee a week and didn't really think it would help, but sure enough my headaches were way less frequent! The other 2 main causes of headaches were stress and sleep deprivation. Obviously stress is hard to eliminate, but when I made an effort to go to bed earlier with the combination of no caffeine my headaches were almost completely gone! I've had them all of my life too, so finally figuring this out was wonderful!

Also when I do feel a headache coming on (mine turn into migraines) Exedrine Migraine or Alieve Cold and Sinus are the only two things that actually cure the headache!

I know how he must feel. Headaches are the worst! I hope they go away quick!

JodiLinn503 · March 2011

After years of really bad headaches (many that made me leave work early), I finally discovered that they were caused by me eating flour and sugar together. They felt like tension headaches and I did lots of chiropractor/massage appointments, which never helped. (I know that DOES help for a lot of people; but the type of headaches I had didn't respond to that kind of treatment.) It was a huge moment when I learned how I could avoid them. Unfortunately, now I can't have any kind of doughnut/cupcake/etc or have flour and sugar in the same meal. But, living without headaches has been amazing! [This specific combination probably isn't your husband's trigger, but it very well may be something in his diet.]

I also learned that using an ice pack on my neck and temples helped reduce the pain when meds wouldn't help.

As far as recommendations go, I really liked Serene Massage Therapy. They have three locations in the Lynnwood/Mukilteo area. And, the naturopath who was really helpful in pinpointing my food sensitivities was Dr. Norris in Mukilteo.

Good luck to your hubby! (

KNemo · March 2011

I don't have any recs, but you guys are in my thoughts. I hope the neurologist either finds nothing, or finds something innocuous and easily treatable. When is his appointment?

sunmountain · March 2011

I get migraines and take something called Treximet which is naproxen and a triptan drug that pretty much knocks it out w/out making me totally out of it. I have another pain killer as a back up but usually don't need them as the triptan type drugs usually work. I go to a neurologist - Steven Singer in Kirkland. He's kind of a wacky guy but very good w/ headaches. So rough - hope he can find something that works!

JRS72206 · March 2011

Chiropractic and massage is what finally (after years and years of struggle) helped me! I swear by it!

My friend (who you've heard me talk about before) is one and owns a business in MC. Message me if you want the details!

Maddimom · March 2011

chiropractic, massage, work amazing for me!!! I get horrible headaches. Also make sure he is drinking fluids and have him try stretching. The second I feel a headache coming on I up the fluids and stretch it out for a bit.

Keep us updated! I will be thinking of you guys

rachel927 · March 2011

He may need to get his eyes checked too. I used to get really bad headaches and found out it was because my vision had changed and I needed glasses/contacts. If he already wears contacts/glasses, he may want to get his eyes checked to make sure his prescription hasn't changed. Hope he is able to get it figured out soon!

*Bloom2be* · March 2011

I've struggled with headaches for as long as I can remember. I saw a few different neurologists, had MRI's etc. and they couldn't find a cause either. I agree that chiropractic and massage do help a ton though!! Once I started going religiously I started feeling a ton better and now I can't even remember the last time I had one when it used to be a daily occurance. OTC meds generally don't work for me, the only one I've had any luck with was Excedrin Migraine or Tension headache if I take it as soon as I feel a headache coming on.

I hope the neurologist either finds nothing or something easy to fix

MrsH_08 · March 2011

I've always had issues with minor headaches, but had unexpected migraines for about a year's time, mostly in '09. My primary sent me to a neurologist who sent me for a CT and MRI. They found nothing wrong. I was taking Imitrex as needed and it helped, but made me feel sick to my stomach for the first 30-60 mins after taking. And, in the end, it's only a temp solution.

At the time, I was doing PT while recovering from my foot surgery. I mentioned the migraines to the therapist and he spent some time working on my neck. I'll admit that I'm not a big believer in chiropractic, so I didn't expect much. He turned my head back and forth, up and down, put a lot of pressure on the vertebrae in my neck and said he felt vertebrae out of alignment. When that happens, I guess the blood vessels have to go around the bone and can cause back-ups that result in migraines. Like I said, I figured he was just pushing and prodding me for no reason, but it actually ended my migraines! I had 2 mild ones after that and nothing again for well over a year now!

Maybe it's worth seeing a chiropractor, if the neurologist doesn't find anything.

ETA: If he does need an MRI and if he's freaked out about how closed-in it is, I would highly recommend an open MRI. I attempted a regular MRI since I've never had issues with claustrophobia. Well, I freaked out when they were just doing a test scan and couldn't do it. I left crying. :-P My insurance covered open MRI, so I did it that way. Plus, my DH could be in the room with me holding my hand the whole time. I was embarrassed, but they said it happens all the time. I went here for my open MRI.

Nancy_Drew · March 2011

Omg, you are writing about the exact senecio my DH has/had going on. He has been getting them for over a year now. He too got meds for when he feels them come on, as well as take the pain away meds, but they do not work for him. He too went to a neurologist and they put him on beta blockers, which worked, but he was to darn tired all the time pn them so stopped. He has not tried anything else except the preventative meds, and as I said, they rarely work for him. :(I can't remember the name of the specialist, if no one suggests one, I can look it up. The Everett Clinic shoul have some good ones though.Hope he feels better, I know I hate it when he has one, since he is pretty much useless. Oh, and they did classify them as a migraine, even though it doesn't fit the "classic" symptoms you read about for them.

keri1013 · March 2011

Thanks everyone! I will definitely be contacting some of you for more info. I suspect it may be related to his back, he has an unusually shaped spine up by his neck that has caused a lot of back pain in the past, and I was wondering if it might be causing these now. He has new insurance this year so we need to see what's covered as far as massage and chiro. I'll let you all know what happens! We don't have a neurologist appointment yet, probably in a couple weeks.

Want a personalized experience?

Headache help, please

Re: Headache help, please

Choose Another Board

Search Boards