Headache What's up?

[Hound dog]

easy child has had a migraine for days.

I rarely get them, but I've had one that just won't quit for days. I forced myself to go to school yesterday because one of the instructors gives you a huge assignment if you miss her class, and the last thing I need is more "make work". Was miserable all through class even though I'd taken 3 extra strength tylenols. Last night it got so bad my whole body hurt along with it........and I didn't fall asleep until maybe around 4 ish am........and didn't wake up for clinicals this morning. And I woke up with the darn thing.

I have never missed a single clinical. I feel so bad about that. But it's affecting my eyesight and blurring things.....so might have been a good thing.

At first I thought allergies. Tis the season and all that, and those white flower trees have been in full bloom and beautiful. And they kill me. But I'm on daily allergy medications and those trees have never made me this miserable before.

Does anyone know if we're having an extra severe allergy/pollen thing going on?? We had 3 students out yesterday with the same symptoms. Course it could be a bug I guess......

 

[Mattsmom277]

Allergies COULD be it ??. I have only had allergy problems the past couple of years. Darn getting older brings nasty stuff!!! This year though, whew!!! My allergies are in overdrive. No clue why. I am hearing similar things from others with allergies. Perhaps try a different allergy medication? Might make a difference. Can't hurt anyhow. I do hope you feel better soon!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Hound dog]

I can't take a different allergy medication. The one I'm taking is considered one of the only one's fairly safe (not as bad as the others) for kidney disease. I'm going to try alternating aspirin and tylenol today and see if that helps. Sometimes it will, and often if I can knock out the pain the darn thing will go away.

Oh, and clinicals..........I just looked at my caller ID. Instructor called and cancelled it at 5:45 am this morning. So I guess I didn't miss clinicals afterall. lol whew! I'll never luck out like that again.

 

[flutterby]

Take a full strength aspirin, a tylenol, and drink some caffeine. Pretty much the same thing that's in Excedrin Migraine.

Hope you feel better soon.

 

[AnnieO]

I'm with Heather on that. Honestly where I am is in the top 5 for allergies this year and you're not very far from me, Lisa.

Another thing that helps me - sticking my head in the freezer. Nope, not a joke. It works. Only the top though.

 

[Momslittleangels]

Take No Doz - - - yep, it is full of caffeine and stops headaches very quickly. The doctor told us to get that for easy child after she delivered her daughter, because they spilled spinal fluid during her epidural and she couldn't get out of bed for 5 days. Those things really worked - - go figure. Also, I have heard that hormones can play a role in headaches for women, so not sure if these headaches come monthly, but it is something to consider.

 

[Hound dog]

Nothing is working with this migraine. Nothing. At. All. I've tried all my old tricks for both migraines and allergies. Nada. No help.

Hot compresses. Aspirin/tylenol, heating pad, hot shower......... Ice only sends me off screaming. Allergy medication makes no change. Lying down makes me want to die. Not a sinus infection. Don't know what the cause is but if it's like this tomorrow I'm skipping clinical and staying home to wallow in misery. easy child is going thru the same thing.......but she doesn't have allergies.

Now my stomach hurts horribly on top of it all. I want to dig a hole and crawl in it.

 

[flutterby]

Did you do the aspirin and tylenol together with caffeine?

 

[DammitJanet]

Can you get easy child to get some midrin...or the dang drug in it is butabital. that is the active ingredient that goes along with the aspirin. Im trying to remember the drugs name...aaaraaaaaaghhhhhhh! feoranyl. I know Im not spelling it right. Look it up in your pharm book.

 

[GoingNorth]

The medication is Fiorinal and is a barbituate. Midrin is a barbituate mixed with acetaminophin. by the way, Excedrin is all the same, no matter the labelling. It contains Aspirin, Acetaminophin, and caffeine.

You can use the generic with no problem. All drug stores seem to have a house brand.

 

[susiestar]

Fioricet is butalbitol and tylenol. Fiorinal is butalbitol and aspirin. Or vice versa. Very sedating from what I remember. Also not rx'd as much because even taking 1 dose each day for 2-3 days can cause rebound headaches according to my pain doctor AND my reg doctor. Can the doctor call in imitrex tablets? They are generic now and work incredibly well. I get the 100 mg tabs and can cut them if I don't need a whole. They SAY not to cut them but I have done it for years.

I can almost NEVER use ice because it sends me into horrific muscle spasms every time. (One PT didn't believe me and insisted. She spent most of the next 3 weeks of our 3X a week session doing massage to try to loosen up those muscles. SHE called the doctor to beg for stronger muscle relaxers because she hadn't believed me when I told her this would happen.) Put an ice pack on the very TOP of your head and a hot pack (heated rice bag or whatever) on the back of your neck. Make SURE the one on your neck stays in place. With really bad headaches sometimes this helps.

There is a fairly new migraine medication your doctor may have a sample or 2 of. It is called treximet and is imitrex with aleve added (sumatriptan with naproxen sodium). My reg doctor was speaking about it like it was the Holy Grail. At first. Now she says it is helpful but not worth the increased price. Esp not for me (allergic to NSAIDS).

At this point you and easy child should both be seen by docs. These have lasted long enough that you need to be evaluated. Or so they tell me when I get long-term headaches (after 5 days you get to name them).

I am sorry you both feel ill.

OH - if it is sinus, get a sinus rinse bottle or a neti pot. They do the same thing, most walgreens carry them, and they will rinse the pollen and dust out of your nose and sinus cavities. They are awesome. When you run out of packets mix 1 tablespoon salt with 1 teaspoon baking soda. Put 1/8 of a tsp of this mixture into the 8 oz warm water that the sinus rinse bottle needs. MUCH cheaper than the packets.

 

[DammitJanet]

The newest migraine medication I got which was Jan 2009, was Frova - frovatriptan succinate

 

[Hound dog]

Excedrine didn't work. Didn't touch it. I can't do ibuprophen because I can't keep it in my stomach long enough for it to do anything, same with motrin.

Now that the stomach has kicked up, I'm thinking it may be some sort of bug. There are at least 2 other students with the same symptoms and 1 just got over it. Been years since I had a virus give me such a killer headache......I can deal with the stomach.......I just can't stand head pain. Makes me want to lop the d*mn thing off!! (of course I realize that wouldn't do me much good lol)

Not sinus. Not that type of pain/pressure. Gawd I hope I don't wake up with it again in the morning. Gonna attempt to go to sleep. I dread lying down.

 

[KTMom91]

Hope you feel better soon!