I'm desperate. Any ideas welcome. - Updated

[flutterbee]

Ok, ladies, I've had this headache for 3 weeks (I think...started the Sunday before Thanksgiving however long ago that was). 2 Saturday's ago it was bad enough that I considered going to the ER, but it eased.

It went away completely for a few days, but came back today with a vengeance. It feels like my entire skull is encased in a vise. Even my eyeballs hurt...they feel bruised and it hurts for my eyelids to come across them when I blink. It is worse when I lie down. My neck also hurts...when I bend my head down so my chin is towards my chest, I can feel it all the way down to the middle of my back. My shoulders ache.

I'm calling the doctor first thing in the AM, but if anyone has any ideas on how to at least give me a bit of relief is greatly appreciated. Tylenol doesn't do squat. I've had to quit taking ibuprofen because I'm on an anti-coagulant and my doctor's worry about a bleeding ulcer. Picky people. I've been taking aspirin and it's been taking the edge off, but it's not touching it today.

Honest to God, if I could remove my head from my body, I would.

I'm desperate. If anyone has any home remedies to get me through the night, I would be eternally grateful.

 

[nvts]

Try warm, moist compresses. Or running the shower so that the bathroom totally steams up and sit in there. You could have anything from a sinus infection to a pinched nerve.

Believe it or not, if you steam and have Vicks in the house, open the jar and take a few sniff and see if it aleviates any pressure.

Aleve also works really good when I get one of those. I know it sounds stupid, but I call it my "barometric headaches". It seems that they really get cookin' when the weather socks in around here.

Wish I had a better suggestion, but these work for me! Oh and a cup of hot tea, breathe in the steam.

Feel better!

Beth

 

[smallworld]

Heather, are you sure you shouldn't consider going to the ER tonight? It sounds pretty bad to me.

Our neurologist always recommends ice packs for migraines. On the other hand, a hot shower always helps my husband's headaches. Aspirin, by the way, is just as bad as Ibuprofen at causing ulcers. I have reflux and have been told to stay off of both (but they are both more effective than Tylenol at eliminating headache pain).

Hope you are able to get to a doctor soon.

 

[smallworld]

Aleve is in the same class of medications as Ibuprofen.

 

[mstang67chic]

My mom gets horrendus sinus related headaches. If you think it may be that, she swears by snorting salt water. She makes it herself but I know you can also buy saline solutions just for this. She boils her water to sterilize it and mixes about a teaspoon of salt with a glass of water. Once it's cooled somewhat, she puts a few drops in her hand and snorts it. She says that you should be near a sink when you do this though, as it releases your sinuses almost instantly and can get a little messy.

Hope you feel better soon!

 

[flutterbee]

Beth - I'm going to go stand in the hot shower and let the water beat down on my neck and the back of my head. I came across the vicks a bit ago when I was unpacking, so I'll take that in with me. Then, I'll use ice when I get out. The back of my neck, upper back and shoulders are so painful and tight feeling, though, that I think I need to do some moist heat.

smallworld - I've considered going to the ER tonight, but even though our hospital is affiliated with the bigger hospitals in the area, it's still pretty much a po-dunk hospital. They will just give me a shot for the pain and then I'd have to figure out how to get home. I'd rather my doctor address it. Besides, it might just speed along those appts I need with the specialists. If it gets any worse, though, I will head over. I can wake easy child if I have to. I have to take aspirin everyday anyway because of my heart disease. It's the enteric coated - the cardiologists insisted on that - and I think that's supposed to be easier on your stomach. It's still an NSAID, though, and those are supposed to be no-no's for me. But then my doctor just rx'd Voltaren for me, which is an NSAID so I have no idea anymore. I see my cardiologist tomorrow, too, so I'll clear everything with him then.

Thank you, ladies. I'll try your suggestions.

 

[Big Bad Kitty]

Sweetie,

if it is a migraine, maybe try some caffiene with the aspirin.

I swear it works for me.

(((((((feelbettersoon))))))

 

[flutterbee]

BBK -

It's not a lack of caffeine. Trust me. :wink: What the cardiologists don't know won't hurt 'em. :bag:

Now, if I only had some duct tape to attach this ice pack to the back of my neck. :cold:

I'm determined to stay up to watch the snow start falling, but if Pandora doesn't quit playing Barney Christmas songs, I'm going to /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/throwpc.gif I keep telling it I don't like it, but it insists on playing more.

 

[DammitJanet]

Try magnesium.

You will think I am a lunatic but I had a horrible headache and they gave me a magnesium IV and it really helped. I would also suggest fiorcet but Im sure you would have taken any of that if you had any. anything with butabital in it works well. The normal codeine pain medications dont really touch a headache. Well not unless you can get to the ER for a demerol shot or dilaudid shot...lol.

Magnesium will work really well. Also if you have any muscle relaxers at home I would take one of them too. Then do the hot shower, dark room...yada yada.

 

[Marcie Mac]

Janet, Magnesium IS a major muscle relaxant but I don't know that I would suggest that Heather take it, especially since she has corinary problems - they are trialing it here with the paramedics for heart attack victims - it also works well for my SO with his Asthma attacks, but I do know it does slow down your heart and too much of it will kill ya...maybe its not be a good temporary thing for her without checking with a doctor first.

Marcie

 

[flutterbee]

I've actually been reading up on magnesium because of my heart disease and other stuff, but was holding off on anything until I talked to my cardiologist. In any event, I don't have any on hand and I'm not driving in this condition.

 

[Marguerite]

I rarely drink - maybe a sip of wine every six months - but last time I had a really bad headache I had half a glass of sherry. It did the trick, it was the last straw on top of the pain killers I had taken which hadn't broken through. The sherry seemed to help everything else work.

However, with what you describe I would be concerned enough to go to the emergency room tonight.

Could this be part of your fibro? I had something similar when difficult child 3 was a baby, my immunologist described it as "aseptic meningitis". It took me a few weeks to slowly recover during which time I avoided exposure to light (dark glasses and cold eye mask) and had to lie flat on my back 24/7. I was in and out of hospital at the time (mostly for tests).

mother in law has severe headache, very painful in one eye, at the moment - the GP said it was sinus.

BiPolar (BP) also needs to be checked.

Lots of possibilities, some of them nasty. Get it checked out fast.

Marg

 

[timer lady]

Marg,

I was thinking like you - these symptoms sound eerily like the spinal meningitis I had earlier this year. I don't want to scare you Heather, but I'd rather see you checked out than to wait on that one.

Either way, make sure you get seen today.

 

[goldenguru]

I'm with Linda. My first thought was meningitis - except I think you'd be running a fever too.

I have a bad vertebrae in my neck. When it flares up I get a stiff neck, shoulders and horrendous headaches for days at a time. I use a hot pad alternating with ice packs. Hopefully the doctor xrays your spinal cord to look for skeletal issues. Good luck and let us know what you find out today.

 

[flutterbee]

I saw my doctor today. She put me on steroids (oh joy) for inflammation as she feels it's musculoskeletal (sp?) in nature. She still feels there is some rheumatic activity going on that is also the cause of my heart disease. I also have an MRI scheduled for tomorrow morning due to ataxia and balance issues. She wants me to get a copy on disk so I can take it with me to the neurologist - which still isn't scheduled, but will hopefully be scheduled by the end of the day.

 

[Scent of Cedar II]

You mentioned you had a bleeding ulcer. I find that when my stomach is in trouble, I get a headache such as you have described. Ranitidine (zantac) will also do that to me.

Between the ulcer, the aspirin, and the coffee, it may be that your headache is referred pain.

In addition to the other things that have been recommended (I recommend the magnesium too, along with lots of water) try some Pepto Bismol.

It helps me, every time.

The best thing I have ever found for my stomach is apple cider vinegar in ice water four times daily. About a tablespoon of vinegar in a glass of water. Recent research indicates stomach problems may be caused not by an increase in the production of stomach acid, but by a decrease in production of correct amounts of a certain kind of stomach acid. Our stomachs make stronger acids to bring acid levels up to limits which will still digest our food. These stronger acids also digest our stomach linings. The vinegar, being a weak acid, replaces the acids our own stomachs are no longer making, and our stomachs don't make the stronger, more damaging acids.

That's the theory behind the vinegar, anyway.

Kind of like some of us need to replace lactic acid in order to digest dairy products.

If you keep the pepto bismol in the fridge, it won't taste so awful.

Barbara

 

[TerryJ2]

So sorry, Heather.
Sounds like one of my migraines ... since you're going in for an MRI that's a good thing just in case. I would also recommend Butalbital (Fioronal or Fioricet, depending upon what your dr recommends with-your coronary art. dis. and ulcer) and Imitrex.
What about a massage for the shoulders and upper back muscles?
I would definitely see the dr.
So sorry! I feel for you!

 

[Lothlorien]

Did your doctor order any labs? Polymyalgia rheumatica comes to mind. Do any other areas ache? If it's rheumatic in nature a Sed rate would help to determine that. When was the last time you had a complete blood panel?

 

[flutterbee]

Loth, there isn't a part of my body that doesn't hurt to some degree right now. Most of my pain is on the right side in the sacoriliac (sp?) joint and hip. I've had tons of blood work this year...several CBC's, checked for rheuamtoid arthritis, lupus, thyroid, anemia, etc, etc, etc. Dr thinks I have a connective tissue disorder or some other kind of rheumatic activity which is why she's sending me to a rheumatologist. She also said some types of rheumatoid arthritis don't show up on the traditional blood work (that primary doctor's order) and that the rheumatologist will be more specific, plus will do x-rays, etc.

The MRI is for the neurologist for some other symptoms which she says could also be explained by rheumatic activity, but wants to rule anything neurological out.

 

[Star*]

I get this a lot -

I take 4 BAYER (has to be BAYER COATED BRAND NAME) aspirin
every 4-5 hours

Pack your head in ice