My headache situation has gotten worse over the past 3 weeks. I'm am trying everything in my power to feel better and nothing is working.

Please pray for me.

Thanks.

I'm praying for you and hoping you feel better very soon.

(((((((((((((((((((((((((KAREN))))))))))))))))))))

You have my prayers too.

Hugs,
Happymom

(((((((((((((HUGS TO YOU!)))))))))))))))) I HOPE YOU FIND SOMETHING THAT WORKS. HEADACHES CAN BE SO HARD TO TOLERATE SOMETIMES. ARE YOU SURE YOU DON'T HAVE AN ENTRAPED NERVE IN YOUR NECK? MY CHIRO CAN MAKE MIGRAINS VANISH WITH ONE POP!

As a longtime migraine/headache sufferer I can SO sympathize. I will keep you in my prayers and I pray you get some relief VERY soon. Well, SOONER than SOON......NOW!!!

I got my first migraine when I was 8 years old.

Have you had the usual tests.....CAT scan, MRI? Seen a neurologist? I know how painful, disorienting and upsetting bad headaches/migraines can be. Feel free to PM me anytime...I've been thru just about everything with them.

Hugs,
Sue

((((((((((((((((((((Karen)))))))))))))))))))) so sorry about your terrible headache!! I am sending the good vibes your way.

Hugs,
CG

Karen,
I am sending you love and thoughts. You're in my prayers. I know it doesn't seem like it now in the thick of the horrible - I want you to know it will lessen and it will get better. Kathleent

((((((((((((((KAREN))))))))))))))

My dear friend, I am praying for you.

HAVE YOU EVER WENT TO AN ACUPUNCTURIST? ITS REALLY CUT MINE DOWN BY 90%. JUST A THOUGHT. PRAYERS AND HUGS TO YOU.

i'm so sorry to hear you're still suffering with this, kar!

prayers that you'll be able to find some relief very soon!!

big hugs,
gyz

So sorry to hear you are still dealing with this neverending headache Kar. Sending all good vibes and positive thoughts your way.

Karen,
I'm so sorry that nothing has seemed to help your headaches.
I pray that you will find something soon to get the relief you so badly need.
Hugs,
Arla.

Add my prayers, too, dear.

Assuming you've had all the tests to eliminate any ominous causes, here are some thoughts:

A pinched nerve in your neck can make life hell. A good chiropractor should be able to rectify the situation.

Acupuncture. I swear by it (when I can afford it, of course!)

Food triggers? As we get older, we can develop food allergies or sensitivties. You may want to try eliminating wheat, sugar, caffeine and any and ALL types of sugar substitutes.

Sometimes there's an abcessed tooth behind the chronic headache. That happened to my sister. Have you been to the dentist?

Thank you all so much....I'm so grateful to all of you. I have had all the tests when this first started, CAT Scan, MRI, blood work, etc. I've tried many different things:

5 different meds
10 days of steriods
physical therapy
occipital nerve block shots
acupuncture
heat and ice
chiropractor
allergy tests last summer

These are just a few...I'm not working with a massage therapist doing trigger point therapy. Besides the pressure, there is new added pain up my neck right into my head and around my eye...mostly on the right and pain up the back of my head. It's hard getting through each day now and I find that by taking extra xanax it has helped me cope a bit more. I am mainly on a low carb diet and take some supplements. It's not the supplements as I started them way after all this started.

I have been to the dentist and I need a few teeth abstracted due to bone loss and other issues and they are on the opposite side of where my bigger problem is.

I pray practically every day myself as well.

Hugs,
Karen

Karen,
I will certainly pray for you...that you get some very much needed relief from the relentless pain you are going through. Try to hang in there...I know how impossible it must seem.

Hugs and Prayers,
Di

I pray you get relief soon!

God bless,

Zelma

So sorry to hear this, Karen. I will keep you in my prayers. I hope you get some much needed relief soon. Take care.

Karen darling - hang in there you poor thing - all my best prayers and wishes coming your way!

Linda

Karen,

I am so sorry this situation has not gotten any better yet! I hope that you find the answer. This is just craziness, what you are going thru! Please get well...HUGS!!

(((((((((((((((Karen)))))))))))))))))
Prayers for healing and relief,
Jonie

Oh Karen - I am so very sorry that you have to suffer so much with these headaches. I will continue to pray for relief for you!

God bless you,
Suzanne

Karen I hope that you can find relief soon! have you thought of possibly seeing a neurologist?

God Bless
Tara

Karen, I will pray for you too - I hope you get some relief real soon!

hugs, Barb

Thank you all so much.....I'm hoping prayers will help me some how.

Tara, I have seen 2 neurologists when this started the first one couldn't help me and referred me to Columbia University Hospital in NYC and he tried a few things and told me he could refer me to someone who does more invasive stuff but wouldn't tell me what. Freaked me out to say the least so I didn't pursue it. I did make an appt. with a 3rd neurologist at Montefiore last month but the soonest appt. they had was April 1st.

Dear'kara4242
Am also praying for you.This terrible headache is making the quality of your life pretty poor and that is not fair.

I keep feeling there must be an answer to this somewhere
God Bless
Warm Wishes
Elizabeth

Hi karen,

I always say a prayer for all my PS sisters at night and at mass. Wow, I'm surprised you have to wait until April. I know in Canada there is a shortage of neurologists these days as I too suffered from debilitating headaches. I ended up having an mri and all was well. Thankfully they went away and I didn't need the neurologist. I considered traveling to either New York or Michigan ...I just needed answers. I know how you feel. I hope all goes well in April(maybe there will be a cancellation and you can get in earlier...fingers crossed) I hope you feel better soon Sweetie!

Keep us updated and God Bless
Tara

Hey girl, I am back on again. No excuses just plain worn out and moved to Houston last Jan, had kid trouble, job trouble, and of course the peri thing going on. About your headaches, I am writing because I am really concerned. Have you asked your Doctor to do an ultra sound on your cartoid arteries in your neck on both sides? If not please do so. I say this from experience. I went thru major headaches for years, almost everyday, Excedrin Migrane made a fortune off me. I waited to long and had a stroke, but of course survived it, but my left cartoid artery in my neck was 99.9% blocked and I was not getting enough blood to my brain which was causing all the headaches. They fixed the artery and I haven't had a headache since. They told me if I had waited a week or two I would have had a major stroke. Not trying to scare you, but that is the last place they looked. And unless you tell them you want it, most of the time they will not check them. Please do it just for peace of mind. Hugs, Teri

It's so hard to suffer with migraines/headaches/head pain because it is so debilitating. At least with a sore foot or arm or whever, you can read or watch DVD's to help distract you. With headaches, most times we can't take the brightness of the tv or even light in the room. I SO sympathize with you and am sending you lots of prayers. I hope the doctors can find something that will help you.....

I take a beta blocker...Inderal. It was prescribed by one of the neurologists I saw back in the day and I've stayed on it ever since. For pain I use Fioricet. I can't take a lot of meds as I have horrible side effects and these seem to work to the point of just taking the edge off. That's good enough for me. Sometimes on a rare occasion, they will erradicate the migrane completely....I can feel it disappear.

Ice is good as well as moist heat depending on what feels soothing at the time. Eating ice cream helps as it shrinks swollen blood vessels. Try it. I like pistaccio. LOL But I'm serious on this. It works. Chewing helps.....I guess by loosening up the jaw because when we hurt so much we clench our teeth together.

I take a hot water bottle and then put a hot, moist washcloth over the top and lie on it. It is soothing and sometimes allows me to go to sleep.

Acupunture helped a bit........but not much.

Everyone is different........they could be from stress, from cold, from holding your neck a certain way, and possibly (and more likely at this stage...hormones?) I get some horrendous hormonal headaches that are like a helmet on my head and even make my lymph nodes swollen.

I hope you get some relief soon. You are in my prayers and believe me, I know how rough these things are. I was on disability for a year with them and still get them a few times a month.

Hugs and comfort,
Sue

Teri,

Wow..I haven't asked the dr. to do an ultrasound of my carotid arteries in my neck. I went to Montefiore today and they check my neck with the stethescope...so did the cardiologist in November too. I just had a CT Scan of my sinuses and next Tuesday I have to have another MRI this time with contrast and without. I am going in the open one as I can't take the closed one. I'm going to suggest that to someone. How many years did you have that Teri? Holy crap...I'm so glad you're okay.

Hugs,
Karen

Sue,

Helmet on my head......that's what it's like. I've tried most of what you have said here and nothing helps. I saw an acupuncturist last week and I got a treatment from her and something called Nux Vom. I took it and it helped me a lot...unbelievable. I took it for 4 days and I couldn't sleep...had bad insomnia so I can't take it. I'll see her tomorrow night and we're gonna try something else.

I had a full exam at Montefiore Headache Clinic today. I have to get another MRI of my brain next week but this time with contrast. I had a CT of my sinuses just a little while ago too.

I'm so happy you were able to get relief from something. I haven't had one day in almost 3 years without this pressure and stuff. And it changed in February with new added pains in my head going from the back of my neck on the right, behind my ear into my right temple forming a backward C around my eye and up on the top of my head. Sometimes I get a burning sensation too. It's been a nightmare.

Thanks for writing.

Hugs,
Karen

Karen, Is this pain mostly on one side?

Please have your thyroid check. I don’t mean a blood test, but a scan or ultrasound.
These are the symptoms I was having when I was found to have a hugh lump on thyroid and it turned out to be cancer.

This is not intended to scare you because thyroid cancer is very treatable!

Just need to rule out everything and get you better!

I had the carotid artery ultrasound, too, and mine was normal....and I would advise you to tell your doctors/neurologists to do the ultrasound as well any tests they can think might help find an answer and provide relief. Thyroid is something that really acts up at this time of life and most of the time we don't even know it....so Snowmoon's advice is good advice! I assume they've advised you on diet.....I had to keep a diet "diary" and cut out cheese, chocolate, red wine, etc. Also watch for sensitivites to products you use.......I would get horrific migraines from simple household cleaners. I was allergic to them all of a sudden when before I had no trouble. Peri brings with it a lot of changes, that's for sure!

Please keep us posted and I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I'm praying you get some relief NOW.

Hugs,
Sue

karen,
you are always in my thoughts & prayers. just wanted to send hugs & love, ellen

Snowmoon, my headache feels like I'm wearing a tight cap on my head or a helmet at times...lots of pressure but no pain until about 2 months ago. I had a sinus infection about a month ago and had a headache in my forehead and weird pain and burning in my forehead and top of head on the right. Some of my pain started after I got massage/trigger point therapy and so did most of my other pain. Now I have at times a pain in the back of my neck up - it aches, and I have a sensation of pressure up behind my right ear up to my temple on right and around my eye. Right now it's more pressure and sometimes a dull headache in my right temple above my eyebrow. It sometimes hurts to press on it and my temples, especially the right, were tender to the touch. I'm doing all I can to check into all of this. I had my eyes checked 2 weeks ago. I will call the dr. that I saw yesterday and ask him about the carotid artery and I will speak to my endocronologist about my thyroid too.

epdp.....thanks for the prayers and thoughts...much appreciated.

I HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF HEADACHES AS YOURS TO A TEE. WHAT HAS HELPED LATELY IS IVE BEEN USING A MASSAGER ON MY FOREHEAD, TEMPLES, EAR/TMJ AREA AT LEAST TWICE A DAY. I ALSO USE IT ON MY FRONTAL SINUS AREA AND BOY IT REALLY OPENS UP YOUR SINUSES. HAVE SOME TISSUES READY. I ORDERED IT FROM AMAZON AS A SUGGESTION FROM A COWORKER. IF THERE ARE DAYS THAT I DON'T HAVE A HEADACHE, I STILL USE IT. ITS ALMOST LIKE IT KEEPS EVERTHING RELAXED AND LOOSE. JUST A SUGGESTION. I KNOW IT SOUNDS ODD, BUT ITS HELPED ME.

Shelby,

You've had the same kind of headaches as me? Really? How long have you had them and are they daily?

Karen

I HAVE HAD THEM ON AND OFF SINCE LAST EASTER. THEY WERE PRETTY MUCH DAILY, BUT THEY ARE ACTUALLY BETTER NOW (KNOCK ON WOOD). ITS MY TEMPLE, MY FOREHEAD, NECK, TMJ AREA AND IT FEELS LIKE MY HEAD IS IN A VICE. SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE MY ONE EYE IS ABOUT TO POP OUT. I ALSO HAVE TERRIBLE SINUSES (NEED SURGERY, BUT THATS NOT HAPPENING), SO THAT FEELS A LITTLE DIFFERENT WHEN THAT STARTS IN. NOW ITS THE SAME PAIN, BUT MORE CYCLIC (PMS). I DON'T KNOW IF THATS BECAUSE WHEN MY ESTROGEN DROPS, MY PAIN RECEPTORS ARE MORE IRRITABLE??? YOURE IN MY THOUGHTS, HOPEFULLY YOURS WONT BE EVERYDAY FOR LONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I pray you find an answer soon!

Zelma