g**amn mothef***ing headaches

Post Reply New Topic

I've been getting more frequent headaches and I can't "nail" down the cause.

They're sharp, usually right behind my left eye running from my eye socket to the back of my neck. I feel like if I could just crack my neck, it would go away.

My diet hasn't changed, I've been sleeping a bit more but I don't think that would be it.

I tend to get headaches just like those. I started eliminating things from my diet, and voila! The headaches were gone. Mostly things like gluten and dairy. Not sure if that helps.

i find flourescent lighting or halogen down lighting to cause headaches lkie you describe very quickly.do you have trouble reading?I have Irlen syndrome which is a visual processing problem (form of dyslexia) and reading is difficult and often causes headaches especially under flourescent lighting.You may be very sensitive to light in general,if I'm in a room with a small window' the difference between dull room and bright window causes headaches.Don't forget diet,dehydration,make friends with a 1.5 litre bottle of water and try to finish one each day.Also get your down time cos any doctor will tell you stress can cause many headaches,especially ones that feel that they originate from the neck.I get that felling also where I feel like my neck needs to be "cracked" but it doesn,t actually help.Maybe try a chiropractor but I never found them to be much good,if stressed your muscles are tense and can pull joints out of alignment,chiros can put it back but if the underlining causes aren't dealt with,it's back to square one two days later.Get a good pair of sunnies with maximun glare reduction,the Maui Jims are amazing and i feel they have helped heaps with general eye strain from light.Also sounds old fashioned but don't let you neck get cold,wear a scarf,wool in winter or silk in warmer weatherGood luck I do sympathise.

I have always had a lot of headaches...most of them(for me) can be treated with over the counter stuff but you have to be careful or you can actually become "addicted" to the medication and this results in "rebound headaches". The only cure for that is to go cold turkey for a few days....days that seem to last forever,lol.

There are so many different things,and combinations of things that can cause a headache that is really difficult to determine what the trigger is, a lot like alergies. I think people with AS maybe more vulnerable to stress headaches and food alergy headaches. I found some relief in avoiding aspertame but kicking soda wasn't easy. I still get stress headaches if I spend to much time in over stimulationg(noise,bright light,socializing)environments but usually allowing myself sleep and down time helps these. I also find I carry alot of stress in my shoulders...just doing simple stretches and yoga if your up to it,can help that a bit.
I also have had sinus headaches which took a month of anti-biotics to cure and this can cause a "temporary sleep apnea" headache. I usually have these when I wake up. I dont know if your a coffee drinker but sometimes coffee withdrawl can cause some very nasty headaches...one DR recommended that I take Acetaminephon(500mg),400mg of Ibuprofen and wash it down with a cup of coffee...seems to be a combination that works even if it is only treating the symptom.


Another think I think can help is taking a multi-vitamen and mineral suppliment....nothing fancy but a defecency can also cause headaches as does low blood suger and low thyroid(easy blood tests for a DR to do).


The DR suggested to me to keep a headache journel to see if they were occuring when thiings were more stressful,if I had eaten something specific,etc. I actually found this impossible for me because i am just to disorganized...would forget to write in it until I was having a headache but it does work for some people to narrow the trigger. I do know that if I am already stressed and lacking sleep...a bright light will feel like someone is poking me in the eye with a fork and end up turning into a migrain.


I wish you luck and hope I haven't bored you with the monilogue...obviously an area of "interest" to me as I hate headaches(they get in the way of my special interests,lol)

Try something with lots of caffeine, seems to work for me, I get bad migraines because we get chinook winds here in Calgary

Actually, I was going to suggest trying to cut out caffeine. XD;; I get really bad headaches from the stuff if I drink too much.

Lighting is another thing that's been mentioned that you should look into. Most of my worse headaches are caused from them. Are you photosensitive (not nessercarily epileptic)? Because if so that's probably a big cause.

Make sure you're getting enough sleep.

And drink lots of water.

Other than all that, I'd say get yourself to an osteopath and have them look at your neck itself - headaches are often triggered by your neck being 'out' (as in, out of alignment) which then has a knock-on effect on the muscles around your head, shoulders, etc. Stress and tension are big causes, as is incorrect posture - especially when working at a desk or computer - but often it can be as simple as looking around funning and it 'clicking' out of place, or jerking your head or something and putting it out that way (I'm sure we've all looked around quickly and felt it go clunk!).

Osteopaths are fantastic... very well trained (far better than doctors in terms of muscular and osteo problems and alignment) and very good at sorting out any aches and pains. I wouldn't be able to move if it weren't for my brilliant one after a car crash last year.

I should add it's painless and if you want a massage they'll usually give you a bit of one too, which is a bonus!!

try 5htp, great for persistant headache. dont take it you are taking an anti depressant or triptan.

Two more causes....lack of sleep(which Melatonin helped me with)and dehydration...sometimes forget when the last time I drank liquid was but that thickens the blood(I think?) and can cause other metabolite problems.

Cluster headaches?

Just wondering. From your description.