? Daily Persistent Headaches

[sarah16]

Hi,
My daughter who is now 16 years old was diagnosed with Daily Persistent Headaches in June of 2006.  Her symptoms of her headache started on April 30th.   She had just come home from a golf tournament over the weekend, and that Monday morning she was not feeling well.  Achy, nauseated with vomiting, dizzy and lightheaded.  By Wednesday she had a horrible headache. Located on the left side above her eyebrow. The headache is  still there.  It has never gone away, she can feel it every single day.  There has never, ever been a day when she can not feel it.  Long story short, we had MRI, CT, with and without contrast, all normal.  All blood tests normal.  She did have an EBV run and that did show a past infection.  She had  allergy testing done, not allergic to a single thing. Her blood pressure seems to run on the low side, but she is very athletic as well.  She currently has been on Periactin 4mg 3 times a day, and Elavil 25mg 1 at bedtime.  In the beginning of trying to get the headache pain in control because she got to the point she was in tears it was hurting so bad.  Nothing would touch the pain, Vicodin, Tylenol #3, Advil.  We went to U of M Neurology they felt since her headache pain was not keeping her home from school that she didn't need to be on anything.  I tried to tell them that her physical activity had suffered that she no longer could play golf due to the pain with walking and carrying clubs.  I was frustrated with them and decided to try the Headache Clinic in Ann Arbor.  They are now the ones who see Sarah, and the medication she is on now have kept her headaches under control.  She can do all of her normal activities without any problems.  At times the headaches seem to be more  intense, and she also has had physical therapy, as her headaches were worse while laying flat on her stomach looking up, or during a sneeze she would get a rush of pain, since the physical therapy those symptoms have gone away. If she does not take her medication on time she says her headaches pain increases. I guess I am just thinking we are coming up to 2 years with a constant headache, any other suggestion.  At our last visit to the headache clinic I asked what the plan is for the future, his response was this could be indefinite. I didn't want to hear that.  Could that be the only answer? Will she be on this medication forever?   Do you have any suggestions, ideas, would she benefit from a visit from your clinic? Thanks for your time,
Peggy

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

Has sinusitis, vision problems and cervical spondylitis been ruled out as the cause of the headaches?

Does she have the headaches even when not doing heavy physical activities?

Does she sleep well?

Let her continue with the medications and get a regular follow up done. At the same time try to find out if there is a cause of these headaches.

Does she have any other symptoms?

Keep us posted.

Good luck.

[sarah16]

In regards to my daughters headaches, sinusitis is not a problem, an x-ray revealed no infection.  She wears contact lenses so she has her vision checked once a year.  She has headaches all the time.  Even while sitting and doing nothing.  Granted they are less intense and at times she can barely feel them,  but the feeling of the headache is always there.  She sleeps very well, never wakes up due to a headache..  What is cervical spondylitis?  Any additional help is appreciated.

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

It would be ebst to consult a neurologist and a pain specialist and see what they have to say about the headcahes.

Do let us know what has been advised.

Regards.

[goingcrazy101]

I would like to know the medication that she is taking to subside her headaches as I too have had a headache for almost 2 years now, constant also, never goes away. But I do wake up in the middle of the night sometimes with mine. I have been to see several nuerologist all running same test and coming up with that I am in a 4% bracket of migraine suffers where it doesn't go away. It's obviously not a real common problem as you are finding out. It has been hard for me to believe that a migraine can last for this long with this kind of intesity. Hope you find a good nuerologist.