Never ending headache

[headacheinseattle]

I have been living with a headache now for 4 months. I've seen 2 doctors and had 1 catscan. EVERY DAY I wake up with the headache and go to bed with the headache. I used to run 3 miles, 5 days a week, but now when I try to run a mile my headache turns into a migraine. I have lymphodema in my right leg, I got an IUD 4 months before the headache started, and I also might mention that I moved to a new house 5 months ago, but my husband and daughter feel fine and I've been on 2 vacations since and the headache came with me. I'm 26 years old and really having a hard time with this. It's debilitating. Please help me.

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,
Have you tried any OTC pain relief medications? Are you sleeping well?
Talk to your physician and the neurologist both about the severity of your symptoms and that you would want to get an MRI done at the earliest possible.
Do you have any pain in the neck region or any tingling and numbness in the arm and forearm?
Why was the MRI cervical spine asked for?
Try some local analgesics on your back and some warm compresses and see if that helps.
Hope this helps. Do get back with your progress.
Good luck.

[CMcG]

I have had a headache for nearly 4 weeks STRAIGHT. No relief from it even for a minute. the pain sits right on top of my skull, and for the first 10 days reverberated clear down my spine, making it extremely difficult to walk up and down stairs and for any great lengths. Saw a neurologist, he said he is not familiar with these symptoms, and we are waiting on approvals for MRI of head and cervical spine. I am at my wits end, and trying to care for my 9 mnth. old as well as my 3 older children. This is the absolute worst thing I can remember dealing with in my life! I am an active, athletic-type person who is now rendered nearly incapacitated from this! I hope it gets straightened out soon.

[CJpal]

I can relate: I tend to get 1 or 2 severe headaches a year that leave me bedridden a whole day. Even Imitrex didn't always help; sometimes I had to take 2 about 5 or 6 hours apart - and then later on, it was Advil which finally killed it! I do have a tendency in general to get tension headaches, especially when it rains - which makes me wonder how big a part your living in Seattle plays in your case. For what it's worth, though, ever since I started taking between half and 1 Percocet a night, about 6 months ago, I hardly get any headaches. I take the Percocet (10/650) for leg and nerve pain at night, so preventing headaches is a nice bonus for me. However, you should try to get a diagnosis before taking it, if you're so inclined, so as not to hide whatever the real problem could be, if anything. Good luck.

[RubyWitch]

The advice you've already gotten is excellent and I think you should look into everything they talked about.
You said you recently moved into a new house. Is is possible you hurt your neck or back during that process? Your headaches could be related to a pinched nerve or some other injury. I'd change pillows just for the hell of it.............get a good one that supports your neck the way you sleep, i.e. back, side or stomach sleeper.
I agree with Lifesaheadache..........get that IUD out ASAP! Especially if it's the newer kind that releases hormones!
Give some thought to a really good, deep tissue massage.
So many possibilites for these headaches of yours. Keep us posted and good luck.
Greenlydia

[LifesAHeadache]

Need lots of details as jcmk1281 points out.  If you were always headache free until now, you have to change everything back.  Get rid of the IUD.  Then, get rid of the IUD, After that, get rid of the IUD.  Can you see I feel strongly about that.

Also, do you drink lots of diet soda?  If it would be increased intercranial pressure,aspertame can make it worse.  I drink way too much of it so I am not preaching.  It would be rare for this to be the cause but glad to see it was thought about.  One thing about asking - that has hurt me in the past - they ask is the headache better when you are up than laying down - I always said no - BUT - I can never lay flat due to head pain, cervical spine is perfect.  So I ALWAYS sleep on 4 pillows - when I sleep I'm technically never laying down. If I slept supine, I may as well go straight to the ER.  Also, you can ask your doc for a prescription of diamox just to try.  It is only a water pill but works on cerebral spinal fluid.  I think they should use it as a diagnostic tool for those with symptoms.  
Sorry - headacheinseattle - how far away did you move?  Are you eating at all new places?

Seriously, I think it is the IUD but need details of the pain, all symptoms, family history of migraine, drugs your taking etc...

[jcmk1281]

which iud did you have put in? that is unlikely to be the cause of the headache since it took 4 months after placement for your headaches started. are you having any visual changes? blurred, double, floaters anything like that? Have you been seen by a neurologist...that doctor can try you out on various medications to try and prevent the headaches. is the headache better sitting up or laying down? and have you been evaluated for diabetes and high blood pressure?

if the headaches are better sitting up than lying down you might need to have a spinal tap to evaluate for increased intercranial pressure. that also needs to be considered if you have had any visual changes at all. but if intercranial pressure is shown to be increased the first possible fix could be the removal of the iud because synthetic hormones can cause that directly, get rid of the source of the hormones get rid of the headache. if that doesnt help you would probably be put on diamox or lasix to help with the headache.

-jcmk1281