Persistant Headaches

[Justin1967]

Almost everyday I get persistent head pain at the crown of my head. Its a persistant dull pain..  .. My doctor seems to think it is just stress.. I get quite regularly if I drive for a long time and makes want to lie down and sleep.. I get regular sleep so I dont think it is sleep deprived or something There must be reason..

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,
Have you tried the available pain relief medication?
The generic names of some are - ibuprofen -advil; Amitryptiline - elavil and the others you already mention.
Has any of these helped?
If you havent - try these for a few days.
If your symptoms still perssit, schedule an appointment with a neurologist for a clinical examination and a confirmed diagnosis.
Good luck.

[Justin1967]

My doctor hasn't prescribed me any meds yet.. Elevil and Advil are unfimilar names to me... I'm from New Zealand.. Nurofen , Disaprin and Paracetomel are all pain killers..
The pain isn't that bad  it is just a throbbing dull pain. I get no visual disturbances or auras and I don't feel like having nausea or vomiting.. thanks for your help..

[LifesAHeadache]

Regardless, of the triggers - if you are getting headaches almost everyday that are bad enough that you want bedrest then - you need to be on a headache preventative.  I'm assuming you've tried Advil and the like when the pain gets bad.  How much did that help?  You don't want to be taking those everyday so I would make an appt with a good neurologist in your area.  Do you have health insurance?  Really, it may only take something like 10mg of Elevil a night to knock out the problem and that med helps with stress too.  But a good Neurologist can fix you right up!  Have a great new yeaer.

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,
There are a multiple causes apart from sleep deprivation that could cause similar symptoms.
A high blood pressure, eyesight or vision problems, sinusitis and cervical spondylitis could all present in a similar way.
It is important that you discuss the above possibilities with your doctor and rule out the above as a cause of your headaches.
Hope this helps.
Good luck.

[Godofredo MD]

Hi.

Do you experience any other symptoms aside from the headache? Are there any visual disturbances or auras? Did you experience nausea or vomiting during any of these episodes?

Your doctor may be right about stress being related to your condition. If you do not have any of the abovementioned symptoms, it is possible that what you are experiencing are tension headaches.

There is insufficient literature on what exactly causes tension headaches. However, certain events or actions have been reported to trigger these headaches, including stress, poor posture, depression, lack of physical activity, and some medications. In your case, the trigger could be poor posture when you drive for a long time or even fatigue because of the long drive.

If the headaches are severe, you could take some over-the-counter pain medications to relieve some of the pain. However, what would be more effective might be preventive strategies, such as improving your posture during driving, exercising regularly so that you are not easily fatigued, engaging in relaxation techniques, and undergoing some stress management.

Hope this helps.