Constant headache Since September 09..... why?

[JennyMae1]

I woke up one morning with a headache ( in september 2009) and it hasn't gone away YET. I have been to multiple Dr's and am currently under the care of a neuro and PT and NOTHING helps. I take topamax, naproxin and a few other meds. But they just take a slight edge off of the pain nothing takes the pain away. Any time I do any kind of physical activity I get nauseated and throw up. ( this can be anything simple.... even just playing with my children) coughing or sneezing literally kills me.... it's painful! No one can figure out why I am having the pain, but i am not usually one to take meds and I am tired of taking them.... I just want to stop feeling this way. I am constantly feeling fatigued. I have no energy level and this is not me at all. I have had my vision checked and it has been fine. I had a head CT and it was fine. ( this was done back in October.) I also Had a xray of my spine done and it was discovered that I have scoliosis in my upper and lower back two different degrees(types). ( levro and dexro) I have been having pain in my right shoulder and it has been causing some tingling in my right arm. All this is now causing more of a issue with my arms b/c I feel like I am losing more strength in them. I am normally a healthy 32 year old female. I have 4 healthy children and usually am not sick. I just need these headaches to go away! Please HELP!

[horselip]

Hiya-
I also have a constant headache. I've had mine since 2006. I'm being treated by a pain center that has been very thorough in trying to determine the cause and also address my pain in humane way. I take a combo a meds that reduces the pain so that I can function. (Neurontin, Ibuprofen, Dilaudid and Oxycontin)
My headache is in the forehead area. After a lot of tests it has been determined that it is due to a nerve that is misfiring. It is called the sphenopalatine ganglion, and it runs up the nose and behind the forehead. I had a temporary nerve block done where a doctor used a device to go up into my nose really far and then he numbed the nerve with lidocaine. "Voila" headache gone. I am having this procedure repeated next week. If we get the same result then a more permanent nerve block will be done called a RFA (radio frequency ablation) I just wanted to offer another scenario about what working with a good pain center can do for someone like me.

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How are you? Do you have history of head trauma or migraine?  It is good that the CT scan and eye check up were fine. Another differential is  hemicrania continua, a rare form of chronic headache, which presents with continuous pain on one side of the face that varies in severity. There are also occasional attacks of more severe pain. It has two forms: continuous or daily headaches and remitting, where headaches may occur for as long as 6 months and are followed by a pain-free period of weeks to months until they recur.  This disorder is more common in women than in men. The cause of this disorder is unknown. Indomethacin, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), usually provides rapid relief from symptoms. Talk to your doctor about this. Take care and do keep us posted.

[dame_wilbur]

Hate to be a rain cloud, but you might have status migrainous. It's a constant state of migraine that can last indefinately. I've had the same migraine since ealry Sept '01. Basically you can mask the symptoms with meds and painkillers, but the ugly truth is that status mirainous can last the rest of your life.

HOWEVER, even if you do have status migrainous, you can still get better quality of life if you find the right combination of meds. I'm now able to function most days. If you haven't seen a neurologist, I HIGHLY recommend it.

I don't know how the scoliosis might be effecting the pain, but maybe a neurologist could tell you more.

Good luck!

~Dame