relief from chronic tension headaches

[MrsKP]

Question in brief:  I suffer from chronic tension headaches for which there seems to be no effective relief, either quick short-term relief or long-term preventive relief.  Can you provide suggestions for either?

Background:  I've suffered these headaches for about 10 years and have tried numerous remedies:  various pain medications, both prescribed and over-the-counter; behavioral medicine; massage; relaxation techniques; magnetic therapy.  Nothing works consistently well, and sometimes nothing seems to help.  The headaches go in cycles -- sometimes once or twice a week, sometimes daily and all day long.  This is the third consecutive day of a nonstop, pounding, vise-like headache, prompting this query.

Thanks for your attention.

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-JT]

Sorry to hear about your symptoms. Here at the headache clinic, the neurologists always start by stopping all of the patient's meds one by one as the continued use of some of them lead to a vicious cycle of pain, making everything worse. Then, if there is a trigger point for the headache, injections with local anesthetics like lidocaine can help with acute headaches like the one you have now. Other new things we're trying is baclofen injections to relax the head and neck musculature. Finally, depending on what type of headache you have, IV medications like depakote, steroids, and magnesium have helped other patients. For prophylaxis, indocin has been a tried and true drug for some types of headaches. Consider seeing a headache specialist. Good luck.

[PattyMT]

I, too, suffer from a mixed bag of headache types...migraines, tension, cluster (yes, I know this is primarily in men but I'm one of the women who get them), and started having to deal with this about 30 years ago when I was 12.  I have tried just about everything for prophylaxis and, through unfortunate circumstances, after having a grand mal seizure, the neurologist put me on Depakote.  It has been great in terms of prophylaxis for migraines.  Sometimes, though, nothing helps.  One of my major triggers is weather ~ when a large storm system is coming, the barometric pressure drops and I will also drop!  At that point, NOTHING helps.  Even IM morphine or IV Versed.  Summer and fall are much better seasons for me than winter and spring when we are still getting lots of rain.  

Along with the Depakote I also take Percocet and use OxyFast for breakthrough pain.  I also use Fiorinal for generic tension- type headaches.  

Just my story....there are a lot of us out there...

[dr love]

A good permenent cure for headache that i  have found works for nearly all people affected is Magnesium.Sugested dose is 500mg three times or more per day. (try lower dose and work your way up).I have previously suffered from headaches for 23years.
Many of my colleagues have found instant cure from just 500mg (within 15 minutes when taken with water)

[sailawaysue]

How is the magnesium supplied?  In pill form?  At a health food store or will I need a prescription?

I have suffered from severe migraine headaches - the "classic" kind with nausea, debilitating pain, blind spot, light and noise sensitivity - since I was about 10 years old.  I am now 55 years old - had a reprieve of about 10 years during age 25 - 35 with only periodic headaches.  

Now the headaches are about every 3 days and somewhat controlled by Inderal 40 mg 3x daily, Ibuprofen or aspirin prn, Lorcet prn and Soma prn. (I see a neurologist for this condition) I have tried Zomig which helped for about 10 minutes until the headache returned full force with extra nervousness. (I take Estrace - since age 50 - have had hysterectomy - have 2 children).  I am in full swing of "menopausal syndrome" and am very nervous/anxious, etc.  Have tried Paxil prescribed by my G.P., but it made me extremely nervous plus could not sleep at all.  I am of normal weight and walk routinely.

If a nutritional supplement will help, I would like to try it. If there is a center for this kind of suffering I would like to visit it as well.  

Thank you very much for your help.

Susan

[sickntired]

Well, I am at my wits end, but it is nice to know I am not alone. Last night, when I woke at 3 am and the headache I had been experiencing for almost 48 hours was still there, I cried and thought to myself that if I shot myself in the head, it wouldn't hurt anymore. I would not seriously do that, nor have I ever thought that before--I have a family I love. But I am sooo tired of having headaches! I read about the magnesium, and will try that. I have suffered since the 3rd grade. I am now 28. Is this something I will suffer with for life? I could not work yesterday. I cannot work most of the time with my headaches. I have been part of studies, but no one can tell me what type of headaches I suffer from. What type of doctor am I supposed to be seeing? Is there even a point to seeing a doctor? My husband is at a loss. He only gets a headache if he drinks too much. People think I am creating my own headaches. My other question is...how are all of these medications affecting my liver and other organs? I have read about acetaminophin and the results of that on the liver, but I have taken pills for headaches almost daily for 18 years. My only relief came when I live in a high elevation. Is that my cure? To move back up high where pressure can't affect me? HELP.

[darter10]

I had suffered for 5 years straight with daily headaches and migranes. I tried all kinds of medications, self hypnosis etc.but the answer for me was servere T.MJ.( the joints in the facial muscle joints). After receiving mucle relaxation treatments from a specialist Dentist I stared to feel better. First he put me on a drug called Soma ,one 3x a day along with 5mg. of Klonipin 3x a day. After three weeks I started getting relief from the headaches. Then I was fitted with a mouth guard which I wore for two weeks all day and night. Finally, I only had to use the mouth guard at night while sleeping. However, to put a complete end to all the headaches, haven't had one in three years, my Neurologist put me on a great medication called Neuronton. I take one 300 mg. capsule 3x a day. Not only does it completely relieve me of all headaches but it has helped with my Fibromyalgic symtoms, as well as with Chronic back and leg pain. Good luck and don't give up. I have suffered with chronic pain for over 30 years and finally elimiated one of the worst,headaches.

[groovyk]

I've suffered from constant headaches since I was 9. Years ago I had my eyes tested and got glasses - they thought my eyesight caused headaches. A few years ago I had many blood tests to test for something seperate to this and nothing unusual showed up.
I can't understand why I get them all the time. I do spend a lot of time on the computer and I'm a bad sleeper but would this cause constant headaches? Is there anyone out there that can relate to this? I hope you are all well.

[Cheeks]

I am 16 years old, and I have had Chronic Daily Headaches (although I haven't been diagnosed with that, that's the only way to put it.) since around November 2001. Before that, I would have slight headaches every now and then, but I didn't think anything about them. In March, right after going through a rather harsh headache, I decide I had to go see a doctor.
The first thing we did was get my eyes checked to make sure that wasn't the problem, and it wasn't. Then I went to my doctor who had me get a CT scan. When that came back "normal", he referred me to a neurologist (who is a headache specialist), whom I have been seeing every 6-8 weeks ever since. She sent me to get an MRI, which came back "normal", EXCEPT that they found a Lipoma (benign fatty tumor) in the corpus collosum.
I guess they decided that this tumor wasn't causeing my headaches, so that's nothing to worry about unless it is growing. I had blood tests, they checked my blood pressure (after all of the blood work? I went through that and THEN they decide I should get my pressure taken?) and they even had me get a carbon monoxide detector to make sure I wasn't getting C monoxide poisoning.
The neurologist has put me on prescription drugs. I have been using Topomax (topamax) as a preventative (it hasn't been working, so the dosage has been increased), Amidrine, Butalbital, and Naproxen have all been prescribed for my severe headaches (all of which have not worked) I have also tried Imitrex and Zomig (Zolmitriptan) but nothing has worked.
I have an aunt who suffers from Migraines, but my headaches have "a class of their own". I have a headache every day, when I wake up, go to bed and mostly on a scale of 1-10, is about a 6. Every other week I get severe headaches, and for those I normally sleep them off, although they never fully go away. I get sharp pains mostly near my right temple, sometimes the left, but I get pains in the center and at the base of my neck. (During severe headaches my neck is usually stiff)
I haven't ever had nausea, vomiting, blind spot, light or noise sensitivity. I have just started using a daily vitamin supplement because of an eye problem (syptoms (symptoms) similar to glycoma, that might have been caused by Topomax (topamax)) that I had just recently. The eye doctor the neurologist sent me to said that my eye was moving irratically and pulsing because of a lack of potassium. I still haven't found a way to stop the pains.  I thought that I would just share my "story".

[Cheeks]

The neurologist has put me on prescription drugs. I have been using Topomax (topamax) as a preventative (it hasn't been working, so the dosage has been increased), Amidrine, Butalbital, and Naproxen have all been prescribed for my severe headaches (all of which have not worked) I have also tried Imitrex and Zomig (Zolmitriptan) but nothing has worked.
I have an aunt who suffers from Migraines, but my headaches have "a class of their own". I have a headache every day, when I wake up, go to bed and mostly on a scale of 1-10, is about a 6. Every other week I get severe headaches, and for those I normally sleep them off, although they never fully go away. I get sharp pains mostly near my right temple, sometimes the left, but I get pains in the center and at the base of my neck. (During severe headaches my neck is usually stiff)
I haven't ever had nausea, vomiting, blind spot, light or noise sensitivity. I have just started using a daily vitamin supplement because of an eye problem (syptoms (symptoms) similar to glycoma, that might have been caused by Topomax (topamax)) that I had just recently. The eye doctor the neurologist sent me to said that my eye was moving irratically and pulsing because of a lack of potassium. I still haven't found a way to stop the pains.  I thought that I would just share my "story".

[Cheeks]

I am 16 years old, and I have had Chronic Daily Headaches (although I haven't been diagnosed with that, that's the only way to put it.) since around November 2001. Before that, I would have slight headaches every now and then, but I didn't think anything about them. In March, right after going through a rather harsh headache, I decide I had to go see a doctor.
The first thing we did was get my eyes checked to make sure that wasn't the problem, and it wasn't. Then I went to my doctor who had me get a CT scan. That came back "normal", he referred me to a neurologist (a headache specialist), whom I have been seeing every 6-8 weeks ever since. She sent me to get an MRI, which came back "normal", EXCEPT that they found a Lipoma (benign fatty tumor) in the corpus collosum.  I guess they decided that this tumor wasn't causing my headaches, so that's nothing to worry about unless it is growing. I had blood tests, they checked my blood pressure and they even had me get a carbon monoxide detector to make sure I wasn't getting C monoxide poisoning.
The neurologist has put me on prescription drugs. I have been using Topomax (topamax) as a preventative, Amidrine, Butalbital, and Naproxen have all been prescribed for my severe headaches (none have worked) I have also tried Imitrex and Zomig but nothing has worked.
I have a headache every day, when I wake up, go to bed and mostly on a scale of 1-10, is about a 6. Every other week I get severe headaches, and for those I normally sleep them off, although they never fully go away. I get sharp pains mostly near my right temple, sometimes the left, but I get pains in the center and at the base of my neck. (During severe headaches my neck is usually stiff) I haven't ever had any migraine symptoms or anything except the headaches. I still haven't found a way to stop the pains.  I thought that I would just share my "story".

[Cheeks]

I am 16 years old, and I have had Chronic Daily Headaches since around November 2001. In March, I decide I had to go see a doctor.
The first thing we did was get my eyes checked. Then I went to my doctor who had me get a CT scan. That came back "normal", he referred me to a neurologist (a headache specialist), whom I have been seeing every 6-8 weeks ever since. I had an MRI, when they found a Lipoma (benign fatty tumor) in the corpus collosum. They decided that this tumor wasn't causing my headaches, so that's nothing to worry about unless it is growing. I had blood tests, they checked my blood pressure and they even had me get a carbon monoxide detector to make sure I wasn't getting C monoxide poisoning.
I have been using Topomax (topamax) as a preventative, Amidrine, Butalbital, and Naproxen have all been prescribed for my severe headaches (none have worked) I have also tried Imitrex and Zomig but nothing has worked.
I have a headache every day and on a scale of 1-10, they are about a 6. Every other week I get severe headaches, and they never fully go away. I get sharp pains mostly near my right temple, sometimes the left, but I get pains in the center and at the base of my neck. (During severe headaches my neck is usually stiff) I haven't ever had any migraine symptoms or anything except the headaches. I still haven't found a way to stop the pains.  I thought that I would just share my "story".

[Meggan1952]

A related discussion, tension headaches was started.