Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

How do I cope

How do i cope with a chronic daily headache, severe depersonalization syndrome, and horrible anxiety stemming from my bizarre headache that no one can treat successfully.   What do I say to doctors who have given up on me and they are the only ones I can see since I have no insurance.   How do I convince them to give me a second (and serious) look when the neuro's secretary tells me "but the Dr. says i don't have a neurological problem"  yet I have a massive headache that just WONT go away?    How do I get these blasted university based doctors to help me when all they do is write a new script every time I go in but nothing helps?  My primary doc just keeps telling me to do mind over matter and take up Yoga.   Umm, I have a severe headache that won't go away!
4 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
ive had chronic daily headache for about 8 months now and i just found what i think is the culprit, low blood-brain serotonin. i started taking a supplement called 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) and the headaches have gone away. no doctor will ever tell you to use this stuff because its a natural amino acid and they make no money telling you to use something that drug companies cant patent. you can buy it from walgreens and you dont need a prescription.

50mg a day cures my headaches. some bottles tell you to take 100mg up to 2 times a day but you dont want to do that, it will make you sick if you take too much, so start low. if you work youre way up to 100mg a day and it doesnt help your headaches, then no amount will help so stop taking it.

a little more info on 5-htp. ingesting serotonin by itself wouldnt help because it doesnt cross the blood-brain barrier, but 5-htp does and it is converted to serotonin in the brain.

good luck
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Way too funny!
My 44 yr. old husband.
:)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
There isn't any indication of whether you are male or female, but while reading your post my heart really goes out to you. My husband suffered with a constant chronic headache for several months after discontinuing his prescription of Klonopin. He had been taking a daily dose that increased over a period of approximately two years - with the highest dose reaching 3mg spread through-out the day. (Morning - noon - evening - bedtime, etc. With the bedtime dose being 1 to 1-1/2 mg.) His withdrawal symptoms were so awful! To include severe depression, anxiety, depersonalization, cognitive deficits such as short and long term memory loss, overwhelming fear, and he was also emotionally flat. His energy was depleted and he drug himself through each and every hour of every-day work or not.
He hadn't been my husband I'd always known for what is now 12+ years since his inhibitions where lost once beginning the Klonopin. We literally lived a two year nightmare - that once identified as such only began the second phase of the horror. "Withdrawal +!"
In my desperate search for a treatable 'reason' for his suffering.
I found that there was a strong - strong link to low testosterone being caused by psychiatric medications.
"Low testosterone and headaches."
Migraines - 'cluster' being prominent.
Basically the medications can and will mess up the body's hormonal balance sometimes indefinitely. I think this logically occurs no matter male or female. Medications such as Benzodiazepines or SSRIs (Paxil - Zoloft or their cousin SSNRIs) or the Anti-psychotics (Risperdal - Abilify.)
After he had a MRI - and a MRA at the Mayo hospital proving all was clear - I asked the neurologist what his thoughts were concerning migraine headaches being caused by low testosterone. He knew of what was at the time, "4 months of constant headache suffering" - depression, withdrawal symptoms, etc. And he was in complete agreement that the GABA receptors that are primarily affected by the benzodiazophines were going to take 'time' to begin functioning normally within the brain again - "Time for the brain to heal."
But agreed to test my husband's testosterone levels - as it was not his usual course of action but being that it was a strong probable cause for the headaches.
Results: Extremely low testosterone levels for a 44 year old and low for a 65 year old man even. Now after only 2 months of TRT my young 4 yr. old husband is no longer suffering with chronic headaches. :)
He began to feel better in every-way within the first two weeks and is continuing to feel his energy and motivation improving with each passing day.
"No more meds!"
I wanted to share our story with you as well for others if it should apply.
Low testosterone is a more common problem that goes left undiagnosed thus untreated in men.
The body's hormonal balance is important male or female and can cause a wide range of problems - symptoms when it's off -balance.
Hope you have the return of good health very soon.
Testosterone and or hormonal tests maybe more obtainable considering the circumstances you mentioned.
Take care,
B.Strong
Helpful - 0
242532 tn?1269550379
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I would ask your neurologist for a consultation with a psychiatrist, and maybe they could work together to solve this problem.
Helpful - 0

You are reading content posted in the Depression/Mental Health Forum

Popular Resources
15 signs that it’s more than just the blues
Can depression and anxiety cause heart disease? Get the facts in this Missouri Medicine report.
Simple, drug-free tips to banish the blues.
A guide to 10 common phobias.
Are there grounds to recommend coffee consumption? Recent studies perk interest.
For many, mental health care is prohibitively expensive. Dr. Rebecca Resnik provides a guide on how to find free or reduced-fee treatment in your area