Severe Headache

[JuliaC19860]

Im having severe headaches on the left side and I was told that it is migraines. However, the Fiorecet and Pecocet 10mg are not helping. I end up vomiting and can barely sleep. I went to the ER and they couldn't help me. Is there anything else that could be wrong?

[JuliaC19860]

I did have a Ct Scan and the Dr said they saw nothing. I have been having this same migraine for over a week now. When I was in the ER, they gave me Dilaudid through the IV and it took some of the pain away and I was able to sleep for an hour but that was it. I still felt pain just not as severe. I am going to try all of these suggestions. I am making a Dr. appt tomorrow for Friday and hopefully he will be able to refer me to a Neurologist. Thank you for the help and I will update everyone on what works.

[medicmommy]

Just a thought...Have you had a CAT or MRI scan of your sinuses? My husband had horrible headaches following a sinus infection that breached into his brain when we went over a mountain pass. He had meningitis initially, and then each time the air pressure changed, it would trigger another pain episode. He would only get a brief relief with steroids. Fighter pilots experience this now and then (called barotrauma) and the only relief is sinus surgery because the area scars over and makes a fluid or mucous filled capsule.
Something else you can do is have a vascular mapping done. This shows the blood vessels in your head and lets you know if any malformations (i.e. aneurysms or vessel narrowing) are present.
Usually, the most frequent causes that I have seen for one-sided head pain are: cluster headaches, sinus infection, facial nerve inflammation, and carotid artery narrowing from plaque buildup. -I hope this helps! ~MM

[ChristineMP]

You may want to see an Neurologist. He or she can help determine if your headaches are migraines. There are a variety of things that can cause your symptoms, a Neurologist can help figure out what is going on and refer you to another specialist if it isn't neurological.

Have you tried Topamax? It is a seaizure med BUT is also used for treating migraines...I took it for about 9 months and didn't have a single headache the whole time...I was in HEAVEN :) You can't take if pregnant.

Fiorecet and Percocet are narcotics and don't really (IMO) address the cause of migraines. In fact, for some people (like me) it can CAUSE some of the symptoms you are having.

OTC meds that help me when I have migraines: Excedrine, Aleve (naproxen sodium). I discovered the wonders of Aleve this past Thanksgiving when I flew out to the West Coast and the flight triggered a migraine that would NOT go away...Excedrine didn;t help...I was miserable. My aunt gave me two generic naproxen sodium and it went away!

Other things that help...a dark, quiet, temp controlled room (I alternate between chills and sweats when I have a back migraine), and massaging my head, scalp, forehead, etc.

Keep a diary (everyday not just the days you have a migraine) and track everything-food, menstrual cycle, medications, activities...heck even exposure to cleaners, air freshners, allergens, etc. Try to figure out what things trigger your migraines so you can avoid or minimize exposure to triggers.

Best of luck. I hope you feel better soon!

Christine
I am NOT a doctor

[Marebear74]

Going to the ER is a fast way to trouble shoot some things out but, i have had severe migraines for a good part of my life. Some of the things they looked for with me were: allergies,asthma,drugs or other meds i'm currently on or just stopped taking,eyestrain,glaucoma,high blood pressure,sinusitis,stress,brain tumor and even vitamin deficiency! There is so much more and thats why you really need to see a doctor and soon would be good. There are alot of ways to ease them but when you do that you tend to stop looking for the reason it is really happening. Mine was due to some meds i was taking in combo together and stress on my eyes(glasses for reading). Something else i found out that shocked me was that they could be caused from reactions to wheat,chocolate,MSG sugar sour cream, and even hotdogs. also getting a chiropractic alignment can be helpful. Poor vertebral alignment can reduce blood flow to the brain!!!! So you see, it could be something silly or serious but, believe this your body is saying that it is something. You should listen to it and take a minute to find out! Good luck and hope u feel better. -Marebear

[Narble]

There are lots of other possibilities, but also bear in mind that treating migraines can be tricky. Some meds do not work well for some people, so you may want to talk to your doctor about trying different meds.

Some headaches simply won't go away almost regardless of what meds are given, and other headaches, even severe migraines, respond to nothing more than a combination of Tylenol and aspirin (not that I'm recommending that combination, but I've seen it work).

I hope you can either find effective meds for your migraine, or sort out what is really going on if it's not migraines.