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Constant Headache that wont go away

I am a 24yr old woman that has never had any health issues or headache/migraine related issues. I am in my second year of law school and can tell you when my one major headache started that has not gone away. My headache started on September 19, 2008 with the left side of my face going numb for a few seconds and pain behind my left eye. I have had a horrible constant headache ever since. The headache pain is usually in my forehead but occasionally stretches to the side of my head. The pain is also behind my eyes. The pain is so intense I get nausea, dizzy, and my vision sometimes get blurry.  I tried all types of prescription and over the counter medicine to get rid of the headache including allergy medicine, tension headache, pain medicine, and migraine medicine. Nothing works. Some of the prescription medicine will dull the pain for a while but I can always feel the headache. It has not gone away since. I go to bed with the headache and I wake up with it. It is the same headache that started in September.

Currently, I am on 75 milligrams of Topamax and that is all I am taking. I think my doctor might increase it when I go see her in two weeks. I have had a CT Scan and MRI that have come back normal. A heart scan to make sure I did not have a hole in my heart and blood work have also came back normal. I have even gone to an eye doctor to get my eyes checked. I have never had migraines and there is no history of migraines in my family.

I was thinking it could be stressed related because I am in law school but my stress level has not increased from my first year. It has actually decreased. I do not drink caffeine because that does give me headaches. I am just looking for answers

There are only a few things that make me feel better and that is my husband rubbing my neck and when his squeezes my head. I know it's weird to squeeze my head but it does feel a little better.

If anyone could help, I would really appreciate it! Thank you!

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Avatar universal
Thanks for getting back to me! I have seen a neurologist and told him about the neck pain and how I get my headache relief but I could talk to him again. I just can seem to get anything to work. What is really frustrating about the whole thing is that I have never had this problem before and now the headache has never gone away.

My heart and eyes were fine so I will probably get an ENT opinion and even look into my teeth. My wisdom teeth are growing in, and although my dentist said they were growing in the correct way,  it may be worth looking into it. I have already gone to a chiropractor but that did not help and they wanted to see me 3 times a week for many months.

Well, thanks again and we'll see how it goes.

mflesner
Helpful - 0
449909 tn?1233409897
Sorry, the earlier message was meant for mflesner

Copying and pasting malfunction caused "2amethyst" to appear.

Best,

TA
Helpful - 0
449909 tn?1233409897
The clue you have given is that local compression relieves the headache (I presume he squeezes both temples, or forehead and back of the head??) and that a massage of the neck also relieves it. Do you have a long or hyper-mobile neck? Can you turn your head to left and right fully, or bend or look up without pain to the neck? Does pressing the right side of neck below the ear area, hurt? It may be that he is holding the head from moving, that relieves the pain?

I wonder if it is a cervicogenic headache. (problem in the cervical spine or related structures, causing headache)  In that event, you may be able to find a position (of head and neck) which relieves headache, while lying down, adjusting the pillows too.

You have to see a neuro, who will specifically check for cervicogenic headache. But the numbness you mentioned or the dizziness or blurry vision are not usually seen with such a headache. Yet, feel relieved as  CT and MRI are normal.

Hope the eye specialist has cleared you. And if the heart scan also is normal, suggest work up for cervicogenic headache, a neuro can handle that. If no help, get an ENT opinion too. (CT and MRI done for the brain cover only part of the nose and sinuses)

And do you think you can answer: "what do you think caused the headache?"

Best rgds,
Thomas Antony
Helpful - 0
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