unsolvable migraine

[meds101]

i've had a constant migraine for about a year and a half. i've seen 4 different dr.s and been prescribed many drugs including topamax, inderal, imitrex, levacet, floricet, devacet, even loritab, and others. my migraines are like from right below the ears all the way up to the top of my head and sometimes heading down towards my neck. i do not get nauseated but i do sometimes get light headed and have blury vision. if you have any other diagnoses other than its a typical migraine please help!!!

[Dr Santos]

How are you? If this is not a tension headache, it may be a cluster headache. This type of headache is extremely painful, unilateral headaches of a piercing quality. The duration of the common attack is 15 minutes to three hours. Onset of an attack is rapid, and most often without the preliminary signs that are characteristic of a migraine. It has been also known to strike at the same time and wake a person from sleep. Ingestion of alcohol or chocolate and smoking are some of the recognized  triggers of cluster headaches.
You can read more about this through this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluster_headaches

Take care and keep us posted.

[meds101]

i have not had any trauma to my head in the past. but i do not believe it is just a tension headache because the pain is strong (sometimes to the point i cant sleep)

[Dr Santos]

How are you? Was there a  trauma to the head in the past? Aside from migraine, other primary headaches i could think about are: tension-type headache and cluster headache.. The attacks of pain can be caused by triggering factors such as stress, hormonal changes, and diet.

Tension-type headache is the most common and affects up to 75% of headache sufferers. Although it is more common in women, tension-type headache can affect anyone who sustains the same body position for lengthy periods, or individuals prone to anxiety or stress. It is caused by contractions of the neck and shoulders. It feels like a tight band pressing around the head. It is characterized by dull, continuous pain and develops on both sides of the head. In some cases it also radiates to the area around the eyes and the occipital region, comprising the back, middle and lower parts of the head. Generally, the pain is not very strong and does not impede daily living activities.

I hope this helps. Take care and keep us posted.