I've been told these are tension headaches????

[sharlo]

I have been experiencing horrific headaches for about 10 months now.
Thou, i've not had one hospitalize me since Jan 6th/08......i have headaches everyday, every single day, they never go completely away.....they are just to different degrees.

Much of the pain is at the top crown of my head, and the area which is known as a baby's soft spot.  My scalp is so tender on top, i often can not touch it.  It is very hard to describe the painful sensations that i experience....much is a type of presure, but then it tingles like very hurtful pins and needles.   Then i get 'lightening strikes" of pain all over my head at different intervals throughout the day and night. At times the lightening strikes will momentarily stifle me. I also feel a presure at the back of my head.

I have seen two neurologists [spelling?].....each one just once....both have said these are muscel tension headaches.
A CT scan  of my head last Jan., showed  nothing remarkable other then i can prove that i do have a brain.
An MRI of my neck showed a slight bit of arthritis.

I have gone to my Dr. at least a dozen times...he has no answers for me or suggestions.

These daily headaches are ruining my life.  No medications have helped.
I am taking  2 mg clonazapam before bed at night as prescribed by one of the Dr.'s ....i think all it has done has gotten me addicted to the drug as i am now taking 3 mgs before bed to see if that makes any differnce....it's not!!

I can not handle narcotics......i still have to go to work each day......i've now cut my hours back and i know my boss and piers are wondering whats up.
I am no longer social as these headaches confine me to my room when i get home in the evening.
It's like i'm just barely making it.

I do have another appointment with a neurologist at the end of Sept.,.....it's taken over 3 months to get an appointment with him again. His diagnosis of muscel tension headaches stemmed from a physical examination and reports from my regular GP and the CT scan that showed nothing remarkable.

I'm hoping he'll order an MRI of my head to ease my anxiety regarding what is causing these headaches.  
I am almost at the end of my rope and i don't know what to do....i feel very alone!

The pain i have described.....has anyone else experienced similar such pain and sensations?

Thank you for your time
Sharlo

[cher1954182]

Hi Shario,

I have had a headache 24 hours a day for over 15 years. It is always the same, throbbing behind both eyes. It is just a question of the severity. It wakes me up every morning, if I manage to get to sleep at all. I have severe nausea. At first I tried things like acupuncture and craniosacral massage and then I saw an herbalist Monk for a year. Nothing helped. I have tried yoga and meditation and even bio-feedback. When that didn't help, I started working with the headache clinic at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. I worked with them for about 5 years. I tried over 40 medications, I had nerve blocks and even had a biopsy of the arteries in my temples. I had three admissions for thorazine protocol. Nothing ever got rid of my pain. Some things would bring it down to a 3 on a scale of one to ten, but it has never gone away and when they ran out of options for me, I started seeing the pain clinic. They put me on narcotics and that did help, but I had to try several different combinations of  narcotics. I have been on a regimen of MS contin and percocet for almost 3 years. It doesn't help as much as it used to but it will still bring it down from a 7 to a 5. I just moved and had to get a new doctor. Nightmare. He doesn't know me, did not have my records and refused to give me anything that is a controlled substance. He wants me to be re-evaluated by the pain clinic before he will give me anything for my pain. He is a nice man and I'm sure he has my best interests at heart, however, he doesn't understand that he has sentenced me to prison. For the past month, I went through terrible withdrawal for almost two weeks and my headaches are again out of control.

I have chronic insomnia also, and some major depression that is linked to the fact that every day I wake up with throbbing and nausea and I have vomited 3 separate days in the last two weeks. I have learned to live with a lot of pain, but I am not functional, I can't sleep, I can't eat and and I definitely can't work. I feel your pain. A lot of days this month I have done nothing but lie down in a dark room with a cold cloth on my head. I can't take anything over the counter anymore because it causes rebound headaches and even though it will help for an hour, when it wears off my headache is not only behind my eyes, but my entire head.

I have seen an ENT, Rhuemotology, Infectious Disease, Opthamologist, I have had many tests, CT and MRI which are all normal. I am at my wits end with this and sometimes feel that life is not worth living. I almost wish I had a brain tumor because at least there would be a reason.

[mommalmt]

Hey guys! Having chronic acute migraines myself; I have had literally EVERY medication, test, and side effect possible (I think) including tension headaches. Run, don't walk, to your phone book and get yourself booked with a credible, Licensed Massage Therapist. Look around in your area, if you live in a small town you may have to travel just a little bit in some states, and find a THERAPEUTIC Massage Therapist that actually has a license, and training to relieve tension headaches. Don't stop your meds abruptly, especially something like clonazapam w/o your MD's direct supervision and guidance; but I know from first hand experience a good massage is far better than any drug - any time!

From a concerned Licensed Massage Therapist who now treats man clients for migraines and tension headaches,
Good Luck and God Bless you all! I hope you each find relief soon.

[Kerwin]

I also experience that kinda pain 24/7 for 6 months. Refer to my latest post and see what I did...Headache miraculously stopped! I pray for your recovery my friend.

Kerwin

[AmorDeJay]

I have EXACTLY the same thing. For the past month and a half, I have had a headache in the same place every day, started in my forehead and has been on the top of my head ever since. It has made me go to the hospital twice. Nothing helps it but Vicodin! Not even Tylenol Codeine. I had an appointment with my neurologist last Friday and he said he thinks it is a "muscle contraction" headache (tension type headache) but he is sending me for an MRI on Saturday. I am horrified as to what they will find in there. I am so scared. I just want this headache to go away. The neurologist has also started me on Topamax which I think is making me kind of slow but I don't know if it's the medication or the headache.

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,

How are you?
These headaches can be due to neck arthritis.
Other causes can be sinusitis, neuralgias, and allergy headaches and rebound headaches. Rebound headaches occur due to taking pain medications for a prolonged period of time. If this is the case, then please slowly wean your self off the pain medications.
Please discuss all these possibilities with your doctor.
I would suggest you to eat well, sleep for at least 8 hrs and do regular physical and breathing exercises.
Take care!