Troubled in my search for an answer

I am new to this, a friend of mine sent me this site and said to register and tell my story. She has faith in this site, she too use to be a registered member. I have been dealing with a constant headache for 6 months now. The pain starts in between my shoulder blades and works its way up my neck and consumes my head. The pain, for the most part, is constant, the only thing that changes is the severity. I have been to see 2 neurologist, family doctor, eye doctor, ear, nose and throat, gastro, internal meds, infectious disease, cardiologist, dermatologist, chiropractor, physical therapist, message therapist, sleep clinic, gynocologist, orthopedic and most importantly, Cleveland, Ohio's Headache Clinic and no answer at all. Cleveland says I have New Persistent Daily Headaches but yet nothing they prescribe me helps in anyway. I can feel the pain thru all the different meds I have tried, ever Oxy, Viacatin, Teximet, etc. I have had MRI's CAT scans and about 30 different lab test as well as lumbar punctures and still no answer. Does anyone have any suggestions/advice. I have been of work ince December 18th and need to get this fixed so I can get back to work, financially I am struggling. Signed, Frustrated!

I'm sorry you're going through this Jenn. I wish I had answers for you, but unfortunately I don't. I hope someone can give you some advice. All I can offer is a sympathetic ear and a place to vent.

Unfortunately your story echoes many of ours here. We've all tried everything to no avail. A couple of suggestions you may not have tried yet.

(1) botox seems to be working for some migraine suffers. It is now an approved treatment by the FDA so insurance should cover it.

(2) supplements. I finally got significant benefit from bio identical progesterone, vitamin D, iodide and magnesium. My headaches decreased from daily to 2-3 per month. For more info on this see http://www.migraine-headaches-information.com/

I hope this helps!

You have had a VERY extensive workup. That about covers everything. As with some others on here you may find a preventive that helps some or when combined with an abortive works better. Sadly there are others here with your illness that have found no help .

I dont know what else to say. I have not read of anyone finding a quick or easy solution. And some have suffered for decades.

Do whatever eases your day the most. I liked cold, dark rooms. Hot showers, but cold compress. Small amount of caffiene, and food. I hope you recover soon.

Thanks to all of you for you support and suggestions, latest finding.... has anyone ever heard of Urticaria, a skin disease, and its relation to headaches? I went to the dermatologist due to these hives I have been breakin out with and that's what he diagnoses me with. He says arthristis and headaches could be an effect of Urticaria but my neurologist doesn't seem to think there is any relation between the two?

!

I was told that Urticaria is another term for "hives". One time when my son was young he had hives that were horrible...kept coming back and were all over him and wouldn't stop. We went to 4 doctors about it...then finally a doctor did a strep test and it turned out that he had strep throat (he had no sore throat) and that was causing the hives. So maybe it's possible that something like a strep infection could be happening....just an idea. I couldn't believe that it took us so long to find that out - thank goodness at least one doctor thought of doing a strep test. I hope you feel better and can find some answers.

jennitopher said:

I have been dealing with a constant headache for 6 months now. The pain starts in between my shoulder blades and works its way up my neck and consumes my head. The pain, for the most part, is constant, the only thing that changes is the severity.

You have described my constant headache, except that my left side SCM is the main problem area. However, unlike you, physical therapy did lower the pain level from a constant 5 -7 (to me it means headaches with slight nausea and slight dizziness) to about a 3-4 with occasional bouts of 8 to 10. I went to about 20 or so sessions of PT. Trigger point massage therapy lowered it to about 2 to 3; I went to about 40 sessions. After that, I went a somatic practitioner, 10 sessions, the exercises helped maintain the progress I made. I tried about 40 session of acupuncture, with some temporary relief. I do somatic exercises, half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the evening to keep the muscles from tightening up. The purpose of the somatic exercises (done very slow) is to retrain the brain and the muscles to function properly. Chiros have done nothing for me.

I went off almost 18 years of statins and I am taking vitamin D3 supplements (My PCP gave 50,000 IU for 12 weeks to see if that would help). My neuro gave Baclofen (a muscle relaxant), when I told him that I was waking nights to very sharp headaches. That has really helped with the headaches and with my sleep. I also place an ice pack every night on the left side of head. If I wake up at night with a headache, I replace it with a fresh ice pack.

That is what has helped me, however everybody is different and furthermore, I am of the male persuasion so it may be different for you. I have always felt that my chronic headaches are due to muscle imbalances and MDs (as per a Sports Med MD, I saw) are just not educated in muscular/skeletal problems. Anyway, that is the theory that I am following. Next on my list is to try Prolotherapy.

Martin