I was just wondering if anyone could tell me what kind of headaches I'm having, so maybe it will help me to figure out some way (along with SR of course) to try and ease the agony.
I get headaches from extreme temperature changes, from extreme heat or humidity, if I get tired and don't sleep, if I over sleep, etc. But the main, agonizing headache come's about as follows.
I wake up with a very slight 'awareness' that something at the base of the back of my skull feels achy. Not really pain, but like a dull ache. As the day progresses, the ache moves up to a slight throbbing in the whole back of my head. This pain gets worse when I move my head, especially if I go from a sitting or laying to a standing position. As the day progresses, the pain becomes an all out pounding in the back of my head, and becomes even more sensitive to the things I mentioned.
As it nears the evening, the pain begins to leave the back of my head, and moves up to the whole top of my head. Once it is covering the whole top of my head, the pain is throbbing and agonizing. Now I begin to feel very weak and sick from the headache, and the pain gets so bad that I feel that if I had a gun I would blow a hole in my head just to relieve the pressure. A hat put on as tight as possible gives me maybe 5% relief.
The real agony starts when I try to sleep. The pain moves to either the top left or right of my head, and becomes so unbearable and sickening that I would do ANYTHING to get rid of the pain. It feels like the combination of the throbbing and a knife jabbing my head.
This ordeal always lasts from 4 - 6 days, with days one and two always being the worst, and the pain remaining focused for the remaining time in either the top left or right parts of my head. I can't over exaggerate the debilitaing affect these headaches have on my life. I hope someone has some helpful info for me.
Thanks,
Tony
Follow Ups:
Re: Migraines?
Posted by Walt Stoll on December 18, 1998 at 12:23:38:
In Reply to: Migraines? posted by Tony on December 17, 1998 at 22:21:03:
Dera Tony,
First, this sounds like a muscle tension headache that becomes a vascular headache in response to the pain you experience from the muscle tension cause.
First, I would recommend getting a deep, total-body, therapeutic massage 3 times a week for 2 weeks. Likely your headaches will stop for a few months. Unless you get going on the SR, they will likely start coming back about then.
Finally, once the headache is mostly throbbing,the "hot arms" (Vascular Headache) thing on the homepage of this 'site would resolve that part in 10 minutes.
When this just starts, making sure that your teeth are not touching, and that your tongue is not thrusting at your teeth, will help keep it from progressing at the time.
Let us know how you do.
Walt
Follow Ups:
Re: Migraines?
Posted by Tony on December 18, 1998 at 22:28:49:
In Reply to: Re: Migraines? posted by Walt Stoll on December 18, 1998 at 12:23:38:
Thanks Dr. Stoll.
So you wouldn't consider this a migraine? It would be ending as a vascular headache? I'm surprised at it starting as a tension headache, because it's when I wake up or sleeping that it starts, and I don't feel particularly tense. But I guess that's the point.
Also, the vascular thing seems to make sense. I do have the feeling of my heart pounding in my head a lot, even when I don't have headaches, especially when going from a sitting or laying to a rising position. So maybe this is going on a lot without my knowledge.
So you really think a massage will help while waiting for the SR to kick in? I'm really excited to hear that, because anything that can ease this pain until the cause is taken care of would be a godsend.
Thanks so much. I'm gonna go check out the 'hot arms' thing now.
Tony
PS - What would be considered a migraine headache?
Follow Ups:
Re: Migraines?
Posted by Walt Stoll on December 19, 1998 at 11:37:41:
In Reply to: Re: Migraines? posted by Tony on December 18, 1998 at 22:28:49:
Dear Tony,
Go to the home page & re-read the note about "---Vascular & Migraine Headaches". The answer to your question is there.
Be sure you are in the vascular part of this headache or the "hot arms" will not work.
Muscle tension headaches typically come on during sleep or relaxation.
Walt
Follow Ups:
Re: Migraines?
Posted by Tony on December 19, 1998 at 22:33:23:
In Reply to: Re: Migraines? posted by Walt Stoll on December 19, 1998 at 11:37:41:
That was interesting about tension headaches coming on during relaxation. I would have never thought that.
I read about the hot arms last night, and although I never want to have a headache again as long as I live, I can't wait to find out if it will help, because it will be the absolute BEST Christmas gift anyone has ever given me, bar none. It's just too bad I have to suffer through the beginning of the headache, but I guess I should just be thankful, right?
By the way, is it a common thing to go from one headache right into another like that?
Tony
Follow Ups:
Re: Migraines?
Posted by Walt Stoll on December 20, 1998 at 10:33:47:
In Reply to: Re: Migraines? posted by Tony on December 19, 1998 at 22:33:23:
Hi, Tony.
YES, common IF nothing is done about the causative mechanisms.
Merry Christmas! Walt