daily headache pain

I have had daily headaches for 3 years now. The Mayo Clinic recommended botox injections and also something to use as preventative called Cefaly for migraine. I was skeptical as I used to have migraines years ago but did not think these were migraines. I used the Cefaly device every night in the preventative mode 20 minutes (it provides electrical stimulation and desensitizes the trimengial nerve in the forehead. After using that only a few times and also in the acute mode which is 60 minutes my headaches became less intense. After only one session of botox injections my headaches went away after a few days. They are now back and only dull. I was able to stop Tylenol and ibuprofen completely. Hope this helps. The botox injections are given by Pain Management here. I am on a wait list and had to pay out of pocket for the first treatment but it was worth it to be headache free!

I have had daily headaches for 3 years now. The Mayo Clinic recommended botox injections and also something to use as preventative called Cefaly for migraine. I was skeptical as I used to have migraines years ago but did not think these were migraines. I used the Cefaly device every night in the preventative mode 20 minutes (it provides electrical stimulation and desensitizes the trimengial nerve in the forehead. After using that only a few times and also in the acute mode which is 60 minutes my headaches became less intense. After only one session of botox injections my headaches went away after a few days. They are now back and only dull. I was able to stop Tylenol and ibuprofen completely. Hope this helps. The botox injections are given by Pain Management here. I am on a wait list and had to pay out of pocket for the first treatment but it was worth it to be headache free!

Very very sorry for all you folks suffer.

I have had daily headaches for about 25 years. For the longest time, it was just that dull pain in my head. I have had that and a festival of other pains for a very long time, some as long as 40 years.

Last year was my first visual migraine with kaleidoscope vision. I had not known that those things could exist.

First one was very scary...the colors and regular triangular shapes.

Then, I had one about once a month for about a year. Not horrible. Visuals would last about 20 minutes, then fade and then a powerful headache for 3 hours. Not fun, but once a month wasn't so bad.

just recently I had them every day for a week.

Had a bad cut. Went to the ER. They found my blood pressure was through the roof. Now on blood pressure medication and it seems possible my migraines are reducing? Not sure. They have now dipped down from every 12 hours. I haven't had one in 24 hours now. And my doc upped my blood pressure med dosage. I think the meds may be making me dopey and I am now getting better sleep...and maybe the better sleep is reducing the migraines? Not sure.

So, it is wait and see.

I am also doing lower levels of sound and lower levels of visual stimuli. You know, less TV, lower volume. Less computer screen. Sometimes doing visual things wearing sunglasses inside the house. It's not quantified, I guess, but I can tell directly that wearing sunglasses watching TV or working on the computer...is somehow less strain.

I definitely believe in looking into displacements of the neck.

I definitely believe in second opinions.

I definitely believe in doing extensive research and trying whatever possibilities are out there.

Advice on this board seems truly excellent to me.

I have done some work with Alexander Technique. That is related to posture and how bad posture can negatively affect alignment and the nerves and such. I think it has benefit for various conditions. But, you know, I don't know details. Also, with Alexander Technique, you are probably only going to find someone who can take you through the basic exercises. It is not like you are going to find an expert who has been dealing with neck injuries for 20 years...and that is really probably what you would need.

But, just saying, there probably is benefit to some of these kinds of positioning work therapies, maybe some stretching therapies. But I think you would really have to find one of these kind of Yoda people...who has been doing it for 40 years and has very very extensive history with neck injuries, headaches, etc.

There is an old story of one of JFK's doctors. The guy was a real miracle worker. JFK presented with some back problem. The doc had JFK bend a little this way, then a little that way...just so...and snap! pain was gone. You know, the guy had an amazing "feel" for it all.

There are a rare group of folks out there with that kind of supreme expertise....just the Hall of Fame kind of doctors.

My mom connected with the doctor for the NY Jets, for a knee injury. That was in the 70s. That was a Yoda kind of guy for knee injuries. There was zero comparison between him and a regular orthopedist. It was like they were practicing two different levels of medicine entirely. The NY Jets doctor was an Olympic Gold Medalist. A regular orthopedist was a guy on the high school basketball team. That drastic a difference.

Maybe the AMA doesn't want people to engage with the common sense that in any field there is going to be a variety of skill level. Maybe they want to present the spin that all doctors are equal. They just aren't.

So, if you have a medical problem that is not getting resolved after extensive effort....consider going on a search for that Yoda person. How? I am not sure. With sports related injuries...that would definitely be the folks treating the top tier professional athletes. With headaches? Maybe there are some doctors who treat boxers and linebackers who get serious injuries? Or military related injuries?

All I can say is that if you go on that search and find that Yoda person...your odds of symptom reduction and maybe a real cure, are going to go way up.

I have no clue how to find some kind of Yoda guy for severe headaches...but I would lay odds there are one or two folks out there.

Searching magazine articles for miracle doctors or miracles cures? I don't know. I don't mean tabloids. I mean, you know, searching Time Magazine, Newsweek...those kind of magazines for extraordinary doctors, stories of extraordinary recoveries from injuries, by incredible doctors.

I have to think there is some Yoda doctor for severe headaches, who is just that much better than the rest of the field.

I have headaches upon waking up, regardless of the time--1:55 a.m.? Headache. 5:00 a.m.? Headache. These are miserable, bad headaches, but likely not migraines--I've had a migraine at least twice in my life, and they are worse, with light and sound sensitivity and dizziness (a feeling that the room is tilting and whirling, and that I might fall). I've tried a CPAP machine with some little success. But I can't find a mask that doesn't cause me to wake up many times during the night--nothing seals well enough or takes care of the CO2 that I exhale. I feel that maybe a new machine would help, but I still need a well-fitting mask that works for me. I'm Rx'd hydrocodone, which works but can be sedating. Having had 2 falls in 10 months, with fractures, I'm very cautious about taking any sedating meds.... Anyone experience anything like this? Thank you!

I have headaches upon waking up, regardless of the time--1:55 a.m.? Headache. 5:00 a.m.? Headache. These are miserable, bad headaches, but likely not migraines--I've had a migraine at least twice in my life, and they are worse, with light and sound sensitivity and dizziness (a feeling that the room is tilting and whirling, and that I might fall). I've tried a CPAP machine with some little success. But I can't find a mask that doesn't cause me to wake up many times during the night--nothing seals well enough or takes care of the CO2 that I exhale. I feel that maybe a new machine would help, but I still need a well-fitting mask that works for me. I'm Rx'd hydrocodone, which works but can be sedating. Having had 2 falls in 10 months, with fractures, I'm very cautious about taking any sedating meds.... Anyone experience anything like this? Thank you!