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Chronic severe nocturnal hypnic headaches

Headache & Migraine | Last Active: Jan 22 6:15am | Replies (287)

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@docb99 I am sorry you are dealing with nocturnal headaches and glad you researched it and found info on Hypnic headaches. How severe are your nocturnal headaches? Did your MD discuss other options prior to Indomethicin like Topiramate, higher dose melatonin, bedtime coffee/caffiene)? I'm glad Indomethacin is working for you. It is an amazing relief not to be awakened from sleep by a severe and debilitating headache(s). @mlpults is correct in that indomethicin can wreak havoc on our GI systems. I had tried every other option prior to using it going on 19 years, nightly. After developing bad side effects to Indomethacin (and still had crippling daily daytime migranes) I visited Mayo Clinic Neurologist to help me since Indo. and my migraine meds did not always work (and I end up in ER). He does not like Indomethecin due to serious side effects, but since my nocturnal headaches are likely a mix of cluster headache (occurs four times nightly same times, if not prevented) and hypnic (cyclic, occuring same times 4 episodes during the night), he realizes that Indo is my only option for prevention of the Nocurnal headaches. I take an extra medication daily (Pantoprozole, brand is Protonix) to prevent gastric bleeding and irritation/inflammation caused by the Indo. Since adding that to my regimen, I have had no more gastric issues from Indo. Before adding the Protonix, I had a severe bout of GI distress (hard to move or breathe) and had to go into MD office for long infusion (I dont' recall what was infused). That said, if your MD has not considered other potential preventatives for Hypnic headaches, he/she might want to consider something like topiramate, high dose melotonin, caffiene or coffee prior to bedtime. I currently take melatonin in addition to Protonix and Indomethacin but stopped drinking bedtime coffee after learning from my smartwatch that I was experiencing 17 nightly "awakenings" with caffiene prior to bedtime, and about 3-4 without. I hope you continue to feel well and pray that you have no bad side effects to the Indomethecin, or other treatment choices.

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Replies to "@docb99 I am sorry you are dealing with nocturnal headaches and glad you researched it and..."

@taterjoy thank you for sharing.
I added omeprazole when I first started using the Indocin twice a day.
I found that I can do with just a nightly Indocin to prevent the headache I get between 2 and 4 AM, so I’m taking it only at night without omeprazole. If it starts causing gastric distress I’ll add the omeprazole.
I’m not sure if Indocin will continue helping but for now indocin at bedtime does let me sleep without a 2 AM headache.