Home     Contact Us    
Main Board Job Seeker's Board Job Wanted Board Resume Bank Company Board Word Help Medquist New MTs Classifieds Offshore Concerns VR/Speech Recognition Tech Help Coding/Medical Billing
Gab Board Politics Comedy Stop Health Issues
ADVERTISEMENT




Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Headaches

Posted By: Been There on 2006-01-26
In Reply to: Anyone type info on rebound headaches? - I'm miserable! sm

I used to have daily headaches and I would take some type of pain reliever (usually Excedrin) two or three, sometimes more times a day.  Eventually it got to the point where the Excedring just wasn't cutting it anymore, so I went to see my doctor.  He referred me to a neurologist.  The first thing he told me was to stop taking any kind of over the counter pain meds.  He said I was having rebound headaches, and I had to "detox" from the meds I had been taking.  He also sent me for an MRI just to make sure there was no underlying cause for my daily headaches.


After my MRI and a complete exam by my neurologist we came to the conclusion that I was probably having migraines.  Although my headaches are always in the back of my head, new studies show that migraines are not always just in the front of your head around your eyes.  He put me on a medication called Topamax.  It is a drug that is normally prescribed for epilepsy, but has also been shown to help people that suffer from headaches.  It is used as a preventative medication.  I take it every night before bed so I don't wake up with a headache.  It takes some time to build up in the body, so it's not an instant fix.  There was a 2-3 week period of time when I thought I might die because I hurt so bad.


The only advice I can offer is this:  Make sure you are drinking plenty of water every day.  Water is known to help with headaches.  Make sure you are eating at least three times a day.  I realized after talking to my neuro that I would often skip meals because I would be busy and he told me that is a sure fire way to cause a headache.  Make sure you are getting plenty of sleep at night.  6-8 hours is key.


You may want to see about going to see a neurologist.  Or discuss the possibility of migraines with your doctor.  Since I have "detoxed" from the OTC meds, I still get headaches, but not nearly as often as I did before.  I take the Topamax at night, and once I was significantly "detoxed", my neuro doc prescribed Relpax, which is a migraine medication similar to Imitrex that I can take at the onset of a migraine.


It will be difficult but you can do it.   




Complete Discussion Below: marks the location of current message within thread

The messages you are viewing are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu


Other related messages found in our database

headaches
Have you had a CT scan?
I don't get headaches too often, but
when I do rhey're miserable. I picked up a Homedics Shiatsu massager at Walgreen's which is specifically designed for the posterior neck muscles. It is a tremendous help! Seven minutes of this and I almost fall asleep. It's a medication-free option to consider. Good luck--I know it hurts :(
headaches
Thank you very much for your concern. I appreciate it. I do feel a little better today, although still didn't rest well last night. Got to do something about that but not sure what yet.
headaches
I really feel for you. I used to have stress migraines and I was on Fioricet 3 x a day. Also, found out that the Fioricet did not help headaches, made them worse. It just may be that the medicines you are on, one or some are causing the headaches. I have restless legs and tried amitryptyline, did not help. When I stopped the Fioricet and went on Darvocet my headaches went away. They really should order a CT or MRI of your brain to see if you have migraines. TMJ, allergies will also give headaches. A chiropracter and acupuncture did not help me. What helped, a hysterectomy for fibroids, my headaches were all menstrual related. I know how you feel on all those medications and try to find a doctor who will listen to you and figure out what medicine might be having a rebound effect, or what other medicine you could take. I also wake up at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning from restless legs, and I grind my teeth at night from TMJ, and the only medicine that helped with my fibromyalgia and TMJ and restless legs was Darvocet, there is something in that medicine that helps everything. Good luck, hope you get some answers soon, don't worry you will find a doctor who will listen to you, I did, and it was not in my head.
Those headaches do me in...
My husband has to literally hit my back by my shoulder blades and rub my shoulders every so often. I take Excedrin daily and freak out if we're low. But we're just goofing off at home, right? I also remember when I worked in-house about an MT who used to think about her grocery list while typing. When you mentioned you can't think about anything else while doing this, she came to my mind. She actually was very good and very fast. That was my first year doing this and I was in awe:-)
For those with headaches
Very often if you have someone massage your neck & shoulder muscles and the muscles along your occiput, you will be free of headaches.

If you don't have anyone to massage you, do what you can to yourself.

You can also use a tennis ball (lie on it or put between you and the wall). You can put it in a long sock and hang it down your back too (between you and the wall). It works great!

Often when I lie on the floor and use it along the occiput, the muscles are so tight that it refers pain around to the front of my head. Allow pain to reach 8/10 for brief spells and do a couple times a day if you can. :)
Your headaches and sleeplessness..
I just e-mailed you regarding your headaches, and I also wanted to let you know of a product I also use called Serene for sleeplessness. I have a type A personality and I always wake in the early morning hours and then cannot get back to sleep worrying about "stuff." Rather than take the prescription meds for sleeping I was more interested in getting natural relief and the company I referred to in my e-mail has the product named above for sleeplessness. It works wonders!!! I  hope you find some relief soon. Char
morning headaches
Sleep apnea can cause morning headaches because of oxygen deprivation.  Have you ever had a sleep study?
I have cluster headaches and this is
what I take. Fioricet with codeine and phenergan. I, too, get these often and I have found that they coincide with my hormone shot that my husband gives me every 2 weeks. I get them when my hormones are running low and then again a day or two after the shot. I, too, get 30 pills a month (sometimes I have to take them all - sometimes not) They are prescribed to take 2 at the onset of the headache and then 1 every 4 hours until the headache is cleared up to 6 a day. Sounds like you may be having a rebound headache from the meds though if you take one everyday just routinely. I had one doc prescribe just the plain fioricet without the codeine and it did nothing for the headache - some doctors just don't believe in or want to prescribe narcotics. I am also on oxycontin and norco for fibromyalgia - but these 2 meds do not help the headaches. Hope this helps. I would ask for what you think you need and for as much as you feel you need - you are the only one who knows your pain threshhold. I would also keep a headache diary to document and perhaps find triggers for your headaches that you could then avoid. Like I cannot be around strong colognes or perfumes or go into department stores where these are sold - it means immediate headache. This sensitivity prevents me from going to the malls, church, restaurants, and parties. It is a small price to pay, though, if it will prevent me from having a debilitating headache. I do miss church, though.
Tension headaches
Do any of you get daily tension headaches from wearing the headset?  It is a daily problem for me and makes me have to stop to wait for the headache to go away.  Any suggestions on what I could do to stop these headaches?
Rebound headaches are from medication
in pain, you may use the meds too often. The theory behind the rebound headache is that the overuse of drugs makes the headache rebound after your body uses all of the medication. An OTC drug or a Rx that is taken too often causes an episode where your brain gets relief from the pain, likes the effect, and then signals "pain" in its search for more of the drug, and you increase dosages to get more relief. Your medication becomes less and less effective and you create a cycle of misery. (This is adapted from the website, "Migraines for Dummies" (even though I don't have migraines.) It's the best explanation I have found on the web for rebound HA. I just want relief.
rebound headaches via MayoClinic..sm

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/rebound-headaches/DS00613/DSECTION=3


 


usually overmedicated........


It gave him daily headaches. nm
x
Long distance headaches - help!

I'm in Ohio and work for a service in California.  It's been a real problem finding a true unlimited plan. 


Have tried Vonage (call quality was substandard), ATT "unlimited" long distance (got one of those nice letters), and now the phone card company I had been using apparently decided to jack their rates way up.


Looking at ATTCallVantage, using satellite internet service (no DSL where I live).  Anyone have experience with this, and do things work well for you? 


All help is much appreciated!


 


 


Anyone type info on rebound headaches?
I've been told by my doctor to stop my medication for chronic headaches - she says I have rebound headaches.  Has anyone out there been through this?  It's been a week, and my head is killing me.  She said I would have headaches for about two or three weeks, then they would taper off.  Any ideas on getting through this period of time?  Has anyone typed this?
BUt I like not being the boss and dealing with the headaches and I like having co-workers to help
:+
Great West covers Botox for headaches.
Otherwise, go to a neurologist. It only costs $425 and worth every penny.

It sometimes is really hard to transcribe patients complaining about their headaches when your own head is about to explode. I did learn how to take charge of my own care, which happened to be extremely useful because the pain management physician I was assigned to ended up being the biggest idiot on earth. I was finally able to change doctors.
I have frequent headaches, too. My coincide with my periods. Nothing OTC helps. SM
Any suggestions for me?
I have occasional migraine headaches. I can miss a day of work and SM
make it up, no problem. I am glad I work at home during those times.
Bells palsy and chronic headaches? Does anyone have any good info or help out there? sm

Unfortunately, I have had Bells palsy for the past 8 years. I got it while pregnant and had a pretty severe case. I was extremely sick with that pregnancy and then ended up with the Bells palsy. In fact, my baby quit growing after I got the Bells palsy! Thank God I was about 32 weeks when I got it. Anyway, over time the symptoms have not been as bad. For the most part to look at me you couldnt tell I had the Bells--until I smiled at you. Then, of course, you would know it. I have regained some use of muscles, but not all. I have been able to get my eye to close, but it is not tight, so I still battle with dry eye every night/morning. My forehead has been completely "dead" since this happened. Even electric stim could not move the muscle! Whenever I get a headache it always seems to settle on the dead part of my forehead. My headaches have been increasing lately, and currently I have had a headache for five days! I have tried Advil, Tylenol and Excedrin Migraine with no relief. My neurologist cant see me until January since I havent been to him for years. I can not afford an MRI right now and have no desire to start taking any type of pain med. Does anyone have any experience with Bells or have any ideas. I was wondering if a TENS unit might help. I have been reading about that on the internet. Sorry this is so long. Thank you for any help. As you can imagine, I am having a very hard time working all day at my computer with this!


Personally, I would keep the production MT position. Lead not worth the headaches! nm
x
That's a good suggestion. I knew someone that had headaches and it turned out to be from small
from her gas logs. They were not installed properly (not that anybody is using gas logs this time of year, LOL).
My headaches were caused by a bad chair! My boss told me about the same thing and sm
I went out and bought a new chair. No more headaches. That was 4 years ago and it still ticks me off that I had a headache for 5 months that no one had a reason for. Turns out that my chair was tilting funny and I was over-compensating for it without realizing that it was off balance.