Headaches, migraines, anxiety.... HELP!!

Brain and nerves
1

Hi,

I write this as a last resort to find out what is wrong with me if anyone can help me and my smoky would be grateful. I am at my wits end, please be patient and bare with me, I babble! Oh and I am 25 years old.

For years I have suffered, going back to what I can remember as the beginning was about 4 years ago. I remember feeling dizzy, sick, weak a lot with headaches. Left it a long while drs done blood tests to rule things out all was good. I began taking pain relief regularly although not massive amounts. My headaches got worse. After years of complaining to the drs they sent me for a scan on my head, only for me to find out I was pregnant on the day of the scan and I couldn't have it. By then my headaches had me in tears, is this normal, do I need to live like this? I was also having 2/3 migraines a month! A lovely gp had the pleasure of m breaking down, she said I was to go to a neurologist. I seen him whilst I was pregnant and he told me I was suffering from medication over use headaches AKA rebound headaches. He explained these are also closely related to caffeine too. I was unsure at the time but I cut everything out painkillers and caffeine and things improved. Throughout the rest of my pregnancy I thought things were great put the reY down to normal pregnancy stuff. My second child is now 7 months old, for the last 3 months thing have gotten worse. I don't drink caffeine drinks full stop altho I do have chocolate and I'm aware there is some in here and I avoid painkillers unless necessary.

This time things are slightly different although this is how I remember things started 4 years ago, why I started taking pain killers in the first place. I feel sick, dizzy and weak and Ofcourse headaches. I try to do my research in types of headaches and sometimes I feel like I can relate to all of them. I get the tight band type feeling around forehead (tension headache??) I get terrible achey pain behind my eyes, my vison is just awful im so scared I'm just gona go blind, I have a slight astigmatism whoch I wear glasses for A's and when but they don't seem to ease my eyes as much as they used to, I'm thinking I need to go back, been 2 years in jan, is it possible for eye sight to alter in that time? I also get strange feeling/sensations in my head not so much painful but horrible, I get these in the back of my head, side of head, temples.

And to top it off 6 weeks ago my migraines with aura returned out of the blue. As frequent as 3 within 8 days. The aura comes as blurred shapes in my vison, then I get the stra ge feeling in my head then pain starts in my eye along with nausea. Gp suggested propranolol 40mg I was skeptical as I tend to react badly of meds but thy seemed fine and after 3/4 weeks no migraines until today.

Last week I was talking to gp about an article I read, this was the nice gp who seems very understanding. I was saying an article Id read about anxiety and I was shocked how much I could relate to alo t of symptoms, negative thoughts, over things and worrying about everything etc. I old her I worry so much about my head, I'm scared il have to leave my boys but I know it's nothing serious as the scan would have picked it up( oh I finally had a scan few months ago, all good she straight away agreed and suggested cognitive behVioural therapy. The more I think about anxiety it makes sense, however I don't think of my self as an anxious person but I do worry and over think every situation. I think it's just become normal to me. Now I'm questioning of this is the reason for my headaches? I also lately suffering back of head and neck a lot. It's really getting me down, that's acually an understatement, it's ruining my relationship, I'm cranky, snappy, on edge and moody and I don't want to me. I have two amazing little boys I want to get on the floor and play with but my head is always playing up. The only other thing I haven't mentioned is I always feel like some headaches are sinusey, hurt when I move feel stingy and tight? My go said any so us problems would have shown on scan. Sometimes I take an antihistamine which helps with those headaches.

I am at my wits end, if anyone has any help or advice I would appreciate it. I NEED to get to the bottom of this I can't live like this I can feel myself getting lower and lower, I don't want to go down that route. ;(

2

Appologies for the spelling and grammar mistakes, o never proof read as the LCD was hurting my eyes. Another thing my light sensitivity is shocking!

3

Sounds to me like you have different types of headaches. It took me a long time to realise I had different causes.

migraines: can be hundreds of triggers. Hormones--- I always had a migraine 24-48 hours before a period started. There is a specific preventative for this type of headache.

Food and drink--- my list has grown over the years. Coffee, chocolate, alcohol, any spices, ginger, pineapple ( quarter inch piece of pineapple put me in hospital--- that's when the wide range of foods became obvious) 

Sinuses--- had my first sinus headache in early 20s. I was convinced I had a brain tumour. Bent down to pick something up in a shop and couldn't stand up. 

Try these: Keep a diary. How your head is , say on a scale of 1-10, every day. Maybe even score for morning, afternoon and evening.

Keep a food diary and write EVERYTHING you eat so you can see if any food stuff matches a headache. It can be as simple as a coating on a crisp, a piece of fruit, a biscuit. Watch that you don't eat the kids left overs and not diarise that! 

Sinuses: Steam. Breathe in all the steam you can. Couple of extra minutes in the shower ( yes, easy with 2 kids, I know!) head over a bowl of water. Cut out dairy and if you need milk in tea use skimmed. Dairy is my quickest trigger for sinusitis. If I ate a tablespoon of yoghurt I'd be stuffy and snorting within 2 hours. 

Try some relaxation. Even a couple of minutes deep breathing will help and if you can access CBT via your GP, it's worth trying. 

Good luck. You will get to the bottom of it but it'll take a bit of research.

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Thank you for your reply Holly!

And all of your advice! this week I started to write a headache diary but I will definitely add the scores and also a good diary.

It feels never ending, all I seem to do is Google and go to the doctors. I feel like I moan too much but still nobody understands.

I was thinking of doing some sort of detox to see if that helps then introduce things slowly. Have you ever tried anything like that? I'm not really sure how to start but think il add that to my google list.

I hav always been a big wine lover, rosé with lemonade. Whilst reading your reply I suddenly remembered after I had my little one and I started having alcohol again I wondered if there was a link there. So will be interesting to see if that's related. I will be devastated though I love my wine LOL!

Are you now headache free?

Thanks again for your reply.

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I'm headache free 99.5% of the time. I also have a neck/shoulder problem ( never spend days on end using an edge sander on wooden floors!) and that can cause a headache. The migraines have gone as long as I'm really careful about what I eat. 

Years ago I had a problem with my stomach ( sound like a right crock) I did an elimination diet for a month. I ate only rice or potatoes, steamed vegetables and small amount of cheese ( I'm vegetarian). Boring, but I felt so much better -- turned out it was gluten, so another sort of allergy. 

Drink plenty of water and try the other things. At least you feel you're taking control to tackle the headaches and that can have a positive effect. 

Good luck.