Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Chronic Daily Tension Headaches for 180+ days

I am a 29 yr old female who has had a headache everyday for 182 days now and I am at my wits end. I wake up every morning with a tension headache (a dull constant pain between the temples and around the forehead area) that feels like a 4 out of 10 on the pain scale and stays with me all day and all night. I also wake up with really dry eyes and somewhat dry lips (but not a dry mouth). Recently in the last two weeks I have also woken up with neck and upper back pain that stays with me all day. No OTC or prescription medicines relieve my neck, back or head pain.

Here is the timeline:
-Nov  17, 2013: I stopped taking Nexium for 1 week, then went back on it after a week
-Nov 28(ish) 2013: chronic daily headaches started.
-Mar 2014- I started on a nightly dose of Flonase and Zyrtec Mar 2014: headaches stop
-Aug 7, 2014: stopped taking Nexium, one week later the headaches come back even though I'm still taking the allergy meds.
-Sep 2014: started nexium again but headaches still persist.
-Oct 2014: stopping taking allergy and nexium meds.

Here are the things I have done so far to get rid of the headaches:
-had Mirena IUD removed
-blood work all normal
-Neurologist says this is normal
-CAT scan of sinuses came back normal
-MRI of the brain is normal
-Accupunture 2x per week for 3 weeks
-Massages
-tried a different allergy med
-anti-inflammatory
-I've tried sleeping with a humidifier on full blast
-tried magnesium and feverfew supplements
-tried a paleo diet for two weeks

I drink ing 9-12 glasses of water/day
-exercising 4-6 days per week


Things that make the headaches worse:
-more than 2 alcoholic drinks
-less than 6 hrs of sleep
4 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
Hi Danielle,

Consider testing yourself for heavy metals blood toxicity, it's a very common problem that often goes undiagnosed.  I had similar daily troubles and was able to find my way out once I tested positive.  Buy two test kits (approximately $10 ea) and use a timer to do them accurately.  I buy mine from heavymetalstest.com.

Best wishes,
Jory
http://www.bodygarage.ca

ps: I am not related in any way to heavymetalstest.com
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
To treat his severe and chronic pain, my husband has an intrathecal pump that automatically releases 29 mg of dilaudid daily. He uses short acting opana for break through pain.

Whereas you build a tolerance to  oral, IM or IV dilaudi (and other narcotics) that requires increased doses of meds, once it was 'in balance', to where his pain level was a 4 to 5 , the dilaudid dose moving through his pump has never changed.  

Every chronic pain patient ought to consider having a pump--it's changed his (and our) life! No more ER visits; no more arguments about so-called addiction; no more 'it's not real'; no more accusations of drug abusing; no more counting meds afraid that you won't have enough; no more organ damage (pumped meds go directly into spinal fluid)....

Docs don't let their pets suffer pain, yet it's okay for patients? Allow people to suffer when there is relief available is simply sadistic.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi and welcome to the Migraines & Headaches Community.

The best thing you can do is talk to your doctor. And you are already half there in the fact that you are taking excellent notes. Take your notes with you and show the doctor and see if y'all can come up with a good game plan. Best wishes to ya.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You can try a drug called amitriptyline. Talk with your doctor about it.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Migraines and Headaches Community

Top Neurology Answerers
620923 tn?1452915648
Allentown, PA
1780921 tn?1499301793
Queen Creek, AZ
1756321 tn?1547095325
Queensland, Australia
Avatar universal
Trinity , TX
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Find out how beta-blocker eye drops show promising results for acute migraine relief.
In this special Missouri Medicine report, doctors examine advances in diagnosis and treatment of this devastating and costly neurodegenerative disease.
Here are 12 simple – and fun! – ways to boost your brainpower.
Discover some of the causes of dizziness and how to treat it.
Discover the common causes of headaches and how to treat headache pain.
Two of the largest studies on Alzheimer’s have yielded new clues about the disease