Need Headache Relief for Husband

could be sinuses, allergies causing migraines. Try taking some tylenol sinus( the one that contains psuedoephindrine, not the tyleno sinus PE cause that is worthless) Has he been checked for migraines?

I have a friend that had this same problem. The doctor told him that he was drinking too much soda. The caffine and/or carbonated water could cause the headaches. He stopped drinking as much, limited himself to one 12 ounce can per day, and the headaches went away. No more problems.

Hi, L..
Has your husband ever been in an accident or fall? I too agree with the posters who recommended a visit to the chiropractor. I would select one that also does acupuncture (I'm not talking needles, but electrical stimulation). This is very effective. Chiropractic care has helped me, my family, and friends with a variety of ailments (allergies, sleep apnea, scoliosis, auto injuries, etc.). I go to my chiropractor before going to my physician.

There are two possibilities that you might want to consider. One is migraines. All migraines do not have the classic neurological symptoms like tunnel vision or auras. There are also "common migraines" which are just horrendous headaches often accompanied by nausea- I know, I have them. The good news is: there are lots of effective medications. My doctor said the only way to really identify a migraine, is to try the medication. If it works - it's migraines. (If it doesn't, it could still be migraines. Not all meds work on all people.)

The other possibility is a food sensitivity. One of the responses suggested MSG, which is a very common headache causer and is in a lot of stuff. Another one is aspertame (nutra-sweet). It can cause a lot of neurological complications including headaches. I have completely eliminated anything "diet" from what I consume. Caffeine consumption is another trigger for some people. He could try eliminating some items one at a time for a week or so and see if he gets any improvement.

I hope you find the cause and a solution. I know how headaches can sap you of energy and really affect your life.

Could he have a allergic to something maybe the coffee he drinks or something he wears.

I know that some people are still a frightened or uninformed, but i suffered horrible headaches that greatly interfered with my life and i went to a chiropractor and after a short time, they were gone!! Now, i go about every two months for maintenance. Many headaches come from the neck being out of whack, nothing that an orthopedist will find or treat! Best of luck.
Have a great day and god bless!!

Yes, yes...go see a chiropractor. Whenever my headaches get frequent, I get adjusted and they go away. Also, he needs to drink alot of water to keep from dehydration. Your brain needs water. I've heard that if you pinch the skin on the top of your finger between the two knuckles clostest to your hand, and the skin stays "up" after you let go, then you are dehydrated. Please be careful of tylenol. Consistant use of Acetominaphen(sp)has been shown to contribute to liver failure. In fact, so many babies and children have been given too much tylenol, that liver failure is something like the third cause of death in children. Hope he finds his cure. God bless.

Hi L.~
I read somewhere that headaches can be triggered by dehydration (even mild dehydration where you may not even be thirsty, but your body needs more hydration) and to drink Gatorade or Powerade, etc.. even Pedialyte will work. You want something that replaces the electrolytes to replenish and rehydrate. This has helped me when I feel a headache starting to come on, maybe it will help! Also, I take Aleve for stronger headaches, it seems to help me more than Tylenol, take it with food though, it is not as gentle as Tylenol on the stomach. And, I have a perscription for a pain reliever called Tramadol for my migraines - it is what works for me. Ask your husband's doctor about it, maybe it will help :o) I hope he finds relief soon. Good Luck!

Hi L.~
Have you considered maybe he is allergic to something he is around? I know I am not able to have any flowery smelling room sprays or plug-ins. Or maybe it could be what he is putting on his body in the morning like aftershave or shampoo. Or it could be something as small as his pillow needs to be replaced with a protective cover or your mattress.
I have many problems in all these areas. If you need any more advice in these things. Let me know. Good luck!
____@____.com

Could you describe the headache to me? I have gone through all the processes you have and even at more extent. I've had wisdom teeth pulled, TMJ Brace made, MRI's done, and put on migraine medicine. Thousands of dollars have been wasted until last year. I started going to a natural doctor who did some allergy work that almost eliminated them. The headaches had almost stopped until a month or so ago (I'm under stress - huge amounts Panic Attacks and all). My point was to explain that it does work. But headaches stems from so many things that is so hard for a doctor to help you a lot of the time. (i.e. stress, sinus problems, tensions, migraine, etc.)

Several points here:

My mom, myself, and my adult daughter cannot drink, or eat, anything that has artificial sweetener in them. We get sick headaches that can put us in bed for almost all day just by drinking a few sips of a diet drink. I don't use any at all.

My Father-in-Law gets severe headaches and Tylenol and Motrin don't work. He tried Midol and the change was almost instant. Midol treats pain and also water retention. When I am retaining water I have headaches too.

I have a protruding disc in my neck from a fall. I didn't have the money to pay my insurance premiums out of pocket while I took 2 months off work to heal from the disk surgery so I have chronic pain and headaches. Storms, barometric pressure, weather..., cold damp air, stress, overworking the muscles, not stretching out the kinks, knotted muscles, sitting too long in the same position at the computer, etc...all take their toll on my neck and head.

I recommend he start a stretching program that will relax him. Putting a pillow under his chin and holding it like when putting a pillowcase on it. This stretches out the neck gently and pull the disks apart slightly. the forward motion plus the "holding" the pillow with the chin makes the difference for me.

It's like the #6 position here but with holding the pillow with the chin.
http://www.ehow.com/how_3003_stretch-neck.html

Hope he is feeling better soon. If he is still having headaches and taking that much Tylenol he really needs to see a specialist. Tylenol is very hard on the Liver. Chronic use is very bad. If it is just a quirk he has then there are other options for pain relief such as pain patches, heat or cool patches, lots of other things a pain specialist will recommend.

G.

Even though he wore a mouth guard, if he grinds his teeth, he is doing *some* amount of damage to his TMJ. I think the oral surgeon was overgeneralizing. Men who brux are not immune to the consequences of bruxing! Get a second opinion. I found that when I bruxed a lot/more forcefully, I developed pain in my jaw, cheek, and into my temple, and depending, it could have gone elsewhere on my head/neck.

Even though he is generally a relaxed guy, he might be developing headaches out of a psychosomatic fear of a brain tumor. If all other physical ailments are ruled out, counseling and/or hypnotherapy would probably resolve this.

Also, it sounds like he is suppressing stress. If you grind your teeth, you're doing it out of stress. So, to prevent worse problems from the bruxing (cracked teeth, TMJ disorder, arthritis, etc.), and to sort through the emotional cause of the stress and bruxing, he would benefit best from a combination of therapies. Counseling is great, but to stop the actual habit of bruxing, he might consider biofeedback or acupuncture.

Though I'm pretty sure this is the cause, here are two more questions for you:

How much water is he drinking? Dehydration *will* cause headaches. If it is the cause, here, it might be a couple of days before he gets relief, so don't let him give up if he's not feeling better after a few hours.

Has he seen a chiropractor? They can work wonders. One or two sessions might be all he needs, if the source of the problem is chiropractic.

Again, I'm pretty sure it's the teeth grinding, so he should see a dentist, first thing, and look into the biofeedback and acupuncture.

L.

My hubby has had horrible migraines/headaches for years. It used to be almost daily, & he went to a neurologist several times but they couldn't find a medication that really helped him. I believe his headaches are caused by a combination of several problems. One is just plain migraines. Another is a slightly enlarged vein in his brain that they found in an MRI. There's supposedly not much risk of it rupturing, the doctor assured us. But because of this, he can't take typical migraine meds because they dilate the blood vessels in the brain & that makes it worse. Though he is definitely not a woman, :) he definitely has TMJ. His jaw clicks when he chews & he grinds his teeth in his sleep. So a lot of his headaches are from tension in his jaw & neck spreading into his head. It costs a lot to fix this problem & our dental insurance will do practically nothing to help. He hasn't had his wisdom teeth removed, but the dentist says that they don't seem to be causing any problems. We also decided that some of his headaches were from taking too many pain relievers. If you take them more than a couple times a week, you are likely to get rebound headaches. He reserves the meds for the really bad headaches. The only one that helps at all is Exedrin, but it still doesn't make it go away most of the time. Caffeine is also a factor & Exedrin has caffeine, so you definitely wouldn't want to take that too much. The biggest help in reducing his headaches has been cutting MSG out of his diet completely. You'd be surprised how much food it is in, mostly pre-prepared foods. You have to read labels carefully, but even then, I think sometimes they can get away with calling it natural flavoring. So you can't be 100% sure. Very frustrating. Oh yeah, & stress too. My hubby is a big worrier, but even if yours isn't he may have still have stress & he just doesn't show it & maybe doesn't realize it. I'm like that. I can usually get through tough situations with a mostly positive attitude & then later it all bursts out from being suppressed. Anyway, my hubby still gets a lot of headaches, but not as many excruciating ones. Hopefully, your husband's problem is simpler than mine. :) Try some different types of doctors before you give up, & watch the diet & the pain relievers too.

I would go and obtain a second or even a third opinion.

I noted the soday thing. You may want to researh headaches and see if you can find a forum it could be helpful to you

The reason I mention this my wife for years would get leg cramps and doctors could not put there finger on the problem. Then one day in the newspaper I saw an article by Dr Gott saying to put a bar of soap under the sheet. I did that on a daily basis and she had no more problem. Then one day I misplaced the soap and found she was not have any more problem without the soap. This went well for several years then they came back. Back with the soap and no more problem. This has to be about seven years ago.

God Bless

Hey L.,
I read some of the advice and I think the other ladies are right-start thinking about things he does/eats in the am, unless he wakes with them.
Does he drink lots of Diet stuff, or Coffee, some people drink a drink after work and alcohol triggers headaches (even if it's only a beer or glass of wine etc...). For some people it's sugar, dairy...
I'd watch him and see if he can pinpoint something in his diet that seems to coincide with the headaches.
If you don't find anything-I'd ask your Dr.for an MRI (if you have a GP he/she can refer you).
I had a great aunt who had headaches and wouldn't go to the dr. When she did and got an MRI it wasn't good.
If he feels something is wrong-go with his GUT.
If he's eliminated teeth, eye and other physical things don't let the Dr's put you off. If he has something seriously wrong the Dr's job is to find it.
Sometimes (especially if your hubby downplays the symptoms) they don't pay as much attention to the symptoms as they Could...if the obvious things haven't changed his pain-something else needs to be done.
I'd insist he ask for an MRI-I know it's expensive but it's better than having him be REALLY sick.
I don't want to scare you-we had a situation where when I was pregnant I kept having problems and b/c our family Doc (not my OB/GYN) listened to my Husband and me and did some tests we were able to get our little girl here safely-if he hadn't listened and done these tests we both might have died! So I'm Very Pro-Go-with-your-gut.
Hope this Helps-good luck and let us know what happens.
C.

Find a good Chiropractor in your area. Ask around and go to one that also uses natural remedies like vitamin shots and electronic accupuncture. I used to get headaches so bad that I couldn't hold my head up for more than 30 minutes without getting dizzy. We also did the multiple doctors with all the tests. It turned out that my neck was out. Even having areas out in his mid or lower back can cause headaches. If you live in central Oklahoma, I suggest the Central Oklahoma Chiropractic Clinic in Tecumseh. Dr. Phillips is great!
J.

Has he tried going to a chiropractor? He could possibly have something out of place. If that doesnt help- I'd send him to a specialist. There has to be a reason for the pain. And it isn't from a lack of pain pills!! Get to the source.
J.

I know you have a lot of responses. I didn't suffer at first from headaches, my problem was with my left arm and shoulder. I finally went to a chiropractor, the treatments helped at first then he suggested I have an MRI. He couldn't refer me, but I went back to my doctor and they did xrays, mri and other various tests to be sure and realized that I have degenerative discs in my neck, with bone spurs they were pinching the nerves and causing the problems. They also cause headaches, I am scheduled for a cortisone shot in my neck. I have headaches everyday. I had 3 shots about 3 years ago and until I re-aggravated it recently. They worked great. It's worth looking into. Start with the chiropractor and go from there. Hope he finds relief soon.

L. M, I seen in your request that you mentioned that he had been to several Dr's already.Has he tried a chiropractor? My husband goes regularly and swears that it really helps.I have gone to one in the past and they can help with more than most people know.My daughter was about 5 years and having bad enough headaches that she would throw up.We took her to several Dr's too and they ran all kinds of tests and put her on all kind of medication.I had a friend that refered us to a Dr that had also studied to be a chiropractor,and she told us that my daughters head plates were all out of place.After she started working on her head and making sure her spine was aligned right we were able to get her off the meds.She is 11 now and very rarely has headaches anymore.A quick note,if he goes to a chiropractor make sure he/she does X-rays of the full body first,because that is what all the really good ones do.I hope this will help and I wish you good luck.D. F

My husband had intense headaches too and knew something was wrong. A friend of ours had a tumor on his optic nerve which wasn't diagnosed until he had an MRI. My husband went to an opthalmologist who dismissed his claims. Finally my husband insisted on an MRI, which revealed a hemangioma in his eye socket. At first they thought it was a brain tumor located in his eye socket, but once we went to a better opthalmologist she said it was probably just a hemangiomo (a collection of blood vessels) that had been growing since he was born. She said she could tell he had the tumor just by looking in his eye. He had surgery and it was benign and the headaches disappeared. So trust your instincts, go to your GP and insist on an MRI. It is a great diagnostic tool, and it will rule things out as well. Good luck ... A.

I would certainly try a chiropractor. They can help with all sorts of things, and headaches are one of the most popular. They got rid of my husband's migraines in no time.

HTH. :)

You didn't say who did the cat scan and what all were they looking for? Have you been to a highly regarded neurologist? That is the place to start. They should be able to narrow it down based on symptoms your hsuband is having. I had pseudo tumor cerebri - which acts like a false tumor. However, the headaches are extremely dehabilitating with vomiting, - and blindness can result if left untreated . So it doesnt sound like what you describe so it is probably something else.

Regardless - Any sort of head pain should be considered very serious business until you figure out what is causing the problem. Now get out there and find an excellent neurologist in your area - and consider a second opinion from another one if you are still not satisfied. I went to Scott, White (sort of like a Mayo Clinic) Clinic in Texas to have my diagnosis confirmed - which they did. It was well worth the peace of mind. Good luck!

Things to have checked out:
Thyroid (via saliva test--find a doc in your area who does this--most docs don't)
get an MRI
get a comprehensive allergy panel.

I am speaking from vast experience. Long-time migraine sufferer. Finding out my very strong food allergies knowcked out 95% of my migraines. Blessings!!
--Hs

I have suffered with headaches since I was 13. I wonder, has he been tested for Migraines? No kind of over the counter meds work for mine. Sure, they will sometimes ease the pain but just enough that I can handle moving around. The migraines that I normally have are severe enough that I have to stay in bed with them. Avoiding sounds, light and heat. I have to be in a cool, dark, quiet room with a cold compress on my forehead.

Maybe he should ask his physician to check him for his symptoms. I hope that these aren't what he has because they are debilitating for me. But on the other hand, they may not hit him as hard as mine hit me.

Best wishes and you will be in my prayers.
P. D

Your husband sings the same song as me. I get horrible headaches and migraines. I've had problems with them for so long,I love to know what life is like w/o. First of all about TMJ. My husband had TMJ it runs in his family. Whoever the dentist is that told you that is full of it. Two of my kids have the same issues my husband did. I had a dentist tell me that's not what it was. I know it is! I'm still looking for a specialist. Anyway, my hubby had headaches as a kid until he got his TMJ fixed. Now he only gets Headaches occasionally. I got my wisdom pulled, eyes checked(I do wear glasses) no help. I used to be on 4 different meds at a time. Couldn't function on them. Had c-scan found nothing. Look into his diet. MSG in foods can irritate and cause me headaches. Careful taking that much tylenol everyday.Have him take a daily vitamin and find powdered Magnesium (it absorbs better) (health store) mix a tsp with a cup of warm water (tastes good) once in morning and once in evening. Within a week he should notice his headaches not coming as often. I started doing this and noticed I wasn't getting headaches everyday like I used to. Hope some of this helps. Good luck, I know how he feels.
M.

I think sometimes you can get a "rebound" headache from taking headache meds. So, if it isn't too terrible, he might try going without meds for a week and see if that helps. I would also look at food allergies. I get headaches from MSG and many flavor packets and asian foods have msg in them. What about alcohol? That could be causing headaches. In other words, try to eliminate things from the diet that could be causing problems. Also, even though he gets physical work, it isn't aerobic. Could he work some aerobic exercise into his day? Perhaps dancing with his girls? Or walking with his family? That would also help with stress. I have several friends who have been tremendously helped with their headaches by chiropractors. It would certainly be worth a try. Last, try rubbing his head, neck and shoulders every evening. Do you feel any knots that could be stress related? You could try rubbing those knots out. Good luck!

This is just a shot in the dark - but I had a guy friend who got migraines alot. After a lot of trials, he stopped drinking diet drinks. As it turns out, he was having a reaction to the Aspartame. No Diet Coke, no headaches. I hope it is something this simple for you.

Hi L., I get horrible migraines and have gotten them for over 10 year. I have taken several things for them, finally a couple of years ago a doctor prescribed Topamax, it was like I was back to normal I had just had a migraine for 3 months straight (no joke). After starting the Topamax my migraine was gone now I take the Topamax everyday and rarely get a migraine, have your husband talk to your doctor about the medicine. Hope he gets some relief soon, Good Luck

My husband suffered from migranes for years. He decided he would try removing anything with caffeine from his diet. He has been migrane free ever since. The first two weeks were not fun since he loves coffee, but the end result has been great!

Best of luck, headaches are no fun!