I didn't want this blog to become my complain-o-log, but bear with me for one post. I woke up at a ridiculous hour this morning with yet another massive headache. I detest taking painkillers, but they're the only thing that I've found that works to get rid of said headaches. Call me a wimp and that's okay, because when it comes to headaches, I really am. I can take nausea for months at a time (and frequently have). I can take extreme fatigue and still marginally function. I've lived through backaches, leg aches, sore muscles, sore throats--all sometimes for years at a time. But headaches? No way. Can't deal. I feel especially wimpy because I know some people who deal with headaches on a nearly daily basis. I have a few friends who deal with migraines on a regular basis.
So what I want to know is HOW do you deal with it? I'm a little worried about my stomach/kidneys/liver or whatever it is you ruin with painkillers. But I can't find anything else to make a headache go away. And please, the one piece of advice I don't want is to sleep it off. Sleeping makes my headaches worse. (Remember how I woke up with this massive headache? I went to sleep with a very minor one.) But other than that, how do you deal with headaches? I really want to know.
13 comments:
Here's a long answer. One good turn for another, I guess! :-)
Lots and lots of water. Especially the Kangen water. No, I'm not trying to be a commercial. But this is one of my testimonials of it. I noticed I have headaches MUCH less than I used to. And when I get them, the majority are not as bad as they've been.
I think I told you how a Heidi Headache was--it would start and just get worse until I went to sleep. Which, of course, doesn't work for you, but it also didn't help me if it started early in the day when my escape to sleep was not possible for many hours to come. If that headache started say around noon, I was in severe pain by early evening and it was pure misery. I have had some headaches reach such a terrible point that I can't fall asleep. I, also, do not take painkillers for similar reasons as you. Didn't want to become dependent, considering the frequency of my headaches. However, I have a guess that you're talking about more "powerful" painkillers than tylenol or ibuprofen.
Still, now I notice that many of my headaches do not get worse as the day goes on. They're still not the most comfortable, but I'm not feeling like I will pass out and throw up at the same time (which really would be all-out gross). I have even seen that if I increase my water intake when a headache begins, some of them have even gone away!
When I say lots of water, I do mean lots--at least 1.5 more quarts than my typical intake of 2-3. I've also noticed certain headaches are eased if I lay down on the side with the most pain. Blood flow or something? Pressing against the area of pain works for a time, but you can only do that so much before other parts of you are in pain.
Actually, last week I was having the teensiest of aches, and a girl was giving me a neck massage. As I've had less than 10 of any kind of massages in my lifetime, that was nice right there. But a part of the time she was also gently massaging my scalp and my word it felt so good then, and then realized later that the headache was gone.
You may have tried some of these. Yet I hope something helps. They aren't ever easy to deal with when they're bad, and I know yours are probably awful. I feel the pain. I really do.
I get these headaches that go all the way down one side of my body and Yoga is the only thing that helps.
Thanks for your ideas.
Heidi - I'll try more water. I'm drinking "enough," but not as much as you suggest. (1.5 liters even more.) I'm only taking ibuprofen and Exedrin, but still... I have to take so much for it to work. Yuck. I love massages when my head aches, but I notice they only work for about five minutes after the massage. Then it all comes back. Dang it! :) Because Morgan is a great neck masseuse. (sp?)
Kaylynn - I think Yoga is an interesting idea. Maybe I'll give that a try too.
I know chiropractors help, but I'm looking for cheap solutions for the time. The chiropractor will have to wait for now. Thanks!
I get headaches often as well. Here's what works for me:
Often they're a sign of dehydration, so the water suggestion is really good. You might also want to keep a Gatorade stash, because the electrolytes seem to help me more than regular water.
Also, when you're getting a massage for a tension headache (this is something Brian learned in all of his years as an athlete), make sure you get your shoulders and upper chest muscles (around your collarbone) massaged as well. They will hold tension, and if your neck muscles are relaxed but these muscles are tense, you're going to get tense again and the headache will come back.
My friend has luck with reflexology--press HARD down on the "web" of skin between the index finger and thumb. It will hurt, badly. Keep pressure for a minute or so, then release. That often works as a quick fix.
Thanks, Leanne. Those are all great ideas. I tried that web between finger and thumb last week, having forgotten that I had gotten a bruise there the day before. OUCH!!! :) I didn't realize you had to hold so long though. I'll have to try that.
I know you're not going to like this idea but, exercise is suppose to help the blood flow to the head and help with headaches. At least it will help prevent them.
Sara Lyn,
lots of info.
So let's consolidate:
H20 - Good (sometimes electrolyte power added, and a balanced diet of course)
Exercise - keeps the body functioning better.
Flexibility - reduces tension. Do after warm.
Massage - Morgan likes to pamper you...so let him! :)
Eat, move, relax.
Not too bad, eh?
Love you!
These are all great comments for how to avoid headaches as much as possible. I thank you all very much for them. Unfortunately, I should have been a little more clear. I'm pretty sure I know what's causing the headaches and for now, they're pretty much unavoidable. I'm trying to eat right, drink enough, exercise and all that good stuff. Doing my best there.
The golden question is - how do I get rid of a headache once I've got one without resorting to medication? (I tried Leanne's web-thing and that helped, but unfortunately, it still eventually came back to meds. Ah!)
Poooor baby!
My mom used to give us a teaspoon of honey, half an orange and Vitamin B6. 20-30 minutes of rest (that doesn't necessarily mean sleep) and we were good to go. Sometimes I'd still feel a little "foggy" but the pain was gone and I was much more pleasant to be around.
Hope this helps!
Wow, Amy! I've never heard of something like that. That's something I gotta try. Thanks!
Amy that was fascinating! I'm going to try that too.
The one thing I can think to add to the suggestions here is electrolytes. I really don't like Gatorade but it does help for prevention as well as helping them go away. I've also heard you can mix salt (preferably sea salt with those good minerals) with a glass of water and drink that. I haven't tried that one yet...sounds gross but might be better than Gatorade. :D
EP - First of all, who are you? :) (I am abysmally bad at guessing.) Secondly, a chiropractor once recommended to me that I take a tsp of sea salt with a glass of water once a day. I lasted about three days. :) But I passed that on to my mother-in-law and as far as I know, that works for her. The best way for me to get it down was dumping the tsp of salt down my throat and then drinking water as quickly as possible. Good luck with that! :)
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