headaches....

[notmybestday]

Hullo --

Does anyone else suffer from constant headaches?

I've found headaches to be a lot more noticeable lately with IC. I suppose it's from the tension of having to hold my urine in a lot (I'm in college) and maybe focusing on my lady bits so much. I don't know if you can call it a migraine, but it feels like something's always being pinched in the back of my head. Very tense, kind of on the brink of release or something without ever releasing. It is not usually alleviated by voiding. Sometimes, I feel my vision going double, too.

Does this point to something else? Or is this fairly common with IC'ers? :confused:

As always, thank you.

[runningemiles]

The vision is usually an onset or symptom of a migraine. I am wondering if the tension in your neck from the stress of school, IC, etc. is causing the headaches. Just a thought. I had this problem and realized it all went to my neck. However, over the past year I started getting migraines but they come and go and do not last consistantly like yours. I do think headaches are common with ICers

[Berkshire Road]

Are you taking any painkillers? Vicodin, for example, gave me killer headaches. When I switched to percocet, I had no further problems. Just a thought.

But yes, IC causes us all a lot of stress, and a lot of people get stress headaches. You should really probably talk to your doctor about this.

[ICNDonna]

You really need to see your doctor --- frequent headaches is one of those symptoms that could be any number of things.

Hugs,
Donna

[Katrina]

There are so many possibilities here that I agree with Donna that you need to talk to your doctor. That said I deal with practically daily headaches. Many are migraines if I don't treat them fast enough. I had many bad ones when IC was bad. There is the possibility that your headaches are from a medication too....been there done that and boy was that torture.
One of my biggest pet peeves with migraines and IC....not being able to tolerate aspirin, ibuprofen, or caffeine....and migraines like blood thinners as treatment.

So to answer you question.....yes it could point to something else and yes it isn't all that uncommon amoung IC patients but the reasons for that are numerous and you need to know yours! :grouphug: I hope you can get them under control soon!

http://icandme.9.forumer.com/index.php?showtopic=462&st=0&#entry2130 headache

[born2swim]

Hey there! I am in college too and I would say I have been getting more headaches now than I used to. I think there are a lot of reasons for that: some days I don't get enough water (hard to force myself to drink on campus), poor diet (I have restrictions for IC and I have restrictions for a stomach problem right now), poor sleep, clenching my teeth at night, and then meds. I have had 2 migraines in the last year (only had one previously in my whole life). Those 2 were horrible: where I saw black dots and started to dry heave from the pain.

So... yeah... stress also causes headaches, but I think the above mentioned things is what my headaches are from.

[Sheryle]

I have certainly had my share of headaches. I can concur that they are an unwelcome party to IC. I hardly ever remember having a headache in my younger years but since being diagnosed I have very serious migraines from time to time. As a matter of fact, I am due to have botox injections around my head on Friday for them. I have had this treatment before and it worked well, just wish it would last longer. For those of you having migraines, what are you using to help with the pain?

[ICNJess]

I agree with the others, you need to talk to your doctor about this though I must say for the last year I have gotten several horrible migraines and they were related to stress or eye strain.

[SharonA]

Have you been able to get in to see your doctor about these headaches, yet? Please let us know what was said. :)

[Katrina]

on what doing with my migrianes:
Currently first is Basil and and other herbs but when I know it is migriane 10mg of Maxalt.
some other things I like are magnesium, meltatonin, and feverfew.

[Sheryle]

:smile teeAfter two weeks with a migraine that was unrelenting my husband decided he'd seen me suffer enough and insisted I go to the ER Sunday night after he came in from church (He is a pastor and I never miss, but had missed Wed. night, Sun. AM and PM). Well, that is when the nightmare began. We got to the ER (an hours drive from home) and signed in and I was triaged. After waiting two hours and 45 minutes we were finally called back. When they took my vitals and realized how dehydrated I was they began trying to find a vein so they could get some fluids in me. Honestly, this is no exaggeration - after 14 sticks they finally got me going. A little bit later the nurse came in and asked if I had ever had dilaudid for migraines. I told her I wasn't sure. I've rarely ever had to go to the ER with a migraine. Anyway, she told me the doc wanted to try me with 2mg of dilaudid and phenergren. I got immediate relief from the nausea and the headache was some better. She came back in 20 minutes later and asked how I was doing so I told her the nausea was much better but my head was still hurting. So...she went out and came right back in with another 4mg of dilaudid and more phenergren. Forgive me, folks, for being so ignorant, but I had no idea they were about to almost send me to my death. My husband had walked the halls some, come back in and noticed I was breathing too slow. Then he noticed my oxygen level had dropped. About the time it got around 92%, my eyes rolled back and I went into seizures - he said my face turned purple - and he started hollering and he said the staff came running. I obviously was unaware of any of this, thank God! Well, to undo the overdose they had administered they gave me narcan which immediately removes all narcotics from your body instantly. It took them a bit to get me back around (My poor hubby was terrified and had been fervently praying as they worked...LOL) I love it! Once I was aware that something major had happened the headache hit me X 10 due to the narcan. So, we had to wait an hour and start all over. This time they gave me nuban and phenergren...in tiny increments at a time (smile) and we got to go home around 6 am Monday morning. I am sincerely grateful that God saw fit for not only that I would be revived but that I have no loss of faculties. God is good! So, in case you decide to go to the ER for a migraine, be careful, ask lots of questions and then make sure they put a monitor on you that they can see from the nurses station. It just may save your life!

[runningemiles]

Thanks for sharing and I am so glad you are okay!