Intense Headaches - Please Help

[ThoughtFullMama]

I get super-intense headaches that come out of nowhere and are increasing in frequency and in how aweful they feel. I've been to two Doctors and both of them just wrote me a priscription, which I didn't fill, because I can't take meds - they affect me very strongly - some make me vomit, or tired, or just feel 'off.' Anyhow, I've been self-treating by getting 2x monthly massages, but it's SO expensive. It seems to keep them away for a few days, a week at most, then they begin a steady increase in frequency again.

I'm wondering if it could be sugar or caffeine related. I also just gave birth about eight months ago and lost quite a bit of blood, does anyone know if that can cause these types of headaches? Also, my periods, although I'm still almost exclusivley breat feeding, are very heavy, and the headaches do get worse around then.

They are getting to the point where I become confused or just can't talk when I am having the onset of one. Then they fade a bit, or almost totally after about 30 seconds, but I'm left feeling tired and crappy the rest of the day - or until I get another one, which makes the after effect worse.

I do eat very well, but don't get much phys. activity. I like sugar - mostly natural sugars - and black tea.

Sorry if this is rambly or non-sensical, I don't feel very well. TIA

[BellinghamCrunchie]

Low iron can cause headaches, but I haven't heard of them causing the kind you are talking about.

These headaches are very intense, come on suddenly, but only last about 30 seconds, is that right?

If so, it might not be a bad idea to see an opthalmologist. Optic nerve issues can cause that type of headache (without necessarily causing any change in vision).

[Ravenlunatic]

I would find a good holistic health care practitioner that you trust and have them run some blood panels, check your thyroid, and other endocrine functions.

Have you tried an elimination diet? Food allergies can cause headaches.

Have you tried chiropractic? A spine out of alignment can cause headaches?

YOu could also go to a chinese herbalist and have them give you their 2 cents and some really good tea.

[mamaw/two]

I'm sorry you are having such bad headaches, I know how bad it feels when no one will take you seriously. I had a similar experience toward the end of my last pregnancy. I was getting monthly massages and regular chiro visits, as well as taking a good multivitamin and an extra b-complex. At about 37 weeks I started getting really bad headaches every day within a few days I was having 2 to 4 everyday, I would get visual problems followed by a really bad headache that would last a few hours, but what really scared me was when I was trying to read a book with dd and couldn't say the words that I could see, in fact I couldn't hardly talk or think staight at all. I went into the chiro and she adjusted me, but by the time I got home another one was coming back on again, I was starting to think I was having a stroke! I went back to her and she thought that the adjustments weren't holding because I was low in b vitamins, I told her I was taking a good b-complex once a day, she said take it twice as much three times a day. I thought that sounded like crazy amounts of b-vitamins, but she said that b vitamins are water soulble and any extra will just be peed out. I followed her advice and the headaches were gone!!!! I was able to slowly cut back on them and am back to just one a day.

[EENS]

I suffered from daily headaches for about 15 years. I've been on several headache medicines including zomig (I can't remember the others) which did nothing. As soon as I cut out the dairy and gluten, they disappeared, along with my acne. I think the gluten was the headache trigger while the dairy is the acne trigger.

To this day, if I have just a bit of gluten, I can count on a headache returning within hours.

Just my 2 cents.