*Whining ahead* I have had a headache for five days

[Ginevra]

Sorry if this seems like a petty thing in the midst of a pandemic, but I do not know what the heck is the reason. My head has been hurting, in varying levels of intensity for five solid days. I go to bed popping Advil PM and wake up with a headache first thing I notice as I wake up. Head still aches. 

I don’t know if this is a peri-menopause thing (last period was in December) or it could have to do with the stress of this virus. Everyone in my household is arguing with everyone else. My husband waffles between the “media hysteria” viewpoint and then freaking the f*ck out because our daughter is in France and isn’t even making plans to come home. My son acts like I’m the Draconian Jailer who has sentenced him to an eternity of online gaming and family dinners. It seems like everyone expects me to have some sort of brilliant solution to all the problems. News flash: I HAVE NONE! And my head hurts! 

Sorry. Rant over. I don’t know why my head just continues to pound incessantly but maybe that ^^ is a decent explanation. 

[NorthwestMom]

Hugs to you. That is probably a decent explanation. Also, it is allergy season here and I have had a sinus headache and mildly scratchy throat on and off for a week.  Maybe that could be contributing to your headache as well?

[NorthwestMom]

1 minute ago, HeighHo said:

Are you hydrated?

Have you checked your blood pressure?

Do you have any swelling?

Please, go see the doc. Headache is a side effect of your cancer med and its also a possibility of blood clot caused by your recent airline trip.  Five days is the signal it is abnormal and needs to be checked out.

Oh yikes, yes do this!!

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, HeighHo said:

Are you hydrated?

Have you checked your blood pressure?

Do you have any swelling?

Please, go see the doc. Headache is a side effect of your cancer med and its also a possibility of blood clot caused by your recent airline trip.  Five days is the signal it is abnormal and needs to be checked out.

Thank you but I’m not going to the doctor for a headache in the middle of a pandemic. 

I don’t have a bp cuff at home but I was at my oncolgist’s last week and my bp is better than perfect. 

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, HeighHo said:

You don't have to go in.  Telemedicine is available.

 

Also, has anyone in your house been cleaning with both ammonia and chlorine containing products?  Check to see that they aren't stored together -- they'll mix enough to give canaries a headache...and if you are the smallest or closest, you are the  canary.

No. Nobody makes those cleaning mistakes here. 

[PeterPan]

Sorry you're having headaches. When that happens to me, I go back through all the basics:

-chiropractor. Sometimes my neck gets off and gives me headaches. Very often if I'm waking up with a headache, that's why. 

-new glasses. When I need new glasses, I get headaches like that. Not fun, because that means it takes weeks to get the appointment, get the new lenses, etc. On the plus side, if your glasses got bumped, maybe they just need adjusted. If you have progressives, you can be looking through different strengths when they're off kilter.

-low oxygen. You can use a pulse oximeter for this, but also just sit outside for an hour and see if you feel a bit better. If you feel up to walking outside, that's fine too. But just sitting will do the trick. Take a book and some tea and park.

-caffeine withdrawals. I try to be really careful about caffeine, but it could be a thing for some people.

-bizarre little noises. Speakers, fans, anything that vibrates. Wifi gives me problems, so I check to make sure every device is still in airplane mode.

-fragrance

-mold, especially in the bathroom, like the edge of the showers or the ceiling. Mainly it bothers my asthma, but that can lead to headaches.

-constipated, bowels not moving. Eat some fresh veges, salad, fiber cereal, or take inulin. Drink water.

-garlic. Good for what ails you. Mince and eat raw 1-2 cloves daily.

-cranial sacral. I've banged my head a few times, so I need to deal with the headaches from the concussions. 

-funny movies or call a distant friend. You might be STRESSED.

I hope you get it figured out. I pretty much do EVERYTHING and hope something makes a difference. Fwiw, it sounds like you're very stressed. Go spend some time to yourself or do whatever helps stress. I feel other people's stress, so I have to take extra care of myself when people around me are stressed. We've been watching Marx Brothers movies, cooking fun foods, doing anything to cut through the stress. Stress is physical and HURTS.

Edited March 16, 2020 by PeterPan

[Carol in Cal.]

PeterPan had a great list.

I would add--dry congestion.  I occasionally get very persistent headaches from sinus congestion even when my nose is relatively clear.  I find that in that case if I take a 60mg dose of real Sudafed (the kind you have to sign for) and a hot bath with plenty of steam that those kinds of headaches usually dissipate in about half an hour.  That is always my last resort before calling the doctor.

[Guest]

That’s a great list @PeterPan. Thanks! There are a couple of things on there I could try which might be relevant. 

I do have a Pulse Oximeter because I bought one a couple weeks ago from Amazon due to the wuhan coronavirus thread! Just in case we got sick, it would help us to know how seriously ill we are. 

[PeterPan]

40 minutes ago, HeighHo said:

I am going to quit posting before you get annoyed; but your cancer med has side effects such as headache and blood clot.  Your onc has gone over when to call about what symptoms, right?  Five days of headache is abnormal. 

Yes, if you're on any medication talking with the doctor is in order. Not to be morbid, but I actually knew someone who died during her cancer treatment from a headache. It was an indication of something else going on, and then she was just gone. So definitely definitely listen to HH here and be calling your doc if there's any possibility they're connected. 

[PrincessMommy]

Is it possible it's allergies?  Mine have been super bad and last week I had a headache for 3 days. Two of those days were just horrible.  I can't take Ibuprofen but I was popping Tylenol and pseudaphedrine and it was barely touching it.  I sent dh out in the midst of the worst craziness to buy Xyzal and after 2 days it seems to calm it down.

 

Anyway, I feel for you.  I was just feeling terrible... I can't imagine in lasting 5days!  

 

Edited March 16, 2020 by PrincessMommy

[Lori D.]

Also, carbon monoxide exposure causes extended headaches. Any chance that a fuel/gas-powered appliance is leaking a small amount where you are breathing it? (Space heater, furnace, water heater, gas oven/range...) Running a car to warm it up in an enclosed garage? Propane tank that is not completely/tightly turned off? Fireplace or wood-burning stove not venting thoroughly?

Ug! Best wishes for quickly getting this resolved!

[EmseB]

5 hours ago, Quill said:

No. Nobody makes those cleaning mistakes here. 

In my house no one but me is likely to even have the possibility of making "cleaning mistakes".😂

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, EmseB said:

In my house no one but me is likely to even have the possibility of making "cleaning mistakes".😂

Same. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Lori D. said:

Also, carbon monoxide exposure causes extended headaches. Any chance that a fuel/gas-powered appliance is leaking a small amount where you are breathing it? (Space heater, furnace, water heater, gas oven/range...) Running a car to warm it up in an enclosed garage? Propane tank that is not completely/tightly turned off? Fireplace or wood-burning stove not venting thoroughly?

Ug! Best wishes for quickly getting this resolved!

We have a carbon monoxide detector, so I don’t think it’s that. 

[PeterPan]

1 hour ago, StellaM said:

Then google do yoga with me office neck and there should be a 7 min (or so) video for the neck which almost always gets rid of my headaches when they are tension. It will help if yours are tension too.

Ooo, I'm gonna do that! 

[mmasc]

I’m sorry you’ve had a headache for so long. That sucks. You’re not asking for opinions, but here’s mine. 😊I’d go with two possibilities:

1) tension

2) dry sinuses 

most likely, a combo of both. I’d  start by not doing the Advil PM because diphenhydramine (the PM part) always makes me super dry, which leads to headache—for me anyway.
At bedtime I’d run a humidifier and then upon waking, I’d take 4 regular 200mg Advil/ibuprofen with a strong dose of coffee (for the caffeine) Then I’d take 4 more 6 hours later;  4 more 6 hours later. This is usually the only thing that helps IF mine is sinus/dryness. 
since you’ve likely got tension going on too, I’d do that video Stella recommends before bed as well. Come at this thing with all you’ve got!!! 

I hope you feel better!

(I’m not a doctor and obviously have no idea if any of this interferes with anything else you’re taking)

[ikslo]

If it was me, my son would be telling my I’m obviously dehydrated. 

 

ETA: He’s usually right.  But 5 days is a long time and agree you should call your doctor.

Edited March 17, 2020 by ikslo

[Annie G]

I would guess stress.  For various reasons Dh and I have been under pretty serious stress for a few years and we’re both (finally!) very tuned in to how our bodies react to stress. How do you usually react to stress? Like, if usually you clean like a crazy woman but you feel no urge to do so, maybe your body is now finding another way to deal with the stress. Which might be headaches. 
 

No matter what the cause, I feel for you. Days of headaches would be exhausting. 

 

[Chris in VA]

Just to throw  something in the mix...

Dd had flu last week. She told me Monday that she had had a 4 day headache. Tuesday she felt horrible and asked if I woyld take her to the dr (had other  symptoms by then).  Tested positive for flu, took Tamiflu, was almost completely better by the  next day. 

So you live sort of near her, and my thought is maybe there  is a flu that starts w a headache? 

[Katy]

what kind of headache?  Where is it located?  Can you describe it?

Is your urine pale yellow or clear and not cloudy?

Have you had spring seasonal allergies in the past?  Are you allergic to dust or mold?  Have you gotten tension headaches in the past?

Can you make yourself a big bowl of yellow rice for lunch (with lots of turmeric to lower inflammation?).

[Scarlett]

23 hours ago, Quill said:

Sorry if this seems like a petty thing in the midst of a pandemic, but I do not know what the heck is the reason. My head has been hurting, in varying levels of intensity for five solid days. I go to bed popping Advil PM and wake up with a headache first thing I notice as I wake up. Head still aches. 

I don’t know if this is a peri-menopause thing (last period was in December) or it could have to do with the stress of this virus. Everyone in my household is arguing with everyone else. My husband waffles between the “media hysteria” viewpoint and then freaking the f*ck out because our daughter is in France and isn’t even making plans to come home. My son acts like I’m the Draconian Jailer who has sentenced him to an eternity of online gaming and family dinners. It seems like everyone expects me to have some sort of brilliant solution to all the problems. News flash: I HAVE NONE! And my head hurts! 

Sorry. Rant over. I don’t know why my head just continues to pound incessantly but maybe that ^^ is a decent explanation. 

Quill I had headaches like that when I was approaching menopause. Try some moist heat on your face.  Alternate with ice. Do some stretching exercises..... 

[Ausmumof3]

Hoping you’re feeling a bit better.  It’s not petty - headaches really are awful.

[Penguin]

Quill, we have kids in Europe. I feel like I have had a brick sitting on my chest for days.

I saw your thread that she is coming home, and that is complicated too. It could for sure be stress. Has your stress manifested itself as a headache in the past?

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Penguin said:

Quill, we have kids in Europe. I feel like I have had a brick sitting on my chest for days.

I saw your thread that she is coming home, and that is complicated too. It could for sure be stress. Has your stress manifested itself as a headache in the past?

Yes. When I worked for the law firm I had a headache every day. 

How is your ds? 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Chris in VA said:

Just to throw  something in the mix...

Dd had flu last week. She told me Monday that she had had a 4 day headache. Tuesday she felt horrible and asked if I woyld take her to the dr (had other  symptoms by then).  Tested positive for flu, took Tamiflu, was almost completely better by the  next day. 

So you live sort of near her, and my thought is maybe there  is a flu that starts w a headache? 

It’s a possibility. Flu was purportedly epidemic-level before the Covid thing made it seem irrelevant. 

In December, all my family had the flu. I, who had a flu shot, squeezed by with a touch of fatigue and a four-day severe headache. 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Katy said:

what kind of headache?  Where is it located?  Can you describe it?

Is your urine pale yellow or clear and not cloudy?

Have you had spring seasonal allergies in the past?  Are you allergic to dust or mold?  Have you gotten tension headaches in the past?

Can you make yourself a big bowl of yellow rice for lunch (with lots of turmeric to lower inflammation?).

Right now, it’s at the front of my head, though sometimes it’s at the base. At the moment, it’s a dull I’m-still-here-dontcha-know ache in the top front of my head (not my forehead). It’s not severe; it hasn’t been severe at any time over the last several days, but it doesn’t go away completely. I go to bed with it, I wake up with it. 

I do have mild seasonal allergies every year. I am also allergic to dust, which got stirred up with the cleaning I have been doing. I do also get tension headaches. I used to get them constantly when I worked in a toxically stressful law firm with a gigantically assholish boss. I mean, to put it nicely. 😏

I may try the yellow rice. Never made that before but it’s a good idea. 

PS, nothing unusual in my urine. 

Edited March 17, 2020 by Quill

[Katy]

4 minutes ago, Quill said:

Right now, it’s at the front of my head, though sometimes it’s at the base. At the moment, it’s a dull I’m-still-here-dontcha-know ache in the top front of my head (not my forehead). It’s not severe; it hasn’t been severe at any time over the last several days, but it doesn’t go away completely. I go to bed with it, I wake up with it. 

I do have mild seasonal allergies every year. I am also allergic to dust, which got stirred up with the cleaning I have been doing. I do also get tension headaches. I used to get them constantly when I worked in a toxically stressful law firm with a gigantically assholish boss. I mean, to put it nicely. 😏

I may try the yellow rice. Never made that before but it’s a good idea. 

PS, nothing unusual in my urine. 

 

If the tylenol Pm didn't help (that has benadryl), it's probably not allergies, or not predominantly. Maybe tension/stress/worry about DD?  Maybe some light virus going around.

I'd make yellow rice with chicken for lunch or dinner, at least twice as much turmeric as typical.  And if you can stand chai tea, make some.  It's black tea with ginger, cinnamon, sugar and milk.  Put in twice as much spice as typical.   Then try to drink at least two liters of water between lunch & bed.   That should lower inflammation.

If it lasts another week I'd call your doctor.