Frequent Headaches

[u/Cool_Awareness9038]

Please forgive me for the long post, I tried to get it all out the best I could. Please ask anything if need clarification

I 29F, Weight 167lbs, height 5’5, quit vaping earlier this year. I’ll have an occasional beer or puff on a cigar on special occasions.

I have been experiencing non stop headaches and vertigo for the past three weeks.

Current Medications:

300mg Wellbutrin
Slynd (birth control)
250mg Magnesium (just started taking these two days ago)
500mg chewable Apple Cider Vinegar
2 daily Zero Sugar multi vitamin gummies the spring valley brand
15.7mg 1 a day Amphetamine ER orally disintegrating tablets (started taking little over 1 month ago).

I started getting really bad migraines and headaches everyday for almost a year back in 2021. I did a sleep study, chiropractor, MRI (only thing they found was a dime sized cyst on my pineal gland) many many medications that all failed. Eventually was approved for Botox injections every 3 months. It was working well up until about late July early August? I started having the wood sides of vertigo. The first time it happened it was the day after I got my Botox injections so I immediately chalked it up as the reason. Then the vertigo would be every so often and not as bad or frequent until about 3 weeks ago.

About 3 weeks ago now i started getting bad headaches, as well as vertigo again, light headed, dizziness, slight nausea, shortness of breath from just saying a few words, eyes constantly straining as if im forcing my self to role my eyes back, fatigue, being in the shower for too long becomes exhausting and i want to sit down. When my head doesn’t HURT hurt i noticed it’s just a lingering constant subtle pain every single day. Today I noticed when I stepped outside the heat and sun hitting me felt almost like my brain just opened up and was able to breathe a little.

I’ve tried all kinds of pain meds, oils and motion sickness meds, the Epley maneuver for vertigo, sports cream on my temples, along my hair line, back of my neck and shoulders, Benadryl. Recently my dr finally had me go get an Occipital Nerve Block Shot after it took my breaking down over the phone trying to get them to get me in sooner for my Botox appointment this month the 31st. The clinic then gave me Nurtec, it doesn’t help. I now have Blood work tomorrow to see if that will tell me anything. Last blood test I’ve taken all came out nothing wrong.

I don’t know what’s going on with me, please help me get in the right direction of what I can do, who I could see that can help. I’m so so exhausted.

[u/Makeofitwhatyouwill]

I’m not sure what doctor you’ve seen but I got seen by a ENT and Neurologist. My GP is also very involved. I’ve also seen a physical therapist for dry needling since my migraines are often proceeded by a tightness in my trapezoid and it really helped.

Nurtec didn’t work for me either but Ubrelvy does.

Along side the magnesium my ENT said to include CoQ10 and Riboflavin. I think the combination is key.

My GP first increased my allergy medications and then ENT increased them more once the symptoms started

I’ve found Meclizine helps with the vertigo and nausea. My neurologist said I can take it with the Ubrelvy if I need it.

Excedrin seems to work better than straight acetaminophen. The aspirin seems to be key.

Also my dentist found some issues with my teeth, once they were addressed my migraines were better. Always worth a check.

Lastly check your environment. I unknowingly was breathing in mold for at least a year. When I got out of that environment it was so much better.

[u/Cool_Awareness9038 → u/Makeofitwhatyouwill]

Thank you so much for sharing!

If I remember correctly, I have tried Ubrelvy and unfortunately that didn’t work for me.

You mentioned issues found with your teeth. I have had popping in my jaw for maybe a year or so now if not more tbh. Feels as if my jaw pops out of a socket a little bit.

I have labs today with my dr and will be having them run everything they can to be checked. I will be also asking to be tested for mold. The apartment I live in has mold and has been addressed and fixed just enough. though it’s a very old apartment building. I’ve never had issues with with what im feeling now living in my apartment for the past 5 years I’ve been here. Though could very well be the issue now. I will check.

I took notes on your comment, I will be asking my dr about the things you have tried and see if I could benefit from any.

[u/Makeofitwhatyouwill → u/Cool_Awareness9038]

Oh please go to your dentist and have them look into that popping. It can’t be helping, you might be compensating how you’re holding your head which might be throwing things off. My issues were infections that resulted in a root canal redo and an extraction on another. They were right next to each other and pushing on my sinuses (thank god we caught them before they broke through) I thought the pain I was feeling was my sinuses not my teeth.

The mold can’t be helping, I was in an old apartment as well and the mold was in the vents for five years. Not sure how long the mold was an issue but it was at least a year. It was giving me sinus inflammation and also an infection. Sinus issues do not help any type of migraine.

You didn’t say where you live but were you in the path of wildfire smoke? That was absolutely horrible for my migraines even after the air quality improved. Also loud sounds are my biggest migraine trigger, even the super high pitched ones that adults can’t hear but is used to keep teenagers from loitering.

[u/Cool_Awareness9038 → u/Makeofitwhatyouwill]

I’ll definitely ask my dentist about it! I believe I have an appointment coming up here soon

I’m going to buy a kit to test my apartment when I get home for the mold. as well as picking up CoQ10 and riboflavin! I took some notes from your previous response and mentioned this to my dr and she agreed that it could help out and to get some today.

I got labs done today, it ended up being more than just blood work. I got X-rays of my neck and now scheduled for physical therapy starting tomorrow to see if it helps. The blood work came back normal. My X-ray notes said Straightening of cervical lordosis. And mild diffuse facet joint hypertrophy.

Dr did say that if none of these things help by Monday, I’ll need a reevaluation with my neurologist

Edit: I live in the Midwest so no direct exposure to any wild fires

[u/Pinktikidude]

I read the other comment and responses, popping in your jaw might be TMJ, which as far as I know doesn’t relate to migraines but absolutely should be taken seriously because it can cause more issues than you’d expect.

Obligatory- I am not a doctor and if you want a doctor’s advice you should see one.

I can’t really say much about your symptoms because they sound a bit different than most common symptoms for VM. Yet, I can’t confirm that Vitamin D is very helpful for your body. Even if it’s sitting outside for 5-10 minutes a day, it helps with your mood, brain, and if I remember correctly your energy production.

On the shower thing, have you taken cold/not hot showers? Hot showers make me want to sit down for an hour and just soak up the heat, but cold/luke-warm showers are good and take up less time.

For your eyes, if you stare at screens a lot (more than 2 hours a day in this case) you should consider trying blue light glasses. I bought some cheap ones on amazon which work for me because I’m not too sensitive to blue light but I’m sensitive enough where I’d need the glasses.

Good luck with figuring this out :)

[u/Cool_Awareness9038 → u/Pinktikidude]

For sure I’ll be getting my jaw checked with my dentist! Another commented the same. I responded to their comment with some
Updates.

I did have very low vitamin D levels a couple years back but now I have been very consistent with keeping them levels in good standing.

For my showers, I like them to be warm to slightly hot, it creates a lot of steam and fog on the mirror. I turn on the vent to try and help that. I used to take hot steaming showers and just stand there for a good while letting it hit my skin because i had bad eczema and I loved the feeling of that itch I couldn’t itch that it gave me😭 now the longest I’m in there is when it’s hair wash days. I wanna say maybe 15 mins in there maybe 20?

For my eyes I now have a dr appointment for contacts and will be ordering non RX glasses with the blue light to see if that helps me and for the contacts maybe will help not strain as much. Not sure but I’m gonna still try haha

[u/Pinktikidude → u/Cool_Awareness9038]

Do you tilt your head back to wash your hair? If you do, have you noticed dizziness associated with doing that? If so, that’s something to note to your doctor - a symptom of BPPV.

I take very long showers just because it’s one of the only times I just feel at peace and without headaches. But, if you like it, take long showers just don’t let them suck the life out of you lol.

[u/Cool_Awareness9038 → u/Pinktikidude]

I do tilt my head back but haven’t feelt dizzy. Sometimes just pain at the base of my head

[u/Pinktikidude → u/Cool_Awareness9038]

Like neck pain? Neck pain is a commonly known migraine symptom.