When a headache strikes, what do you do about it?

Do you take pills? Which ones? How many? Do you eat or drink something? Do you go lie down? What about applying heat or cold? Or having someone press on your forehead (I read that in a yoga/massage book, complete with illustrative pictures)?

Do you treat different kinds of headaches in different ways? How?

-- Anonymous, June 07, 2001

Answers

I can wake up with a headache because I've been sleeping wrong on my pillow and now my neck's all stiff and stuff. Or I can get other "tension" headaches. Or I can get sinus headaches, which are a whole other thing because they usually indicate a deeper problem. And then there are hunger headaches which completely suck and they show up when I haven't eaten for several hours - they're hard to get rid of. I don't get migraines, thank God.

I haven't taken a naked aspirin or even buffered aspirin in years. I used to swear by extra-strength Tylenol (or generic equivalent). But my "hunger headaches" don't respond to anything but ibuprofen. And then I hammer the suckers with two extra strength. But that's a drag, because so much ibuprofen may not be a cool thing to do to myself, so lately I've tried extra-strength Excedrin, which is a combination of acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine (which they oh-so-seriously call an "enhancing ingredient" in the TV commercials). That seems to work OK. Oh, and Aleve works, I guess, but I don't bother with it.

Lying down or stretching or applying heat or cold or having someone stand on my forehead (just kidding) don't really do much to get rid of the pain, although a very hot shower can help.

-- Anonymous, June 07, 2001

It seems like lately my headaches are stress-related, or caused by thirst. So I drink some water and/or say, "Man, I'm so stressed out that I have a headache!" Then I stroll through the grocery store aisles and fantasize about romance and/or sex and/or travel. Then my headache's gone.

Or at least, that's how I got it to go away this evening.

-- Anonymous, June 07, 2001

i thnki a message does the trik!!!! thats how i got my new husnbnd!!! hi gweennn!!!!

-- Anonymous, June 07, 2001

I massage my temples and sometimes meditate for a few hours. That generally helps, since most of my headaches are all stress related. Yoga does work, but ever since i broke my pelvis thats been out of the question. For sinus headaches (I hate ALLERGIES!!!) I usually take about 1500- 2000mg of ibuprophin. My doctor says it's ok to take that much if thats all i take for 24 hrs. Thankfully i don't have to do that too often.

-- Anonymous, June 08, 2001

Like Gwen, I get headaches when I don't drink enough water, and also when I haven't eaten for a while (like if I skip a meal). In those cases, eating or drinking usually solves the problem.

If I've got a stress headache or something, I'll take a couple of aspirin if deep breathing and other relaxation techniques don't work. I prefer not to resort to drugs, but I'm not radical about it.

-- Anonymous, June 08, 2001

Funny, I came across this post as I was nursing a head ache. For stress, extra-strength tylenol and sex, (when I can get it) do the trick. Sinus headaches I use something like Sudafed. I also know about some acupressure points for sinus headaches. On the orbital socket bones, there are little bumps. One below the corner of the eye, one above. Pressing on them seems to help. Probably because that feeling overwhelms the headache feeling. A potential hangover is nipped in the bud by lots of H2O, A big glass of OJ with a teaspoon of honey (to speed up metabolizing the alcohol supposedly), two extra strength Tylenol and more water. One headache that you can't relate to at all Paul, is a PMS headache. My ob-gyn. said if we adjust my BC pills, it should take care of that. Don't know why that happens. Hurts like heck. And a headache no one will be able to relate to is from sleeping without a special little gizmo I use at night. I have extremely severe sleep apnea and if I don't use this expensive air flow generator to keep my airway open, then I'm O2 deprived and build up CO2 which makes me feel like crap, gives me a headache, raises my blood pressure, makes my peripheral tendons become inflamed and increases my risk for stroke and heart attack. (I was misdiagnosed for years 'cause I don't fit the typical patient profile). Anyway, the only way I can avoid that is by not passing out on the couch.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2001

Have you guys ever done the thing where you pinch the skin btw thumb and pointer figer? That web of skin is supposed to be an accupressure point.

I just end up pissed that I'm hurting my hand. But it does seem like while I'm pinching the hell out of myself, I don't notice my head hurting. When I stop, head ache returns.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001

Robyn: I've tried massaging that area rather than pinching it. Sometimes when I have a headache, it feels really tight, and a little massaging helps.

I've been to a couple of doctors for my headaches. The GP thinks they're tension headaches, not sinus, and sent me to the neurologist. The neurologist thinks they're sinus headaches.

I don't like taking a lot of prescription drugs but it's better than having my head hurt so much that I can't work. I've tried hot showers, lie-downs, heat and cold, massage, the whole nine yards ... sometimes even the Darvocet doesn't work. Yoga doesn't work well, either, and sometimes the poses actually irritate my sinuses.

Headaches just suck, don't they?

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2001