I'm 34 and have suffered from "chronic" headaches since about 18. I've been to doc after doc and had a ct and nothing. I've been told they are just stess or tension. I can't believe that I wake up and have been stressed all night.

The Neuro doc said that this is something that I'll problably just have to learn to live with. I'm taking Fiorinol and Neurontin for pain. I've gotten so depressed and sad that this is my life. I've tried several different Anti-depressants and nothing works, I am very sensitive to them.

I'd love to hear from others that are suffering and what you are doing to get through each day.

Thanks,

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Julie
34 w/ 2 kids

Julie am I reading your post right... that you wake up with the headaches? That is a CLASSIC sign of TMJ disorder and/or night-time clenching and grinding (bruxism). Have you been screened for TMJ and/or bruxism? When clench your teeth at night, you are working your jaw, face, temporal, and neck muscles all night long when they are supposed to be at rest. That's what causes morning headaches in people who do it. And sometimes you don't even know you do it. I am a bigtime clencher and didn't know I was doing it until diagnosed with TMJ disorder.

Anyway it's just a thought. If you've tried everything, it might be worth sitting down with your dentist to discuss whether you are bruxing. He can give you a night splint to help. BUT be careful... if you are grinding your teeth then a full mouth splint is best, but if you are a clencher then full mouth splints can promote clenching, in which case there are splints that only let your front teeth touch (called NTI's) that work best for clenching reduction.

Anyway, just a thought. It's just that I went for years with morning headaches, and headaches that would last weeks without relief, and it turns out all that time it was due to night clenching that I didn't even know I was doing.

Melanie