tiggertoo2174
06-23-2008, 12:13 PM
I started back to PT last week for my neck/shoulder problems. My most recent appt was Friday afternoon. Saturday afternoon I started getting a lot of pain in my neck and a severe headache. My regular meds (1/2 tab oxycodone 5mg 4xday, flexeril 3xday) don't touch it and the only OTC med I can take is Tylenol - allergic to the NSAIDS. About the only things that seem to help a bit are biofreeze and some heat. I'm at work and can't use heat (silly ban on anything electric that gets hot). :(
I know I need to talk to the PT about this when I go tomorrow, but any suggestions in the meantime?
Tigg.
I know I need to talk to the PT about this when I go tomorrow, but any suggestions in the meantime?
Tigg.
Sponsor
forginon
06-23-2008, 12:54 PM
Yes.
Try caffeine. About the equivalent of two cups of coffee. I have found caffeine to be a wonder drug for really bad headaches. You just don't want to use this too often, as it will begin to cause rebound headaches.
steve
Try caffeine. About the equivalent of two cups of coffee. I have found caffeine to be a wonder drug for really bad headaches. You just don't want to use this too often, as it will begin to cause rebound headaches.
steve
tiggertoo2174
06-23-2008, 01:31 PM
Thanks Steve, I'd forgotten about that. I'll get some diet MD. The coffee around here could be used to clean engines.
Tigg.
Tigg.
tandycipps
06-23-2008, 02:30 PM
Hi,
I have severe neck problems and so many headaches! I wake up with them or I will just get one during the day. I take lortab10/500 for the neck pain and fiornal for the headaches. Sometimes that doesn't even work and I'll get an ice pack and put on the back of my head and neck and that will work wonders for me. I sure hope you find something to help, headaches are a terrible thing to have especially when your trying to work.
I have severe neck problems and so many headaches! I wake up with them or I will just get one during the day. I take lortab10/500 for the neck pain and fiornal for the headaches. Sometimes that doesn't even work and I'll get an ice pack and put on the back of my head and neck and that will work wonders for me. I sure hope you find something to help, headaches are a terrible thing to have especially when your trying to work.
Gramps6
06-23-2008, 02:56 PM
Dear Tiggertoo:
I'm not familiar w/ your history but I sure hope your dr has imaged your neck thoroughly before referring you to PT. This unfortunately isn't always the case & people end up worsening their condition. If you can't use electric heating devices, there are creams like capsaican that will provide temporary relief. Also thermacare patches help may people. I find the pressure of hot water directly on my neck in the shower helps. Also, fish oils will help if there's an inflammation problem. Good luck. Please tell your therapist about new pains. Take care,
Gramps6
I'm not familiar w/ your history but I sure hope your dr has imaged your neck thoroughly before referring you to PT. This unfortunately isn't always the case & people end up worsening their condition. If you can't use electric heating devices, there are creams like capsaican that will provide temporary relief. Also thermacare patches help may people. I find the pressure of hot water directly on my neck in the shower helps. Also, fish oils will help if there's an inflammation problem. Good luck. Please tell your therapist about new pains. Take care,
Gramps6
123dietdrpepper
06-23-2008, 05:10 PM
Try excedrine - maybe that will help - it has alot of caffiene. Hope you feel better and tell that pt person to lighten up will ya?
Arthr Itis
06-23-2008, 05:49 PM
I've never heard of caffiene for headaches. Maybe I'll have to stock up on Mt. Dew. I have developed a painful area in about the middle of my neck. It only hurts when I turn it a certain way. But when I do that the pain goes right up the side of my head and I get a nasty headache. That has always boggled my mind, how can someone with all these narcotics in their system get a headache?
Fred
Fred
forginon
06-23-2008, 06:00 PM
Fred,
Headaches (HA) are kinda funny that way.
My HAs, expecially migraines, are darn near immune to narcotics. I have great success with Imitrex, but opioids just tend to make them worse.
Caffeine has an effect on the blood vessels that line the brain. This happens to be similar to the how serotonin affects the vessels, which is released when Imitrex is administered. I have known for years that caffeine was good against really bad HAs, I just never knew why until recently.
steve
Headaches (HA) are kinda funny that way.
My HAs, expecially migraines, are darn near immune to narcotics. I have great success with Imitrex, but opioids just tend to make them worse.
Caffeine has an effect on the blood vessels that line the brain. This happens to be similar to the how serotonin affects the vessels, which is released when Imitrex is administered. I have known for years that caffeine was good against really bad HAs, I just never knew why until recently.
steve
Arthr Itis
06-23-2008, 06:02 PM
Go figure!
aussiejono
06-23-2008, 07:06 PM
1. Try Excedrin Tension Headache instead of Tylenol
2. Buy some of thuse heat wraps that self heat via a chemical reaction, they realy do work
2. Buy some of thuse heat wraps that self heat via a chemical reaction, they realy do work
123dietdrpepper
06-23-2008, 07:16 PM
Today, I have had a terrible headache going up my neck and I tried this biofreeze and it has helped amazingly well.
Sage48
06-23-2008, 09:26 PM
Before I had my ACDF I developed the most horrible headache I have ever had..had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance..HORRIBLE..
The Dr. said it was a cervogenic headache. I took all of the available meds. I had before my husband called the ambulance...and they did nothing for that headache...even threw up...and thought ok...if it's a migrane the headache will go away...it didn't....actually got worse. I was given an injection at the hospital..it helped the headache about 80 per cent...but it lingered for a few days in the background.
Ask your Dr. about this kind of headache...it is caused by problems in the neck.
Sage
The Dr. said it was a cervogenic headache. I took all of the available meds. I had before my husband called the ambulance...and they did nothing for that headache...even threw up...and thought ok...if it's a migrane the headache will go away...it didn't....actually got worse. I was given an injection at the hospital..it helped the headache about 80 per cent...but it lingered for a few days in the background.
Ask your Dr. about this kind of headache...it is caused by problems in the neck.
Sage
tiggertoo2174
06-24-2008, 08:04 AM
Thank you all for the suggestions. I got permission to have my heating pad. I just have to hide it if we have a fire drill. I got by yesterday with the caffine and biofreeze. I'd take excedrine if I could, but it's got asprin in it - if you get angioedema from one NSAID you can't take any of them, the risk of having your throat swell closed is too high. I'll talk to the PT today about what happened, I think I may have overdone it on Saturday too.
Tigg.
Tigg.
sammyo1
06-25-2008, 08:14 PM
tigger, oddly enough I have mentioned in other posts that when I was in pt in the past & the neck was worked with a certain way it would set off the most horrific headaches that could not be budged. These headaches were so awful & could engulf the entire head, I could always feel that they were being triggered by the neck, but nothing would budge them. I started to get paranoid if anyone worked on my neck. I had migraines on & off for years, it was always the one sided (left) pain & still till this day say migraines are probably the most painful thing I have ever experianced, vomiting & the whole nine yards. Pain meds did not budge it, but I was told to take caffiene to help & give the meds a boost, but yes to much could backfire.
I am going to look up that headache that sage mentioned. I am still getting them on & off & cant function with them, so if you find what helps them the most let me know. I did go for trigger point injections for one episode & it did help, at that point I was being seen by a rehab doc who told the pt to stay away from the neck. Since the cervical issues are being investigated again by my PM I am beginning to think I may indeed having more problems in that area then anyone thought. So thanks for putting up the thread it has been informative for me to. good luck, Sammy
I am going to look up that headache that sage mentioned. I am still getting them on & off & cant function with them, so if you find what helps them the most let me know. I did go for trigger point injections for one episode & it did help, at that point I was being seen by a rehab doc who told the pt to stay away from the neck. Since the cervical issues are being investigated again by my PM I am beginning to think I may indeed having more problems in that area then anyone thought. So thanks for putting up the thread it has been informative for me to. good luck, Sammy
tiggertoo2174
06-26-2008, 01:19 PM
Mezmer,
I hadn't thought of the eye strain. I DO need to get bifocals, I've been fighting it for about 3 yrs - I'm about to give up and get them. I'm pretty sure it started in the neck muscles and then went to the head. I did overdo it on Saturday, spent the day shopping for landscaping rocks, and then went to do my final walkthru of our old house. Between lugging my purse around the rock yards and the stress of leaving the old house, it was probably too much. Plus when we finally got home I was reading a book, so maybe the eye part pushed it over the edge.
Tigg.
I hadn't thought of the eye strain. I DO need to get bifocals, I've been fighting it for about 3 yrs - I'm about to give up and get them. I'm pretty sure it started in the neck muscles and then went to the head. I did overdo it on Saturday, spent the day shopping for landscaping rocks, and then went to do my final walkthru of our old house. Between lugging my purse around the rock yards and the stress of leaving the old house, it was probably too much. Plus when we finally got home I was reading a book, so maybe the eye part pushed it over the edge.
Tigg.