I'm a 23 y/o physically healthy woman, nonsmoker, normal weight. 3 months ago I woke up with a headache that has not gone away since. It is mostly all over my head, but a lot of times it's very bad behind my eyes. I've been to the ER, my primary, my dentist, my orthodontist, the eye doctor and a headache clinic. I have a normal cat scan and MRI, as well as healthy thyroid, no pregnancy, STDs or diabetes. The headache clinic declared that I had a migraine, except that it didn't cause me any trouble with lights, sound or my stomach and it was in all areas of my head instead of just one. They immediately started throwing medicine at me and this is the only thing they have done. I've been on Amerge, Endomathecin, Naproxen, Torridol, Migrainal and Maxalt, as well as gone through IV infusion therapy. All of these have either done nothing or made me worse. Every time I call them to try and talk about plans to treat my headache they just blindly prescribe me more medicine. Most of the doctors don't seem to comprehend that I've had ONE headache instead of patterns of headaches. I constantly get asked about what "triggers" a headache for me, but I have no answer since I have never had problems with headaches before and neither has anyone else in my family.
I am on daily medications for depression and OCD. All the doctors have dismissed that the medications could cause the headache because I've been on them all for years, but I'll list them anyway:

Luvox
Seroquel
Welbutrin
Ortho-cept (birth control pills)
Ginkgo biloba (to fight the loss of sex drive from luvox)

At this point I don't believe it's "just a migraine" as doctors say. I'm curious as to whether anyone else has had headaches caused by any of those meds or heard of anyone else who has. I'm looking for answers anywhere, because it seems like I'd experienced everything western medicine has to offer.

Please, please, does anyone have any input?

hello! i'm sorry to hear that you are going through this. most of us here, myself included, are not doctors, so while we are all happy to share our thoughts, advice and support, understand that most of what we know is secondhand knowledge.

That being said, and knowing only what you have written, it sounds like you could have New Daily Persistent Headache. There are a lot of other factors to consider, like if you have had headaches before and what they have been like, if you have a family history of headaches, the severity of the pain, other symptoms or body changes, etc. you can start putting these together yourself and discussing them with your doctors to find routes to investigate. like if you changed one of your meds a week before the headache started, that could very well be the cause. good luck!

Hi SCbarbarella,

Welcome to the forum and sorry to hear that you are experiencing so much pain.

I am not a doctor, so I can’t give you any medical diagnosis. But, I can share some knowledge and empathy.

We all know how frustrating it is to go for imaging tests and come back with no information as to what is causing your pain.

1. When did you start Gingko Biloba? - Curiously Seymour Diamond MD notes that
one of his patients whose headaches were well managed starting getting 3 per week. He stopped this supplement for a month after which he was back to getting 1 migraine per month.

Why not try stopping for a month and see if it helps?

Migraines and Depression are comorbid conditions i.e they go together like peanut butter and jelly (pardon the tyramine infused pun). Have you ever gone through any migraine or headache cycles before, even for a few weeks? So you may want to talk to your psychiatrist about this.

Being a guy and charting dangerous waters, how long have you been on the Ortho-cept for? Oral contraceptives can reek havoc with hormonal levels particularly estrogen. Your body might be sensitive to the estrogen levels in the pill.

While we are charting the sea of hormones, have you checked the following endocrine systems: cortisol, estradiol, thyroid, growth hormones, and other endocrine systems

Additionally, it can’t hurt to talk to your psychiatrist or even a neuro-pharmacologist to see if you are having a synergistic reaction to the various medications and supplements.



Have you had any head injury or concussions in the last few years? In rare cases people have been known to come down with migraine symptoms years after even a mild concussion.

The main thing is there is are a lot of treatment options, so there is a lot of hope and support for you.

Good luck and take care,

MJ

Thanks everyone so far for your advice, I'm getting some new ideas about what to do. I talked to my psych today, who is a very smart guy who listens to me very well and does things logically. He said that since I've been on all my meds (except ginkgo) for a long time (over 3 years) it would be extremely unusual for them to start acting up now. This includes the birth control pills, which I've been on for 5 years. We decided that if more time goes by and I run out of options we can try switching off some of the meds to see if something helps, but for now just keep on them.
Thanks for telling me about the ginkgo, I tried once stopping taking it, but only for a week. I'll try again for a month, to let it clear out of my system.

My first episode with non-stop daily headache was treated the same way yours has been: bad advice, too many medications, no answers. It took a few neurologists before someone finally did a lumbar puncture and discovered I had intracranial hypertension (sometimes called benign or idiopathic intracranial hypertension, or psuedotumor cerebri). It is a completely different type of headache that often fails to respond to standard "headache" medication. And since you're normal weight, many docs may not think to look because it is still thought of as a "fat, fertile, female" issue.

The other thing I'd like to say is that it is never too late for medications to give you problems. I was on a medication for 11 years before my body decided enough was enough by getting very ill and having withdrawal effects start even while I was still taking the stuff! I guess it's like people who suddenly become allergic to bee stings or certain foods after lots of non-allergic exposures.

Peace,
TWC

Hello,

I really like what Su2 said about us hiding as to not be considered as a hypochondriac. I have finally taken a stand with my migraines. I know that my wonderful Primary Care Physician is frustrated with me. He can't figure out what is wron with me and I have done so much online research that I have discovered one of my medical problems. He is so sweet that he does take into consideration what I have researched and works on it with me. I do have to say that I have also been seeking help from a Kinesthesiologist. He is wonderful at what he does. He studies the bodies energy. This man has extensive study in Neurology, Internal Medicine and is a non-force Chiropractor. In my opinion he does beleive in medication but prefers a natural way of healing if possible. If you are frustrated with the amount of medicine that is being thrown at you, try something like that or what Su2 suggested. Unfortunately for me, it has not helped me enough but has given me some insight to me emotionally and I have felt better in that aspect.