Coping, Symptoms

A Headache Personified

In addition to frequent migraine attacks, I have a constant headache that isn’t always a migraine. It’s usually your basic run-of-the-mill headache (I presume), although its characteristics sometimes vary. For the last week, the pain is worse when I lie down or even recline. The “lying down headache” (as we call it in my household) is highly motivating on migraine-free days since I feel far better when I’m up cleaning, cooking or running errands than sprawling on the couch to read, watch TV or play Words With Friends.

At night, though, when I crawl into bed and rest my head on the pillow, exhausted from being on my feet and doing all day, the throbbing in my head overwhelms my senses. The pain ceases being an abstract concept and becomes a persistent child in the grocery checkout line, begging for a candy bar. I try to focus on my breath, to distract from the pain with meditation: In (pound). . . . Out (pound) . . . . In — POUND — POUND — POUND!

I do not personify any of the other head pain I have, nor did I make a conscious decision to do so with this variation. The pain itself has taken on this persona and demands my attention. Like the frazzled parent, I consider giving in to the child’s demands. Unfortunately, Snickers won’t satisfy this time, nor do any of the other solutions I can think of: playing soft music, listening to soothing podcasts, meditating, eating, swallowing painkillers. I just have to rest with it until tiredness trumps the insistent throbbing and sleep overtakes me.

7 thoughts on “A Headache Personified”

  1. Oh and Ive been reading tons on natural healing. Aside from going radical and raw, cutting back on sodium seems to be a way to help migraine. Table salt is a no no, istead Celtic sea salt which is gray in colour can be used sparingly. It helps provide good minerals for your body. Also and I know most people will cringe but coffee enemas are suppose to help ease migraine pain. I’m giving it a try next time one rolls around. Just remember to use about a teaspoon of ground coffee in a quart of water.. Filter it and let cool to room temp.. And make sure to use distilled water. I’ve heard it works good for pain. And I know like most of you do that when in that much pain it’s worth to try anything especially something without the seven page list of possible side effects. Isn’t it weird that most meds in the side effects say may cause headache.. Like what the heck aren’t I trying to take it away!?!?! Anyways just thought I’d share

  2. I do the same.. Take my pain meds and then lie on the bathroom floor with a towel Over my head till the pain eases enough to go lie in bed. Often it takes two to three doses of pain killers before I’m able to at least rest.. But I often go without sleep for a night or two during an episode. When the migraine breaks it’s heaven I feel born again each time. I recently found out i have a meningioma but that isn’t what causes my migraine they are two separate animals. The tumor causes trigeminal nueralgia which makes migraine for me like a walk in the park in comparision. Luckily I get migraine more than the neuralgia. It’s but suffering from migraine in a new light. It sucks but it doesn’t threaten my life like this blobby in my head does. Migraine used to get me down. Depress me. Now I just try to get through an episode and keep on going. It’s hard suffering on any level. But it makes the pain free moments that much better. Hope you get relief from the constant headache.

  3. So sorry Kerrie, that is such a bad feeling. I know that feeling from my fibromyalgia. Instead if a headache, it’s different parts of my body (low back and legs usually). I have to stay moving during the day, and then once I lie down the pain is really hard to bear. I would hate to have that pain in my head though. I am always impressed and inspired by what you do despite the pain. Much love to you.

  4. So sorry Kerrie. The chronic/migraine combo is such a sucker punch. Either one is beyond awful, both are almost unthinkable.

    My Migraines are (in relative terms) behaving in terms of frequency, but the Chronic beast always hovers around the edges of life waiting to taunt me. The truth – as you so correctly stated – is that nothing will make it go away.

    For awhile I thought I could minimize it by not paying attention to it, but of course that was fruitless. Pain in the head will not be ingnored.

    Hang on Kerrie. You’re not alone.

  5. This comment is about the Nasty, Judgmental woman who made comments on 8/27/12. I am a 51yr sufferer! I have daily,chronic right sided migraine pain, Twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Along with that I have at least 4-5 severe “8” on the pain scale, migraines a month. No abortive has ever worked! Reading your story caused me to weep! I have over the years been asked to write a blog of how I function on a daily basis. How I live, get up daily, raise a family and a grandson. Well I can only say that ANYONE who REALLY suffers from migraine as severe as “Lynda” says she does is misguided and very likely not suffering as we do! I myself an offended by her and she caused me to be very upset. Thinking that somehow those of us who really suffer (which then causes more diagnoses) are less strong, less able to endure? Please know that people like this women are more than mean, they are just plain not able to find any empathy or kindness and need to just keep quiet!

  6. I HATE my constant headache almost more than the migraines, especially now that I’m finally getting my migraines more managed, but there seems to be nothing I can do for that annoying cloying child-like headache pounding away constantly in the background.

    It’s horrible that you also experience the same thing but it’s nice to see that I’m not alone. Huge loving hugs to another headache sufferer.

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