Join Our Community!
Share
How can you tell if a headache is serious, or not? What types of headaches are there? Get started learning the facts about headache here....
Do you know when to seek help for headache symptoms? Learn more about symptoms of the four different types of headaches...and when to go to a doctor here....
Headaches can be caused by various medical conditions. Learn which tests doctors use to diagnose problem headaches...and who you should see to start diagnosis....
Avatar
Q: 4 year headache
asked by: barelygettingby on August 21st, 2008
New User
I have a 19 year old daughter that has been living with a headache 24/7 for over 4 years now. We have been to every doctor possible, tried MRI's, CT's, chiropractor, neuro, physchologists, etc. No one can figure out the cause for these headaches. She has even been to the Mayo clinic with no luck. They can range from a dull headache that she can deal with to a migraine that will put her in a dark room in severe pain for days. The headaches seem to get worse when she has her menstrual cycle, but the hormone tests have turned out normal when she has had them done.
Does anyone know where we could turn for help? She has tried almost every drug know to man and nothing seems to work. She really wants to get on with her life. There has to be someone out there who also lives like this or knows where we could turn for help.
Did you find this post useful?
|
Replies(3)
User Profile
MandMs
replied on August 22nd, 2008
Extremely eHealthy
Welcome to EHEALTH forum!
More than half of the women that are migraine sufferers, suffer from distinct form of migraine, known as menstrual migraine.
Acctually, there are two subtypes of menstrual migraine.
One, known as menstrual related migraine, appearing around the time of a woman’s period and at other times of the month as well, and, the second one is pure menstrual migraine, that only happens around the time of a woman’s period.
These types of migraine headaches last longer, are more severe and more difficult to be treated (occur more frequently)
Hormone test doesn't need to show abnormal results to help diagnosing menstrual migraine. The drop in estrogen levels that NORMALLY occurs right before the period starts, is believed to be the reason for menstrual migraine.

Does the headache usually occur two days before to two days after menstruation?
Did you find this post useful?
|
Avatar
barelygettingby
replied on August 27th, 2008
New User
The headache is every day but is worse right before her cycle.
Did you find this post useful?
|
User Profile
MandMs
replied on September 2nd, 2008
Extremely eHealthy
Migraine sufferers usually have headache after the migraine headache attack has finished.
Also, overuse of many medications used to treat menstrual migraine can result in rebound headaches (taking pain medication more than two or three days a week, may actually be contributing to ones headaches rather than easing them, cycle known as rebound headaches), that can have features of tension and/or migraine headaches.
Hormonal changes are known to cause mixed tension migraine, too (may last from 4-72 hours, in some people, the headaches may occur every day), having features of both tension and migraine headaches.
I can suggest for your daughter having acupuncture treatments, being effective in many cases leading to less frequent and less severe migraine attacks.

Best wishes!
Marija
Did you find this post useful?
|
Quick Reply
Search