Stress/Caffiene headache vs. Migraine?

[dolo amber]

Bleargh.

I feel like a flaming bag of dog poo.

Missed my morning coffee due to rushing around to get the big kid to school and having a job interview at 8:30. Plus, the 3 yr old's been cooped up in the house for days, and we have to drive 6+ hrs. in the morning to go see the folks in KY for the holidays. Around 2-ish this afternoon I felt what I assumed was a caffiene and/or stress headache coming on.

I've since had 2 cups of coffee and 2 16oz. bottles of Diet Pepsi AND some advil...no joy. It's gotten worse, my eyeballs ache, light seems to be bothering me, I feel like I could easily hurl. Plus the back of my neck feels like it's gonna shatter.

I dunno that I've ever had a bona fide migraine, nor what one should do if they have one. Any thoughts/suggestions are appreciated. :)

[Booberdawg]

1. aspertaine?

My sister had to stop drinking Diet Pepsi because it contains aspertaine. Gives her horrible headaches.

[dolo amber]

7. That is, sadly

Not an option. I could no more give up my Diet Pepsi than I could stop breathing air. And I know all the damning evidence against aspertame too. :(

Maybe someday. :)

[MojoKrunch]

14. Someone awhile back mentioned a soda made with Splenda.

But I don't recall the name.
I make lemonade with it.
If you just need the "sweet", you could try making some coolade flavor you like...

Back in the mid 90's I found a caffiene "flavored" brand of bottled water(worked on-campus next to a med school).
All the benefits of coffee/soda without the sugar/coffee breath problems.

You might want to double check your diet.
Nitrates and MSG give some people headaches.

Mojo

[Booberdawg]

16. I'm a Diet Pepsi snob myself ;-)

Diet RC is not bad and tastes pretty similar

[flamingyouth]

2. I have a cold & that's how it started for me

Major headache that I couldn't get to go away... It also sounds somewhat migraine-ish. Either way, I would cool it on the caffeine for the time being. Can you rest, get away from the computer, lie down in a dark room with a cold washcloth over your eyes for 20 minutes or so? That might help.

Poor baby!

[ScreamingMeemie]

3. Put a cold pack of ice or bag of frozen vegetables on at the base

of your skull and lie down in a dark room. Helps my migraines immensely and sure do hope it helps you.

Hugs, Laura

[LSparkle]

4. I've had something like that ...

only once and I assumed it was a migraine. I was at work and the only thing that made me feel better was to lie on the floor and shield my eyes from the light. (Washcloth would probably have helped.) Hope you feel better -- I've never had another one, so hopefully you won't either.

[Shakespeare]

5. Migraines are VERY different from run-of-the-mill headaches

I've only had 3 in my entire life, thank GOD. You may get symptons that one is imminent before the pain actually hits--a common symptom (and one that I get) is blurred vision. When the actual headache hits, not only will the pain be excruciating, but you'll likely also be nauseous and very, very sensitive to any outside stimuli, especially light or sound. Your skin may even hurt, with a feeling not unlike sunburn.

What you have sounds very similar, so it may be a migraine (the nausea, light sensitivity and eye symptoms).

Once you take the pain meds (and I try to get some caffeine into my system, too, as well as as much water as I can drink), all you can really do is curl up in the fetal position in a dark, quiet room and wait for it to pass. Good luck to you. :-(

[dolo amber]

6. That's really why I asked

I looked up some of the symptoms and they were consistant with how I feel. I hate being melodramatic about a headache, but MAN! This is a killer. And the imminent hurling feeling is most unsettling. :(

Thanks everyone for the ideas. I can't think of anything that sounds better than lying down for a bit in the dark. I just hope the 3 yr old has some compassion. :cry: ;)

[salinen]

8. Ice where it hurts

but not too cold. Vitamin B complex is good. Get someone to rub your head and face using massage oil.

[Shakespeare]

9. For the hurling feeling...

Try mint (esp. peppermint)--gum, lifesavers, whatever floats your boat (preferably sugarfree). That works like a charm when my stomach's feeling that way.

[Snow]

10. Ginger is real good for nausea - I have a friend

who did a clinical trial of ginger vs dramamine for seas-sickness and the ginger worked better.

[Shakespeare]

13. Ginger works for some, just makes me MORE nauseous!

But mint works wonders, too (and might be easier to obtain for a quick fix). An informal poll of my friends in the past has found them split about 50/50 on the efficady of ginger.

I can't even stand the pickled ginger that comes with sushi...shudder.

[flamingyouth]

19. Even pregnant women with morning sickness get relief from ginger

There was a study on it a couple of years ago. I take it every day. I'm often nauseated. Or is it nauseating???

[Snow]

11. I got educated about migraines recently by a neurologist...

Part of my job involves teaching research methods to residents and fellows and anyone else who's interested including faculty at several different depts in my organization. One of those is neurology. I was helping one of the neurology faculty with a research study, on the topic of migraines. I, in my ignorance, asked about how common migraines are, assuming most headaches are muscular tension rather than vascular, and the recent increase in prescribing for migraines is really simply about bad headaches - i.e., diagnostic slip. Well, she (the neurologist) re-educated me. Those 'bad headaches' most often respond to the migraine meds, which are not painkillers - they're a different class of drugs altogether. So, waddya know, learn something new every day, and I guess that's what life's about. Go see a neurologist who does headaches - sounds like you've got something that qualifies as full-blown migraine by what my colleague told me. And there're good meds for these things.

[htuttle]

12. Drink a lot of water

Lots of people get dehydrated without really realizing it. Caffeine users and smokers especially. Dehydration headaches feel kind of like getting an icepick shoved right above the eye (at least they are for me).

Drinking a big glass of water usually makes it go away by the time I'm done drinking it.

If nothing else, it won't hurt anything to do so.

[LastTime2BeFree]

15. Any thoughts?

Be thankful if you never get cluster headaches. A migraine would be welcomed to replace the mildest of clusters.

[dolo amber]

17. Sorry

to kick my own thread, but you guys were all so helpful and nice, I just wanted to let you know that:

I feel better! I had a brief lie-down and the children even behaved. :o The insane pounding has stopped for the most part, and I don't feel like I'm about to spew, but my neck still feels like a gorilla has hold of it. :(

Therefore, I am going to assume it is a stress headache and declare myself officially *still* migraine free. ;)

Thanks again. :)

[flamingyouth]

18. Look into taking feverfew capsules

Feverfew has been known to help headaches and it works for me. "However, as with any medication, please check with your doctor before taking it." :hi:

[Snow]

20. Ummmm, dolo -

glad it went away, but my well-informed sources tell me this is most likely migraine. Go get treatment - having some triptan of some sort around the house to stop it ahead of time next time is a very good idea.

[dolo amber]

21. Meh

I hope you're wrong, but it never hurts to heed good advice. If it does recur, I will be at the doc's ASAP. :)