How often do you get headaches?

R

red_mct

Cathlete
Just curious. I think I get them an awful lot so I am going to start logging them. Last week I had an excruciating migraine that sent me to bed at 6 PM. I am starting to wonder if it's stress or maybe a food allergy or something. I am definitely praying it's not from high impact workouts!!!

Anyway, curious what your experiences are. How often do you get a headache? Weekly or more often? Monthly or more often? PMS only??

ETA - what do you think brings them on for you?

Marie
 
6 years ago I gave up extra caffeine (I still eat chocolate, but gave up my 2 Cokes per day, among a few other things). I had a headache for almost a week (and lost 5 pounds!). I have had only a very few headaches since then.

The headaches I do get are small and associated with TOM.

Before the reduction in caffeine, I had headaches pretty often and 3 migraines in my adult life...I am 36 now. (I feel horribly for anyone who ever has a miraine, as the 3 that I had were TERRIBLE!!!!!)

I don't feel that my few headaches are exercise related, but that doesn't mean that they are not for you.

Good luck finding a cause and hopefully an elimination of your headaches!
Jenn
 
Marie,
for me it varies. A few weeks ago I three bad headaches in one week!! Yuk x( Sometimes it's skipping meals (which I try not to do), sometimes it's stress, and sometimes it's allergies and sinus. will occasionally get a headache when I workout. I hate those the most, because I hate for my workouts to get messed up.

If I catch it soon enough and take something right away I don't suffer quite so much. But if I ignore it (hoping it'll go away- I do not know why I sometimes do this) it RAGES!!

Catherine
 
I rarely ever get them, so when I do, I know something is up. Sometimes I'll feel one coming and notice that I've been clenching my teeth. Those are easy to get rid of.

A few years ago, I would get these really weird ones that felt like a vise wrapped around my head. Once one started, it would literally last three weeks, non-stop. The doc called it a migraine, but I know people with those, and it wasn't anything like it. My guess is that it was somehow hormone-related, because I was noticing a bunch of other changes about that time, too (no, I"m too young for menopause). Thank heavens they've stopped.
 
Hi Marie,

I use to get migraine at that time of the month after my second child was born. They were sooooo bad I could not lift my head off the pillow and if I did I wanted to toss my cookies. For me it was definitley hormone related and I have not had a bad episode in a long time. I also can feel them coming on and quickly take some alleve before it starts to brewing into something else. I must say that since I have been working out consistently I have not even felt them coming on.

Therese
 
Marie,

My headaches vary. I've had one all week this week, not terrible but not great either. I took an Imitrex for one on Monday and it helped pretty quickly, which is rare. I usually wake up with them, so I can't catch them at the start like you're supposed to do. A lot of times I think mine are caffeine related. I'll take Extra Strength Excedrin and be good and the next day I get another one. I take ESE again and be good and I get one the next day. I think it becomes a caffeine addiction since there is SO much caffeine in those. I'm at that point again where I need to live through them for a few days to get the caffeine out of my system. I don't do coffee much at all and I will have to cut out the soda with caffeine in it. Other than that, I don't know what causes them when I'm not doing caffeine. Sometimes TTOM, but other times that doesn't affect me at all. If I don't eat, that can cause them. Stress can bring them on too. Oh - and Oreos big time, but only if I eat them before bed. I'll wake up with a doozy that sometimes even 2 100 mg. Imitrex won't touch! Needless to say, I avoid these as much as possible (but I do love them on ocassion). Also, if you mess with your sleep patterns. "They" say that migraine sufferers should try to keep a pretty strict schedule of going to bed and getting up at the same time. But I think that's good for most people, migraines or not.

A headache log is a good idea. When I was first referred to a neurologist by my doctor b/c she thought I had migraines (which I do - and later found out I inherited them from my dad who I didn't meet until I was 30 - would have been nice if mom had shared that little bit of info she knew about with me and saved me from so many years of pain - but that's another story - hehehe), that was the first thing he made me do.

Good luck and I hope you can find some of your triggers. It sure makes life easier.

Susan

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." - Anatole France

http://www.picturetrail.com/dogs2birds
 
I seem to get them before it rains and when I have PMS. I can go through spells where I get them several times a week and then I won't get one for awhile. I think mine are more sinus related. Hope you find the cause of yours. I think keeping record of them is a great idea. Good Luck

Becki
 
Marie,

I have always gotten a lot of headaches. If I don't get at least one a week, I feel lucky. There are varying levels; most I can live with comfortably.

I have to be very conscious of my body and how I feel to avoid migraines. I used to get them at least once a month, but they've decreased recently. Lots of things are triggers: dehydration, overheating, going too long without eating, PMS, foods such as green peppers, stress and occasionally overexercising.

I'd say that it's definitely a good idea to keep a headache log, and be sure to keep track of what and how much you're eating and drinking. I have learned to manage exercise-related headaches by being sure to stay hydrated and by not going too long after finishing a workout without eating. But my body has always been extremely sensitive to anything it finds uncomfortable -- headaches seem to be how my body gets my attention, if you know what I mean, so that I will go and have a drink of water or get out of the sun and cool off or take a day off.

Take care of yourself,

Ellen
 
I don't tend to get headaches often...if I get one once a month it's a lot....

Caffeine withdrawal is a big one for me though...if I wait to long for coffee in the morning, I end up w/a migraine.x(

Beyond that, I am not aware of any specific reasons other than the occasional over-enbibing I might do!}(
 
I get headaches pretty much only when the weather under goes an abrupt change (barometric pressure swings from very low to very high or vice versa), when I eat too much sugar (sugar hangovers I call them), when it's allergy season, or when I'm getting sick. I'm really happy I live in California now where it's USUALLY nice. East Coast I'd have one long headache all Fall and all Spring.
 
I get them mainly with the sinus pressure. Imagine being happy that your nose is running so it doesn't stuff the sinuses and create a "migraine-like" headache. :D

If I catch it quick enough I can usually take an OTC allergy pill and it won't get too bad. Otherwise it is to bed as soon as I can get there.

And I am also in CA but find the northern area is worse than the south. I went from LA to So of San Jose and have had bad allergies for the past 15 years.

Jacque
 
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