I’ve had a pretty persistent dull headache for more than a few days now, and it’s at the point where I’m ready to get out the power-drill and do a little self-trepanation. (Don’t worry, samclem, I’m not soliciting medical advice on DIY brain surgery. Yet.)
So a few days became the better part of a week, and it’s at the point where six Advil do nothing (I’m a big guy, so two Advil usually don’t cut it for me). It’s not a big headache at all, mind you–I’m more concerned about the underlying cause than the pain itself. So there’s no getting around it anymore–I’m off to the doctor. Just the thought of that waiting room with its five-year-old copies of Home and Garden and its never-ending 80’s soft rock soundtrack makes the drill look like the less painful option.
I’m just wondering what kind of mad journey I’m in for, presenting with such a non-specfic symptom: are there common conditions that could cause this, or am I in for the full-monty bloodwork-urine-sample-catscan extravaganza to find out what it could be? The pain is not acute; it’s a dull ache the top and back of the skull when I cough or shake my head. I have no outstanding conditions like migraines or anything, no new meds or supplements–I do have high blood pressure, so perhaps it’s a simple as that. I also have developed two cold sores on my tongue, interestingly, though I can’t imagine the two conditions would be connected.
Just looking for ideas about what it might be while I wait to go in, not a substitute diagnosis. Or what to look for in my life so I can give the doc more to go on than a dull ache and two cold sores. I’m not really going to do or take anything until I get official word, but the waiting is the hardest part…
I should point out that my first-line headache treatment is drinking lots of water, which works an amazing amount of the time. So I’m fairly certain not dehydrated. I’m not on any meds for the BP, either.
I’m not much to look at, really. That’s kinda what I was afraid of–that anything could be driving it ::brain tumor:: and there’s really no cause to go on worrying about it when it could be nothing ::certain death:: and maybe just requires a simple treatment ::iron lung:: to resolve.
I used to work tech support and I hated it when people called up and said “the internet’s broken” or “my computer doesn’t work.” Gimme something to go on, you know? But turns out I don’t even need you, Doc: I got a rock-solid cause from Pat Robertson–it’s God’s punishment!
I am not a doctor, but I opened this thread because I had a very similar experience 18 months ago, and high blood pressure did turn out to be the culprit. After a rough period of trying different medications, I found one that worked, and the really bad, persistent headaches disappeared.
So as long as you’re considering the possibilities (and yes, I did think brain tumor, particularly because my doctor sent me for an MRI of my head) at least you have one to think about that’s more easily treatable.
Ditto on the HBP and headaches. I’d gone 46 years without HBP, and ended up in the ER with a 5 day headache, the feeling that my carotid artery was going to burst and a really high hysterical BP (230/150). They said “you’re not going to die, lady, go see your real doctor”. I’ve been on the right drug for me for 8 months and have far fewer headaches, even though “the book” says that headaches aren’t necessarily caused by HBP.
I find that my headaches are usually caused by tension, which is usually a result of not enough exercise. The less I exercise, the worse they get–so taking a good walk or going to the gym is the best cure for me. Just a thought.
Or else it’s PMS. But I kind of gather that you’re male, so that won’t apply.
Not that I am trying to diagnose you or anything, but have you cut yourself off from caffeine lately? Those headaches are the suck, and they do not go away unless you drink a coke or a cup of coffee.
I know that’s what causes all of my headaches, and I bet it is pretty common.
Euth <— Not a doctor but has played doctor a time or two, if that matters to you.
IME the top non-fatal causes for long-term headaches:
Sinus problems (this one gets me at least six to eight months out of the year, to the point where I’m mainlining sinus caplets and naproxen)
High blood pressure
Sudden change in caffeine intake. And you’d be amazed at how much caffeine is in some of the OTC headache medications- I had to cut out caffeine several years ago, and have to be careful about what I take for aches and pains)
But definitely go to your doctor!
Well, here’s an anecdote that should send you to the doctor at your very earliest convenience.
Last May, my 38-year-old nephew was complaining at work for several days of a bad headache that wouldn’t quit no matter what he did. My info is about 3rd hand, but what I heard sounded a lot like what you’re describing. So after his day off, my nephew did not show up for work. “Odd,” said his co-workers. “It’s not like him to do that.” He didn’t show up the next day, either. His sister was contacted, she got the superintendent of his apartment complex to let her in, and there was her brother – face down on his bed, dressed to go to work, and entirely deceased.
So, yeah, go see the doctor. I’m sure your doctor, your friends and your family (not to mention yourself) would much rather you err on the side of caution.
Hi - I’ll just reiterate what a previous poster said about excercise. About 30 minute light jog on the treadmill does wonders for me. Yoga also helps. If these things do help it probably is a tension related headache. Good Luck.
Please, just go to the doctor. It’s probably not a life-threatening situation, but you can’t know that until you let a doctor examine you and go through the process. Odds are it’s one of the things bobkitty mentioned, but you’ll never know until a doctor tells you.
Headaches are the pits; everybody who’s ever had them agrees. They can spoil just about anything. Don’t let them keep doing that to you.
Regarding headaches and HBP. I thought HBP was symptomless. You know…the silent killer? How do they attribute HBP to headaches?
I’m one of those rare people who get a headache about once every five years (not including the self-induced ones, mind you). If I had a headache that lasted more than two days, I’d surely be at the doctor’s office. I cannot function with a headache.
Headaches tend to elevate blood pressure. Most blood pressure elevation doesn’t cause headaches, unless it’s in the really dangerously high range. And by dangerously high, I mean in the malignant hypertension range, with systolics over 220 and/or diastolics over 120.
“Dull ache at the top and back of my skull when I cough or move my head”–you know, except for the back of the skull part, you’ve described my sinus headaches. Mine are at the front of my skull, and are aggravated by any movement of my head. They don’t persist for two days, though.
Call the doctor. Even if the doctor can’t find the cause (or finds it but can’t fix it–sinus problems can be hard to cure), at the very least he or she can establish it’s not a brain tumor (they’re pretty rare, and many don’t even cause headaches, so it’s very unlikely that’s the problem) and prescribe some good painkillers, before all that ibuprofen melts a hole in your stomach.
But brain tumors aren’t all that rare. I know that in sweden at least the account for 3 percent of all tumors/cancers. And, though that isn’t a shockingly high percentage, it’s still quite a few patients a year. I’ve talked to quite a few neurologists and they say that in many of the cases the primary symptoms are headaches… and impaired vision, though that is most often due to meningiomas (and surely other tumors as well, but meningiomas are the most common brain tumor-types) that start compressing the optic nerve.
But obviously you can’t diagnose a braintumor without having had a CT done on a patient. But I most certainly wouldn’t exclude that diagnosis from the list of causes of a prolonged, unrelenting headache.
Ok, I don’t know who actually said they had a dull ache at the top and back of their skull. That is DEFINITELY not sinusitis. The sinal cavities are restricted to face, not the skull (I hope you understand what I mean by that), correct me if I’m wrong. Unless it is sinusitis, and the dull ache in different parts of the skull is secondary to the primary cause.
What I’ve always found interesting and almost contradictory with headaches is What do we feel headaches. I’ve heard that many headaches are due to muscles in the neck and face contracting and hence causing pain “in” the head. In those cases a massage can alleviate the pain. But why do actual headaches hurt? I know you all know that the brain registers pain, but doesn’t actually feel pain itself. So why the pain?
