I tried to figure out why, so I looked at my eating habits and sleeping patterns and the only thing I have been doing different recently is that i quit smoking.
I almost forgot that i did, because for some reason it was ridiculously easy after a few days.
I had been smoking 1-3 cigarettes a day for about 4.5 years. Then i stopped suddenly and I haven’t been smoking for about a month.
For anyone who has quit-
Does quitting cause headaches after a month? Come to think of it, I haven’t smoked in a month- look at that, a strange coincedence.
So why do I get headaches now? How long until they go away?
I thought drinking water was supposed to help, but I always drink almost two liters a day anyway.
Or can this really be a coincedence and could he headaches be stress-related (maybe due to unwanted houseguests who play APOP Beserk nonstop?)
Turp, smoking has different effects on everyone, and as such the physical/psychological effects of withdrawl can vary widely too. I think its a very safe bet that you’re just experiencing mild withdrawl and I suspect that morning was when you used to get that first fix. It will go away, but the length of time is sometimes a reflection of how long you were hooked.
Its hard to say if its a physical withdrawl symptom (should abate quickly if you stay off the stuff) or a physical manifestation of a psychological symptom (tough to predict, and can depend on your overall mental health). For example you body could be expressing its craving for the drug, and once it learns it won’t get the drug first thing in the morning anymore, it will stop craving it. This might only be a month or two, maybe less. However you body could be exhibiting stress because of the lack of the smoking experience, and that stress is triggering the headache as a secondary effect. Everyone responds to stress and mental reactions differently.
Keep in mind though, that even if it was fairly easy for you to stop picking up cigarettes everyday, and stopping smoking, it doesn’t at all mean that your body isn’t experiencing withdrawl.
Quit sniffin’ the paint thinner. And, yes, nuking CD’s is quite entertaining. Turn out the lights, and pop 'em in the microwave for no more than 3 seconds.
Turpentine-
What do you take for the headaches? I ask this because a few years ago, I suffered from headaches everyday and would take Excedrin. I finally found out that I was getting rebound headaches, kind of like I was hooked on the Excedrin, and when the excedrin would wear off, I would get another headache, and I relieved it by taking more excedrin!! I weaned myself off it, and since then, headaches are rare for me.
Hang on here, 1-3 cigarettes a day? No wonder it was ridiculously easy for you to quit. I smoked a pack and a half a day and I’m going through hell over here. But yes, headaches are part of the quitting process for me. I had quit for 6 months a couple years ago and had the same problem then. But if it’s been a month since your last smoke, the nicotine should be well out of your system by now, especially if you’re drinking lots of water. I’d chalk it up to stress induced headaches due to your houseguests.
1-3 cigarettes a day is pretty small potatoes (congrats on kicking the habit, though! I’m about to get the patch for my pack-a-day).
I get regular headaches, too. I’m thinking it might me my contact lenses. Do you, by any chance, wear them? If so, it might be time to change them out.
[ol]
[li]Have you increased or decreased your intake of caffeine? This is a classic symptom of caffeine withdrawal. I used to get caffeine withdrawal headaches periodically when I consumed it, and nothing would make them go away (except more caffeine). This is one of the problems with Excedrin (and other name brand headache remedies) which contains high levels of caffeine in addition to the aspirin or tylenol.[/li]
[li]Are you taking anything besides acetominophen(tylenol) for your headaches? All of the NSAIDs(e.g. headache remedies) except tylenol thin the blood and can cause anemia, esp. in women. Anemia will then cause headaches (sort of a viscious cycle). If you aren’t using acetominophen, switch to that and get an iron supplement.[/li]
[li]Another change could be an increase sugar consumption, which can cause headaches.[/li]
[li]Is your jaw popping? If so, you are reacting to stress by clenching your jaw, which is leading to headaches. Reducing your stress will help, and you might want to talk to your dentist about TMJ.[/li][/ol]
I try my best to refrain from taking any drugs for it, but I have mixed it when I couldn’t take it any longer-
Yesterday was ibuprofen, Monday was nothing, and Sunday was Tylenol.
I don’t intake too much sugar or caffeine, but my new houseguest told me that he heard me grinding my teeth.
I never grind my teeth, I think he must have heard my rat chewing on his branch because he said it was really loud.
He was laughing at me and I was annoyed and thought if I DID grind my teeth, it was because of him.
Anyway, the headaches usually start around 6pm, after work, although work is never stressful. I thought it could be because I stare so much at a computer screen, but I have been doing that for years without headaches.
I could try an iron supplement, because all the iron I get now comes from Flinstones vitamins.
There we go, then. Get your eyes checked. Everyone gets older, you know. Besdies, you may not need them for reading or seeing anything other than a computer screen. IIRC, they make glasses specifically for this kind of problem.
Just a thought, but, have you had your blood pressure checked lately? When it was discovered that I have high blood pressure and I was put on meds for it, most of my headaches just dissapeared. It might be worthwhile to look into it.
Rebound headaches a very good point…what about your eyes? Have you had your eyes checked? Do you use your eyes all day like I do? I was having headaches and it’s from being in front of a computer all day. Plus I’m old as dirt and was losing my vision for close up work.
…also great for headaches. Drink lots. A lot more than you normally do, since most of us don’t drink enough. Don’t make a big habit of pain killers–if the headaches don’t clear up, time to see a doctor. But you’d be amazed how many non-migraine headaches are caused by dehydration. Lots of water–particularly before bed.
You are going through a Simpsons withdrawl fugue. Borrow a marathon tape from a friend, snuggle up on the couch and vegetate for an entire weekend. Works like a charm.
When you do have a headache, place a cold washcloth or icebag on the back of your neck for at least half an hour. It will relieve some of your symptoms.
Funny how the headaches flare up just as you are returning home to the abysmal roomate situation. After work, try going to a favorite restaurant or some other enjoyable diversion and see if you avoid further symptoms.
Three Bunny Mama is right – get your blood pressure checked. Make sure they use the right size cuff, and do both arms. Do it while you are getting, or at the same time of day you get, the headaches.
This is important – don’t blow it off for a month.
I got high blood pressure from a combination of stress and weight gain when I quit smoking. I ignored the sypmtoms for long enough that my blood pressure was life-threateningly high.