Just Sharing:

I suffer from what I call sinus headaches, but have been diagnosed as migraines.  As soon as the cooler weather starts my sinuses swell and I get headaches for 5-7 days at a time until the warmer weather comes in the spring.

Every year around Feb-Mar I get a sinus infection which increases the headaches to unbearable for about the next 2-3 months. Usually with one visit to the hospital where they give me the usual mixture of stuff for the pain and send me home.

When I was younger (I'm 39) I never had headaches. I got my first migraine after either (In my late 20's) my 2nd or 3rd sinus surgery (@1997) - I currently have had 6 surgeries.

I have the light & sound sensitivity. My sinuses hurt and my jaw starts to hurt, my stomach gets upset - but one of the worse problems is my teeth get real sensitive to cold, hot foods & drinks.

I have also been under a lot of stress for the last 7 years. I live at home with my mom, and in 2000 my father passed away after a stroke in the fall of the previous year and my Mother went into a deep depression.  She just doesn't care about anything or anyone anymore.

Mother history: Depression, arthritis, alcoholic and smokes. I have to put up with it because I can't afford to move out because I cannot work a full 8 hour day, keep a job for more than 3 years and financial difficulties. I also have fatigue problems that are probably due to my sinuses.

So the stress has now caused headaches to also occur in the back of my head above the neck.

I have been seeing a Neurologist since the first signs of the migraines 7 years ago. He has tried all the migraine medications available, the imatrex shots helped one year - but not anymore. I should probably get a new doctor.

He recommended I go see a neurologist at Jefferson Hospital (it's either in NJ or PA), but due to high co-pays ($40 for a specialist visit) and financial reasons I decided not to go.

I have been under a lot of stress related severe pain symptoms since March (gallbladder, stomach, abdomen) - all undiagnosed and untreated. And at least 5 Ultrasounds, 2 CT Scans of various body parts (including my sinuses) and a endoscopy of my throat, which my insurance does not fully pay for any of it. This went on for about 6 months and then the pain faded away on it's own.  So not only do I have a lot of medical bills to pay, I have found that I no longer have much faith in Doctors or Specialists.  I feel like they (and family & friends) think I am a hypochondriac.

My doctors do agree my sinus passages are swollen but give me the same treatment of nose sprays, flushing my sinuses and keep taking allergy pills every visit.

Ok sarcasm - um if a patient comes in over and over again with the same symptoms every year, wouldn't you think they would try something different since what they gave me didn't work any other time!