What could be causing Migraines as well as severe headaches in between with nausea and lightheaded

06/09/08

teresa929

I have been suffering from Migraines since I was a young teenager. I am now 28(female) and still get them. I get them once or twice a month but lately I also seem to have headaches everyday in between. These types of headaches have always preceded my Migraines and lasted after the severe migraine pain has ended. I can almost predict within a week that a Migraine is coming because I will have these headaches and vision changes. Ive noticed that my vision is a little weird at times (the only way I can describe it is grainy or pixely----like a computer screen. The headaches can be mild to quite severe and the pain is mostly behind my eyes. They are accompanied by sensitivity to light, nausea, and lightheadedness. Sometimes my eyes hurt so bad that it hurts to move them around. I can go to bed with a headache and wake up with the same one the next morning. I have also been noticing noise in my ear when lying down or in certain positions. At first I thought it was fluid moving around, but then I noticed that it seemed to sound like my pulse. Within the past two weeks I have had 4 migraines(with aura) and nearly constant headache in between. I am frustrated because my headaches and Migraines dont really respond to any treatments or medications. I usually take a benadry and try to sleep. These daily headaches are ruining my life. Any suggestions or similar situations?

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Answers (1)

Monday, June 09, 2008

Eileen Gray

Hi Teresa!

If you are not already on preventive medication, and you are getting 3-4 migraines a month, then you would qualify for preventive treatment.

As far as why they have become more frequent for you, it could be hormone changes, weather, triggers you are unaware of - a number of things.

One thing you may want to talk to your doctor about is the fact you state you can hear your pulse and other intercranial noises in your ears. This is a possible sypmtom of IIH - Intracranial Hypertension. It's increased spinal fluid that your body does not absorb and it can make migraines worse. The only way to check for IIH would be a spinal tap. Please see the link for more information and see if that fits you.

If you are not seeing a neurologist at this time, now would be the time to start, or seek out a headache specialist.

If you are taking pain relievers or Migraine abortives more than two or three days a week - you state you seem to have ongoing headaches - you could be in Medication Overuse Headache - It's when we take too much of the drug that's used to help us.

Hope this helps a bit.

Also, feel free to visit us on the forum to chat with other migraineurs!

Good luck!