Caregivers Support Group

A voluntary caregiver is a spouse, relative, friend or neighbor of a disabled person or child who assists with activities of daily living and assists those unable to fully take care of themselves. The challenges of a caregiver are unique and sometimes it's hard to find people to talk to who know what you're going through. Join the conversation and find others who...

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Headache

ashleyjanette
ashleyjanette
Looking for suggestions...
I've had a headache off and on for the past 8 days. The first day it was definitely a migraine and it was so bad I went to the hospital. Since then it's mostly felt more like a tension headache and I also have tightness and soreness in my neck. I'm not sure what to do. I keep taking Tylenol and Advil like the hospital doc said but it keeps coming back. I can't ask my husband to massage my neck because his hands are too painful. I can't afford to go for massage therapy unless I get a doctors order and submit it to our benefits plan but it takes forever to get in to see my doctor (sometimes 3 weeks). So the headache will probably be gone before I could ever see the doctor (hopefully!).
MelodyJane
MelodyJane
Hello, ashleyjannette-
I suffer from migraines as well.
Here's what works for me most of the time- an ice pack on my head where the pain is worst & leaning back on a heating pad. The way it works for me is the cold constricts the blood vessels in the head reducing the throbbing pain & the heating pad opens up blood vessels in your back to cool you down, thus drawing the blood flow away from your head.
Good luck & Lots of hugs, MelodyJane
KiddoGal
KiddoGal
Could you just book something like a one hour massage with a local massuese? One time my neck and upper back were just so damn tight I was miserable. The lady who did the massage was very helpful, and just the massage reduced tons of tension and made me feel a lot better. Just a thought.....
deleted_user
deleted_user
I also suffer from migraines and I found that putting something like icy hot on the back of my neck will ease it up some. Also I bought a massager that fits in my chair and that helps relax me and ease up the headaches. I've had three unsuccessful back surgeries and am in pain all the time so I've tried to find solutions that don't cost a lot of money. I, like you, can't ask my husband for a massage cause of his joints being so bad cause of his disease. The back massagers don't cost a lot of money and they even have ones for the neck that are good too. I know someone else who also suffers from migraines and she takes Tylenol PM at night and puts icy hot on her neck. That seems to help her. I hope you get relief soon.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Migraines just suck! I get one or two a month and have to fight them for 3 days, every time. The alternating heat and ice packs are a great suggestion. Are you on any meds for them? The generic Imitrex works fairly well for me, if I take one as soon as I feel it coming on. Another suggestion, have you tried acupuncture? My insurance pays for that with a small co-pay on my part. As for a massage...you can try checking with a massage therapy school and see if they off less expensive ones (that's something i am going to check into). Laying down sometimes makes mine worse, so I try to elevate with more pillows. No magic cure, but different things work for different people. Good luck and hugs!