Head Pain

[Jasper]

Hi All,

Every minute of every day I have pressure and pain between my eyes. It is the worst when I wake up ... once I drag myself out of bed and into the shower I feel a little better. Tylenol, Advil, Aleve, Excedrin - all do nothing.

Does anyone else experience these headaches? Is there any medication that may cut the pain?

Thanks

[ringo]

Jasper,

What do you mean between your eyes? Is it deep down like behind the eyes, or above the nose between your eyebrows?

It might be neuropathic pain, which also might be related to the dry eye. That also may be one explanation why evoxac works so well for you-- the problem might be mainly a damaged nerve function.

Neuropathic pain is treated with antidepressants, anticonvulsants, or specific anti-anxiety pills like Rivotril in small doses. A neurologist/ psychiatrist (?) would know best what to prescribe. However, all these in higher doses exacerbate dry eyes. You need to take the minimum effective dose.

If indeed you are diagnosed with neuropathic pain:

Now you might find this a bit crazy-- but that is what I have heard from grandma who suffered unbearable neuralgia after herpes zoster. It worked for her, and worked for my neuropathic pain:

Crush a few pills into powder-- one of those that are megadose B-complex with mega dose B12 inside. Then add tramadol crushed pill, rivotril crushed pill, and some antidepressant crushed pill (could be any that is prescribed for neuropathic pain, for ex. Seroquel). Mix all that into powder with the contents of a couple of capsules containing fish oil and vitamin E. Now you have a porridge for compress.

Spread the cream over the site where it hurts-- in the case of Grandma it was areas on the back-- even if the pain feels as radiating from deep within, not near the surface. The pain disappears within one minute. The earlier the treatment is started the better the effect, as the deranged nerve pulses from the damaged nerve are put back to order and the nerve is at rest which gives it a chance to repair itself.
If the therapy is started very late after onset of pain, you might need to repeat this occasionally when pain starts. With grandma it took only a single compress. She has friends who were taking all these pills for months without improvement by mouth.

Dani

[Rebecca Petris]

Crush a few pills into powder-- one of those that are megadose B-complex with mega dose B12 inside. Then add tramadol crushed pill, rivotril crushed pill, and some antidepressant crushed pill (could be any that is prescribed for neuropathic pain, for ex. Seroquel). Mix all that into powder with the contents of a couple of capsules containing fish oil and vitamin E. Now you have a porridge for compress.

Now you might find this a bit crazy...

YA THINK? Jimminy crickets.

[ringo]

Yeah that is exactly what I thought! But my grandma's doctor prescribed this for postherpetic neuralgia and it absolutely works.
that is when they wanted to give her some sort of injections in her spine for the pain.
I guess since it is just a compress it does not hurt at least!
There is an explanation for it-- will ask the doctor and get back to you

[Jasper]

Dani, are you a doctor? You are so knowledgable. It's funny that you should mention the antidepressants and antianxiety meds ... they are the only things that do seem to help. My regular doc gave me Xanax for the first time last Friday. He was hesitant to do so as they are addicting. I can understand why as I feel so much more relaxed and the head pain is cut in half. He only gave me 2 weeks worth of this med so I know I can't use it all the time. Maybe there is something else he can give me for anxiety that will help with the headaches.

The pain is above my nose between the eyebrows.

[ringo]

Hi Jasper,

Yes, actually I am a doctor. But I am on this forum as a patient.

I think rivotril works best in small doses, much better than Xanax, as rivotril has a slight anticonvulsant action as well. Anticonvulsants per se are the strongest for pain ( like Lyrica) but they have been associated with dangerous side effects in a few people (including Stephen Johnoson's).

Opioids like tramadol and the like work as well, but mostly symptomatically, meaning they do not seem to aid in the repair of the nerve function. Antidepressants, anticonvulsants and anti-anxiety do.

So if I were you, I'd try rivotril, many are taking it long term, its not like Xanax. I personally do not like Xanax. Even its anti-anxiety action is not as good and lasting as that of rivotril.

You might try the compress if you are sure it is neuropathic pain, or just for the sake of trying. This also helps if one has spasms related to damaged nerve function.

Dani

P.S. I doubt your regular doctor will prescribe what is best for or diagnose correctly nerve-related pain. That requires a specialist neurologist i think.