Anyone with effective HA remedies?

NurseShell · Feb 17, 2003

OK...here's what I take - an 800mg ibuprofen AND one extra strength excedrin...of course, that's mostly caffeine and you said you had cut that out.

My HA are sinus I think - originally treated as migranes, but they aren't...my forehead pounds and I have a marked pulse on the left side usually - it just plain HURTS!! Can't focus.

The kids are out of school today - me thinks I feel one of those HA coming on grrrrrr

cindyln · Feb 17, 2003

excedrin migraine works for me and most of my headaches are sinus ones.

NurseDennie, BSN, RN · Feb 17, 2003

Take ibu WITH tylenol and slug them both down with caffeine. You might be withdrawing from caff still.

I've given IV caffeine in hospital to people with intractible h/a's. Also there's a pain reliever specifically for h/a's which I'll attempt to look up (because of COURSE I don't remember the name!)

Also try putting warm compresses on the nape of your neck. My daughter tells me that a mint shampoo in a hot shower has cured some of her h/a's that were hard to get rid of otherwise.

Hope you feel better soon.

Love

Dennie

ShandyLynnRN, BSN, RN · Feb 17, 2003

Ibuprofen, sudafed, and sleep. They usually come back, but it works for several hours atleast. Mine are either sinus (gotta love oklahoma) or sleep deprivation related.

Have also had ice packs or warm packs help, but that really cuts out on being able to do anything else but sit there with the thing on your head.

Have you had your eyes checked recently? Are you sleeping enough? What about blood pressure?

hoolahan, ASN, RN · Feb 17, 2003

Tylenol Sinus formula plus two 200 mg ibuprofen. Yeah, not a smart combo, but it usually works for a severe sinus h/a.

Consider why you are getting these h/a so freq'ly, that concerns me. Maybe you have an untreated sinus infection and sometimes need a CT scan to pick it up. Please check w md, if it is a sinus infec, the h/a won't go away until you are rx w right med.

If it is a sinus thing, are you having any exposure to molds in the house? Too dry or too mosit air? Sometimes a beconase nasla spray helps if it is environmental inflammation of nasla/sinus passages.

Please check w doc Reb! OK?

semstr · Feb 17, 2003

did you try a drop of china-oil on your temps?

nursedawn67, LPN · Feb 17, 2003

I take Fioricet..Plus I'm on zyrtec and sudaphed for my sinuses,

RN2B2005 · Feb 17, 2003

In Canada, there is a pharmacy-only (behind the counter; you ask the pharmacist for it but no physician's Rx is required) medication called Frosst 222 that works really, really well.

Each tablet has 8mg of codeine phosphate, 15mg of caffeine, and 375mg aspirin. I usually take two 222 tablets, followed by two plain Tylenol, followed by one more 222 tablet if the HA doesn't leave in an hour or so.

If you don't go to Canada often, two Anacin Extra Strength (aspirin plus caffeine) and two plain Tylenol will usually do the trick--the codeine just makes the pain relief a little faster.

And yes, it's legal to bring the 222's into the US, as long as you declare them at the border AND bring less than a 50-day supply across.

fab4fan · Feb 17, 2003

How frequently are you taking something for a headache? If you have been taking something several times a week for two weeks or more, you may be having "rebound" headaches; the pain relievers you take for the headache can actually cause the headaches.

Unfortunately, the only way to treat rebound headaches is to go off all pain meds cold turkey. The first few days are terrible, just FYI.

researchrabbit · Feb 17, 2003

Have you had your eyes examined? Eyestrain can give you terrible headaches.

Allergies? Have you tried an antihistamine? I didn't have any allergies until I was 27, then suddenly I did, took me a while to figure out what was going on.

Is stress a possibility? When I used to have stress headaches, time in the steam room or whirlpool at the gym really helped.

I hope you feel better soon! Headaches are no fun.

spot · Feb 17, 2003

ibuprofen 800mg + sudaphed (or generic) 60mg should begin to feel some relief after 30min; should be gone in 1hr. Works every time for me.