Headaches: do you suffer from them and what kind do you get?

I've suffered with headaches off and on most of my life, just like my mother did. But recently, since being on blood pressure and cholesterol medications, my headaches have been... well, weird. And lately I've been getting dull (not sharp and stabbing, but very annoying) quick pains in my head in various places. It's not localized. Sometimes it's right behind my eyes, sometimes they're on the sides of my head, sometimes the top of my head. No other symptoms, just that. And googling info on the internet can be dangerous because you automatically assume the worst (brain tumor, aneurysm, etc).

Anyone else get weird pains in your head? Or any other headache sufferers out there?

Re: Headaches: do you suffer from them and what kind do you get?

Hi Linda have you spoken to your doctor about this, if not I would. There could be a number of reasons for your headaches.

I rarely get headaches these days thank goodness after years of having dreadful migraine which stopped abruptly when I reached the menopause.

I do hope you can sort the problem out...

Re: Headaches: do you suffer from them and what kind do you get?

Yeah, I was just at my doc's office last week. I told her about them. She knows I had horrible headaches while on a certain blood pressure medication. Since changing medications, those headaches have gone away, but now it's just the little 'zaps' of ache that hit me several times a day.

I'm in the pre-menopausal (or perimenopause, whatever they're calling it now) stages, I think. That could be the problem as well, as my body goes through changes. Nothing too serious right now, though, just wacky periods and occasional hot flushes, mostly at night.

Re: Headaches: do you suffer from them and what kind do you get?

I used to get migraines on a monthly basis thought they were bad then suddenly on start of perimenopause I had my first bout of cluster headaches and I can honestly say the migraines were so much easier to cope with. These cluster head aches can leave me crying with the pain. My doctor says hopefully they will stop when the menopause arrives but she isn't 100% sure.

Re: Headaches: do you suffer from them and what kind do you get?

Julie, I've heard of many women developing bad headaches during perimenopause and then they disappear once menopause arrives. My cousin went through it (she's 57, I'm 51) and once her periods finally stopped, the headaches stopped as well.

Re: Headaches: do you suffer from them and what kind do you get?

That's good to hear, as I said the pain from cluster headaches is really something else, not sure I could imagine it going on for many more years.

Re: Headaches: do you suffer from them and what kind do you get?

Yes, I've heard they're sometimes worse than migraines.

Do you take anything for them? Does it help?

Re: Headaches: do you suffer from them and what kind do you get?

I was given tablets but the after effects weren't worth the small amount of pain they killed, they gave me tremendous cramps in the calves of my legs and made my face bright red. Apparently they dilate your blood vessels but they didn't seem to kill the pain very much.

Re: Headaches: do you suffer from them and what kind do you get?

Oh... well that's not good.

Stupid side effects. Why can't they make a medication to do what it's supposed to do without all the consequences?

Re: Headaches: do you suffer from them and what kind do you get?

I used to have bad headaches regularly but as Meg has said, I, too stopped having them after the menopause. I still get the occasional migraine though so I always carry something in my bag because the headache that follows the disturbed vision is quite bad.

I try not to google too much, Linda, it makes me worry more than ever about things..