Killer Headaches

[Lace Neil Singer]

I sometimes get a nasty, vicious headache for no apparent reason; I had one last night. I was out with friends, and I had to go home before I was ready to cuz of said headache. I then ended up lying virtually paralysed from the pain in bed for an hour before I was finally able to drag myself up and take a codine tablet to get rid of the headache.

By the way, ibruprofin and paracetamol do NOT work on these killer headaches. These are not migraines, either. The only thing that works on them is codine and yes, I am aware that codine is a strong painkiller and no, I am not addicted to them. One pack will last me months as, thank goodness, these killer headaches do not strike very often.

[BlaqueKatt]

The only thing that works on them is codine and yes, I am aware that codine is a strong painkiller and no, I am not addicted to them.

Meh I used to take tylenol 3 to make my migraines tolerable-amazing stuff-codine isn't that addictive especially when taken for random pain, and not daily pain. Kinda wish I lived in canada-I know aspirin with small amounts of codine was OTC there-a friend had some-two of those and the migraine was bearable-without needing a prescription-for some reason doctor's act like you're an addict if you ask for a prescription of 10 tylenol 3 tablets to last you for 3 months.....-no if I were an addict 10 tablets wouldn't last me a damn day....

[McDreidel09]

Ugh. I hate those too. I get mine near the end of the semester and always have, since I was little. Nothing really helps them except to lay down and do nothing or sleep.

[Teysa]

Oh yes, the kind where you consider amputating your head a viable treatment option. Hey, no head, no headache, right?

[Lace Neil Singer]

Lol, that's exactly it. XD

I used the last of my codine the other night; I need to get some more to stash in the bathroom cupboard just in case... which means yet another round of twenty questions at the chemists. -.- I understand that they have to ask the questions, but I just don't see the point. Wouldn't an addict just lie, anyway?

[Stormraven]

I get what I call 'hurts to move' headaches occasionally as well. Not migraines as far as I can tell - thankfully. My eyes are already sensitive to light, I don't need that ramping up.

For me, Advil works, but I'm taking them a lot more often than 'directed'. And even that just makes it so I can move around occasionally.

[muses_nightmare]

I hate killer headaches, I get them every so often. I also get migraines. My migraines do some times make half my face and one hand numb. It really sucks.

I usually take advil gel caps, The Extra strength kind. I can't have T3's, codeine bothers my stomach, learned this when I had to stop taking them after I had my wisdom teeth taken out.

[blas87]

My worst headaches are on Sundays....I think they are self induced because of altering my sleep schedule on Fridays and Saturdays so I can be "normal" and sleep at night and be awake during the day.

I go to sleep Sunday morning/afternoon and wake up Sunday evening with a horrible headache that is only slightly numbed by OTC pain relievers. By halfway into my shift at work, my head is throbbing or my entire head and face is just completely warm and pulsating.

Any other day of the week, I just have to take two Aleve when I get up and I'm fine the entire night.

Edit to add: I did have some really good RX painkillers from when I messed up my neck, I ended up not needing them for as long as I was prescribed to them, so I'd take one every Sunday before work to try to make the pain easier to deal with. I miss those.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I've never heard of any of those painkillers; are they prescription only or over the counter? I can get my codine over the counter after answering twenty questions with the chemist; my special migraine tablets are also over the counter but strangely, there's not the twenty questions. I don't get how people are getting weird over the codine addiction thing; some people would get addicted to bread if they are that way, that's no reason to make it difficult for the vast majority who can just use a drug without abusing it to get it. Some people just have an addictive personality; they're not the majority.

[Boozy]

I've never heard of any of those painkillers; are they prescription only or over the counter?

Aleve is over the counter.

It's very difficult to get addicted to the OTC codeine pills (available in Canada.) There's just not much codeine in there.

RX codeine pills are likely to be habit forming if taken in high doses for a long time, but that's why they're prescribed; so a doc can monitor how much their patient is using.

I don't take painkillers for my migraines anymore. I go straight for my zolmitriptans. They nip the problem in the bud. The only problem with them is that you have to be very careful not to take them if you're having any kind of headache other than a migraine headache. They make almost every other kind of headache far worse.

[blas87]

Mine were prescribed to me for my neck pain, I believe they were called Tramadol and Cyclobenzaprine (sp?), generics of two painkillers. I was prescribed a month's worth of each, and never needed it that long. Normally I'm very against using prescription drugs for stuff you don't have, but it was the only thing that actually made the headaches tolerable for a while.

Aleve, ibuprofen, stuff like that....just stuff I always keep around, OTC stuff.

[Rageaholic]

Headaches are a bitch. What I hate is when doctors tell you not to take painkillers because it makes you dependant on them and only relieves them temperarly. Well no shit, but what else am I supposed to do when my head feels like it's going to explode? Easier said than done.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I once had a doctor who said that I should try herbal remedies, like feverfew. Well pardon me, but while that might work on say, eye strain, it won't work on a killer headache. -.- I've also had people saying, "Why do you take codine for those headaches? Why not try paracetamol or ibruprofin?" Cuz they don't bloody work on a killer headache!!! Jeez. -.- I don't get them very often so it's not as tho I'm popping pills all round the clock.

[telecom_goddess]

Everyone knows by now that I get migraines...and yeah dammit I take a good prescription med for them...it's necessary. I take a combo of prescription fioricet and otc aleve and it works. Well. And I'm not in pain. And I'm not popping pills around the clock either.

I love my migraine meds they make life tolerable!

[Lace Neil Singer]

I get migraine sometimes; mine are generally provoked by a combination of humidity and hormones. I've had people suggest to me that I cut out cheese or chocolate; those are triggers for some migraines but not mine so cutting them out wouldn't help me in the slightest. I love cheese and chocolate, so I'd just be miserable and still get migraine.