# Tension Headaches



## busdude (Mar 3, 2010)

Does anyone else get them very often, and I mean daily. I've been living with daily headaches for a while now, I always used to get them often but around 10th grade in high school, I started getting them pretty much every day, though more so on school days. I think they might be caused by mainly my SA, and frustration/stress in general.

I even went to the doctor about 2 years ago to try and figure out what is wrong, got a blood test with normal results, the doctor said it meant they were tension headaches(when it feels as if something is clamped on your head, pressing against both temples), and asked if i was stressed. I thought of course I am, but there's nothing I can do about it. I was given a prescription for some pills, they didn't help as they never do, and since then I've just accepted the fact I might have to live with it til death.

As if the pain wasn't enough, they hinder my concentration and make my mood even worse. I've got one right now as I type this.:|


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## Emptyheart (Sep 15, 2009)

I have headaches often, not everyday but when I'm stressed, have more anxiety
Or depressed on somedays I get them.


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## bowlingpins (Oct 18, 2008)

Excedrin works really well when I have tension headaches. It contains acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine. I read a study (that is fairly well known in neurology) that found that this combination is equally effective or better for treating headaches when compared with prescription medications like triptans.


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## Zoobiscuitz (Mar 10, 2010)

*Anti-depressants for headaches?*

Hi. I started getting terrible tension headaches last August when my sa got a lot worse. They were always on the back, right side of my head but the medication I take could still help you... My GP prescribed 10mg of trepiline.I have been taking it since august, and although my head still hurts some days, it made the headaches bearable enough that I was able to attend uni and complete my degree.

So maybe trepiline is something worth considering? I take it with other anti-depressants as well, so if you're on something else it's still a possibility.


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## OrangeGLEEGirl (Feb 13, 2010)

i get them . they are wicked bad. i try an ice pack, and sometimes it can bring the headache down to a dullness that is tolerable. some days, when they last for a stretch of days, it is difficult. i understand. 
hang in there.


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## Tangerine (Feb 16, 2010)

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I have chronic daily headache. I've always had a headache, all of the time. Usually they're what I consider to be not so bad 2-5 on a scale of 10, but sometimes they're so bad I can't get up off the floor or move. (But this is rare)
For the most part I've just gotten used to them, and I don't talk about them very much, although I'd kill to be rid of them. I've had them for 17 years now. 
I can totally understand what you're going through. And people don't really get how much it can interfere.
I even read a book on it called "All in my Head: An Epic Quest to Cure an Unrelenting, Totally Unreasonable, and Only Slightly Enlightening Headache."
Basically what I got from the book was, learn to live with it. I was expecting some answers!


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## thesnortinghatter (Mar 11, 2010)

hell yeah; i'm having one right now cz this was a rather crappy day.
and yes they happen frequently usually when i get frustrated and try to figure out to deal with things... with all of this tangle that has been formed over years.
or when i get anxious, i think it's a way that our bodies use to cope with depression and anxiety, and frankly it's aweful.


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## Catching Fire (Apr 23, 2009)

I got them almost every day of high school. They were kind of always there and they didn't bother me too much strangely. I still get them and they can really suck. I'm normally burnt out too when I get them which doesn't make for a good combination.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

I call them eye strain headaches since they are usually right behind my eyes. I have a pinched nerve in my neck now, too, which aggravates things.


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## Madison_Rose (Feb 27, 2009)

I used to get them all the time, but if I do plenty exercise on a regular basis they rarely bother me - only when I miss a lot of sleep. Try doing an an hour of cardiovascular exercise, 4-5 times a week. Worked for me.


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## sacrator (May 23, 2011)

I have had these headaches for nearly 2 years. Has anyone found any solutions that worked to get rid of them?


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## Silent Hell (Sep 17, 2010)

I get horrible tension headaches several times a week, as usual my head is in excruciating pain right now. I even went on the internet to try and distract myself from it...not working. 

I usually take some combination of ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and caffeine. But you can't take these continuously; in the past I've developed "rebound headaches" from taking too much medicine.


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## blinds8 (Feb 3, 2011)

I get these type of stress related headaches because I don't do a whole lot of what I would like to be doing like working and school due to mental illness at the moment. So my methods for conquering these headaches are usually heavy prayer and long walks to places around where I live that I enjoy fair weather or foul. That usually does the trick, if not then I worry and that adds to the headaches so I usually keep a bottle of last-resort Tylenol 1 with Codeine handy as they can be purchased over the counter at pharmacies here in The Great White North for as little as 10 dollars. This pills I used to take like regular acetaminophen and liquid fast-acting aspirin and ibuprofen didn't last long enough or have the right effect for long enough for me to enjoy a day. The aspirin aggravates my already awful stomach problems with blistering pain and the IBU doesn't have any noticeable affect on my headache. (perpetual headache)


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## sacrator (May 23, 2011)

I solved my problem. It seemed my anxiety was the problem because it caused me to do these things poorly. Eat well, sleep well and drink plenty of water. Try that consistently for a month and see if you see improvements! After 1 year of chronic tension headaches and seeing a headache specialist who said its caused from my anxiety and i just need to target the anxiety i used my way through lots of research and they are gone! get 9 - 10 hours of sleep not 8


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## blinds8 (Feb 3, 2011)

sacrator said:


> get 9 - 10 hours of sleep not 8


I either get 4 or I get 12+


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## sacrator (May 23, 2011)

let me know if changing your diet to healthy and having meals often, drinking plenty of water and getting good sleep clears it up for you also. Im curious!


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## calmdown (Feb 13, 2012)

I get these when im really stressed.


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## OldSchoolSkater (Jun 3, 2011)

I get these pretty much on a daily basis. I get a terrible headache, then I get a little dizzy and feel absolutely terrible. It gets better when I leave work and am able to lay down for a few minutes. Also, self medicating seems to help - although I don't recommend or condone it at all. Sometimes though, it's about the only thing that keeps me going on a daily basis.


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## GotAnxiety (Oct 14, 2011)

Ritalin or coffee can make these, stop or limit your self i get alot of tension in my neck then head pressure


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## adamac (Feb 1, 2012)

I get pretty bad migraines quite regularly probably from stress and worrying, Ibuprofen works great fortunately.


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