Bad headaches

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A while back, I had a problem with my right eye twitching, very often. It got really, really bad, but I pushed through it, and the twitching went away.

Now, I've been noticing a lot of pain from behind the eye, like a headache, but it comes and lasts a few days and then goes away.

So I have 2 questions: 1) Is this a true migraine headache? and 2) If I get treated, will I lose my medical?
 
search "cluster headaches". Another form of serious headach.

I've not heard of migraine headaches being a grounding issue. I've had them occasionally for years. Not a problem. If they are debilitating and you need constant meds to control it that could be an issue.

Get checked out regardless. Don't have to go to the AME with this at first. Regular doc. Rule out the serious scary stuff.

Matt Michael (I'm not a real doctor)
 
I agree with Matt. Your health is more important than your medical. I've watched too much House to take it cavalierly!
 
There are actually 2 additional points I should add:

I drink a LOT of caffeine, and the headaches get much less intense when I'm in the middle of a bunch of caffeine. I also was struck pretty hard a little less than a year ago in the head (no details, as it gives away my identity very easily), and that is about the time that the twitching stopped. The headaches did not start until about 2 months ago, and I'm certain that they're unrelated to the headshot.

I ask about the medical because I know I'm safe to fly as I can tell when the headache is coming and I can avoid flying for a few days before/after it happens, and I'd rather not disqualify myself over something stupid like a headache.

For what its worth, my teeth are not in very healthy shape either and I've heard rumors that an infection in the tooth root can cause this kind of headache too....any truth to that?
 
Unregistered said:
For what its worth, my teeth are not in very healthy shape either and I've heard rumors that an infection in the tooth root can cause this kind of headache too....any truth to that?
Click to expand...

I can tell you that, when one of my impacted wisdom teeth got infected, I was in so much pain I could not begin to describe it, and the pain was in no way localized- I had no idea it was caused by a tooth. In fact, I cannot recall how we figured out that it was so. The doc said he could not remove the infected tooth until we knocked down the infection, because the process would have sent too much infected stuff down my throat (my technical term), a couple of days of butt-kicking antibiotics eased the pain as well, then surgery finished the plot.

That said, get thee to a doc- maybe it's nothing, in which event you'll rest easy, and that's good. Maybe it's something that needs immediate treatment to avoid getting worse (or killing you), and you certainly need to tend to that!
 
Gents,

From a thread long ago in Medical Matters, prolly on the red board, the strong advice was to NEVER NEVER use the word migraine unless your headache is diagnosed as a migraine by an appropriate medical authority.

A little like the SSRI situation, being misdiagnosed with migraines can cause you big problems with medical certification. Don't lead you doctor or AME to this diagnosis.

On the other hand, get what medical care you need. Just let the Doc do the diagnoses.

-Skip
 
If flying is important to you take care of your health. Caffeine addiction, bad teeth, crippling headaches... Take care of the machine. It will fly better and maybe even go past TBO.
 
Thinking out loud here so take it for what it's worth...

I, like you, was a caffeine junkie. My daily intake of caffeine was off the chart to say the least. I have been without caffeine for over 3 years now. Why the story line? Well, the first week or so sans caffeine was one of the worst weeks of my life. It was as if an oompa loompa was in my head with a sledge hammer 24/7. Needless to say, it was not an enjoyable situation. After about a week, the headaches subsided and sleep (ah, sleep) returned to levels I had not known in my adult life.

I'm not a doctor nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night so YMMV.

Anyway, good luck on getting the situation under control, whatever the diagnosis and treatment.
 
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Dr. Bruce has posted about this many times. Migrains are grounding. Cluster headaches are in the same class, but can be worked through. Do your homework on the medications BEFORE filling the prescription. A lot of the headache medicines are on the non approved list. Unfortunately, a lot of the ones that really work are not approved.

As others said, take care of your health first, flying second. The eye thing would worry me. Get checked out by the doctor right away.
 
I have had twitches of the eye in the past and have found that stress and/or caffine contribute to them.
 
Unregistered said:
A while back, I had a problem with my right eye twitching, very often. It got really, really bad, but I pushed through it, and the twitching went away.

Now, I've been noticing a lot of pain from behind the eye, like a headache, but it comes and lasts a few days and then goes away.

So I have 2 questions: 1) Is this a true migraine headache? and 2) If I get treated, will I lose my medical?
Click to expand...
This is gonna sound strange, but I just can't help that, I reckon... are you having any SHOULDER tightness?

Years ago I was having some pain off and on behind my right eye - I got an appt with the eye doc (time for a checkup, anyway). In the meantime I went to my chiropractor. I told him about the eye pain and he went straight to a trigger point just above my right shoulder blade. I wasn't having the eye pain at that time, but when he pressed on that trigger point, it reproduced the eye pain! :eek: We did some massage and loosened those muscles up and that was it for the pain! I went on in to the ophthalmologist and during the exam told her about what had happened and that the pain went away. She (a Duke resident working at the VA hospital eye clinic) said (authoritatively and dismissively), "There's no connections between the shoulder and the eye.", throwing away a perfect opportunity to learn something outside the box she was so rigidly fit into.

Might not have anything to do with your situation - you've probably got whatever it is that the docs are saying - but your post reminded me of it and I figured I'd share my experience. :)
 
I know you said that when you drink caffeine that your headache seems to feel somewhat better. I used to drink 6 20oz Diet Mt. Dew a day. I would get headaches all the time. Now that I have been soda free since August I don't get headaches like I used too. Maybe you should cut out the soda.
 
I would blame the caffeine first. My caffeine addiction was mild, but I would still get the headaches coming off of it. If you drink a lot of caffeine (I'm sure it's a lot more than I had), then I would look at that first.

Detox sucks. For me, I got a bad case of the flu where I couldn't eat or drink anything for 3 days. The headaches were awful, but afterwards I was free. Now I allow myself caffeine on weekends (in the form of my vices: coffee yogurt and Dr. Pepper) and that isn't enough to cause me headaches, but your mileage may vary. One of my friends who came off of her caffeine addiction can't have any at all now. The slightest amount causes headaches.

As to what I do now? Sleep + lots of water.

I would do that first. It's not easy, but it is simple and something you should do for your own health anyway. After that, I would see a doctor.
 
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