Headaches & Migraines

One of my most favoritest things in the whole wide world is waking up in the morning with a giant headache. You know, the kind that feels like one side of your head is stuck in a suction cup and you can barely open your eye? 

It's awesome.

best. feeling. ever.

As you can tell, I wrote that entire thing in my first language- Sarcasm.

This morning, when Maddy decided it was time to wake-up (because since I am not back at work yet, she is my alarm clock) I was woken to not only a weener dog kiss(s), but also the left side of my head screaming at me. So I started going down the list of things that sometimes work to rid myself of the headache- clearly ripping off the left side of my face was a thought, but not really a viable option....

1. go back to sleep- which I did, much to weenie's confusion

2. caffeine!- made coffee, drank coffee

3. sit still, close eyes, & will the headache away by telling it how much I hate it and it's not wanted.

(did all these and within about 30mins it was gone enough for me to function, aka: check fb)

Other things I try are- 

ice or heat- depending on what kind of headache it is. I used to have HeadOn, and it kind of relieved some pain, but not enough to keep a stock pile of it.
Massage- and by this I mean smashing and pinching my sinus' until my face is red cuz it feels so good

and my last resort is to take some meds- specifically Excedrin or my prescription (Immetrex-which is stupidly expensive even with insurance)

WHY is taking meds your last resort?- you are asking. That's normally the first thing people do.

Simple: I hate taking pills. I do. I have had these headache's/migraines since like 8th grade and shoving a pill down my throat has always been the answer and not always the solution. PLUS, the more pills you take, the more you have to take...get it? I dont want to build up my tolerance to pain meds so much that I need to eventually swallow an entire bottle to feel any kind of relief, thank you.

I especially hate when I tell the doctor about the headache and she says "well, take some tylenol/ibuprofen/etc" GAH!

So, what's the difference between a migraine and a regular old headache?
well, what I had this morning (thank the Lord!) was just a headache. Could have been from sleeping wrong, lack of caffeine (which is why the coffee killed it) or dehydration (in this case, coffee would have made it worse) you get the picture. Basically I know it was just a regular old headache because I was able to kill it fairly quickly.
A migraine, however, does not go down without more of a fight. MUCH more of a fight. Migraine's hang on for a l-o-n-g time.

According to WebMD "Migraines: The exact causes of migraines are unknown, although they are related to blood vessel contractions and other changes in the brain as well as inherited abnormalities in certain areas of the brain. Migraine pain is moderate to severe, often described as pounding, throbbing pain. They can last from four hours to three days and usually occur one to four times per month. Migraines are associated with symptoms such as sensitivity to light, noise, or odors; nausea or vomiting; loss of appetite; and stomach upset or abdominal pain."

See, I told you, FUN times. Thankfully I have never had one that has lasted for 3 days (knock on wood!!) But I do get Sinus headache's, which are tons-o-fun too.

"Sinus headaches: Sinus headaches are associated with a deep and constant pain in the cheekbones, forehead, or bridge of the nose. The pain usually intensifies with sudden head movement or straining and usually occurs with other sinus symptoms, such as nasal discharge, feeling of fullness in the ears, fever, and facial swelling."

Do you have any headache remedies that work wonders? I'd love to hear what works for you!!