Wow - sorry you have suffered so much with headaches and sorry I have no helpful ideas. 😢

I would definitely find a new neurologist. Have you ever tried botox for migraines? I know you don't think the new headaches are migraines, and they may not be. However, there are different kinds of migraines, so it could be worth checking out. Someone was just telling my husband and I the other day how botox had helped with her migraines. I believe she said she gets an injection monthly.

I'm sorry this is happening to you, it sounds very stressful. Could the new headaches be from a newly developed food or environmental allergy?

I get headaches from weather changes, DH refers to it as barometer head. They wax and wane, I have no idea why some are worse than others.

Ally, I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this!

I wish I knew the answer, it sounds brutal … I know and understand not wanting to have to go through medical testing, etc, again, but I really, really hope you do. Soon. This is not normal and maybe a new team can figure out the cause.

Just sending lots of gentle hugs to you, please keep us updated, sweet friend! ❤️

I am so sorry for the pain you are suffering. Seriously (and quickly) involve your medical team, I would rather you find answers sooner than later in case the new headaches are symptoms of something progressive.

I've read also that Botox helps but that's all I know. By any chance were you watching TV when they happen? Flashing lights, etc. Recently I told a friend about the only migraine I got and it was when we got a new Nintendo game, Tetris, and I was sitting about two feet from the tv, when my head started hurting and got worse and I took to my bed. I remember I had to throw up and when I did the headache went away. I didn't get an aura though.

Good luck, I hear they're the most miserable thing to go through. You'd think medicine could find a cure by now.

Maddie, I've had several brain MRI's. They showed white matter changes consistent with migraines, but no other issues (thankfully!). None recently since the new headaches started, but I'm not sure (?) the new headaches warrant another MRI either.

My wild azz guess is that barometric changes can trip them off - because they happen more often in the first few days after I get to the beach house. However it's not solely due to that either, because I've been tracking when they hit and what's going on.

They really do stink. Sigh. Man I hate going to doctors anyway, and I REALLY hate wasting time/money when I expect that there is nothing they can do for me. Trying new medicine is always difficult because my body has to be a PITA about it, every time. I may be getting just annoyed enough to give it a try though....

Oops, sorry, I missed a few of you.

Flashing lights or TV are not triggers for me. I've never found a trigger for the migraines - and trust me, we tried for years. There was never any discernible pattern to the migraines that we could find.

I do know that for my "reverse" headaches, the beach or barometric pressure changes can trip them off, but not always either. It's interesting that dee's headaches are due to barometric pressure changes, and also wax/wane. Hmm.

Jilly - I just adore you. Thank you. :)

Oakley, I'd do botox if I thought it would help. Cripes at this point I'd probably drink goat pee if I thought that would cure it. Ick and LOL, and I mean it. :)

Barometric pressure changes are a trigger for me, bit not always and not everywhere. Chicago winters are bad but Boston was fine. (used to have clients there). I had a headache for the two days before Hilary hit SoCal then around noon - after the rain had started - it was just gone.

I also have a herniated c5/6 and get more of a tension headache now than pre-menopause migraines. But they are almost as debilitating. As my head hurts more, my neck and shoulders lock up - the pain is very specific on one side. For these the only thing that works if 800mg Advil + 5mg of flexeril with a caffine back.

The person I mentioned has good luck with botox. As I wrote earlier, I believe she gets a monthly injection.

I've only had one migraine in my life and that was from SMELL. I went to a ceramics class and the smells from the small shop made me deathly ill. I can still remember laying in the backseat of the car and vomiting out the door. Hope you find something that works.

This is 100% anecdotal so take it for what it is worth.

While I was on my walk I was thinking about my weather headaches and wondering why I don't get them as often. I realized that I drink tons more water than I did when I was younger. I also remembered that my allergies are much more under control - I had shots years ago, use a gentle nose spray daily, and run a HEPA air purifier in our bedroom at night.

Hope you figure out a solution soon.

Non-migraine headaches can be due to a wide variety of causes. They can often be linked to a cause based on where the pain starts and spreads. Not always.

I tend not to have frequent headaches but I absolutely get weather headaches and can often tell when a thunderstorm or snow storm is approaching even with blue skies above.

I have had more frequent headaches in general but they are almost always linked to my vision issues or my dental/facial work. Both are common causes and my vision headaches often come with nausea.

I can only speak to my experiences but one of my sister had headaches due to high blood pressure/stress.

All of the above have gotten worse with age (like just about every other darn thing!)

PS so very sorry you are experiencing these. I find it very hard to work or just function with a headache. I hope you find a resolution soon!

I get migraines from absolutely everything. My migraines that are manageable though with Tylenol ultra and Advil liquid gels. (I did get rid of my migraines for 5 years by ingesting huge amounts of flax oil for 2 years. It was great but very fattening.)

My sister gets migraines but she also gets cluster headaches. My migraines can last up to a week. Her cluster headaches can last for several weeks and be extremely debilitating. Maybe you could look into cluster headaches. Pins and needles on the head is almost too mildly put for the pain she gets. Good luck.

Ally De , I used to have headaches like you describe. They start out mild, and get worse. The pain would get better and worse in waves, and sometimes I would feel nauseous or dizzy, but not so bad that I had to go home (Excedrin helped a lot). They would last for 3-5 days. They are a form of migraine, called a "Common Migraine". In my case, they tended to come when I was PMSing. I think going on birth control stopped mine forever, I haven't had one in decades -- but everyone is different.

I studied psych in college, and there was a unit on migraines. An interesting thing about common migraines is that they can toy with your emotions. Sometimes they make people feel depressed, but in some cases, they can make them feel kind of euphoric. I have experienced that, and it is so odd! Like, I'd have this terrible headache but could ignore it and go about my day because I was in an unusually good mood. So weird!

When I was young, I used to get the typical migraines (aura, headache, nausea), which are "Classic Migraines". For me, they happened around puberty, and seem to be coming back now that I'm approaching menopause. I also get the type where I get just an aura, and then nothing happens at all, called a "Silent Migraine". My husband got the type where he had stroke symptoms, called a Hemiplegic Migraine. It was really scary.

Your experience of reverse headaches sounds very similar to a person I know who gets headaches when they have a sinus infection, complete with nausea. It worsens when going to and from our dry desert to the coast, as they do for work. Hope you receive a diagnosis soon.

Ally, I really have no advice for you other than ask if you've kept a log or diary of your bad days even though you are seeing no pattern. It may not help, but there is the remote chance it could signal something to a professional that hasn't occurred to you. Beginning, duration, what else might be going on in your life or location that hasn't seemed significant to you. I wish you the best....

Sounds weird and is probably NOT what is happening, but can't hurt to check for muscular causes.

One thing that is different in your two homes is your furniture. If you have a muscle issue, one bed, for example, might exacerbate it more than the other.

My partner went through all sorts of tests--bloodwork, MRI, "see if this helps" drugs, etc.--to try to diagnose a recurring months-long headache before figuring out that it was caused by a tweaked area of muscle way down in the shoulder/neck area. None of the medical professionals had considered this aspect--the suggestion to check this came from a friend with a trigger point therapy booklet.

(Apparently massage therapy is more pleasant than an MRI.)

Y'all are awesome. Thank you so much for taking the time to chime in.

I didn't mention that magnesium helped me diminish my number of migraines too. I still take my daily magnesium supplement, and at this point my "true" migraines are almost non-existent. I am post-menopausal and the neurologist told me at least some women would see their migraines decrease with age.

My new/stupid headaches seem to go in active spurts too - it'll be a recurring problem for a few months, and then magically stop for another few months. Rinse and repeat. I just lost the entire 3 day weekend to a stupid headache that meds just barely touched. I'd so love to figure out what is triggering them....

I read that cluster headaches also go in spurts and then stop for awhile, so that part fits - but don't cluster headaches hit hard and then go away just as quickly? The pain is described as so excruciating that people can't stand it, and then resolves suddenly within 30 minutes to a few hours. Mine usually start out so minor I can ignore them, but then can drag on for days, and will (only sometimes) build in intensity. If it hits this "build in intensity" phase, then pain and nausea will wax and wane several times before it slowly fades away.

I'm due for my annual physical in January. I'd need a referral to a new neurologist, so I'll start there. My family doctor renews my script for Zofran every year so I won't forget to ask about it either.

My headaches are mostly caused by issues related to allergies and sinuses or the problems I have with bad discs in my neck. I doubt you would have something like the neck issues, but allergy and sinus issues could definitely change with location. I can get sinus headaches

without any sneezing or runny nose. I had such bad sinus issues in law school that I felt like I was falling when I would sit up and try to get out of bed or stand from sitting. I will take a claritin or zyrtec if I haven't already and also use mucinex and nasacort -- sometimes a dose or two and sometimes several days. If you have any allergies, you might try checking those things and see if it improves anything. Headaches can be so hard to decipher. Hope you find your answers and sooner rather than later.

I am so sorry you’re going through this. A migraine is no joke and an unexplained headache even worse. I went for years having migraines without realizing they were migraines. I finally read something that clicked, and knowing that my mother also had ’sick headaches’ also convinced me to get a referral to a neurologist. As I suspected, mine were brought on by weather systems primarily. I have a prescription for Relpax, which I call my magic bullet. Headache usually gone within 30 minutes of taking one.

I too encourage you to get to another good neurologist as soon as you can and get tonthe bottom of your problem. At least try to get some answers as to what it’s not.

My good news is that mine have subsided a great deal with age. One of the few good things about getting older I guess, and I don’t need to take a pill near as much as 5-10 years ago.

Have you ruled out certain foods? My friend cannot eat potatoes at all without getting a severe migraine. I think that also, other nightshade vegetables will give her migraines.

Please don't wait until January to get a referral. It can take months to get an appointment with a neurologist, so you may want to start now. I hope you are able to find relief.

My sister's cluster headaches started out fairly mild and have only worsened in the last year or so. The doctor has been trying anti-seizure medication on my sister now. We will see how it works. We're crossing our fingers because she can be taken out for a weeks.

Unfortunately for myself as a post menopausal person I have had no luck with the whole as you age migraines will diminish thing. In fact mine have ramped up to the same level as before I did my flax oil treatment. Magnesium didn't help and now I am trying up vitamin B2, riboflavin.

I too think you should go and get a referral as quickly as possible. Very best of luck to you.

I agree with getting an MRI.

Sending you hugs and good thoughts for a resolution soon. I suffer from headaches similiar to several

others here, but different from yours , they have already passed on the advice that I would have given.

Agree with others that you will want to start the referral process, easy to cancel if not needed down the road.

I'm so sorry yeonassky. I am so grateful my migraines have all but disappeared. (Or, at least the ones with aura have. Now I'm not sure what to call these new ones....)

I have another friend who has gone through menopause and her migraines are just as brutal as always too.

Interesting that your sister's cluster headaches started out relatively minor too. Cripes.

I can almost put up with the pain and can try to keep living my life (most of the time, unless it gets really bad anyway) - but once the nausea kicks in, I'm just done. I can move from nausea to violent vomiting within seconds once the nausea starts, so yeah...not going out in public with that chance.

Arkansas Girl - as far as I can tell, it's not caused by food. I know that's a big trigger for some people. No problems for me, again as far as I can tell anyway.

Outside Playing - triptans make me feel so sick. Just another added bonus to the migraine carp-fest. (ha ha.) I get that throat-tightening thing that feels like you're having a heart attack. I can get past that bc the neurologist assured me it's not dangerous, just unpleasant. However every time I take a triptan, I feel so ill for at least a day thereafter. The only way I can explain it is that I feel like I have the flu - triptans add another layer of weird nausea for me, and make me feel so out of sorts. Every time a migraine hits, I'm left debating how bad the migraine alone is, and whether it's worth it to add in the side effects from the triptans too.

Good times. :-/

Please keep us posted on your condition and what you find out. I sincerely hope you get some answers soon soon.

Maybe someone already mentioned this but I didn't see it. It might be worth having a thorough eye exam. DS began getting headaches that he felt were related to time spent studying and doing schoolwork on the computer. We tried bluelight glasses, and other things, and someone suggested that he go get his eyes checked. He came away with a pair of glasses and his headaches have resolved.

Your new headaches sound similar to the migraines I get. Mine are hormonal (self-diagnosis, but pretty sure). Except mine are not as stubborn as yours. I first got them when I was pregnant and then they didn't reoccur until menopause. My medication almost always works. I'm really sorry yours is not helping. I can't even imagine how miserable and life halting that is.

I also find that massage really helps. I can feel the pain subside as the tension in my upper shoulders and neck is released.

I hope you are able to get some relief soon.

The following is taken from a June 2021 publication from the National Library of Medicine:

In the management of migraine patients, the diagnosis and treatment of comorbid sleep disorders should be considered, as improved sleep is expected to also reduce the frequency and severity of headaches.

From your post, I realize you've had test galore. Have these included sleep studies? Perhaps sleep apnea is causing your new condition and your predisposition to migraines causes them to escalate. Just a thought. I've only had a migraine once in my life and it was memorable...and not in a good way.

Now that is an interesting idea. I have never had a sleep study. I don't have sleep apnea....I don't think anyway. Not sure if I'd know if I do either though.

Right now I am leaning toward barometric pressure changes. I am trying to pay attention to this possible link. A storm moved through this afternoon and I got a minor headache.

My head is a better barometer than the weatherman! You can have less than optimal sleep and not have apenic episodes. Back sleepers often have periods of occluded airway breathing from the relaxation in their airway from positioning. Do you by chance wear a Fitbit or other fitness tracker that shows oxygen saturation? That would give a rough idea if it is a problem,

As a headache person with a slight one now, I feel for you.

I don't wear a fitbit...

I generally sleep on my side.

Right now, my best guess is that I have barometer brain. I googled (because isn't that how we diagnose things these days..ha ha), and it mostly fits. It seems most people get headaches as they go UP in elevation more than down, but seeing as though I'm always a freak of nature....whatever.

It explains the waxing and waning part, it explains why traveling to a different elevation can trigger them.

Not much in the way of a cure for them either. Nothing is ever simple anymore, is it? :)

I so hope you’re feeling better. 🥰

I thought of you last night — I needed a bulb for the lamp on my nightstand and the only one we had was an LED.

I was reading in bed and within minutes started feeling queasy and had a bad headache. In minutes! I immediately got on Big A and ordered these treasures:

Anyway, I couldn’t remember if you or anyone had mentioned that. But, man! LEDs affect me terribly! We like to drive around to look at Christmas lights every year and I get dizzy looking at the LED ones.

DH is an electrician and said it’s common. LEDs flash on and off so quickly, the entire time they’re on … most people don’t notice, but some of us are super sensitive to it.

I guess I’m going to have to go back to candles! 😄

I love that you thought of me. Bummer that it was over a headache though! 😆

I will keep the LED issue in mind. I miss the old lights at Christmas too. They used to feel magical. Now they're too....bright? Shimmery? Dunno.

Next storm front moves through tomorrow. We shall see if barometer brain makes an appearance.....

I hope not. ❤️

Have you tried any decongestants during the headaches to relieve the pressure? I am also wondering fall allergies for me (maybe for you too depending upon where you live)

I am so sorry that you are suffering from these headaches, Ally. I hope that you find some answers soon.

I alluded to this above but I'm wondering if mild dehydration might be a trigger, especially when you go to higher altitudes. Living in Colorado I've noticed that the advice that many sites give about upping hydration at higher altitudes doesn't go far enough, especially when you are in the mountains.

RNmom - good thought about sinus issues - but neither decongestants nor antihistamines make any difference in the headaches. I don't have bad sinus issues, thankfully.

Dee - the dehydration thought is a great one, and I will pay closer attention to that. I do know that I don't always drink enough anyway, and if any nausea kicks in I can't stand to eat or drink anything until it resolves. The only time I ever have to go to the ER for my true migraines is always related to dehydration - if I can't stop throwing up within 24 hours, I need help at that point...

Ally, I am so, so sorry you are going through this. I have nothing helpful to offer. I can be stoic and cope with all sorts of pain, except headaches. They put me in bed unable to so much as look at GardenWeb. Holding you in my prayers, hoping for a speedy resolution.

PS WRT to managing pain, Roarah had written about some psychological means which had been helpful, acceptance therapy, perhaps?

I'm sorry you're dealing with migraines! Are you on Instagram? Someone local to me is an artist with a decent Instagram following and periodically posts about her migraines. She has explored just about every solution, too, and is currently keeping a diary of everything she does and eats. She was at the doctor today and they talked about leaky gut so now she's going to try a new diet. If you are on Instagram, go check out her Stories today where she talks about it and shares a snapshot of the list of foods she can eat and must avoid. The account is @CopperCorners. If you're not on Instagram I can grab a pic and post it here. No stone unturned!

Z, thank you. 💜

Bluebell, I will check her out, thank you.