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anyone have trouble sleeping on the same side the h/a pain is?(daily symptoms)

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Migraine Headache
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Posted 10/26/2006 9:06 AM (GMT -8)
I suffer from chronic daily ha/migraines, the pain is one sided. The pain for the most part is on the right side, the following bodyparts are affected- head, eye, jaw, neck and shoulder. The pain at times shoots all the way down my arm to my hand. When I go to sleep I try to sleep on my back or the opposite side of the headache, however I always find myself waking up on my right side which I believe is aggervating my headache and in return waking up in a lot of pain. My pain is there all day everyday, the level of pain can fluctuate hourly from a level 4 to a level 2. On average I would say my pain is at a level 3 on a a1 to 5 scale.  I have a 6 yr history of daily headaches and due to bad side effects I'm currently not taking anything for them. Honestly for me all the diff meds didnt help, all it did was take my personality away from me. Anyone relate to my daily symptoms and if so what do u do for relief?  Ty in advance.
Posted 10/26/2006 9:27 AM (GMT -8)
Hi Chewy,

I cannot sleep on my affected side now, and have not been able to for some time as it aggravates the pain, so I understand how you feel.

I think low key pain can be very draining when it is all the time like you have it. For myself usually I do not have anything to relieve the pain up to level 4, but after that I use Oxygen as I cannot have the triptans at the moment because of other health issues!

What do you take for relief now if anything? Do you have times when the pain goes to a high level?

take care

Ann
Posted 10/26/2006 10:36 AM (GMT -8)
Ty for your reply, for relief I currently am seeing a chiro, and yes the pain gets bad all the time, pretty much daily.  The scale I was using was a 1 to 5 scale not a 1 to 10 scale.  Everyday the pain reaches a level 4 and probably hits a level 5 2-3 times a week. My pain fluctuates which is confusing to me, I dont bother keeping a headache diary because there is no pattern to its madness. What is this oxygen treatment everyone has been talking about?  Lately I seem to have breathing difficulties when the pain is intese. Im currently unemployed due to taking a medical leave, so at this time I dont have health ins.
Posted 10/26/2006 11:21 AM (GMT -8)
Hi Chewy,

Sorry if I confused the issue with the pain scale. The only way I got any Doctor to take me seriously was to keep a Headache Diary, as although there is no pattern to them, it does show what I go through as far as that is possible.

High Flow Oxygen is usually prescribed to Cluster Headache sufferers, and at least here in the UK it is undergoing trials in London for Migraine. Please talk to your Doctor or Neurologist about this, it may be that there are some trials going in with this that may be available to you, as I say please discuss this with your Doctor. I am told that Oxygen is cheaper to prescribe than such as Imitrex injections!

The Oxygen tank needs to have a High flow Regulator up to 15 litres per minute, and to be breathed at 100% through a non-rebreather mask. When I have an attack I am usually on the O2 for about 20 mins. The O2 constricts the blood vessels in your head only, and not the rest of your body as do the triptans!

Oxygen will not work for everyone, I am just very thankful that it does work for me at the moment as I have nothing else to abort attacks!

Hope this helps, take care

Ann
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