Headaches

[Laurie Oetzel]

Hi all, I was recently diagnosed with MS, only a month ago, and I have a long history of chronic headaches. I have even been treated for them in the past. I had a late in life pregnancy and it seemed like after the pregnancy and delivery, my headaches improved a great deal. I then had a hysterectomy a few years later. I just thought maybe the headaches were related to hormonal changes and that maybe that's why they got better. In the last few years, they have gotten much worse. Now, that I'm on Rebif, I feel like I get them daily. I am wondering if anyone else has headaches and if you think it's related to your MS. I do have 8 lesions on my brain so I guess it wouldn't surprise me if the headaches were related to MS. I also have moderate ringing in my ears. Does anyone have this and do you have any suggestions on how to treat it? Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

[ksrn19]

I have chronic headaches as well as migraines for as long as I can remember. When I was diagnosed (yesterday, lol) my neuro didn't seem to think it was related to the MS...but he did give me some migraine medication sample packs (migraine meds are terrible!) and also nortriptyline (TCA antidepressant with off-label use as migraine and chronic headache preventative) so I've only taken it one night but it's a daily medication. I've had a lot more headaches for the last few weeks that I've been stressing about all of this MS stuff, so I'm not entirely convinced that it's totally unrelated. I'm hoping this helps, ask your doctor about nortriptyline.

[coloss314]

I used to have headaches only when I was really tired. I would take Ibuprofen and sleep it off and be better the next day. Now, since my relapse in October last year, I have headaches at least a couple times a week. Sometimes it's mild. Sometimes it's pretty bad. Can last half a day and even into the next day. OTC medications do not work. I would say for me it definitely seems linked to my MS.

[ms382012]

Oh sweetie

OTC Ibuprofen is implicated in causing chronic, intractable migraines. You need an abortive med, not painkillers of any kind. It's the ultimate slap in the face with migraines. You really need one, but it can set up the next headache.

[coloss314]

For me the headaches seem unrelated to medication. I took Ibuprofen once during my relapse in Oct. last year and it didn't help, so I didn't try it again. I haven't taken anything else since. This is just part of a "new normal" for me. Here's an article with a lot of info on MS and headaches: http://www.mswatch.ca/en/MS-today/MS-and-migraine.aspx.