Caffeine and headaches

[Lyric]

Every now and then I get strange headaches out of the blue; they usually sit right behind my eyes and forehead, although sometimes one side will hurt more than the other, and sometimes the pain seems to reach all the way down to my neck. Ibuprofen alone is useless, but caffeine + ibuprofen almost always gets rid of it within twenty minutes or so.

I find this odd, because (1) I don't usually drink caffeine, and (2) When I drink it for a headache, I don't drink very much--maybe a quarter-cup of Mountain Dew or Pepsi or tea or whatever.

Does anyone else do this, or is this just some weirdness of *my* body?

[BeachBaby]

1. You're not weird. Caffeine has been proven to kill headaches.

:)

[3.14158675309]

3. Yup. The only difference between Tylenol and Tylenol HA (Head Ache) is the added caffeine

[Lyric]

4. Interesting. I didn't know that.

I had always heard that caffeine can *cause* headaches, but I was not aware that it could *treat* them (at least not for people other than me.)

After my c-section, I was given caffeine via IV in order to try and alleviate a specific type of headache that occurs after a spinal puncture, because apparently caffeine induces your body to make more of the cerebro-spinal fluid that leaks out of the puncture hole and causes the headache to begin with. I wonder if there's a connection, or if it's more about some sort of vascular property that's inherent to caffeine.

[NightWatcher]

2. your headaches sound like what I get if I dont get my two cups of strong coffee daily

that you dont drink coffee much is peculiar.

as Heyduke says in the Monkeywrench Gang..... "Chemicals, I need my chemicals"

[Lyric]

7. Yeah--I actually don't drink coffee *ever*

and I only drink tea/pop/other caffeinated drinks for headache purposes--usually once or twice a week in small amounts.

Strange indeed.

[Critters2]

9. Yep. I MUST have one serving of caffeine a day to keep the headaches away.

My neurologist wants me to give it up, to calm my tremors. So, I've cut back to one serving--one cup of tea in the morning, or one glass of iced tea with lunch. But I can't go more than 48 hours with no caffeine. The headaches are unbearable.

[sammythecat]

5. It's an active ingredient in Anacin

and it's also in some OTC migraine medications. Helps with a hangover headache too, I think it constricts swollen blood vessels that cause pain.

[ogneopasno]

6. I think Bufferin has caffeine in it. It dilates your blood vessels and get the medicine through

your system quicker.

(I'm talking out of my ass, of course.)

ETA: Maybe it's Excedrin. Whatever.

[foxfeet]

8. Talk to your doc. Could be a migraine variant.

It's worth a workup.

[Lyric]

11. I did have an MRI blood vessel study done of my head last year.

It showed nothing unusual. It wasn't for the headaches specifically, though; it was because my family has a STRONG history of aneurysms (both of my grandfathers died of them--one cerebral, one aortic--and my Mom had two cerebral aneurysms clipped about five years ago too.) My doctor and I both felt that a pre-emptive look at my cerebral blood vessels was probably a good idea.

[TZ]

10. Some headaches are caused by contractions of blood vessels

in your head..caffeine, which is a stimulant increases blood flow and causes the vessels to dilate which relieves pain...I have a lot of headaches because of my chronic blood condition and excederine with caffeine is by far the best treatment for them...
BTW, do you ever see like auras of light when you get these headaches? There are some kinds of migraines that cause that and it sounds like thats what you might have.

[Lyric]

12. No; my Mom get migraines, and she's told me what to look for

but so far I've never had any visual or other sensory issues--just pain. Light doesn't necessarily make the headache *worse*, but laying down in a dark room with a cool cloth on my forehead can sometimes help relieve them.

No worries, though; if I ever start seeing strange things during a headache, you can bet I'll be at the doc's within a day or two.

:hug:

[Orrex]

13. I suspect that your brain is trying to reject the control-rays from the reptoids' satellites

But you can buy into that caffeine/headache nonsense if you want.

[Lyric]

14. Wicked. My brain is hardcore.

:toast: