42-year-old white (Welsh, English, Irish, Dutch, Bavarian, Native American) male and a little overweight. I would like to do something about a chronic headache I’ve had for the past 16 years. Ideally accomplished without pharmaceuticals and/or surgery.
Pain detail: The chronic headache began following an eye laceration, which also caused a detached retina. Rendering eye permanently dilated & blinded, with a cataract. Pain is concentrated in two areas 1) surrounding the injured right eye extending to the temple/forehead and 2) arcing above & behind the left ear. I would rate the pain as never being less than 4 (on a 1-10 point scale) and a few times a week rating upwards to 7-9.
Diet: About 1500-2500 kcal daily, consisting of mostly fruits, vegetables, breads, beans, cheeses, olive oil, some desserts (cake, pie, ice cream). About 6 ounces of meat per week, over the past 10 years. Beverages: between 20-to-200 ounces a day, depending on thrist/activity, consisting of approximately 90% water, 8% milk, 2% juice.
Haven’t consumed any carbonated beverages for the past 13 years.
Never had a drink of an alcoholic beverage.
Never consumed any type of tobacco product.
Never used any illegal/illicit drugs.
Medication: 3 instances this past year I took OTC acetaminophen, out of frustration. Which provided no relief, not even psychologically.
When I had eye surgery, I was prescribed a pain reliever, however I didn’t take it, because the pain 1) wasn’t worse than my headache and 2) it provided no relief.
Unrelated Medical issues: ?intestinal hernia? (undiagnosed) since I was 14 and a torn knee ligament.
These drugs can help u
Aspirin
Drugs that treat epilepsy, such as divalproex sodium (Depakote) or topiramate (Topamax)
Tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline (Elavil) or nortriptyline (Pamelor)
Blood pressure medicines called beta blocker