Help! Waking up with a horrible headache and neck pain

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Btoppe

Active member
Joined
Mar 3, 2015
Messages
32
Reason
DX FIBRO
Diagnosis
01/2015
Country
US
State
ID
Hello everyone.

Am I the only one waking up every morning with an extreme headache accompanied by tender neck pain? The vertebrate right where my neck meets my shoulders hurts so bad on each side. I wake up and I can already feel the pinch in my muscle around that vertabrate which gives me an awful headache. It lasts for a few hours after I wake up.

I try to have my boyfriend softly rub it, but the next morning it is so much worse. I cant handle massages. They make me so painfully sore. I am currently taking Flexeril 10mg right before bed, but it does not really help any more. Does anyone else experince this? Should I find a certain pillow? Should I try a professional massage? Would pain medicine help? I've tried all over the counter pain meds and no luck. I've had a few prescriptions for norcos and my neck pain was gone, but my headache amplified.

I am desperate for help. I can barely function the first few hours I'm awake. I don't even want to get out of bed. Your advice and personal experiences would be very appreciated.

Thank you in advanced. Hope all is well.
 
Hi Btoppe. Sorry about your headaches. I woke up like this for years and years until I finally went to the doctors last year. I tried every single over the counter medication and absolutely nothing worked for me either. The only thing that works for me is gabapentin. I can't describe how fantastic this is for my head and neck pain!! I don't think it's meant for headaches. I think it's meant for nerve pain? Not sure. I know a lot of people with fibro take it. It doesn't help me with any pain from the neck down but works a dream for my daily pounding headaches. U have to get it prescribed from the doctor but I thought I'd just share with what helps for me. Good luck!! :) x
 
Have you ever heard of MY Pillow? I don't have the pillow myself but it supposedly helps support the neck. Thing is, they're pretty expensive.
 
Btoppe I have this problem also, when my is flared just like you describe (I even get jaw pain) I have to take flexeril more often instead of just one before bed. Often 3x a day and that seems to calm it down it takes several days to get some relief. I also have to use a very firm pillow. You know like those memory foam ones, the ones that are flat and then they have like a lump on both sides to support your neck while sleeping. If I am going out of town, my pillow always comes with me! And the heating pad is my best friend! I hope you get some relief!
 
Btoppe you are certainly not alone with this issue. I had the same problem till the dr. started me on Gabby. I don't get the headaches as much as I used to but I still have a lot of neck pain. Of course medications work differently for everybody.
Gentle hugs
 
Gabby does nothing for my headache and little for my nerve pain. Toprimax for years for my headaches. If I miss a does I know it!!! I agree with the heating pad. I use capzasin cut with coconut oil or coconut oil mixed with clove oil on my muscle. Helps a lot. ive always been a pillow freek! I own them all even b4 fibro, they don't seem to make a difference now. I hope you find some relief.
 
Sorry about those nasty headaches. It sounds like you could use a chiropractor. I've had headaches all my life--migraines at 5 yrs. old with the heat of the desert where I grew up. Pillows make a huge difference. I use a synthetic feather pillow where I can punch it into position. If it is too fluffy I open it up and take out some of the filling, (and save it as I may add some later), then just stitch it up. Hot and cold creams are great and heat on the shoulders helps. I cannot take heat on my neck or head-it opens up the blood vessels and I get a migraine( Ice for the neck) Even though I'm on opiates for chronic pain, ONLY Firocet helps the migraines for me, (and my sister). Most of my headaches are from my neck going "out". Now it is fusing on it's own, as well as btwn my shoulders.

Those morning headaches you talk about are from muscle strain, they gradually work out during the day, only to start over the next! Find what helps muscle strain for you. It may be several little things that add up to R-E-L-I-E-F !

Also look into food allergies, cutting out or limiting caffeine. Many people find relief after changing their diet.
 
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I feel for you Ruralchick. I share in your predicament. One can wake up with neck pain due to a poor sleeping position or sleeping on one side for too long. Patients with fibro have to contend with worse. You have tried different medications but they don't seen to work. I would recommend you to have a deep massage with a hot and soft sponge. A very good sleeping aid is the U Comfort pillow which was developed by a nurse who was herself suffering from fibromyalgia and went on to recover from the condition. It is specifically designed to alleviate neck pain and more.
 
Hello everyone.

Am I the only one waking up every morning with an extreme headache accompanied by tender neck pain? The vertebrate right where my neck meets my shoulders hurts so bad on each side. I wake up and I can already feel the pinch in my muscle around that vertabrate which gives me an awful headache. It lasts for a few hours after I wake up.

I try to have my boyfriend softly rub it, but the next morning it is so much worse. I cant handle massages. They make me so painfully sore. I am currently taking Flexeril 10mg right before bed, but it does not really help any more. Does anyone else experince this? Should I find a certain pillow? Should I try a professional massage? Would pain medicine help? I've tried all over the counter pain meds and no luck. I've had a few prescriptions for norcos and my neck pain was gone, but my headache amplified.

I am desperate for help. I can barely function the first few hours I'm awake. I don't even want to get out of bed. Your advice and personal experiences would be very appreciated.

Thank you in advanced. Hope all is well.

I had the same thing happen to me. At least it sounds a lot like what I had. It was caused by stress, the muscle on the left side of my neck got tense, causing neck pain on that said and also a head ache. I'd recommend you to search for exercises that teach you how to tense and relax all the muscles of your body at will. It helps.
 
Hi there. I am currently suffering from exactly what you are describing. I had these types of head/neck aches every week and would last 2 to 3 days. Gabbi pills worked for a while. Cymbalta is helping now, along with ice packs on the back of my neck and massage therapy every two weeks. I am holding my breath, but only suffered one headache in the past 3 weeks. Hope you feel better soon. I am new here and also looking for pain relief ideas.
 
Get yourself to physical therapy for your neck. There are also home remedy exersizes. I had such bad neck pain at one time, I felt like I had a bowling ball on my neck. I know how you feel.
Take a towl and roll it up to 5" round for sleep. Warm and cold therapy.
 
I agree, a chiropractor might be the ticket to feeling better. I use various things for my neck pain, most of which have already been mentioned. I use ice a lot, and keep a variety of ice packs in my freezer at all times. Anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers help also, but gentle massage and manipulation, as well as ice treatments by the chiropractor helped me the most when I could afford them.
 
Neck pain is a very debilitating issue for fibromyalgia patients especially in the morning. This is due to lack of non restorative sleep during the night resulting in stiffness and pain in the morning. There are countless cases where normal medications fail. A simple and quite effective solution is the fibro pillow otherwise called the U Comfort pillow which was developed by a nurse who was herself suffering from fibro. It is quite effective against neck pain.
 
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