My 21-y/o daughter is plagued by daily headaches with all test results normal. A!


Question:

My 21-y/o daughter is plagued by daily headaches with all test results normal. Any suggestions as to cause?

Presciption-strength Aleve and other over-the-counter headache medication has had no effect. She's had an EEG, CAT scan, and MRI of the head, neck, and chest. All the blood work came back normal. Yet, her headaches continue on a daily basis and have become more and more frequent over the past three years. They start upon rising out of bed in the mornings. Sometimes they are in the front of her head, sometimes on both sides, sometimes on the back, sometimes pounding, and sometimes there is an intense pressure (squeezing) sensation. The family physician thought that the headaches were due to stress/depression and put her on Wellbrutin. The neurologist thought that the headaches were migrains and has put her on 50 mg of Topamax (4th week and no improvement). The rheumatologist thought that it was Lupus but has since ruled that out. She sees a chiropractor and physical therapist twice per week with no improvement. Anyone have any other suggestions? We are at our wits-end here!

Additional Details

1 week ago
Her hair is shoulder-length and quite thin (always has been) but I appreciate all thoughts.
Just today, I thought of calling an allergist for an appointment.
No, she is not on any birth-control. I've heard of some young women who are put on birth-control medication in order to curb their heachaches that are related to their monthly cycle, however.


Answers:

I had unexplained headaches at about the same age. I went to five different doctors, got five different diagnoses. One even prescribed glasses.

Then one day I was at the dentist and he asked, "Have you been having headaches lately?" I almost cried. It turned out I had TMJ, trans-mandibular joint disorder. I was grinding my teeth at night and it was wearing out the muscles. The headaches were strained muscles on the sides of my head. My jaw didn't hurt at all, but my eyes and temples were in pain all the time.

Have someone look at her for TMJ, it's an easy fix.




The consumer health information on answer-health.com is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.
The answer content post by the user, if contains the copyright content please contact us, we will immediately remove it.
Copyright © 2007-2011 answer-health.com -   Terms of Use -   Contact us

Health Categories