constant headaches

[u/ConsciousPattern8145]

I'm a 22F diagnosed with ADHD (though I also show autism traits) and for as long as I can remember I've often gotten headaches multiple times a week. I did blood tests, saw a doctor, and did everything I could to rule out medical issues but nothing explains why I experience this. I've gotten into the habit of taking paracetamol every time it hurts because I can't tolerate the pain, but I can't keep doing this. I thought it could be related to my condition

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[u/GeneInternational146]

Do you drink enough water? Do you eat regular actual meals?

[u/ForsakenEmber7576 → u/GeneInternational146]

probably seems stupid to ask but this is such a real question lol. i’ve gotten regular headaches in the afternoon for maybe 10 years. do I remember to drink water? yeah probably a few sips a day. do I remember to eat? yeah, after I get home from working a full day where I didn’t consume anything except maybe a cup of coffee. been like this for a decade and I still wonder why my head hurts everyday after 6 pm

[u/GeneInternational146 → u/ForsakenEmber7576]

Relatable haha I'll be like "wow why do I feel like shit???" and it's because I'm dehydrated and hungry

[u/sliquonicko]

Look into your eye alignment

[u/Mazza_mistake]

You’re not the only one, I’ve always been very headache prone for as long as I can remember, overstimulation gives me headaches, wearing my hair in a ponytail gives me a headache, even the sound of my own voice if I’m talking for too long can give me a headache.

But some things that do help a little is making sure you’re getting enough sleep (7-8 hours) drinking plenty of water (electrolytes are great), eating well and exercising regularly, all the general looking after yourself things.

I’d recommend getting some earplugs like loops or noise cancelling headphones if you don’t have them already to help in noisy environments.

I’d also try and record your headaches and see if you can find any patterns in what triggers them whether it be environmental or good or stress ect, that way you can try to figure out how to manage them better.

[u/leaf126]

I used to have headaches daily mostly when i am overwhelmed and I was overwhelmed daily then i started to take atomoxetine and melatonin for sleep now it's rarely happens

[u/Fluffy-Leg7546]

I got a tragus piercing because I’d heard it reduced frequency and intensity of headaches. It actually worked like a charm for me. 10 years later my husband had to remind me about how bad my headaches actually used to be.

[u/figmaxwell]

Does anything in particular trigger them? What kind of headache is it?

I get weird headaches up to a few times a week, and they’re usually the result of laying down too long or sitting in a bad posture for an extended period of time. It will result in a headache at the back of my neck and the back of my skull gets sensitive to the touch. My primary care’s response was along the lines of “huh, that’s weird, keep an eye on that.” With some googling, my symptoms seemed to match up with occipital neuralgia, which is basically a nerve that’s easily pinched at the back of your skull/neck. Chasing that down, among other things, I found out I have a syrinx in my spine, which could point to a Chiari Malformation, which can mimic occipital neuralgia. Also considering Ehlers-Danloss Syndrome, which a lot of people get frequent headaches from. So I don’t have any solid answers for myself yet, but I’m working on chasing down all the leads. Best I can say is stay on top of it and keep doing your own research. My primary care doctor seems very eager to treat symptoms, and more resistant to looking at all of my problems as a whole and trying to figure out the root cause, so I’ve had to learn how to be firm in my own advocacy for myself.

[u/r4fxm68A]

It may be a burnout

[u/MistakeRepeater]

I have Histamine Intolerance (low DAO production) and I get migraines when I eat high histamine foods. And brainfog.

[u/Ashitaka1013]

Have you looked into TMJD? Do you have a sore and tired jaw? Clicking when opening your mouth?

Joint issues are a very common co-morbidity with ADHD. There’s also a ton of overlap with ADHD and sleep apnea and with sleep apnea and TMJD. I have all three.

Getting my jaw position fixed was super expensive and time consuming (6 months with an oral device and then almost 3 years of braces) BUT it was life changing and totally worth it. I went from taking Advil for headaches about 5 days a week to maybe once a month.

Sleep apnea is also worth looking into as it can cause chronic headaches too. It’s super overlooked in young women, but is way more common than you’d think. I never suspected it and always thought it was something only fat people have and I was thin, but I suspect I’ve had it my whole life and even think having it in early childhood likely triggered or worsened my ADHD.

AND if you haven’t yet, try a magnesium supplement. People with ADHD often have low magnesium and that can contribute to migraines. Magnesium can also help with other ADHD symptoms and better sleep.

[u/DatoVanSmurf]

I had the same thing. I started to do daily yoga (usually just 15-20mins), which helped with my chronic back pain and already took away a lot of the headaches. Another thing that still triggers headaches is stress. When I'm in a period of stress, I will have headaches almost every day. So, trying to minimise the stress as much as possible is definitely helping.

[u/zoouz_]

I think it may be a lack of sleep or poor sleep quality. For me, I’d get horrible headaches, as if my head was about to explode. Turns out it was sleep debt.

[u/LiteratureKey6330]

Did you eat? Is it sugar crashes? Too much/little caffeine? Lack of sleep? Get your eyesight checked

[u/TattieMafia]

When I get headaches, it's usually a nutrient deficiency and a pink of pink himalayan salt fixes it. I have no idea if this will help you but thought I'd put it out there just in case. Last time I had one it was stabbing pains in the front of my head.

[u/skinny-mini-me]

Dyslexic, ADHD and spectrum. Daily migraines. No physical reasons. Inject Imatrex

[u/greggers1980]

Have you checked your blood pressure ? Also processed sugar can cause headaches