To ask about your experience of migraines and sinus headaches

[Aaaahfuck]

I have a headache and facial pain I've always assumed that it was sinus issues. As the pain feels similar to times I've had a sinus infection. But not always with the other sinusitis symptoms. Doing a bit of googling several reputable sources say 90% of sinus headaches reported by patients are actually migraines. I was surprised to read this.

I've always felt that migraines are pretty bad and really different from headaches. So would not have said I had experienced them. However now I'm re evaluating this. I'm just looking for people's experiences of migraines and sinus pain, what does feel like? How long does it last? Where does it hurt? Rather than health advice although any tips to deal with the pain might me helpful!

It feels the same to me except the migraine is one sided and the sinus pain can be both.
With sinusitis I feel dizzy when bending forward; with a migraine I have vertigo randomly.
Migraines with aura are more painful than headaches but since I’ve started having vestibular migraines the headache is short and moderate. Sometimes I feel the migraine in my teeth or stomach and don’t have a headache.
I always had complete relief from sinus pain for at least 20 minutes after inhaling whereas that wouldn’t help a migraine so you could try that?
Commiserations because both of them suck balls.

Tips for dealing with the pain: drugs, drugs and more drugs.

I have the same thing. Not sure of it's migraines or sinus but the flu capsules with caffeine and decongestant seem to help. There are definite triggers (certain sweeteners for example). Strangely a nap sometimes clears it too.

I also sometimes go for flu capsules with paracetamol and if it's really bad on top of that take a codeine and ibuprofen.

On a sinus headache a squirt of sudafed stops it. Also I can look at screens and print. If I tip my head forwards it's made worse. And I have to wear my contacts, the pressure from my glasses is too bad.

On a migraine I can't look at anything like a phone or a TV, it makes me feel sick. And my hands go freezing cold. Painkillers do literally nothing.
I'm allergic to codeine so I just have to ride them out.

Ive been going through exactly the same thing! I was on my knees with it as none of the treatments for sinusitis were working for me and it was just getting worse and worse, I was having a flare up off feeling like I was being smashed in the face with a brick at least once a month with a constant pressure type pain in my face around the sinus area in-between these debilitating episodes of facial pain. My GP referred me to an ENT who sent me for a CT scan to rule out anything sinus related and when the results from that came back clear I was devastated as I was certain it was coming from my sinuses but the all clear made me think nothing could be done. But my GP then prescribed me amitriptyline and (touch wood) things are going well so far!! I can't believe it but after nearly a year of being convinced I had something causing chronic sinusitis as this is what it felt like, it turns out it's more likely facial neuralgia. I've also discovered that I clench my jaw when I'm stressed which is a huge trigger so maybe explore if you clench or grind your teeth as well. The last year has been hell for me due to this pain so I'm wishing you lots of luck OP and I hope you find a suitable treatment soon

Many American sites use the term migraine to mean any type of headache, whereas in the UK, migraine is a very specific type of headache, so that might affect your Google results? I get headaches that affect my face - particularly around eyebrows and cheekbones - but mine are tension headaches. They're worsened by stress but it's not neccesarily the cause, some people are just more prone to them. My GP told me a way to tell the difference was that if in the early stages of the headache (ie when still mild) you do some exercise, if it's a tension headache it'll usually help whereas if it's a migraine it'll make it worse. Something to do with how blood flow/vasodilation effects them. Tension headaches react well to ibruprofen whereas migraines need different types of meds.

A strong espresso can also help a migraine if you don’t otherwise drink much coffee.

Thanks for the replies. I think I need to try a few things out. The pain has gone away now without pain killers. I've had a decent amount of water a coffee and sandwich. So that makes me think it is possibly a migraine as surely sinus inflammation isn't just going to get better in a morning.

I gave up gluten for another reason and discovered my sinuses reacted to it. No sinus problems for 25 years now.

Sinus pain for me makes it feel as though the front of my face is going to explode. A migraine feels like someone is squeezing one or both eye balls, and a pain that runs all the way round the side of my head, round my ear and right in to the back of my skull. I also have the feeling of someone pumping my brain up with a football pump until there's no more room for it to go any further. I get vertigo with my migraines and if I'm not lucky enough to catch it straight away I can go into the weeks of having one constantly. I often end up admitted into hospital for strong IV meds and oxygen oh and if I'm really really lucky I also look like I'm having a stroke during a bad attack

Sinus pain and migraine are completely different for me.

For a few hours or days before a migraine, things will start to sound louder than usual. Then comes nausea and the feeling of everything being too bright. Then my left eye will start to feel heavy and then my whole head pounds and I can't open my eyes.

I had never experienced sinus pain until last week. That started more like toothache and earache, then spread upwards around my eye sockets. If I leaned over it got much worse. I tried sudafed for the first time and it sorted it right out.

Ijustlostthegame have you asked a Dr if you can try sumatriptan? It was a game changer for me (paracetamol doesn't help me and I'm severely intolerant to NSAIDS). There are a couple of things you can try for migraine that aren't painkillers.

I have had migraines and sinus problems, not always at the same time. My sinus problems were eventually diagnosed as allergies which would lead to infections. I am allergic to dust mites. Once they realised my sinus problems were allergies I then had other test and have reactions to over 20 foods and cutting them out has reduced the migraines.

A friend of mine has found an app called Curable incredibly helpful for her migraines - she's had them for 10 years and they have drastically improved. It sounds really good.

I am on sumatriptan for migraines and sometimes I use them in a sinus flare up where the pain is behind one eye and very acute. Migraines aren’t headaches but are swelling /inflammation. Similar to sinus issues that are also inflammatory. Ibuprofen helps s bit with sinus but never with migraine. Olbas oil is great for sinus pain congestion. Can’t help thinking sinus is worse in winter with dry environment caused by central heating. Both are miserable.

@txtbreaker
Do you take the sumatriptan when you need it or is it something you have everyday?

Also I've recently had an eye twitch which I haven't had for ages. Does anyone else have facial /eye twich and then have a migraine?

No not oí sumatriptan daily just during migraine. They aren’t nice tablets to take. Was also warned by a chemist once not to use too many but they help me cope with severe migraines. (And can work for sinus pressure. )

I also get both kinds of "headaches" (in quotes because migraines are for me a horrible whole body experience - nausea, vomiting, chills, shaking, right side of head about to explode, vertigo, extreme light sensitivity, vision disruption). Sinus headaches are completely different but can trigger a migraine for me. Decongestant and ibuprofen helps with headaches but not migraines so I take sumatriptan for those if I catch it before the vomiting starts (not always possible as they often come on at night and awaken me once fully formed). I had a daith piercing done by a practitioner researching how vagus nerve stimulation can affect migraines and, although it took a very long time to heal, it has reduced the frequency of my migraines, but not the severity. My sister suffers from much more frequent migraines than I do and has had some success with Botox injections in her scalp. These are specifically for migraines (i.e. not cosmetic and done by a specialist) - definitely available in Canada and the USA but not sure about the UK as treatment here is much more limited (for example, my sister has sumatriptan in an inhaler form in Canada so that she can take it even if the nausea and vomiting have set in - I cannot get this format in the UK). Good luck with finding something that works for you. Migraines are horrible - childbirth was far less painful for me than a full-on migraine attack!

Interesting - I have been looking at the same thing.

My migraines are quite 'mild'. Auras for 20 minutes then skull crushing head pain for an hour which is alleviated somewhat by ibuprofen the feeling tired/hung over for the rest of the day. I need to go somewhere dark ASAP if possible. But they are fairly rare in that I only have a few a year touch wood.

Sinus headaches are much more common. I get them an awful lot. I get ear pain, a bit of dizziness-sometimes and a lot of face pain. I don't get congested up my nose but get pretty awful post nasal drip. They get much much worse when it is rainy. I have a lot of tooth issues and wonder if there is a connection. Dr thinks it's allergy related and I'm on a steroid spray which is helping.

I also get tension headaches from anxiety. I find myself clenching my jaw a lot and my shoulders too. Yoga helps but if the sinuses are bad that can be hard.....

I get a blocked nose and sinus pain when I have a migraine. It hurts in my cheek and round my eye.only on one side where I have the migraine. It usually lasts a couple of days
When the migraine goes the sinus clear? Does yours clear or stay for a long time?
If it clears then it probably is a migraine

Neurology specialist's secretary here - All headache sufferers should be very, very wary of taking painkillers long-term - neurologists say that you should not take more than two doses a month BECAUSE more frequent use of painkillers has been shown to cause "Analgesic overusage headaches" . Lots of headaches are caused by a problem in the neck/upper spine so spinal physio can help. Migraine can be treated with: avoiding triggers (these differ from person to person but common ones are: chocolate, coffee, cheese, red wine, nuts, lack of sleep); supplements (Riboflavin 400 mg a day, Co-enzyme Q10 50 mg a day and Magnesium Sulphate 300 mg a day); acupuncture and a "scalp stimulator" which I probably shouldn't give the brand name of but is easily purchased online. If all these measures fail, there is medication to take prophylactically (NOT triptans, which are only useful in acute attacks that you've been unable to avoid and shouldn't be used frequently and not analgesics). If none of those works, ask for a referral to a neurologist for suitable medication/advice. I've had migraines most of my life but they became much less frequent when I got into my 40s - I am now getting them again, about 2 a year but I get a visual warning, take 2 paracetamol and it does not then progress beyond the visual aura. So there may be hope for you poor sufferers later down the line.

Migraines make me feel spaced out and weird, even if I don't get the full-on visual aura and nausea/vomitting. Sumatriptan, plus an anit-emetic, sorts it, but I usually need a sleep before I feel properly over it.

Sinus headache is just incredibly painful. I find an OTC decongestant tablet and co-codamol does the trick, and having a hot shower seems to make it get better more quickly (inhaling the steam helps, possibly?).

My migraines have quite specific triggers: fluorescent light or flickering light, some smells (certain paints, paraffin), going a long while without eating, being very overtired, prolonged spells of intense concentration, but sinus pain starts without warning.

I had surgery on my sinuses in 2003, and it's much better now. Although the scan only showed a very small area of diseased tissue, when they did the surgery they removed (don't read on if you're eating)
"a huge, slimy, infected polyp" and widened the openings where the sinuses drain.

Since menopause, I find my migraines vary tremendously. I used to always get violent vomitting that could last as long as 72 hours, to the point where I've been admitted to hospital for a few hours to be rehydrated intravenously. Now, I sometimes don't even feel nauseous with them, never mind throwing up. They're nowhere as frequent, and they're over much more quickly.

wash your nose out with a neti pot or a flush to get rid of crystalized snot.

See a chiropractor - I suffered for years with tension headache/migraine/sinus headache - i was never sure exactly what it was.
The chiropractor has completely changed my life - rarely get them anymore and easily resolved if I do.

I used to have to take so many drugs! Mine originate from poor posture and issues I was not aware of in my neck and shoulders. At the first appointment the chiro applied some pressure to my head and could recreate the pain I was getting all the time - and then promptly resolved it. I practically cried with relief!