To call the doctors ... headaches

[lifesnotfair321]

I'd say for the past month, probably 3 days a week I'm having chronic headaches morning and night but fine in the day. Right now I'm in absolute agony. A lot of these headaches require me to stay in a dark room and lie there doing nothing.
I have an 11 month old (still breastfed so very reliant on me), and it's making life very difficult. My partner has also had to take a day off work this week as I was in too much pain to look after him, and I had to call in sick tonight (I work evenings).
I feel like doctors can be very dismissive for things as simple as a headache and tbh feel like that's all it is. But it's so constant it's causing me to struggle day to day.

AIBU to go to the doctors or am I just wasting their time? What can they even do?

I drink plenty of water. My sleep is very disrupted due to a baby that's not a great sleeper but I can't imagine it having this bad an effect. I have 1/2 coffees a day, always have. Don't eat much food with caffiene in, I'm generally very cautious with what I eat and eating healthily.

In the nicest possible way, just go to the doctors. They can prescribe medication if it's a migraine or look into other issues if it's something more serious like a brain tumour, mini-stroke or haemmorage. Headaches of that severity aren't "just" headaches and you should always get them checked because it could be anything.

Also if you have migraines and you're on the pill you REALLY need to know because you can't take the pill if you have migraines with aura and a doctor will be able to advise on how to proceed with that, too. FWIW when I was mis-prescribed the pill, I got migraines about as often as it sounds like you're getting them (if yours are migraines; a doctor should know). The horror stopped when I discontinued the pill.

@PeekabooAtTheZoo thank you.
I do think I just need to get seen but I guess im just worried of being shrugged off and told to deal with it which has happened to me when going to the doctors previously. Particularly as something like that is pretty unlikely as im 24 and as far as I'm aware pretty healthy.

I'm not on the pill thankfully.

You should definitely get checked, I don't understand why you wouldn't when it is something affecting you so badly.

I do completely understand the fear of being fobbed off (and I have also sometimes not gone to the doctor for things due to the same worry), but I think you do need to be seen. The way I see it, if they dismiss you (which hopefully they won't), you aren't any worse off than you are now? Make sure your emphasise how difficult it's making your life.

Even if it's nothing serious, they can often prescribe something that will help. I had chronic headaches for a while and found amitriptyline really helpful.

Are they headaches or migraines?

Are they paracetamol induced? Stress, lack of sleep and dehydration can give you headaches/migraines.

If you work evenings when do you sleep? Are you disturbing the baby when coming home so they are unsettled which causes you both to have bad sleep?

I'm a paramedic working in a gp surgery. This would be a very reasonable problem to see the GP for absolutely not a waste of anyone's time!

In the meantime some simple things to try/not saying they're the cause but it can't hurt:
Make sure no possible sources of carbon monoxide in your home.
Be well hydrated.
Take appropriate pain relief-paracetamol/ibuprofen.
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, cigarettes.
Keep a headache diary:www.bash.org.uk/about/headache-diary/

If a headache comes on very suddenly (less than 5mins to peak) and is very severe this could be a medical emergency 999/a&e.

Also have a read through www.nhs.uk/conditions/headaches/

Most headaches are caused by something nonserious, doesn't detract from how awful they are to experience though.

@Pixiedust1234
I think headaches as suppose to migraines. I don't think I've ever really suffered with migraines but they are very severe and make me feel sick so I can't be sure.

Baby wakes up every 2 hours religiously. Has never in 11 months slept more than 3 hours in one go. I work 2 nights a week at a restaurant so he's either asleep and about to wake up for a feed or he's fought sleep with his dad so. I come in and out him to bed.

I avoid painkillers unless absolutely necessary. I can't imagine they're paracetamol induced.

@SleepyRich thank you very much.

Are you on the pill OP? I can’t remember which one but one contraceptive pill gave me the most horrendous headaches. I was terrified, thinking my brain was trying to burst out of my head & I had a tumour! I was taking it for acne.

Sounds like migraine to me. Call the doctor. There are some good migraine meds out there.

Honestly from what you have said:
Most severe headache you have ever had
Need to lie still in a dark room
Make you feel sick

This is migraine until proven otherwise

Other things in favour of it being migraine:

Hormones up the spout after having a baby
Total disruption of your sleep pattern

Severe pain, nausea/vomiting and needing dark are classic migraine symptoms. They can follow your menstrual/hormone pattern too. There are plenty of migraine medications, some you take after, some you take as preventative. Call the gp, they can definitely help.

If its any consolation both my mother and I practically stopped having migraines at menopause. My daughter rarely has migraines now she has finished college and started work. The stress and lack of sleep of 3x A levels pushed her over the edge. There is light at the end if you can figure out your particular triggers.