# Headaches and Anxiety! Questions....



## h8ibs (Oct 24, 2004)

Hi everyone,I have an anxiety question for you: I've dealt with anxiety issues/panick attack issues in the past. About 3 years ago I was really bad. Was on Xanax and Zoloft, but I didn't stick with the meds because I seemed to be able to keep the attacks mostly under control after a few months. Well, lately I've had LOTS going on in my life...new baby on the way; MAJOR job frustrations, and other stressors/anxiety provocing issues. Anyway, in late August I started getting a headache in my eyes, temples, top of head, which would come and go. Then it hung in there for 10 days straight, then went away for a week or so. Then came back and I've had some degree of headache everyday now for the past month. I'm a bit of a hypochondriac so I've been FREAKING OUT over my headache. The anxiety over the headache seems to make the headache worse. It's a cycle. Doc says it sounds like a tension headache and says I need to get my anxiety issues under control. For the headache, he did lab work, which all came back normal. Today he prescribed Effexor and said I should re-visit him in a month. The main question is...how common is it to get headaches because of anxiety? Doc says it's common, but sometimes I don't believe everything the docs tell me. Any info would help! Thanks


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## 21286 (May 7, 2005)

I have this too. I took Effexor but hated it. It made me feel sick all the time. Good luck! I hope you feel better. I still get bad headaches and dizziness too. Spaced out feeling and chest pains.


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## Screamer (Aug 16, 2005)

Try not to worry. I go through a couple of months where I'll have a headache (same as you, behind the eyes etc) every single day. Then all of a sudden they'll go away for a while. Then a few months later they come back. There's nothing wrong with my brain and my doc thinks it's due to stress and tension too. It can also sometimes be small things like changes in the weather. I get a big headache pretty much every time a storm is on it's way. Does paracetamol help at all (wouldn't advise anything much stronger with a bub on the way, CONGRATS by the way







)?


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## h8ibs (Oct 24, 2004)

Screamer -- For your headaches, what kinds of tests (if any) did your doc perform? My doc was going to do a CT scan, but then insurance denied it. Then he was going to send me to a neurologist, but now he's saying that before we take that step, I should see how the Effexor does. (Again, he did full physical exam - blood work,etc.. which all was normal) but no head scans or anything. Thanks by the way for the words of encouragement.


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## Screamer (Aug 16, 2005)

Umm I haven't really had any tests specifically for the headache. I've had all the blood work done and stuff. They started when I was a teenager. I just started having a headache every afternoon after school, then when I was 15 I suffered 4 migraines in a year, which isn't many but it was when I'd never had once before. Then I've only had 2 migraines since but still get the headaches. My doctor back then told me it was due to stress and my doctor now believes the same, I have an anxiety disorder (found this one out today) and so he thinks they're connected to that. They're pretty bad but not debilitating. Sometimes nothing makes them go away though







Sorry I'm not much help am I?


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## Screamer (Aug 16, 2005)

Oh my mum suffers migraines and my brother started having headaches after school too when he was about 14, same age as me so I wonder if some of it isn't heriditary for me.


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