![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Jane on June 24, 1999, at 10:10:57
Does anyone have headaches while sleeping that go away upon rising and then return later on in the day because of lack of sleep. My headaches always start around 4 am. They persist until I give up trying to sleep and get up. This ruins my day! I have experimented with the timing, dosage, changing of meds, diet, beds, pillows, rooms, therapy, etc. This has been going on for 4+ years. Not all the time but 50-75% of the time. For example, today I moaned in bed from 4 until 4:45, got up, drank juice, sat up for an hour and a half, got very sleepy, went back to bed, slept another hour and was awakened with another excruciating headache that went away after just sitting up for an hour. Does taking antidepressants cover up underlying health problems that haven't been diagnosed? If there was a definite depression and treatment started could there be other medical problems contributing to pain but dismissed because of the diagnosis of a mood disorder? Isn't this a potentially dangerous position to be in? When should a patient insist on further evaluations for other potential illnesses causing similar symptoms? If I have nighttime extreme thirst, headaches, daytime exhaustion, etc. I can conclude that these are all side effects of Effexor XR and Xanax and stick with the medications because they help control the mood disorder (cyclothymia.) But is it possible that the initial mood disorder is being successfully treated and another illness displaying similar symptoms has emerged and is being untreated? So many questions! Your posts are invaluable to me--like a support group that I listen in on. Thanks.
Posted by Sean on June 25, 1999, at 17:11:30
In reply to 4 am headaches, posted by Jane on June 24, 1999, at 10:10:57
> Does anyone have headaches while sleeping that go away upon rising and then return later on in the day because of lack of sleep. My headaches always start around 4 am. They persist until I give up trying to sleep and get up. This ruins my day! I have experimented with the timing, dosage, changing of meds, diet, beds, pillows, rooms, therapy, etc. This has been going on for 4+ years. Not all the time but 50-75% of the time. For example, today I moaned in bed from 4 until 4:45, got up, drank juice, sat up for an hour and a half, got very sleepy, went back to bed, slept another hour and was awakened with another excruciating headache that went away after just sitting up for an hour. Does taking antidepressants cover up underlying health problems that haven't been diagnosed? If there was a definite depression and treatment started could there be other medical problems contributing to pain but dismissed because of the diagnosis of a mood disorder? Isn't this a potentially dangerous position to be in? When should a patient insist on further evaluations for other potential illnesses causing similar symptoms? If I have nighttime extreme thirst, headaches, daytime exhaustion, etc. I can conclude that these are all side effects of Effexor XR and Xanax and stick with the medications because they help control the mood disorder (cyclothymia.) But is it possible that the initial mood disorder is being successfully treated and another illness displaying similar symptoms has emerged and is being untreated? So many questions! Your posts are invaluable to me--like a support group that I listen in on. Thanks.
Sorry 'bout the headaches Jane, sounds really
frustrating. I have noticed that xanax gives me
a headache. Have you considered treating the
cyclothymia with one of the newer mood stabilizers?
Since some doctors use them for pain and headaches,
they might be a better option that xanax...Best wishes,
Sean.
Posted by MA on June 25, 1999, at 23:10:36
In reply to 4 am headaches, posted by Jane on June 24, 1999, at 10:10:57
What does you doctor think about the headaches?
I can't believe that you have had this problem for 4 years. You say that nothing you have done has relieved the headaches, evn switching meds, lowering the dosage, changing the time of day you take Effexor. No other medication lessened the headaches?
I get headaches, but never the type you have described, those that are relieved by awakening. I have never heard of something like that. I don't think I could have gone for that length of time without seeking additonal medical evaluation. I would insist that your doctor refer you to someone who can offer you some relief. There has to be something else you can do. Is your doctor a specialist of any kind? I would think he or she would not settle for an partial response to the Effexor.
I can't function with a headache and I can't fathom how you have tolerated this for as long as you have. This doesn't occur every night I hope. I would be at my wit's end!!!
Posted by W. Suggs on June 26, 1999, at 22:16:22
In reply to Re: 4 am headaches, posted by MA on June 25, 1999, at 23:10:36
Jane,
You sound just like me. I still have daily headaches, however, they are much better since I added a low dose of lithium (300 mg in the morning and 300 at night) to my meds for the augmentation effect. The early morning awakenings do not seem to be a major problem for me anymore. Some believe that 600 mg of Lithium will have no effect since it is under the starting dose of 900 mg. I believe that they have forgotten that 900 is the starting dose for bipolar disorder etc... Talk to your Dr.. It was an excellent move for me. Also, it's dirt cheap. Best of luck,
W. Suggs
Posted by Jane on June 27, 1999, at 6:32:08
In reply to Re: 4 am headaches, posted by W. Suggs on June 26, 1999, at 22:16:22
Thanks for the suggestion. Did you have to get blood tests to begin Lithium? Did you ever try Depakote? Aren't they similar meds? Maybe Li is cheaper? My Dr. once recommended Depakote but after reading the pamphlet I was a little frightened to try. He did not push it because he knows I'm concerned about side effects. Do you experience side effects? You said your headaches are better. If you took more Li would they be gone? Are your other meds similar to mine? I keep thinking I should be able to function without meds now that most stressors are removed. Today I was wide awake at 4am but no headache. Full day ahead though. I appreciate your response. I'm not desperate, just trying to get good results for my family's sake.
Posted by W. Suggs on June 27, 1999, at 13:00:01
In reply to W.Suggs/Lithium, posted by Jane on June 27, 1999, at 6:32:08
Hello Jane,
Since the Lithium was under the starting dose, my Dr. said that blood work was not necessary. I never tried Depakote, so I cannot be of help there. And yes, they are similar medications. During the first week or so, I did experience some headaches (daytime). They went away and never returned. Sometimes you just have to tough it out and see if it works. If you go this route, you may never experience headaches as a side effect, you just never know. I did try increasing the Lithium for more pain relief. This only resulted in fatigue that was hard to deal with and no noticed pain relief. I take Wellbutrin SR 300 mg / day, and Neurontin 900 mg / day. I have been diagnosed with Dysthymia and I also have a unusual neurological pain in my ear. The Neurontin has been successful in dealing with this, however, it sounds like your headaches are of a different origin.
I would highly recommend to try the Lithium and see if it helps. Give it a month or so to determine if it is helpful. With any med, just stick with it to see if it will work.
Also, I would suggest using a search engine (dogpile.com, my favorite) and type in , ex. "antidepressant augmentation with Lithium" etc...
They are using so many different meds to augment.
Best of luck-
W. Suggs
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.