One sided headache!!!

[helenclaire]

All of a sudden this morning I have developed a pain in my head but only on one side.
This has happened before when I used to get migraines, I haven't had a migraine for years though and then I would always get the aura first so I knew it was coming, but this has just happened while I was out shopping which put me straight into a panic and had to rush to get home.
I hate shopping anyway, I think the lady at the checkout must of wondered what was going on as I threw everything in the bags and kept dropping things before I eventually legged it out the shop in a complete panic, heart racing, lightheaded etc I didn't think I would even get back to the car.
This hasn't helped my agoraphobia at all.
Anyway I am home now and calmed down a bit but the headache is still there, I have drank some water and taken an ibrupofen so hoping it will get bet soon.
I have been getting lots of dizziness/ lightheadedness recently and this has made me worry even more now that there is something wrong with my brain.

[.Poppy.]

Do you have any other stressors right now? How have you been sleeping? Is it possible you've slept in a funny position?

Migraines can totally appear, disappear, and change. I had migraines for years and NEVER had an aura...then one day I went blind in one eye, got hit hard with a headache, was unable to speak and ended up in the hospital for fear I was having a stroke! It was "just" a migraine...and an MRI confirmed nothing sinister. That was a few years ago, and aside from my normal headaches, I haven't had another bad episode since *knock on wood*.

It may be worth mentioning to your doctor, just to feel sure. NOT because it sounds like anything dangerous (don't let yourself starting thinking that!) but because it may be either "just" a migraine or related to something totally benign - perhaps you need to intake more water, or you're low on some vitamin.

Best of luck, and happy new year!

[debs71]

Hi helenclaire,

Please try not to be worried.

I know how horrible and scary this feels, especially in a public place. That make things even worse. I have also had similar head pain.

I also get one-sided, migraine type pain. It is very debilitating, and like you say can come on so suddenly and without warning. I had one when I was out with visiting family in June, and also had flashing vision, and it freaked me right out! Just the worry of that alone set off my anxiety, so on came the sweating and racing heartbeat. Eventually it wore off bit by bit, but it is intensely scary when it happens.

This is definitely anxiety playing its games again. Even a bit of stress can cause headaches and it is a bit of a vicious circle as the stress/anxiety causes the head pain, and then the head pain makes us anxious.....nightmare!

I know that when we get this in public, it sends us running right back home to safety, and scares us into stepping foot outside again, but the best thing we can do is to NOT allow it to beat us and bring on agrophobia again. I have been in that position myself, and the only way I have found to conquer it is to keep going out and facing the fear. You might be doing it while still feeling petrified, but please trust me when I say that this will eventually calm down and wear off. It is purely the fear that it will happen again while out - that anxiety voice in the head - but facing the fear and then finding you are actually ok, will break down that agrophobia bit by bit.

Don't let the anxiety win! xxx

[helenclaire]

Thanks for your replies,
I have been very stressed recently and my anxiety has been really bad.
What worried me was the speed that this headache started, I still have it slightly but nowhere near as bad it put me into a panic when it started.
I am not sleeping very well either so it is probably a mixture of being tired and stressed that caused it.