Hi all,
As my heading says I’m 15 months past my stroke but I still continue to get headaches. I know someone out there will be the same or experienced the same - what have you done? I saw my GP who wants to give me beta-blockers or stop my statins for 6 weeks. That’s just more drugs or more risk as they don’t monitor you and you’re on your own. Paracetamol is a joke and I can’t take anything else.
Any suggestions?
My stroke consultant said that clopidogrel can cause headaches. If you’re taking that it may be worth asking if that’s a possible cause.
I still get headaches 2 plus years on just not as frequent as they were. I take paracetamol- sometimes it helps sometimes it doesn’t but i am reluctant to take anything stronger.
Hi @RobD1
Sorta directly depends on the cause for the relief 
If the headaches are neuropathic then the gabapentin types are common and often ineffective.
If from high blood pressure then the beta blocker works by slowing your heart rate - in which case it would be sensible to know your current resting & other pulse - but there are loads of medications for BP like calcium channel blockers et al.
I wasn’t aware that statins caused headaches but that’s believable - taking a 6-week holiday probably wouldn’t be much of a risk but it would depend on what your LDL level currently is (HDL is good cholesterol & off and you just got a headline figure without knowing what the makeup is). They are also lots of different ways to control cholesterol.
Sounds like you’re at the beginning not the end of the road on this one.
Caio
Simon
No idea, Rob, except I went through the same problem, years ago
This would be (is) my goto checklist
Measure BP with machine (plenty on Amazon),
Drink lots of water. 2 litres a day minimum
Height of your pillow; research and tweak it… not too high, nor too low
Goes without saying, but lay off smoke and booze
Make sure you are exercising, and flushing lactic acid from muscles
Align your circadian rhythm (sleep times) to the season
Get enough sleep, obviously (7 good hours)
Go through an amazing diet for a week (to start) (no sugar / no carbs)
Do some detox (I have been taking wheatgrass juice all of last week)
Take some magnesium to relax your muscles (neck / shoulders tight?)
Eat a banana
Rudimentary meditation ; take control of your body’s inner working
Check posture (especially for stooped neck?)
Lying on your back on the floor for grounding
Walk barefoot for a short while
Listen to some soothing music
the list goes on.
Hawthorne used to work for me (it levels BP)
Do you have tinnitus?
Good luck, let me know if anything above helped
Ciao, Roland
Wow!
Why the tinnitus qn? I have it and the degree to which it it intrusive varies (at this minute it’s almost silent just a faint high pitched hiss!
Thanks Roland, I will try some of these ideas as they seem practical. Appreciate your swift reply Rob
Yes, you’ve asked this before, Simon
My Chinese Dr asks this question, sometimes, or used to. It’s just a random question, really, but I think there can be a correlation between high BP and tinnitus. He seems to think so, in fact after my stroke (you know I had sky-high BP during… and before, really) my tinnitus dropped (after a good 2 weeks of tweaking BP meds) and I noticed it was 25% of what it was before stroke. It has stayed at that less intrusive level ever since (and my BP is much better, and stabilized) , and like I said, my Chinese Dr. has always stated that tinnitus reflects BP level.
I had a list of ideas for headaches I posted to a friend (suffering from headaches) 2 years ago ; it was a good list, perhaps I should ask him for it !!
I don’t know if all tinnitus follows this correlation with BP, but because my Chinese Dr. thinks so, I tend to as well (at least for myself). I’m glad yours is not too bad.
Ciao, Roland
You could try Magnesium Glycinate for a week or two to see if that clears it. I’m not a doctor…or pharmacist by the way 
But I had virtually constant headaches for 3 years after my stroke. Heck, I even had an MRI to check there was nothing untoward going on as I was also losing my hearing by then also.
So some months ago, I’d been reading up on Magnesium, among other meds, and there was lots of mentions regarding it relieving headaches and migraines. So I tried it for 2wks, in for penny and all that. By day two I could already feel it lifting!
Magnesium for Migraines: Benefits and Risks
I was on a good healthy diet, I was also taking a calcium supplement which also contained magnesium. And I’d been taking that from long before my stroke, but clearly I needed that bit more. But check with your gp/chemist first to ensure its safe enough with your current and health condition.
Interesting thought about BP/tinnitus link. I have horrendous tinnitus and no issues with my BP. Exception that proves a rule maybe 
Hi Ann,
No, not a rule, which is what I was trying to say. I guess there must be different causes for tinnitus, so I’m not suggesting this is anything like a rule. In my case, there is a strong link which I have known about for 15-20 years. If your tinnitus is severe that tells me it’s nothing like mine. Mine is unnoticeable until someone mentions the t word.
Hope you manage to improve it,
With some research and focus on it, it could.
Ciao, Roland
Hi Roland, my tinnitus started when i had my stroke. Never had it before. I’ve seen a number of specialists in the ENT world & had all the serious causes ruled out so it is just a case of managing it which I do fairly well with most days…it’s always there nice & loud but 80% of the time it doesn’t bother me too much. The rest of the time I struggle…but we all get good & bad days. It’d be better if it played me a nice tune occasionally 
I’m 14 months post stroke and waking up with headaches most days, not sleeping well and low energy levels in the day.
I decided to try cranial osteopathy and it is working very well for me. I’ve just had my 3rd session. But please do your own research about this practice, it’s not for everyone and I’m no medical expert. My headaches have gone, I can now sleep a good 8 hours most nights and my energy is back on an even keel. For the first time since my stroke I feel like the “old” me is returning.
Rob,
here’s a video which could shed some insight
ciao, Roland
