New Daily Persistent Headache Support Group

I still haven't been diagnosed after 10 months of a constant headache, so I am trying to diagnose myself. Could you PLEASE tell me if your head hurts terribly when you are resting it against something? For example..I can't sleep on my back because the pillow really hurts where it is touching my head. Also, when I lay on my side, the back of my head hurts where the pillow touches it. I can only lay on my stomach where the front parts of my head touch the pillow. I can't rest my head against the back of the couch because it hurts my head where the couch touches it. I have like a bruised sensation where my headache is located. I just have to touch it and it hurts and triggers an even worse headache. Even in the shower, the droplets hurt my head when they are landing on it. So, I am wondering if this is a common occurence for NDPH sufferers? Please take time to answer. I need this. Thank you.

Hi, my headache is not like that, but I have heard of others who can't stand to have certain places touched. It sounds more typical of Occipital neuralgia than NDPH from what little I have heard though.

I suspect that your headache is not going to fit neatly in any category or you would already have been diagnosed, so you are probably trying to find which category is closest.

You can check nerve locations here (if you click on the pictures they get bigger, though still not big enough to read easily- lesser occipital is vertical behind the ear...it is hard to read).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_occipital_nerve

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_occipital_nerve

I hope that will help you to at least be able to compare if your sensitive spots are in the same general places to know if that might be the right track or not.

Thank you Mary! You are always such a big help to everyone on here. Thanks for taking the time to answer! Maria

Is it one certain area when you lay down, or your whole head? I was thinking a donut hole pillow might help

Maria,

my headache isn't like yours either. When my pain is really high my head is very sore to touch but I can still lay down. I do find that ice pack help me greatly. Have you tried ice to at least give you some small relief? I'm also not sure if you've tried physio or osteopathy? I was having osteo for awhile and the practitioner was able to relieve some of my head and neck tension and muscle soreness. It didn't do anything for the underlying headache though.

Everyone is slightly different so don't worry if your symptoms don't exactly match everyone elses.

I hope you find something else that helps you soon.

N.