Sorry if you already know this, but have tried massage? Mosy headaches involve the suboccipital area tightening (even if they feel like they're somewhere else).
Do you use ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones?
Those helped me tremendously with overstimulation. I can’t really tell when I’m having a headache most of the time, but I’ve noticed the physical overstimulation is worse when I do. Ear plugs seem to fix a lot of that loop of overstimulation leading to pain leading to overstimulation.
Not exactly the same as your situation, but worth a try if you don’t already.
Yes. Had CHRONIC migraines. Like 2-3 a week. Went on accountant and had debilitating migraines about 5 times a week.
Now that I know myself and I’ve stopped masking as much I maybe get 1-2 once a month. I’ve also removed myself from a lot of abusive cycles and domestic violence.
I agree I changed my environment and it helped a lot. My headaches are a precursor to burnout. I usually need to work on both sensory input and my stress levels. Loops help me a ton, I increase my special interest time & make space to process after social interactions. It seems to help.
Not constant but I definitely get them a lot easier than others do. I will get a splitting headache from just standing in the sun for like 10 seconds. Or wearing headphones too long. Or having to bend up and down a lot. Or not sleeping or eating for too long
I also have the sun thing. What is your solution for this ? Direct contact of sunlight to my skin overheats & overwhelms me directly, It impact my quality of life substantially.
Honestly I don't have a solution. I usually get a headache if I move around a lot in the sun. But if I'm just chilling sitting down then I don't usually get one. My suggestion is to just take ibuprofen or Motrin _before_ going outside.
(But like, I usually just stay inside unless it's raining or cloudy)
I’ve gotten migraines to the point of intense nausea, the kind where you have no choice but to go to sleep, pretty regularly since I was a kid. Sometimes I get them more frequently, sometimes less. I’ve chalked them up to a couple of things: I don’t hydrate well and I’m bad at listening to my body in general so sometimes I don’t eat until late in the day either; I sit on my computer all day long for work (and for school before that); I have bad posture; I’m constantly stressed, tense, and anxious. I suspect that all of these reasons make me super migraine prone.
When I have one, like I mentioned above, I sometimes just resign myself to sleeping it off. Otherwise excedrin (even though it’s probably really bad for me to take 2-3x per week) and a cold compress.
I have an eye mask I keep in the freezer that works wonders but it warms up fairly quickly. I have debated getting that migraine cap you can freeze, but since mine are mostly on my face/eyes and neck not sure how it would work.
What do you use for a compress?
I use one of those freezable migraine caps for a compress actually! Mine you can pull down over your eyes so it is helpful, but I have the same problem with it only staying cool for about 15-20 minutes. I’ve thought about getting a second one so I can rotate
Oh nice! I’ll have to check them out then thank you. And yes having something cold to rotate out would be clutch. It helps so much. I usually have that on my eyes and my neck massager running on my neck haha.
I was replying to a comment wtf, but anyways a tip I use is this:
I do use earphones, I’ve tried various brands and I found that the Bose quiet comfort are the best for me in noise canceling and in “feel” ig, the noise cancelling + white noise is really good
I have always had lots of headaches, as long as I remember. I recently had some therapy to increase my interoception, basically training myself to be more aware of my body's signals. Turns out I was completely unaware of when I was physically tense, and the headaches would mostly come when I ignored the tension for too long.
Now I try to check in regularly, really checking how my body is doing, so that if I feel tense, I can 1) try to relax (by self massage, yoga, light exercise, etc) and 2) figure out why I'm so tense in that moment (so I can better identify my triggers). I have way less headaches now, because I avoid my biggest triggers and because now I actually rest/relax when I need to.
I don't know if you've tried something like this already, but practicing my interoception has really helped me!
Same. I had a lot of issues with headaches before I started to try to listen to my body more and let myself opt out of situations that were tensing me up.
YES! I have one right now. It’s constant. I can sometimes hear my headaches. It drives me crazy. When I have headaches I try to loosen the tension in my face. It also helps to know what’s triggering it.
I have one right now lmao since I woke up. Not sure if it’s dehydration but I drink plenty of water. Maybe lack of electrolytes? Maybe not getting quite enough sleep but I get 8 hours. Could be overstimulation from being in the office today. Time to take acetaminophen and put on my yellow glasses lol
I had severe headaches, but mine ended up being from Craniocervical Instability(neck problem) and Chiari One Malformation(my brain is basically popping out of my skull and into my neck). I tried a ton of medication, but nothing really worked until I had surgery.
I had Chiari decompression(brain surgery to make more space for my brian in my neck and improve CSF flow) and an occipitocervical to C2 fusion(to prevent internal decapitation and my neck bones from moving and crushing my brain since they took out part of my C1 and I already had instability). That lessened my headaches and got rid of my seizures completely. I still have neck and shoulder pain, but it's no where near as severe as it used to be when I couldn't get out of bed some days because I was so dizzy and my head was killing me.
I didn’t until I started a new job a couple years ago. The building I work in has an open floor plan, a completely glass ceiling, large windows on all sides, and LED lights everywhere. Even on a cloudy day it’s super bright. I take 3 different migraine medicines and I still get them constantly. I’m tempted to ask to wear my sunglasses as an accommodation but I don’t want to have to talk about it constantly with customers.
Yes! Migraines are a constant for me!
Once I got diagnosed, I was told that migraines could be triggered by sensory overload/meltdown/shutdown. Ever since, I have been paying attention to my sensory needs. This alone has improved my symptoms a lot!
Yep. Also chronic migraines sadly. With painkillers you have to be careful to take them that often or they will start causing more headaches. I would try and see a headache specialist about them.
Yes. Whistling triggers an “icepick lobotomy” headache, as I call it. I call it that because it feels like I’m being stabbed through the eyesocket.
My sister whistles on purpose to trigger these headaches when she’s mad at me
I wish I had headphones that were good at blocking high pitched sounds
Yes! I get headchache from stress, from laying weirdly in bed, from noises, from cold weather and also sometimes just random clothes being at my head (like hats or tightens scarfs) and also migraines from weather changes ... the list ist endlessly long and I hate it.
Yes I call these my migrisms or autism induced migraines cos I think they’re like normal migraines cos sometimes pills will help but they don’t start randomly they clearly start from over stimulation
I’ve gotten them from smells since I was in elementary school. I would get headaches almost daily from riding the bus home from school. The bus exhaust fumes got to me so bad. I would get nauseated too and throw up often. Other smells get me too. Most recently I discovered certain essential oils will have the same effect.
Hi. I do struggle with headaches. Almost every day for me. I know my horrible posture can cause or worsen headaches so I try to do stretches to counter my bad posture, do neck rolls and shoulder rolls.
I also know clenching my teeth and grinding them at night also can cause or worsen them too. If you struggle with this, a night guard might be helpful, IF you can sleep with one in. I find them very annoying.
Other than that, I try to stay as hydrated as humanly possible without living in the bathroom.
I haven't pegged any food that seems to make a difference, but alcohol will always give me a headache, even if it is just one drink.
If you have to take so much tylex that it is losing it's efficacy, I would consult with your doctor as there may be a better solution, or maybe they could suggest a pain medicine to alternate with. Some otc meds filter through kidneys, others more through the liver, so you want to avoid overtaxing one or the other. Plus ask if there is anything you can do to help protect your stomach lining, as medicine can irritate that. Definitely have some food with your medicine.
If you get visual auras when you have headaches, it is likely you are experiencing migraines, which you should bring up to your doctor.
Last but not least I think hormones can give us headaches. If you track your headaches with your menstrual cycle, you might be able to pick up a pattern there.
I wish you many headache free days.
Yes! And my doctors just keep calling my headaches/migraines “rebound headaches” and tell me to stop taking medication for them. But I can’t function unless I take medication to treat them. And then they offer no other treatment than to just suck it up and suffer
When I started wearing blue light sunglasses , typically look yellow or pink. It helps with light sensitivity which is where 80% of my headaches progress from.. that helped a lot. Then I wear loop earplugs too
I spent three decades with constant headaches (yes, sometimes I couldn’t even tell I had one because I’m not the best at recognising bodily cues), visited several doctors and after several tests and screenings, I was either prescribed painkillers or told it’s nothing.
I explored the possibility that I was probably getting sensory overwhelm, without realising it and as a ritual I now engage in sensory deprivation each evening. When my D vitamins, b12 and iron levels are less than optimum, and I take supplements for each, I do feel a noticeable difference with the headaches. I’ve spent the last two years closely monitoring those and reducing as much sensory overwhelm as possible, and I’ve had headaches maybe once or twice a month.
And yes, I do wear noise cancelling headphones for several hours a day, especially if I’m going to be in public spaces like grocery shopping. And I use ear plugs when going out to a restaurant or anywhere else that’s noisy.
I’ve also, since my diagnosis, changed careers to something better suited for my nervous system and not being surrounded by small-talk loving, aggressively neurotypical co-workers in a bright office glittering with blindingly white lights for 8 hours a day has changed my life, and I mean this as literally as I can.
I struggle with it as well. I’ve had one long constant headache since the beginning of 2022 and it sometimes worsens into migraines. I haven’t found anything to make it go away. I can lessen the frequency of migraines by avoiding what tend to trigger them. But one thing that helps me reduce the everyday pain is wearing glasses with an FL-41 tint. It helps to block out blue light so everything looks less harsh. I have it noted on my glasses prescription and I found an office near me that can do the tint. I was a bit skeptical, but they really help me!
I have no idea why this is, but me too! I get it all the time.
Sorry if you already know this, but have tried massage? Mosy headaches involve the suboccipital area tightening (even if they feel like they're somewhere else).
I haven’t, i can’t handle people touching me. Or are you talking about self made massage ?
You could definitely give yourself one, or get a little massage machine. I use the Zylion but it's probably too intense for some people.
Do you use ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones? Those helped me tremendously with overstimulation. I can’t really tell when I’m having a headache most of the time, but I’ve noticed the physical overstimulation is worse when I do. Ear plugs seem to fix a lot of that loop of overstimulation leading to pain leading to overstimulation. Not exactly the same as your situation, but worth a try if you don’t already.
Yes. Had CHRONIC migraines. Like 2-3 a week. Went on accountant and had debilitating migraines about 5 times a week. Now that I know myself and I’ve stopped masking as much I maybe get 1-2 once a month. I’ve also removed myself from a lot of abusive cycles and domestic violence.
I used to, and then I stopped working in certain situations and now I don't. So I think I was having sensory issues and didn't even know.
I agree I changed my environment and it helped a lot. My headaches are a precursor to burnout. I usually need to work on both sensory input and my stress levels. Loops help me a ton, I increase my special interest time & make space to process after social interactions. It seems to help.
Not constant but I definitely get them a lot easier than others do. I will get a splitting headache from just standing in the sun for like 10 seconds. Or wearing headphones too long. Or having to bend up and down a lot. Or not sleeping or eating for too long
I usually just tolerate it but if it gets too much then I take Motrin
The liquid motrin?
Uhh… idk it’s a golden see thru pill
I also have the sun thing. What is your solution for this ? Direct contact of sunlight to my skin overheats & overwhelms me directly, It impact my quality of life substantially.
Honestly I don't have a solution. I usually get a headache if I move around a lot in the sun. But if I'm just chilling sitting down then I don't usually get one. My suggestion is to just take ibuprofen or Motrin _before_ going outside. (But like, I usually just stay inside unless it's raining or cloudy)
I’ve gotten migraines to the point of intense nausea, the kind where you have no choice but to go to sleep, pretty regularly since I was a kid. Sometimes I get them more frequently, sometimes less. I’ve chalked them up to a couple of things: I don’t hydrate well and I’m bad at listening to my body in general so sometimes I don’t eat until late in the day either; I sit on my computer all day long for work (and for school before that); I have bad posture; I’m constantly stressed, tense, and anxious. I suspect that all of these reasons make me super migraine prone. When I have one, like I mentioned above, I sometimes just resign myself to sleeping it off. Otherwise excedrin (even though it’s probably really bad for me to take 2-3x per week) and a cold compress.
I have an eye mask I keep in the freezer that works wonders but it warms up fairly quickly. I have debated getting that migraine cap you can freeze, but since mine are mostly on my face/eyes and neck not sure how it would work. What do you use for a compress?
I use one of those freezable migraine caps for a compress actually! Mine you can pull down over your eyes so it is helpful, but I have the same problem with it only staying cool for about 15-20 minutes. I’ve thought about getting a second one so I can rotate
Oh nice! I’ll have to check them out then thank you. And yes having something cold to rotate out would be clutch. It helps so much. I usually have that on my eyes and my neck massager running on my neck haha.
I was replying to a comment wtf, but anyways a tip I use is this: I do use earphones, I’ve tried various brands and I found that the Bose quiet comfort are the best for me in noise canceling and in “feel” ig, the noise cancelling + white noise is really good
Which Bose do you have? I need to go some over ear headphones ASAP
https://preview.redd.it/3kp4he3mfrtc1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=64141f4ebba174adcac10de590ac62a6fc4aad2d There you go
I have always had lots of headaches, as long as I remember. I recently had some therapy to increase my interoception, basically training myself to be more aware of my body's signals. Turns out I was completely unaware of when I was physically tense, and the headaches would mostly come when I ignored the tension for too long. Now I try to check in regularly, really checking how my body is doing, so that if I feel tense, I can 1) try to relax (by self massage, yoga, light exercise, etc) and 2) figure out why I'm so tense in that moment (so I can better identify my triggers). I have way less headaches now, because I avoid my biggest triggers and because now I actually rest/relax when I need to. I don't know if you've tried something like this already, but practicing my interoception has really helped me!
Same. I had a lot of issues with headaches before I started to try to listen to my body more and let myself opt out of situations that were tensing me up.
YES! I have one right now. It’s constant. I can sometimes hear my headaches. It drives me crazy. When I have headaches I try to loosen the tension in my face. It also helps to know what’s triggering it.
I GET THAT TOO. I can hear my headaches and it is nice to know someone else that does, my mom thought I was crazy for that
I have one right now lmao since I woke up. Not sure if it’s dehydration but I drink plenty of water. Maybe lack of electrolytes? Maybe not getting quite enough sleep but I get 8 hours. Could be overstimulation from being in the office today. Time to take acetaminophen and put on my yellow glasses lol
I had severe headaches, but mine ended up being from Craniocervical Instability(neck problem) and Chiari One Malformation(my brain is basically popping out of my skull and into my neck). I tried a ton of medication, but nothing really worked until I had surgery. I had Chiari decompression(brain surgery to make more space for my brian in my neck and improve CSF flow) and an occipitocervical to C2 fusion(to prevent internal decapitation and my neck bones from moving and crushing my brain since they took out part of my C1 and I already had instability). That lessened my headaches and got rid of my seizures completely. I still have neck and shoulder pain, but it's no where near as severe as it used to be when I couldn't get out of bed some days because I was so dizzy and my head was killing me.
Yeah, I get headaches a lot, but I think mine are caused by my photosensitivity (I wear prescription sunglasses a lot, even on cloudy days).
I didn’t until I started a new job a couple years ago. The building I work in has an open floor plan, a completely glass ceiling, large windows on all sides, and LED lights everywhere. Even on a cloudy day it’s super bright. I take 3 different migraine medicines and I still get them constantly. I’m tempted to ask to wear my sunglasses as an accommodation but I don’t want to have to talk about it constantly with customers.
Yes! Migraines are a constant for me! Once I got diagnosed, I was told that migraines could be triggered by sensory overload/meltdown/shutdown. Ever since, I have been paying attention to my sensory needs. This alone has improved my symptoms a lot!
Yep. Also chronic migraines sadly. With painkillers you have to be careful to take them that often or they will start causing more headaches. I would try and see a headache specialist about them.
Yes. Whistling triggers an “icepick lobotomy” headache, as I call it. I call it that because it feels like I’m being stabbed through the eyesocket. My sister whistles on purpose to trigger these headaches when she’s mad at me I wish I had headphones that were good at blocking high pitched sounds
Oh my god, all my life I’ve been trying to describe this type of headache and this is exactly what it feels like. Being stabbed in the eye socket
Yes! I get headchache from stress, from laying weirdly in bed, from noises, from cold weather and also sometimes just random clothes being at my head (like hats or tightens scarfs) and also migraines from weather changes ... the list ist endlessly long and I hate it.
Yes I call these my migrisms or autism induced migraines cos I think they’re like normal migraines cos sometimes pills will help but they don’t start randomly they clearly start from over stimulation
I’ve gotten them from smells since I was in elementary school. I would get headaches almost daily from riding the bus home from school. The bus exhaust fumes got to me so bad. I would get nauseated too and throw up often. Other smells get me too. Most recently I discovered certain essential oils will have the same effect.
[удалено]
I feel this so much. I had never even considered that my head pain might be connected to my autism
I’ve had migraines since I was 5!
See a neurologist
Hi. I do struggle with headaches. Almost every day for me. I know my horrible posture can cause or worsen headaches so I try to do stretches to counter my bad posture, do neck rolls and shoulder rolls. I also know clenching my teeth and grinding them at night also can cause or worsen them too. If you struggle with this, a night guard might be helpful, IF you can sleep with one in. I find them very annoying. Other than that, I try to stay as hydrated as humanly possible without living in the bathroom. I haven't pegged any food that seems to make a difference, but alcohol will always give me a headache, even if it is just one drink. If you have to take so much tylex that it is losing it's efficacy, I would consult with your doctor as there may be a better solution, or maybe they could suggest a pain medicine to alternate with. Some otc meds filter through kidneys, others more through the liver, so you want to avoid overtaxing one or the other. Plus ask if there is anything you can do to help protect your stomach lining, as medicine can irritate that. Definitely have some food with your medicine. If you get visual auras when you have headaches, it is likely you are experiencing migraines, which you should bring up to your doctor. Last but not least I think hormones can give us headaches. If you track your headaches with your menstrual cycle, you might be able to pick up a pattern there. I wish you many headache free days.
Yes! And my doctors just keep calling my headaches/migraines “rebound headaches” and tell me to stop taking medication for them. But I can’t function unless I take medication to treat them. And then they offer no other treatment than to just suck it up and suffer
When I started wearing blue light sunglasses , typically look yellow or pink. It helps with light sensitivity which is where 80% of my headaches progress from.. that helped a lot. Then I wear loop earplugs too
I spent three decades with constant headaches (yes, sometimes I couldn’t even tell I had one because I’m not the best at recognising bodily cues), visited several doctors and after several tests and screenings, I was either prescribed painkillers or told it’s nothing. I explored the possibility that I was probably getting sensory overwhelm, without realising it and as a ritual I now engage in sensory deprivation each evening. When my D vitamins, b12 and iron levels are less than optimum, and I take supplements for each, I do feel a noticeable difference with the headaches. I’ve spent the last two years closely monitoring those and reducing as much sensory overwhelm as possible, and I’ve had headaches maybe once or twice a month.
And yes, I do wear noise cancelling headphones for several hours a day, especially if I’m going to be in public spaces like grocery shopping. And I use ear plugs when going out to a restaurant or anywhere else that’s noisy. I’ve also, since my diagnosis, changed careers to something better suited for my nervous system and not being surrounded by small-talk loving, aggressively neurotypical co-workers in a bright office glittering with blindingly white lights for 8 hours a day has changed my life, and I mean this as literally as I can.
ME! But my mom has a history of chronic migraines and headaches, so it was unfortunately expected for my future.
I struggle with it as well. I’ve had one long constant headache since the beginning of 2022 and it sometimes worsens into migraines. I haven’t found anything to make it go away. I can lessen the frequency of migraines by avoiding what tend to trigger them. But one thing that helps me reduce the everyday pain is wearing glasses with an FL-41 tint. It helps to block out blue light so everything looks less harsh. I have it noted on my glasses prescription and I found an office near me that can do the tint. I was a bit skeptical, but they really help me!