Anyone else have a loved one experiencing extreme headaches?

well my mom complained of headaches but unfortunately we didn't pursue that because we were more concerned over changes in her behavior. I would strongly recommend that regardless of what you may think it is, get an MRI. You never know. We didn't, and by the time we did that my mom was stage 4 glioblastoma. Heartbreaking. Had we insisted on an MRI early on, she might have been saved. Don't fool around with headaches, get them checked out early and thoroughly.

The horrible headaches, and vision problems all came at same time as the diagnosis of the Alzheimer's. He not only has memory problems, but part of brain does not understand what eyes see, I was told at KU that headaches do not normally go with Alzheimers, Well, they are not living with it! Finally he was put on a med that is for nerve pain. Helped right away, but having to increase dosage, He complains of eyes hurting also. Look up CPA (Posterior Cortical Atrophy) or Benson's syndrome. Exactly what we experience. So rare, they are doing nothing for it in the US, but info comes from Great Britain.

Newyorker: Isn't that Tylenol *with codeine*? The caffeine in it can give you headaches if you try to withdraw from it. It's like going from five cups of coffee a day for a month and suddenly stopping. (They put caffeine in Tylenol/acetaminophen w/codeine b/c it's a mild painkiller.)

Wow my mom who is 87 is going through the same thing. She has dementia and is complaining of headaches everyday which makes her dizzy. She has confusion, etc. and she just had an EEG and a CT scan and will be getting the results today!

Just for your information--a side effect of Tylenol is rebound headaches. I've experienced them. They are horrible. Maybe a change to another medication is needed. I empathize with you about the doctor. I have gotten the same response from several. Please do ask him/her about the rebound headaches.

My ex-hub has giant cell arteritis -- he's 77 and lives in Norway (I'm in Canada). Mrl3ill's advice is good.

Time to dr swap. I'm a firm believer that they often get to a point where they don't look at the problem with fresh eyes especially with difficult elderly people. Yes it can be hard to persuade your gma to swap, but tough love needs to kick in from you. Great suggestions from others but you need a dr who can tell YOU the diagnosis. Good luck

Wow, what wonderful information!

Migraines I know something about unfortunately. I never had a headache before going into menopause. Then Imitrex self injections were invented and they have been saving my life for 23 years! When I know one is coming on I will take a Zomig 2.5 mg tablet to see if that will stop it. Imitrex tablets made me really ill, so I switched. Imitrex injections will stop a migraine in about 15 minutes. One needs a prescription. The other latest migraine treatment is Botox (if one suffers 15 days or more per month). Medicare covers that treatment and you have to have a neurologist inject the 14 + injections in the neck, forehead, depending on your symptoms. Because these treatments are about $2,000 every three months you need insurance unless you have the funds. I tried 3 treatments, but found the side effects too great and went back to Imitrex. The injector "pen" is simple to use, but most doctors do not know how to work it or have seen it. So, get to a neurologist who specializes in migraines/headaches. My best to your grandmother.

Although this might not be her problem, please see her doctor immediately, just in case. My mother (87 years old) had very similar symptoms (headaches and nightmares) which sent her to the hospital several times.

No one could figure it out, and they thought she was having anxiety attacks. One Another symptom she developed with jaw pain (she wasn't eating well because of it). Her dentist referred her to an oral surgeon, who asked to have a blood test to rule out "something" before he went forward.

That something was "Giant Cell Arteritis" (Aka Temporal Arterites). I won't go into details, but the blood test checks "SED rate" and one other item. If positive, it indicates an inflammation in her system. It is not definitive, but if the doctor suspects GCL, he will immediately start her on Predinsone.

This condition caused inflammation of the arteries, generally in the head (temples and optic nerve). It is very serious, because it can cause irreversible blindness or double vision and to a lesser extent, stroke or aortic aneurysm.

For a more definitive diagnosis, a temporal artery biopsy is done. Unfortunately GCL is not always detected in the biopsy either. My mother had a "bilateral temporal biopsy" and it was positive for both!

GCL is more prevalent in elderly females, and for some unknown reason, people of northern European descent (My mother had grandparents from Norway).

She likely needs a CT scan to determine if she is having any vascular incidents.

Oh, and find her a new doctor...

The when you're taking her to is a schlub if s/he is ONLY following your direction !!!

I think you should go to the doctor and explain your concern in the same or more depth as you have here. He should engage you in a way that provides you with more information and gathers more information from you. If he does offer real testing and concrete solutions find a new doctor. I would think a CT scan at minimum is in order. Also looking for medicine interactions would be important. Too much Tylenol can cause liver failure too. It sounds like you should be pushing the doctor and not accepting the status quo.

Can she take tramadol? Helps my mom with pain.

Check all of her meds. Do any of them list headache as a side effect? Can she show you what part of her head hurts?

Is her doctor a geriatrician? They are often much better at figuring out these seemingly impossible issues.

Check dentures fit
Could be food allergy
Eye exam
May be needed
Tylenol always good unless she's allergic
Maybe a new bed pillow will
Help.