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Another Day

Quilting brings calm

Just throwing out possibilities:  

Has his blood pressure been taken when he first gets up?  There are gadgets you can buy now that will do it for you 

Has his inner ear been checked? 

He might possibly have allergies and could  benefit from an antihistamine and decongestant. Yes, I know certain ones are supposedly contributors to dementia, but risk versus reward. I have sinus headaches that present like migraines, and I take an antihistamine and decongestant for them along with the Tylenol.  You might also try vacuuming his mattress to reduce the dust content 

M1

Daily headaches, particularly waking with a headache, can be a sign of increased intracranial pressure and should be evaluated.  I would let the doc run tests.  If he has hydrocephalus (look it up) that is a potentially treatable cause of dementia.  You won't know unless you look, and imaging is relatively easy.

MaryG123

I have headaches many days because of arthritis in my neck and the resulting nerve and muscle spasms.  Prescription muscle relaxants helped a lot, but made me too sleepy to function adequately.  That might be an option for your husband though.

JJAz

Multiple years with daily headaches?  He needs a complete workup by a qualified physician.  Not likely to be related to dementia.  I had a headache every day of my life from childhood until middle age.  At that age, someone told me that wasn't normal.  I didn't know because that's all I had ever known.  It seems silly now that I didn't know that daily headaches were abnormal.   It turned out to be chronic migraine.  Once I got treatment, I seldom have headaches any more.  I hope you can get this figured out, because daily headaches are MISERABLE.

Nowhere

After you’ve been to specialists to rule out physical reason, if the headaches persist, ask about somatic delusions. My husband woke with killer headaches, then later became chronic stomaches for years. No causes ever determined. The pain would even drive his blood pressure up. As his AD progressed it became a nightmare as he’d demand to see a doctor (forgetting we just went) and believe I was lying about it, which transformed into his fear that I was poisoning him, An emergency room dementia specialist suggested perhaps he was suffering from somatic delusions and prescribed Seroquel. Within two mornings his every day headaches and stomachaches stopped. This was maybe four years ago. Search these strands with “somatic delusions”. I hope you can find help for your husband.

toolbeltexpert

None of this may apply in this case but this is my experience.

When I was 15 I had been diagnosed with a possible brain tumor, I had 2 Pneumoencephalograph's because I had bad headaches and would vomit, the most painful thing I have ever been thru was this barbaric test. I had one of the first cat scans done at children's hospital in Boston.they couldn't positively determine if it was a brain tumor and so and took a wait and see approach. They were going to do radiation, that cat scan probably saved my life. 

I hate to think how far a misdiagnosis could have gone.

So fast forward 25 years

 I started having bad headaches every morning or almost every morning. They Hurt so bad I would vomit, once I got a coffee down it would subside. I worried something was happening  again and i eent to a doctor and the doctor ordered a cat scan, I never mentioned my previous dx. When the results came in I brought the paperwork from my childhood dx and asked if there was any growth. Nope. The doctor ended up dxing sinus headaches and put me on a famous nasal spray it worked but fast forward the spray got to expensive so I quit it and prayed for God to give me something to help me I heard. Water!? Yes so I started downing a pint of water when I woke up and guess what no more headaches. Now I drink a gallon a day and have for many many years.

 I was in my late thirties when the headaches came back the second time.

A lot of folks won't believe and that's your right. Thank you God for answering my prayers.

Hydration is the first defense against sinus problems, anybody that is dehydrated is susceptible to sickness, which seems to happen more in winter. We don't drink as much in the cold and our houses are heated but do you humidify your house?

I boil water on my wood stove, I used to use a humifier but it never failed how well I keep it clean and used the treatments I seemed to get sick from it. So now I just boil water, no chance of mold ect.

 I finally put 2 and 2 together when I was 15 we had moved to the country from the city and in my late thirties I moved from the city to Tennessee.  Sinus capital of the world. I live next to the nursery capital of the world, McMinnville tn. Still headache free.

Mint

Sinus infection was also the cause of morning headaches for me. I started sleeping on a wedge, and that resolved the morning headache for me.

Another possible cause that I haven’t seen mentioned is untreated sleep apnea.  Some people with sleep apnea, do present with morning headaches.

M1

AD, a common ruse is to tell your LO that an exam is now required or you'll lose your insurance/Medicare.  Some have even. faked letters that say that.  Just sayin,' maybe it would get him there.  You certainly need to let the doc know your concerns ahead of time.

ghphotog

I still get plenty of migraines but I used to have a lot of headaches. Turned out it was because I didn't drink water, just coffee all day long. I have compressed disc in my neck. I drink more water now and less coffee. Still get migraines but not as many morning tension type headaches. Just my experience and I hope he will let you and the doctors help him.

Nowhere

And then there is this: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/20/health/dementia-chronic-pain-wellness Maybe the cart is before the horse? It’s hard enough to get to root causes of pain without dementia involved.

wiiliscreg

Did someone try Migraline meds? Do they help?

Brigv

wiiliscreg wrote:

Did someone try Migraline meds? Do they help?

I didn't try Migraline, though I read that some people find it helpful. Before taking any meds, it is better to find out the cause of the problem. So, if you suffer from daily headaches, it is essential to address a doctor. After a checkup, the recommendations might include antidepressants, beta-blockers, anti-seizure meds, NSAIDs, etc. Remember that if you choose medication by yourself, it can turn out to be useless and sometimes even harmful. I'm personally against self-treatment, but if you're going to take something without your doctor's recommendation, my advice is to check the info about it online (I usually use this source https://www.canadapharmacy.com/ for this purpose) to be sure you chose the right dose and find out possible side effects you might face. 

Ed1937

M1 wrote:

 If he has hydrocephalus (look it up) that is a potentially treatable cause of dementia.  You won't know unless you look, and imaging is relatively easy.

I think that is a very important post, and one that you should rule out. The important thing is that it is potentially treatable. 

Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

Hydrocephalus literally means “water on the brain.” Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) is a condition caused by buildup of fluid typically found in the spinal cord and brain (cerebrospinal fluid) in the brain’s ventricles. NPH normally occurs spontaneously, but it can also result from head trauma, brain hemorrhage, or meningitis. The fluid buildup can cause dementia-like symptoms such as progressive mental impairment, loss of bladder control, and poor coordination.

 

MaryG123

Well done Another Day!