What could cause SEVERE headaches, that are NOT migraines?

Question

Im looking for ideas here because the Dr.'s haven't been able to figure out what is wrong with my husband.

This has been going on since last September. He will get headaches pretty much everyday and only get maybe an hour break during the day when the headache isn't as bad, but is usually still there.
They pretty much always start in the back of his head on the sides and travel upward. There are sharp pains along with the severe headache.
He does not get sensitive to light or sick. He pretty much always has neck pain with the headaches.
We do not think these are migraines, but have no idea what is going on!
Today he pretty much wants to die because it is so bad. He says it feels like his head is going to explode.
Can anyone please give me some ideas of what the heck could be going on??

A CT of his head was done in November, but I don't trust the people that did it because they treated him like crap because he takes Methadone. He takes it for chronic pain in his back, not because he's a heroin junkie like they assumed. Anyhow, we will be getting copies of every CT and MRI he has had and will be going to a Neurologist, it just won't be for awhile. We don't have health insurance and already in debt about $10,000 from all of this.
That is why I came here looking for ideas.

Sinuses have been checked. They even put him on nose spray and an antibiotic just to make sure they covered that. But no luck with that either. :o(

Answer 1

It seems to me that the pain is starting at the connection of his neck to his head. That area could be compromised. They even had an episode on Discovery channel where a young girl's head was no longer being supported properly due to a deteriorated piece of bone (it was a Medical Mystery show). She had terrible headaches as well. The CT scans needed to be done differently because it bulged longitudinally.

Answer 2

Has he had his sinuses checked....I used to have headaches like that...so much so, that I'd end up throwing up cos the pain was so severe. I used to take migraine medication and all that did was knock me out. When it wore off , the pain was still there. This went on constantly, till one day my husband, then boyfriend, said that I should have my sinuses checked. I never had a blocked or stuffy nose or anything like that, but they were pretty swollen and that was causing the pressure I felt in my face and forehead. I used to also feel like my teeth were aching, but it was just the pressure in my jaws from the swollen sinuses. Needless to say, once the sinuses were treated, the headaches went away. They come back every so often, but it must just be pollen or something that triggers them.
But please get the sinuses checked out...it may be as simple as just using a nasal spray to keep the headaches at bay.....and GOOD LUCK...Hope he feels better

Answer 3

When I was under severe stress from home and work a few years back, I used to get the exact symptoms that you described. A few times it was so bad, I was actually nauseous.

I figured out what it was once the stress was removed and the headaches disappeared along with it.

I was able to quit my job and stay home for a few months to get everything worked out with the help of counseling. I know that changing jobs is impossible for most people to do but even asking for a change in duties at work may alleviate some of the stress.

If the stress is coming from home, then your husband may need to have you join him in counseling for a while to help him figure out the best way to get things straight. It doesn't mean he doesn't love you and your family, there may be things that he just can't deal with on his own.

His body is letting him know that something needs to change and quick.

Good luck to you both!

Answer 4

Since I was hospitalized in Chicago for migraines (successfully), I learned there is a severe headache mostly in males. It is so excruciating that guys actually want to commit suicide. Please google headaches and you will come up with the name. At the Diamond Headache Clinic, they treat this with medications which I am not familiar with, but I do know that for relief, they administer oxygen. If his insurance allows, I would definitely go to Diamond Clinic in Chicago.

Answer 5

Headache is a pain in the head, scalp or neck.
Headaches can be caused by minor problems
like eyestrain, lack of coffee or more serious reasons
like head injury, brain tumors, encephalitis and
meningitis. Taking painkillers continuously can
have harmful side effects, so it is better to
modify your lifestyle. More information available at

Answer 6

Bad posture maybe, from sitting down hunched.

I've had those before it's like a tingly pain that starts at the back of the head and then all over the head, with pain at the back of the neck, i think it is where i have been sitting at my desk for a long period of time with bad posture, which is straining the neck muscles.


It could be related to his back pain because the spine is connected to the neck and any sort of strain or injury on the neck can cause headaches.

Answer 7

I totally understand I had the same.I wanted to jump out a window.Lasted 4 years turned out to be pinched off nerve in neck.Has he seen a Neurosurgeon? they can check his neck.If that is what it is tell him there is a light at the end and it will go away he needs to know that it is the kind of pain people want to died because of it.OR cluster headaches are common in men.Again a neurosurgeon is the doctor he should see.neurologist is not as good.

Answer 8

Does he strain his eyes? Has he had a neck injury, or hurt his back? Does he lift heavy objects? He could have a pinched nerve. These are all guesses, as I have headaches that are caused by similar injuries.

Answer 9

Only the Wii this time around. The only reason why the last Zelda came out on Wii and Gamecube was because Nintendo wanted people to go out and buy Wii's. For this Zelda games theres no new nintendo console coming sooo it's only going to be on Wii.

Answer 10

Has an MRI or CT of the brain been performed to rule out stroke?

You said a CT was performed on his brain, but was an MRI performed? MRI's are shown to have the highest percentage in detecting strokes.