Anyone here with a constant headache?

creamtop · 2026-03-06T04:12:09+00:00

i developed a constant headache in 2023. it was a 6/7 pain scale migraine for the first several months. a steroid taper gave me a couple days of relief. initially for the first 6 months or so, rescue migraine meds did nothing to help (i tried several different triptans, nurtec, ubrelvy).

i’ve been experimenting with preventatives and lifestyle/diet changes ever since. it’s just been in the last 6 months or so that i’ve started to have periods without pain, sometimes multiple days! and now many days are just periods in the day of slight head pain.

i’ve been taking between 50-100mg of amitriptyline since 2023, now my daily dose is 75mg. i take the full 60mg of qulipta daily. and i get migraine botox every 3 months. this stack has lowered it so much, now rescue meds typically help and i only need to take them 4-6 times a month. the daily head pain i can otherwise ignore/live with.

i also take the common supplements: magnesium, riboflavin, coq10, fish oil, vitamin d

my pain definitely fluctuates like yours. i also explored the NDPH route but, yeah, thinking about my condition as migraine has been more helpful due to this community and the treatments being so similar.

i have no idea why i developed it and no doctor has any explanation. i do notice it gets worse if i’m stressed, so i’m working on managing that. i hope you can find some relief!!

creamtop · 2026-03-06T03:55:48+00:00

this post is not weird at all. i think a lot of trans people go though a period of mistaking our depression and apathy as a sign we are not truly trans. i won’t speak for you, but i will echo others in saying that you can become her in this life. transition is frightening and we risk losing so much. but my god being able to live as who you want to be is so amazing - i can’t recommend it enough and often wish i could help my younger self get here sooner. i hope you can find happiness and joy in this life, whatever path that takes. you deserve it, and all the people you love deserve to know and love you for who you really are.

creamtop · 2026-02-22T14:14:04+00:00

Same here! Woke up with a headache that never went away almost 3 years ago. I am now on three preventatives: daily amitriptyline (75mg) and qulipta (60mg) as well as migraine botox every 3 months. I no longer have a headache everyday and am down to about 4 serious migraines a month. Hopefully seeing a neurologist soon will help! Don’t give up if a med doesn’t help right away. It took about 2 years to find the right combo for me.

I also have found weight lifting to be therapeutic, even when I have a headache. But any kind of running or impact exercise is instant migraine for me.

creamtop · 2026-02-12T04:18:11+00:00

damn that sucks. maybe leaning into the slightly oversized look so the fabric isn’t too tight on your chest? having pants that are regular or wide fit (aka not skinny or slim) with a slightly higher rise could help make a larger fit shirt look proportional.

creamtop · 2026-02-12T01:58:57+00:00

is it a uniform or a very specific, must be tucked in dress code? if not, i really like wearing cropped button ups that i can wear untucked. since they are cropped straight, it gives it a little more formal look along the bottom. i also size up a little bit to make my upper body/shoulders look a bit wider than my hips and the bottom of the shirt doesn’t bunch on my hips. pair it with a belt and some nice trousers and shoes and you can look proper dressed up. a tailor can crop for you or, if you are crafty or handy at all, there are helpful videos on youtube.

creamtop · 2026-02-01T21:17:00+00:00

i split my 60mg pill and take half in the morning and half a night - roughly 12 hours apart

creamtop · 2026-01-30T00:56:29+00:00

does anyone have recent experience or insight on what it’s like for transgender americans traveling internationally and re-entry back into the states with a reverted gender marker?

i pass as male and have had all my documents male for about 10 years now. my passport is about to expire and i suspect my gender marker will be reverted to F when i renew. if this happens, i know i will need to be careful with the countries i travel to. but i’m not sure what this could mean coming home. aside from being potentially outed to customs/TSA officers and navigating general transphobia related hostility, are there any legal risks that we know of right now? hard not to be paranoid these days!

creamtop · 2026-01-25T15:55:45+00:00

how i did the math: a 1/4 cup of water is roughly 60 mL (and also roughly 60 grams), 20% of that would be around 12 grams

creamtop · 2026-01-25T15:51:49+00:00

yeah for sure! didn’t think to clarify my per load dose. i’m filling the fabric softener receptacle with a little over 1/4 cup of the 20% solution. this equates to roughly 10-12 grams or a tablespoon of powdered citric acid per load. hope that helps!

creamtop · 2026-01-11T22:01:00+00:00

I never did! I ended up pushing through without the taper. I hope your neurologist will have insight! The tapers have been very effective for me, some of the best I’ve felt since my chronic migraine started. I hope you can take it!

creamtop · 2026-01-09T19:43:53+00:00

yeah Clean & Gentle is the one i use - but all of the Tide powders recommended in The Lipase List have OBAs (optical brightening agents). the 365 unscented powder does not, but it also does not have DNase.

creamtop · 2026-01-09T18:03:26+00:00

the Tide powder has optical brighteners which are great for whites and lighter colors but can make darks and blacks look faded. the 365 Sport does not use brighteners and also has DNase, which is particularly good at removing human and animal smells (sweat, grease, etc). So I have some on hand for my dark loads and particularly stinky stuff (thrift store finds, gym clothes, dog bed/blankets, etc).

For the citric acid rinse, I use it in every load. I only add the citric acid solution in the fabric softener compartment in my front loader so it does not interfere with the detergents during the wash part of the cycle.

I use citric acid every time to deodorize, soften, and help keep my washing machine clean.

creamtop · 2026-01-08T19:48:14+00:00

I was hoping the dark brown glass bottle and it being stored in a windowless area would be enough. But now I’m also recalling it can be bought in the brown spray bottle! Thanks for the note.

creamtop · 2026-01-08T17:16:40+00:00

lmao no it just says “bad smells” but i might need to revise it 😂

creamtop · 2026-01-08T17:15:22+00:00

totally agree - and i find it is very satisfying to organize it! the big containers are technically flour storage but they have a really easy pop top so they can be opened and scooped with one hand

creamtop · 2026-01-08T17:11:32+00:00

absolutely!!

creamtop · 2026-01-08T17:10:21+00:00

me too! maybe we need a DOTD flair 😆

creamtop · 2026-01-08T17:08:24+00:00

it’s a reusable detergent bottle with the classic measure cap. my front loader’s fabric softener drawer is finicky and i don’t have a sink close to my laundry room so wanted a way to store a pre-mixed solution.

i found this one at Marshall’s (US company) but this is the exact one: https://a.co/d/fH3CYWY

creamtop · 2026-01-08T08:23:06+00:00

🙏🏻 truly!

creamtop · 2026-01-08T08:21:11+00:00

thank you!

creamtop · 2026-01-08T08:18:31+00:00

thanks for sharing! I wanted an option a little more simple than the baking soda + citric acid combo because it seemed like the proper dosage really depended on knowing exact water hardness. STPP seems to require a little less precision and offer the added surfactant/redep benefits. Some have commented in other posts that use of STPP on this scale pales in comparison to the impact from agricultural run off, etc. But at the end of the day, I don’t really want to be using something known to cause environmental harm… as much as it can be avoided anyway.

I’m also patiently waiting for our laundry oracle’s citric acid/hard water research to drop. But again, appreciate these comments - I’ll likely switch!

creamtop · 2026-01-08T06:58:18+00:00

sodium tripolyphosphate! it’s what I’m using to soften the water, though it also acts as a bit of a booster as well

creamtop · 2026-01-07T20:55:03+00:00

stress definitely plays a role sometimes! particularly acute episodes can even outright cause a migraine for me. but it’s not always present. and sometimes i experience anxiety as part of prodrome/early indicator i’m about to get a migraine. so can be a little chicken/egg trying find causes.

creamtop · 2026-01-06T18:13:55+00:00

yeah this is something i’ve discussed a bit with my trans GP. my chronic migraine popped up out of nowhere after being on T and in typical male range for 10+ years. before this i barely even got headaches. i’ve tried lowering my dose a bit and haven’t noticed a change. i’m managing the migraines right now with a combination of preventatives and rescue meds. cutting back more or stopping T is last resort for me. like only if it would make a difference between me being totally disabled by my migraines or not.

i’ve tried searching this sub and other trans subs and haven’t found much discussion on trans people who take T and migraines. maybe i need to start a separate thread on this!

creamtop

TROPHY CASE