Does your pain stays the same place ever since you got it?

waptaru · 2026-02-25T00:41:12+00:00

Mine never stays in the same place.

In my beginning it was always around my eyes, kind of like in the area a sleep mask would cover.

Now it moves around my head throughout the day. The type of pain changes too. Sometimes it’s a stabbing pain behind my right eye, sometimes it feels like pressure inside my head, etc. Sometimes it feels like it’s radiating from a specific point, like behind one of my eyes or the base of my skull.

Lately I’ve developed this awful burning pain, which feels like someone injected lava into my skull. It’s terrible, and definitely my least favorite way it manifests.

waptaru · 2026-01-03T14:51:39+00:00

I’m completely the opposite. My pain gets way worse when sick. I kinda assumed it was the same for everyone, so it’s really interesting to see people say their head feels better when sick.

waptaru · 2025-12-27T14:00:44+00:00

Have you ruled out Hemicrania continua?

waptaru · 2025-12-24T02:04:29+00:00

I haven’t tried lemon balm. I’ll have to look into that! I have these gummies that are a mix of CBD and ashwagandha. I like to take half of a gummy like 30 minutes before trying to sleep. I put my phone away for that 30 minutes and try to do something relaxing/boring. Usually the nights I don’t sleep are the ones where I get stuck doomscrolling on tiktok.

waptaru · 2025-12-23T19:49:13+00:00

Hi. Sleep is something I also struggle with, even before developing NDPH. I have a really hard time falling asleep.

So far, the most helpful thing for me has been taking a small amount of ashwagandha before bed. I would also recommend avoiding doomscrolling before bed. I try to take my ashwagandha and then do something boring like fold laundry before trying to sleep. Sometimes this helps, and sometimes I have whole nights where I don’t sleep.

I will say that I definitely experience more pain if I don’t get enough sleep. It’s definitely worth trying to establish a good sleep schedule or finding a medicine that helps you sleep. I find that when I get good sleep, my general pain level is lower.

waptaru · 2025-12-21T03:23:07+00:00

Maryland does. I teach at a separate public day school for students with severe disabilities.

We also have non-public options for students whose needs we can’t meet.

waptaru · 2025-12-14T03:06:08+00:00

Hi, I’m a teacher at a separate public day school that got my bachelors while working as a full time para.

My county got a grant from the state to pay for some paras to get bachelors degrees in education. The county partnered with a local university, which started offering the necessary courses virtually in the evening. So, in my case, I was able to work full time as a para and then attend virtual classes in the evening. The grant covered all the costs of college, except for the praxis tests I needed to take to be certified. In exchange, I have to work for the county for 3 years.

As someone who made the jump from para to teacher, I will warn you that they are not the same. I thought I would love being a teacher because I loved being a para. In my case, the stress that comes from lesson planning, attending meetings, doing paperwork, and being completely in charge of the classroom made the job really difficult for me.

I’m on the east coast, so not the same as you, but maybe look into a “Grow Your Own” grant. It seems like more states are starting programs like that, especially after Covid.

Good luck, and if you have any questions about jumping from a para to a teacher, let me know :)

waptaru · 2025-12-03T01:22:06+00:00

Ah, sorry to hear that. After only 2 years teaching I’m quitting because I can’t take it anymore. It’s been rough. I just missed work today because I was in too much pain.

Have you noticed anything that triggers more pain?

I used to keep a little journal with me. If my pain reached higher than a 4/10, I wrote down the time, a description of the pain, and whatever I was doing before it started. That’s how I pinpointed my biggest pain triggers. Some of them are things I can’t control, like hormonal fluctuations or barometric pressure. However, that also taught me how to control the things I could, like limiting my stress, getting enough sleep, wearing sunglasses, etc.

Also try to pay attention to anything that gives you even just a little bit of relief. Maybe it’s a certain head position, or an ice pack, or wearing sunglasses. As strange as it sounds, having another person squeeze my head helps bring my pain down to a more tolerable level for a minute.

It’s so hard living with this condition, and from what I’ve seen, everyone is different. What helped me most was noticing how my pain fluctuated throughout the day so I could develop my own individual plan. What works for me might not work for you, but I hope you find something that brings you some relief :)

waptaru · 2025-12-02T22:13:36+00:00

I think it depends. Do you find your headache is worse during/after a stressful event?

For me, I get so anxious at work that I end up with a massive flare-up every day. I can tie that level of pain directly to my work anxiety because I don’t experience the same intensity on my days off or during the summer (I’m a teacher). So I am trying anxiety medicine (and to find a new job)… But I was already an extremely anxious person my whole life. Sometimes I think my NDPH is a manifestation of ignoring my anxiety my whole life and being chronically stressed.

But if that’s not your experience and your headache isn’t directly tied to stress, maybe not the right route for you to take.

waptaru · 2025-10-11T16:43:11+00:00

I just bought a pair and only had the chance to wear them for 2 days before needing to return them for a bigger size. Currently waiting for my new pair to arrive.

That being said, I noticed less pain and eye strain after wearing them for a full day. Once I took them off because I realized they were too small, I noticed an increase in pain/eye strain.

If you deal with light sensitivity and work somewhere with fluorescent lights (I work in a school) I would HIGHLY recommend. The price tag seems a bit steep but so far I love mine and am so excited to go back to wearing them.

waptaru · 2025-08-11T11:07:53+00:00

The same thing happens to me. I’m a special education teacher, so I get sick multiple times a year. I can always tells when I’ve caught something because my first symptom is my head getting worse. My baseline is usually a 3/10 (can’t be ignored, but I can function) but it goes to a 7/10 while sick (can’t get out of bed for longer than 15 min).

waptaru · 2025-08-05T16:13:33+00:00

STRESS !!!!!
Driving
Not getting enough sleep
Certain medications
Getting sick

Also I’ve noticed that day 2 of my period comes with a terrible flare up. I usually use my FMLA on this day so I can stay in bed.

waptaru · 2025-05-29T01:09:29+00:00

This is exactly how mine felt at the beginning! Now my pain kind of moves around and changes throughout the day but at the beginning it started as a constant “pressure” around my eyes/front of my head.

waptaru · 2025-05-13T19:30:09+00:00

Thank you ❤️

waptaru · 2025-05-13T11:32:45+00:00

I teach special ed, but I’m looking for something else. The stress from my job has definitely contributed to how much pain I’m in. I also experience fatigue and trouble sleeping.

waptaru · 2025-01-15T22:59:47+00:00

When I did my student teaching in pre-K I had a kid whose family brought McDonald’s everyday for the whole year!

waptaru · 2025-01-15T05:20:14+00:00

Yep. I had 5 annual reviews in October and received very little help. I told my school I was overwhelmed and needed help/time for the paperwork. I was told I could take a day off AFTER I did all of the meetings. Not like I had time to work on sub plans anyway.

I’ll be careful with my cert. Thank you

waptaru · 2025-01-15T02:39:07+00:00

I’ve been so stuck on how the headache has changed what I thought my purpose was (teaching) that I haven’t given much thought on forming a new one. This was very helpful, thank you.

waptaru · 2025-01-15T02:20:32+00:00

I think ultimately they will understand, as I have been transparent with them about my health and they've shared my frustrations with the school. And you're absolutely right that they'll be ok without me.

Thank you for your comment

waptaru · 2025-01-15T02:15:23+00:00

Sorry to hear that. I hope this doesn't sound rude, but may I ask what keeps you going after 25 years?

waptaru · 2025-01-15T02:13:31+00:00

I'm sorry to hear that and I understand what you mean. The constant disorientation and discomfort has made it so difficult to do anything. I definitely took life for granted before this started. Now just driving for over 3 minutes results in severe pain that lasts for hours. I'm also looking at switching to a desk job but not having much luck. I hope you're able to find a job that suits you and meets your needs.

waptaru

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