Ah poor Trishcuit-how frustrating as a mother-you want to help but daughter refuses help and is still in pain....Can you maks tylenol taste in a spoonful of jam? When is she old enough (heavy enough) to try the adult ones that you just swallow?

I find headaches are a bit more complicated than that-When I feel a migraine beginning I can sometimess interupt it with pain medication/food/quiet dark room/ caffeine and sometimes none of the above work and I just have to wait it out-no carrying on with activities.

My migraines were diagnosed at about age 8-I would also vomit with them.

Now I only have 1 or 2 a year and (touch wood) haven't vomitted for years. I watch my triggers and try to catch the headaches as soon as I can.

Migraines at age eight! That's ROUGH!

 When my daughter refuses help and STILL carries on howling it is hard to feel sympathy sometimes. Like 'just take the darn stuff and stop it!'  She is NOT a stoic. Sometimes I can get her to use a cold pack.  But always the drama queen, she gets so worked up that she makes it worse for herself I think. It is hard to deal with because it is exactly the opposite of me.  I guess I am 'Person #1". And she is person #4.

Maybe I will offer her a spoonful of 'special jam' next time.  Trouble is she has sensitive taste buds and will probably notice.  Sigh. 

Oh I forgot to add one.  The person #5 takes the pill and excuses themself from all duties for the rest of the day and goes to bed.

This can also be expanded into how people cope with challenges in life in general.  I guess that was what I was getting at. 

Interesting premise.

I am definitely in the "wuss" category. I loathe pain and avoid it whenever possible. Not a whisper of the martyr here. I don't think intentional pain builds character at all. There's vague guilt when I encounter someone who can seemingly tough it out and work all day with a headache. Good on 'em, I say, but why abuse yourself?

I had rheumatoid arthritis as a young child and maybe I believe that's enough hurtin' for one lifetime....

Maybe painful emotions or mental anguish can be instructive though, and can be an important part of a process of healing. These things are inevitable. Much learning has taken place for me that way, but if it's a chronic condition -- an illness, one needs meds and suffering is definitely optional.

I don't get why suffering in itself could be a virtue. It happens, but it's not something I'd invite. 

Tabitha -- you've described my experience with migraines too.  The trick for me is to anticipate when they happen, which is difficult since I usually wake up with them.

If caught early, my magic formula is gravol, advil and a cup of coffee. 

Hi ,

This thread appears to be about your daughter , at least that what it seems based on comments.

I am not sure how old your daughter is but severe headaches in children are not that common.

Perhaps she needs a thorough check up.  She may be developing migranes, which of course can be debilitating.

It is frustrating when others don't react the way we do and tylenol, cold cloths, dark rooms, quiet all seem to be logical treatments.

But if she is suffering from types of Migranes they may not be effective at all.  I woudl look into it a bit more

I am sometimes person #4, not because I want to act superior or anything, but simply because I've been having these repeated headaches for so long that over-the-counter medications no longer work for me and my doctor refuses to prescribe anything stronger.

(They were caused by eyestrain while I waited almost a year for eye surgery, and then when the surgery was done and I got new glasses, I was thrilled to no longer have headaches. Then I was a passenger in a car that was rear-ended at a traffic light. I got whiplash and my headaches came back.)

Lastpoint, it wasn't actually ABOUT my daughter, she was merely a prime example. Sometimes I think she brings it on herself by not eating enough at school during the day, etc.

Ninjafaery, your sentiments echo mine.  I don't consider myself so much a wuss, but more as a busy person who sees no practical purpose to suffering when something so simple as a Tylenol is available and then I can get on with the  business of life.

It seems to me that when confronted with challenges in life, most people fall under one of those headache analogies. Deal with it quickly and effectively, suffer in silence, be a loud hero, let the whole world know you're suffereing as you fish for sympathy, use it as an absolution from duties, and so on.

I tend to avoid pain medication as much as possible.  It seems to me that I already take enough perscription medicine and doctor recommended supplements, without adding another, especially when it seems that there are side effects to almost everything.  So generally when I have a mild headache (thankfully I don't have migraines) or other ache or pain, I ignor it and carry on as usual, not even bothering to mention it.   Pretend it isn't there and maybe it will go away.  Don't admit that anything is wrong and it won't be.    (not logical but that's how I deal with it).    If I can't ignor it, or if I am home and have the time, I withdraw.  For a headache I will try a drink of water, a quiet, dark room.  If I can get to sleep, chances are it will be gone when I wake up.   For aches and pains - I try a hot bath, and/or heating pad and rest.  For ichy eyes and stuffy nose - I hope its an alergy and not a cold and I again drink water or juices, try to get some fresh air into the house, and rest, maybe with my head elevated for drainage.   Sore throat - try not to talk much or I will get laringitis.    Only when I've tried these things will I take medicine - it has side-effects. 

People have different pain tolerances. Each of us has varying pain tolerances.

I have migraines and frequently. I often wake with them and the medication will not alleviate them if they have become a real banger. My life cannot be put on hold for days (and they can and do last for days sometimes) Most people would not know I have one. If they know something is wrong, they are not sure what (unless I am in sunglasses inside)Those who know me look at my eyes and know.

That said, I get how someone might "whine" that it hurts (it does) and that the pain meds do not help. I get it that someone might not take something because it is futile and be "whining".

For years, I had bad teeth. I have had teeth break off and nerves exposed and Oragel cuts it. I had an abcess and facial swellign was the clue, because I would not have described it as pain, more discomfort. I had ten teeth extracted and took nothing for pain.

I get how people think a toothache is painful though. They are. They simply didn't bother me much.

Yet, if I have an earache or a sore throat I am a big baby. My wife will tell you I whine with a cold.

The worst pain I have had on a 1-10 scale... Migraines? No. Toothaches? No. Cancer? No. Surgeries? No. Car accident (head to windshield) No. Beatings? No....For me,  it is the cramps that come with run of the mill diarhea.

Two weeks before dying of cancer I heard my mom on the phone telling her oncologist that in addition to her prescriptions she took one extra strength tylenol for pain. That's my family.

i take medication whenever i get pain.

i figure if its there, then i'm gonna use it.

nobody i know has ever gotten some kind of medal or cash award for 'toughing it out'. 

no pain, no pain.  thats my motto.

Sighs - that would be fine if there were no side-effects.  I find that many pain medicines make me sleepy - not good if I'm trying to be brilliant.  Used over long term , many of them can cause ulcers or other stomach problems.   And stopped can lead to several nights of sleepliness. 

So, with me it is a toss up.  Is the pain severe enough to warrant taking the midicine and dealing with the side-effects or can I manage without, a possibly modify my diet or activities to lessen the discomfort?    Fortunately, I am seldom in severe pain.  

An fallopian tube bursting due to an etopic pregnancy, or a loop of intestine twisted into a knot around an adhesion so tightly that the blood supply is cut off and the tissue is dying - they both warrant pain medication - and in a hurry.   So I think does a kidney stone when it decides to move  (fortunately I haven't had one of those but I've watched Seelerman trying to pass a stone and it doesn't look like fun).   As I remember it, giving birth isn't exactly a walk-in-the-park either.  

Seeler.

at least there are merits to NOT having pain meds during labor.

I don't require pain meds often enough to be worried about long term effects. If it may irritate my stomach then I take it with some crackers and milk or something like that.

The 'biggest' pain meds I was on was post-cesarean and even then when I left the hospital I stopped the T-3's as Ibuprofin was sufficient.

I have no qualms to taking pain medication for stuff but don't see the use in using the heavy stuff when normal Ibuprofin or Tylenol will do. ( I found 'Aleve' worked nicely when I was working and my carpal tunnel was giving me a hard time. When the job ended, so did the meds.)

i took pain meds during labour.   heck, i'd have an epidural right now if i could.

again, i haven't heard of anyone getting a medal or money for delivering a baby sans meds.  i had my last without meds because she deliverd so fast, and its nothing but a painful screaming blur i wish i could forget... whereas the birth with the epidural was a wonderful and peaceful experience.