Exertion Headache?

[freakshow85]

Well, starting about 1.5 weeks ago, I was doing some benchpressing and BAM, had this god awful pain in the back of my head. Base of my head/top of my neck. I mean excruciating. It kept hurting and hurting, but slowly easing up. This was all the same day I started taking some Lipo 6. Related or not, I don't know.

Pretty much, I've read and read about this. Seems to be an exertion headache. It now comes on very easy doing work outs. Am I actually going to have to not work out for 2 weeks to let this heal? I mean, can I just hear some of your experiences on this and how you got over it? I feel like I'll waste away if I don't work out for 2 weeks lol..

 

[stevesmi]

^^^ what are you eating and drinking before your workouts?

 

[ishaq]

what are you cycling more like sure its not bp?

 

[freakshow85]

My blood pressure is 125/77 at nearly any time. I'm 2.5 weeks into PC for a Beastdrol 4 week cycle with Forma/Post Cycle/Unleashed PCT. I'm eating 2 eggs, chicken, 1 cup oatmeal with blueberries and water for breakfast. I've taken pre workout supps and never had this problem. I took a Lipo 6 and bam, first workout on them and I've had this problem since.

 

[captainahole]

Okay. Does this headache hurt mostly on any type of exertion. Even walking up a set of stairs can count. If so I have done this as well. What it is, is you have done a slight tear on the artery at the base of the skull that attaches to the basically brain.
It usually happens if you are not breathing right when you are pressing or any other high exertion movement. YOur blood pressure goes through the roof and puts alot of strain on this area.
Now the good thing is that this will just slowly subside. The bad thing is you could have killed yourself from breathing improperly. We all have that moment that we do something stupid.

If it is really bad it tears the artery from the base of the brain and ruptures it but usually is just a slight tears. Hurts like hell and took 2 weeks for it to heal on me. Couldn't walk up stairs quickly or train or not even any sex anything that would raise the blood pressure.

 

[stevesmi]

another thing i thought about is your lipids could be all messed up from your cycle still. you might want to get a blood test done to see what is going on. you probably will notice your kidney values are sky high still.. it can take time for them to get back to normal which if captain said is correct could be making your situation worse.

 

[freakshow85]

The main time I get the pain is doing flat benchpress with heavy weight for me. Depending how heavy for me it is, it can happen between 3 and 7 reps. Then I have tremendous pain, which slowly goes away over the next minute, leaving me with a pretty hard core headache in the back of my head, which lingers with me the rest of the day. I don't get the pain during any other normal activities.

I have pretty much decided on taking a 2 week break. I've worked out around 6 days a week for 4 months. Probably wouldn't hurt, anyways. I can't workout with this pain, anyways... I go to try, I get the pain.. Then I'm afraid to push it anymore. I did notice over the last week and a half that breathing did affect it. Sometimes my breathing could stop it... But not during benchpress, by the 7th rep it's excrutiating. So, 2 weeks off to hopefully heal up is better than 2 weeks of not a full set and reinjuring everytime.

Scary stuff, thanks for the comments.

 

[freakshow85]

I haven't been doing cardio over the last 3 months. Started focusing on mass. But this ''not doing anything'' is already driving me nuts. Do you think on my 2 week break from weight lifting, that it would defeat the purpose of the break if I started doing jump roping and HIIT again?

 

[EarthRider]

When you bench, do you lift your head up, or leave it on the bench?

I do get headaches from Lipo 6, but not day one

 

[freakshow85]

I don't know if the extreme pain and lipo 6 were connected, or if so, by how much. I have tried on seperate occasions to life my head, and still get the same severe pain. It's something to do with force/exertion. I wondered if I was pushing my head back causing it but I haven't been.

 

[EarthRider]

i'd meet with a chiro that lifts weights himself

he will straighten you out

 

[stevesmi]

The main time I get the pain is doing flat benchpress with heavy weight for me. Depending how heavy for me it is, it can happen between 3 and 7 reps. Then I have tremendous pain, which slowly goes away over the next minute, leaving me with a pretty hard core headache in the back of my head, which lingers with me the rest of the day. I don't get the pain during any other normal activities.

I have pretty much decided on taking a 2 week break. I've worked out around 6 days a week for 4 months. Probably wouldn't hurt, anyways. I can't workout with this pain, anyways... I go to try, I get the pain.. Then I'm afraid to push it anymore. I did notice over the last week and a half that breathing did affect it. Sometimes my breathing could stop it... But not during benchpress, by the 7th rep it's excrutiating. So, 2 weeks off to hopefully heal up is better than 2 weeks of not a full set and reinjuring everytime.

Scary stuff, thanks for the comments.

Don't stop bro for 2 weeks. i have been going at it for over 3 years nonstop myself and have dealt with my share of problems. work around them. if it bothers you going heavy then don't go heavy for a week and then see what happens.. but don't flat out just stop lifting, i know its not fun a the gym doing pussy weight and having your peers look at you like why is the strong dude who always does 300 like nothing only doing 200? but so what.

just a suggestion but think it over cause you worked hard for your strength and body gains to just stop for 2 weeks and lose a lot of your conditioning. it will go fast.

 

[joeblow12345]

Once in a while ill get a headache in the front of my head from over exertion but never the back side. I would also suggest going lighter for a week or two and see if it helps. Either way go to a doctor to make sure it isn't something serious, no reason to chance it.

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[freakshow85]

Just in case anyone was wondering, I took your advice Steve and did not stop working out. It was killing me thinking about "going on a break", too. I did triceps yesterday, and that was the only other workout in particular that also would cause that neck pain. I didn't have any pain. Tomorrow I'm going to bench, then I'll get my schedule back on track. I don't like the idea of benching so soon after triceps day. And if anyone is wondering why I don't do tri's on chest day, I had been and always have done that. I just decided to start isolating each muscle group a little more. I feel like it's my triceps that are holding me back in benchpress, and I can give them the work they need if I set aside a day for them.

But tomorrow is the big day to see if this is actually better or not. I stopped taking Lipo 6, just in case it was attributing to this. I need to get some arginine, because I honestly think it's a blood vessel problem. Hopefully is has healed and I won't reinjure tomorrow. If I do, I will be one pissed sob.

 

[joeblow12345]

Just in case anyone was wondering, I took your advice Steve and did not stop working out. It was killing me thinking about "going on a break", too. I did triceps yesterday, and that was the only other workout in particular that also would cause that neck pain. I didn't have any pain. Tomorrow I'm going to bench, then I'll get my schedule back on track. I don't like the idea of benching so soon after triceps day. And if anyone is wondering why I don't do tri's on chest day, I had been and always have done that. I just decided to start isolating each muscle group a little more. I feel like it's my triceps that are holding me back in benchpress, and I can give them the work they need if I set aside a day for them.

But tomorrow is the big day to see if this is actually better or not. I stopped taking Lipo 6, just in case it was attributing to this. I need to get some arginine, because I honestly think it's a blood vessel problem. Hopefully is has healed and I won't reinjure tomorrow. If I do, I will be one pissed sob.

Are you doing heavy close grip benches and high board work or pin presses to increase tricep strength? You can also try skull crushers with chains or bands to ease pressure on elbows while hammering the tris.

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[freakshow85]

Skull crushers sound good. I'll start incorporating those into my triceps routine. I do something kind of like that, but with a dumbbell in a sitting position holding the dumbbell more vertical.

Well, I did chest today. It's about 85% better. This time, I felt the pain coming on during my bench and I stopped a little early. It went up my neck (starts in neck) along the left side and behind my ear. So, this wasn't full out like it has been when both sides do it and meet in the middle. So, I am getting better. I couldn't do my normal weights on flat, but I worked on incline and flat close grip with no problems, but I use lighter weights for those. Also no problems doing military press. Before, I believe military press did trigger that pain.

I've been doing neck stretches. Nothing special, just pulling my head down, feeling the pain of tension all down my back. Left, middle, and right head positions when stretching.