Since I've been driving (going on 2 years), I've consistantly noticed that after about 6 hours I start to get a pretty bad headache (though I wouldnt call it a migrane) that doesnt really go away until I get home, get something to eat and relax a bit.
Does anyone else experience this or am I just nuts??

I think I'm gonna start carrying asprin with me and see if that helps. :roll:

Probably a tension headache. I have gotten them if I have to drive long distances. Pop a couple of Advil or Tylenol 2 hours into the trip and you should be fine.

I also used to get headaches after about 8 hours of driving. After much trial and error I managed to figure out My prescription in my glasses was out of date. As we get older, so do our eyes. Might also consider a UV block coating or prescription sun glasses.

What is your water intake? Look at how much coffee, soda, or energy drinks you drink, compared to plain water!

I had the same issue, and found that mild dehydration, even though I was drinking allot of the above mentioned! The lack of just good old water was causing migraine type headaches!

Also, had a friend who was getting headaches! Shortly after having a windshield replaced in his truck, the stopped! Seems the windshield was pitted and scratched just enough to induce the headaches!

Also, you may make it a habit to stop for 10-15 minutes every 3 hours to just walk a bit! Lack of blood flow in the lower body due to long hours driving can cause deep vein thrombosis (blood clots). The increased blood flow from walking more may also benefit!

Just some thoughts!


Good Luck!

Just to be on the safe side, I would put a CO detector in the cab with you. It is possible for various issues to cause carbon monoxide to seep into the cab, and not always in a way (leaking exhaust) that you can smell.

Let the air down in the seat . . you'll stop banging your head on the ceiling.

What he said !! Plus food. Are you eating a decent meal before you start your day, then having a sandwich mid-day? Lack of proper nutrition can also cause headaches.

Above and beyond any advice you get to deal with the headaches you need to note the parts of your head that hurts, where the headache seemed to start (ie neck, behind the eyes, etc.) This can provide a lot of insight into what kind of headache you are having.

The other posters are right, as fas as they went, in that too much caffeine, nicotine, sugar, etc can cause some nasty headaches, and the longer it has been since the last time you had a meal the less of this stuff it takes to bring on the pain.

In addition to this things like eye strain, tension and/or stiffness in the neck and upper back, the noise of the truck, air conditioning, etc can all bring on a headache.

My two cents worth of suggestion would be:

Cut down of the caffeine, sugary drinks, nicotine, etc. Drink more water, decaf coffee and tea. Make sure you eat at least 2 good meals a day with some healthy snacks in between if not 3 meals. Keep a window slightly open for fresh air, and do some stretching exercises at least 3 times a day for your neck, shoulders and upper back.

If this does not help within 2 weeks then you probably should go see your eye doctor and your primary care doctor and talk to them about this.

Well I dont have much caffine intake at all besides a candy bar once in a while. I stopped drinking soft drinks a couple months ago, I dont drink coffee, etc. Mainly just Crystal Light and some juice once in a while. So I dont think it's that.

I also got new prescription contacts a few months ago, and they seem to be doing fine otherwise.

I seem to get the headaches only on the right side of my head, if that makes any sense :shock:

The one thing I could be doing better is making sure I eat lunch, and a decent meal before I go to work. I drove 10 hours today and ate nothing all day until I came home. Just drank and sucked on some cough drops I had in my pocket all day.
Thanks for all the tips guys. I'm gonna start expermenting.
Hopefully adding tylenol and lunch into the mix will help things..

Some people have negative reactions to aspartame (nutrasweet/equal) that will cause headaches and even migraines. I know my wife can not drink very much with that particular artificial sweetener in it before she gets some really nasty headaches.

It could be too that your triggers are not any one thing but a combo of factors.

Good luck and I hope you track down the cause(s) quickly and get things under control.