My mom-87, says she has a bad headache every day. Have had MRI, X-ray, nothing to indicate the cause. She drinks 2 cups of coffee each day but no more caffeine. Takes 400mg of Tylenol every 4-6 hrs but says it still hurts. Is there anything else we should do?
Another thing to consider: I noticed that my MIL who has bad short-term memory loss & mild dementia is that she became less able to accurately describe or pinpoint pain. She was a life-long migraine sufferer, but hasn't had one since being in a facility. Sometimes she will wince with pain as she voids her bladder (a UTI). Then we will ask her about the pain, she will say, "What pain?" Sometimes it's hard to know how to help her. Good luck!
At one point my mom's doctor thought she should try a more modern medication than the propranolol (a beta blocker) that she had been on for 20 years. It soon became apparent that the medication was doing more than regulating her BP, it had also reduced her essential tremor and her chronic headaches.
Have you tried Aspirin or Ibuprofen instead of the Tylenol?
There are other options for headaches, but they could well be contraindicated by other medications or health conditions.