Question: Dr.:
I have a headache that is constant and doesn't go away. It is a dull pain where I am still functional and it feels like I am wearing a helmet. It is not on one side or other, it is my whole scull. Pain medication has not helped, maybe even made it worse. Now I am on a trial of high blood pressure medication but I have not been diagnosed yet with high blood pressure. When I exercise and get my heart rate up to 135, my target heart rate, my headache becomes worse and starts throbbing. It seems like any time my heart rate increases, my headache is worse. I think it is my heart rate not my blood pressure that causes the pain. E.g. an hour after I worked out, on a treadmill for 25 minutes, I went to a pharmacy and did a blood pressure check. My blood pressure was good, 96/65, but my heart rate was still 108 bpm and my headache was at it worse. That's why I say I don't think its blood pressure related, but that's just my unprofessional thought.
I take the blood pressure medicine before bed, one a day, only for 4 days so far. I took one in the afternoon Friday and that seemed to make my headache start throbbing unless there was other stress at the end of day, but it was the same as all others.
What other causes could this be? I enter my symptoms in the symptom checker, but that produced probably 50 different causes.
Thanks, XXXXXXX

Dr. N XXXXXXX
Thanks for your response! One more follow-up question.

I just had a physical too and my EKG was fine. My cholesterol was high at 229 so I am taking a generic form of Crestor. One at nighttime. So this and the blood pressure medicine is all I am taking right now. I am taking a trial of eDarbi, 42mg. for blood pressure. In reading about high blood pressure, it almost seems like I need a beta-blocker. That seemed to deal with heart rate. Am I wrong about that?
Also, I didn't mention that when my heart rate is high, I also get light headed. I don't pass out, but I'm on edge and worry that I might. Does this change anything with your advice?
One more thing, my doctor is a D.O. so I had an adjustment to my neck. Last year when I had a tension headache, that seemed to work. Headache gone right after. So, I've also had two adjustments in the last couple of weeks, but this time, it doesn't seem to help with my headache. I had this dull light headache pain for at least a month now. That should be most of my history.
Thanks! XXXXXXX