This content has been written as part of our 2026 Pituitary Awareness Month theme, ‘Symptoms in the Spotlight.’ You can find out more about our campaign here.
Can pituitary conditions cause chronic pain and headaches?
When you have pain that lasts for more than 3 months, this is called chronic pain. It is common for people living with a pituitary condition to experience chronic pain. If you have more than one pituitary condition, or have other health conditions as well as a pituitary condition, you are more likely to experience chronic pain.
You might have pain in a specific part of your body, such as your head, or have general pain all over your body.
Living with chronic pain can be very difficult to deal with, both mentally and physically.
The level of pain you are in may change each day.
Some days you may have pain that gets worse at some times of the day and improves in a few hours. You may have days where you are in a lot of pain all day. You may have days where you have little to no pain at all.
It can be difficult to complete daily tasks or doing activities that you used to enjoy doing before you were diagnosed with a pituitary condition. This can be very frustrating and distressing. When your pain is severe it can also affect your ability to concentrate.
What can you do to help your chronic pain and headaches?
- Pace yourself. If you are having a good day, where you have little to no pain, you may want to push yourself to be more active than you would normally. You should avoid doing this as it can cause your pain to worse the next day. Try to carry out the same level of activity each day. This can sometimes help you to have fewer bad days, where you are in a lot of pain.
- Ask other people for help. If there aretasks that you find hard to complete because of your pain, try to ask someone for help. For example, when you are shopping in the supermarket, ask an employee if it is possible for someone to help you carry your shopping to your car. It can be scary to ask for help, but it is important to remember that most people are often happy to help you.
- Record your pain. Each day, try write down where and when you feel pain, how bad your pain feels, and for how long you experience this pain. This can help you have a better understanding of what activities make your pain worse. Recording your pain can also make it easier to share to share this information with your healthcare team.
- Try to take a minute to focus your entire attention on the pain you are feeling. Focusing your attention on the pain you are feeling is a technique called mindfulness. This may sound counter-productive, but this technique can sometimes reduce how bad your chronic pain feels.
The way your pain affects your ability to carry out daily tasks will affect the type of treatment or support you may receive.
Your GP may give you pain medication to help you manage the pain. If your pain has not improved, they may carry out further medical tests to understand what is causing your chronic pain.
You may also be referred to a pain clinic. Pain clinics are available to support patients with chronic pain, to find effective pain relief and strategies to help cope with the pain.
‘Live Well with Pain’ resources
We are are also happy to share resources from the Living Well Programme. These resources are designed to help you understand, accept and hopefully live well alongside chronic pain.
Join our upcoming events for Pituitary Awareness Month 2026
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