Although the pain medications help my headache, they haven't completely taken it away. i'm concerned that something more serious is wrong. ?

This is complex: This is complex but You need help. At face value the overwhelming impact is that this is stress.Saying that you need help. An indepth analysis by a neurologist woud be your best place to start. Appropriate imaging will be part of your evaluation. I wish you the best.

Yu likely hav Migrai: Migraine is very common cause of Headache. It is typically like the symptoms you have(half side hurts, worse on physical activity). There is a good solution to it. There is new class of medication which works only for migraine...it is called a Triptan(s)...Imitrex is one such drug. It has to be kept with you all time as you must take it soon as the pain begins...delays make it difficult to control

See a doc soon!: Any new headache that it not relieved completely by Acetaminophen, ibuprofen or naproxyn needs to be evaluated. If the headaches are recent, you need ot get checked fast to find out what is causing them.

Be seen: Well, I would not hesitate to be seen for an accurate diagnosis about the specific cause of your headaches. At that point, things like prognosis and treatment options can be discussed. In most cases, neurologists are considered experts in diagnosing and treating headaches. Consider referral if you have not seen one.