Day 11 of my headache

[RapunzelsRealMom]

I have a headache on the right hand side of my forehead that spreads up and over my head to the back of my neck.

On day 9, i started to feel nauseated and ‘floaty’ so I went to GP who, after examining me, my eyes, asking questions, sent me to A&E with a letter.

Hospital was great - within 2 hours I was in a bed in a ward. Doc there spent loads of time examining me (tests for stroke, balance, what day is it,etc). He gave me a high dose of aspirin which stopped the pain and, with my agreement, sent me home around 2am.

As soon as the aspirin wore off, headache is back (this has happened each time I’ve taken painkillers during this period - painkillers reduce pain but it comes back after they wear off).

Hosp doc thought it might be “migrainey”. It’s not. He also suggested I may need MRI (I’m willing to pay for this if I need one and if the wait is too long).

TMI - when I strain on the loo it’s sorer and pulsating and I have to just sit for a minute till that wears off.

Apart from imminent death from a brain tumour (trying to be flippant and light hearted), what might be wrong?

Has an ophthalmologist looked at your eyes and taken pics? I had this recently and it turned out to be a swollen optic disc which then needed a load more tests to establish the cause . I had first seen the optician who Sent me to a&e

I had my eyes tested a few weeks ago. I'd had a red eye - the white of my left eye had inexplicably turned red so I got it checked as my regular eye test was due.

Everything was normal.

I would go back to the optician just to rule any eye problems out, especially as you had problems recently.

Both gp and hospital doctor looked at my eyes very thoroughly. After an eye test and checking out the red eye at the optician on top of that, I can't imagine an optician would find something new.

Are you constipated

No. Are you thinking of when I mentioned (TMI) straining on the loo?
The pulsing pain happens even with the slightest 'strain'

Are you stressed?

That does sound like a migraine. Do you feel sick?

Any recent neck injury? I get shocking headaches and it's all neck related. I do get regular physio which helps

Sinus?

Look up IIH.

Not particularly stressed. Well, no more than normal.

No neck injury.

It doesn't feel like a migraine. Mine are always preceded with visual disturbance and last no more than 2 days. Also, this pain feels different.

I will look up IIH.

Thanks all

Nor sinus issues either afaik

I'm not saying it's a migraine, but I suspect the additional pulsing when you push on the toilet is just a result of the resulting muscle/posture changes as with my migraines it's agony in my head to bend and bear down.

Equally, don't be fooled into thinking that it's presenting differently to your usual migraines so isn't one. I never used to even get headaches then around 30 years old developed migraines. As the years have gone on the migraines have changed and now I get one day random ones and 2-3 day hormone linked ones.

Someone else I know can easily write off 1 week a month with a chronic/cluster migraine and has Botox injections for them.

An MRI would be a good starting point to check out other causes

You have my sympathies...what an awful thing to suffer for so long

Also depending on what's triggered my migraines depends on whether I have pain with visual disturbance and/or nausea

Again, not just saying it's a migraine, just giving you food for thought

Can you push for a ct scan to put your mind at rest - they takes 2 mins as opposed to 20 and ££ for an mri.

Tbh I don't know the difference between CT and MRI (I have a friend who's a nurse so could ask her, or google it).
I only said MRI as that's what hospital doctor mentioned.

Don't get me wrong, I can't throw money away but I'm in a position to pay for whatever is most appropriate (up to a point)

Are you anxious/stressed at all? I once had a headache for almost a month a couple of years ago, it really worried me (which probably made things worse) about it but my gp wasn’t overly concerned. I was going through a very stressful time with my son at the time though.

I was told an mri is better for looking at things in the brain.

In general, people would probably think I have a stressful life: I have 5 kids (2 of them young adults so not 5 little ones running around), I have a big job (senior manager in a high profile organisation), some family issues (relationships and illness).

However, I've lived like this for a long time, I enjoy it. And nothing has really changed recently in terms of my stress levels.

In my heart, I don't think this is stress related

You can get migraine without aura. Migraines can be treated by Tripran drugs which are relatively successful.11 days is a long time for a migraine however. What relieves it @RapunzelsRealMom ? Migraines are typically relieved by dark or still situations. Cluster headaches can be long lived and suffered by migraineurs. They are extreme and intense headaches which can often be described as the worst headache if your life. Often sufferers feel the need to move their head around, want to bath it, hit it etc. Treatment is IV paracetamol and more importantly high flow medical oxygen st 15litres per minute for approximately 15-20minutes. Sufferes often have their own supply of oxygen. Nerve block injections can also be given into the crack of the head to alleviate very severe headaches where cause is indeterminable.
Sometimes a muscle relaxant such ad diazepam dan help, possibly tmg taken 3 times for one day. It can clear bult up tension in the neck muscles which may be the cause of the headache. I would visit the gp again and discuss these points.
I assume your blood pressure is ok. I am curious as you ate describing a pulsating on the top of your head and a red eye which could be cause for concern. Do you know if your BP was the same as normal?
Meanwhile drink a lot of water, I always believe a sachet of diarolyte mixed in can really help with headaches, I would suggest trying it. Try to sleep with your neck aligned with your body on good pillows in a ventilated room too. Fingers crossed it improves soon

Go to an optician. If a stroke etc has been ruled out, a visual migraine might be causing your bother. Or to an Eye Casualty, but like an OP said get your eyes checked.
And book an MRI if you can afford it, not a CT. An MRI is basically a more in depth view of whatever you're having scanned (probably your brain). In the event anything shows up, you can get back into the NHS with your MRI report and get sorted ASAP in the public sector. Shop about for your MRI, prices vary.
If the doc was very concerned you would have been red flagged and or sent for an urgent scan, so hopefully this is a good sign that you can go as an out patient. I hope you feel better. GP or out of hours GP might be able to help with medication.
Remember if this gets worse or you start to have any weakness or any other exacerbated symptoms you would need to attend an ED.

Viral meningitis?

There are different resolutions of MRI scan. to look at the brain a higher resolution mri would be more useful (open scanners arent as high resolution), however if you are having a scan, although you will receive a report it will be relatively meaningless unless it is interpreted by a neurologist. Many inconsequential anomalies are picked up on scans which frighten people. These are incidental and mean nothing yet people see them lusted on radiology reports and become very frightened.. I wouldn't recommend a scan without a specialist referral.
A CT scan is a series of Xrays in slices of the part of the body it is scanning. The xray images are reassembled by a computer to form images which can be viewed as a 3d model of the person, or individual slices can be seen. It involved a relatively high dose of x xray radiation so is best avoided if possible.
MRI scans use strong magnetic forces to align molecules In your body in such a way they are possibly to be imaged. These ate also imaged in slices which are reassembled by a computer. No radiation is used in an mri.

Glam thank you for such detail!

What relieves it? Honestly, nothing. Pain killers take it away until they wear off (2.5 hrs ish) so I have had relief in 11 days but not without medication.

The pain is not unbearable. It's not the worst headache I've had; it's just bloody constant.

Blood pressure - in general, bp has always been on the lower side of normal, however, it was very high at gps and hospital. They agreed it was white coat syndrome but I am keen to keep getting it checked.

I'll try to dioralyte. Thank you