Constant pressure headache - private mri?

[Hammyfan]

Hello,

Have had a headache for weeks now.

Firstly was occasional, now it's from the minute I wake up to the minute I go to sleep. Paracetamol, ibuprofen, aspirin, sinutab have all had no effect. Nurse said I could take codeine but concerned about possible side effects whilst looking after children. Have had my eye pressure checked (I have glaucoma) and my blood pressure - both fine. Sleep normal, eating normally, stress levels normal. Recently seen the dentist and no problems.

It feels like a ton of pressure in my head. I don't think it's a migraine, as I understand those involve flashing lights and acute pain, neither of which I have. It just feels like there's constant pressure in my head (and occasional nausea). Especially towards the front of my head.

My cousin had a series of aggressive brain tumours which sadly killed her by the time she was 40, so I don't want to leave anything to chance.

I have only spoken to a nurse so far and have a GP phone call scheduled for Thursday. To be honest, I think I just want to push ahead now and get a private mri scan. Worried at how long an NHS referral might take and if there is a tumour, how much it might grow whilst I'm waiting? I would have seen a GP last Fri if it hadn't been for the bank hol weekend - they have been closed for the whole long weekend.

I thought I might phone the local private hospital and see if they have anything this week (£££) or have found some treatment centres in London that I could visit on Sat (cheaper but as good as visiting a hospital)? It would be just about affordable.

If I don't get something this week I will be stuck until the end of the Easter hols as no childcare.

Any advice or experience welcome, please! Feels like loads of money to spend if I'm just being paranoid and there's nothing there. I've never done private health care before. But what if there is something....

Aargh.

This is me at the moment. This feeling of pressure in my head, like I'm a balloon and more and more air is being pumped in and I'm ready to pop. Often turns into headaches behind my eyes (pretty much daily for a couple of hours). I've spoken to GP, phone consult, who said he thought it was tension headache due to the position I said the feeling was (towards top/front of head), but also told me to go to opticians to rule something else out (for my own sanity I did not ask what was being ruled out, but the scans at opticians were clear). Next step is blood tests for me.

Just a thought - are you anywhere near menopausal? I think I am and I read pressure in the head was a symptom.

Ask for sports massage and if possible see a male therapist. They tend to have larger hands and more grip strength so it hurts more but solves your problem.

Thanks everyone for your replies. Sorry there are a few of us going through similar.
@Chocolateteabag, @Amgoingontelly and @Tillygetsit, really sorry to hear about your experiences.
@Kolo, hope the blood tests go OK.

I called the GP this morning and a nurse rang me back and saw me this pm. Have been prescribed migraine tablets. She noted my ears are very blocked, though she didn't think that would be causing the pressure headache symptoms.

I had already been using olive oil drops for a week just in case this was connected to my ears, though I wasn't aware they were blocked at all. Won't be using those again lol!

However, will try and get the wax cleared tomorrow. Also am booked in to speak to the GP on Thursday. Still poised to book the mri for Sat if necessary.

Did you book an eye exam too?
Conditions causing increased pressure in the brain usually do show up fairly obviously.
Headaches caused by brain tumours also tend to be worse at night and first thing in the morning - a warning flag when I’m doing a history and symptoms is if someone mentions their headache waking them up.

Thank you @underneaththeash.
Hope to get my eyes examined tomorrow.

Ears suctioned. Ears feel great but still got the headache!
Annoyingly first date specsavers could give me is sat, which needs to be the mri day, due to childcare. Think I'll need to just go ahead with the scan.
GP tomorrow, never know, they might shed more light.

Good luck! Try not to worry - there's an extremely high chance this is something minor and very treatable. Just have to find out what it is! 🤞

Thanks @Kolo.
Have had my eye test and all is fine there.

Mri booked in for tomorrow and should receive the results by Weds.

I'm so relieved I booked the scan now. I first contacted the GP on 30 March and won't be seen in person by the GP until 16th April. Totally appreciate the waiting times what with covid etc but a long time to wait when you're worried about something.

@Hammyfan just thought I would share my experience if it is helpful to you or anyone else. About 15 years ago, I had a prolonged episode over a couple of months of horrendous headaches at the front of my head, that used to wake me up in the night and were accompanied with vomiting. I was so unwell I couldn't even look after my children and some days couldn't even get out of bed. Twice my friend took me to A&e as I was slurring my words with pins in needles in my head and she thought I was having a stroke. A&e doctors said there was nothing wrong with me and it was probably stress. I pushed for a ct scan as I could not believe I could be so unwell and not have something seriously wrong with me. Had a CT scan about a week later and by the time the results came through, the headaches just stopped as suddenly as they started. 3 months later my husband at the time left me for another woman. So I guess it was stress. Never had a migraine or serious headache since and I now believe it was an episode of cluster headaches or hemiaplegic migraines.

Hope you get your results soon and your headaches resolve soon. They can be so debilitating I wouldn't wish them on anyone.

I wonder how many of us with headaches have them from looking at screens too much.

Massages can really help.

Headache and nausea actually does sound like migraine to me. Are you peri-menopausal?

Hopefully the scan will reassure you.

@Hammyfan

Thanks *@Kolo*. Have had my eye test and all is fine there.

Mri booked in for tomorrow and should receive the results by Weds.

I'm so relieved I booked the scan now. I first contacted the GP on 30 March and won't be seen in person by the GP until 16th April. Totally appreciate the waiting times what with covid etc but a long time to wait when you're worried about something.

How did you get on with your mri?

I have been getting headaches for a few weeks now which the gp thinks are tension related and most likely caused by peri menopause. However I’ve been thinking of getting a scan for peace of mind and then found your thread when searching for where to start.

Hope you are okay...

Hello, @hellodaisy

The mri came back clear, which was such a relief. I was very glad I had it done, all went smoothly and the results were back quickly.

I went back to the opticians, who saw that there were scratches on my eyes and my eyes were very dry. I have been using eye drops since then and the headaches seem to have lessened a bit. Also having bloods done by the GP.

I hope you get to the bottom of what's causing your headaches soon.

hammyfan so glad to hear that your MRI was all clear. Good idea to have bloods done as that will pick up anything else that could be causing them.

The optician has told me that my eyes are really dry so has given me some stronger eye drops which seem to be helping. I just can’t decide whether to have a scan privately or whether to try acupuncture which is said to be good for chronic headache. Also have low ferritin to add to the mix!

@Hammyfan , where did you get your ears auctioned? I think I need mine doing

Hi! Do you have any miracle answers that solved your headaches!? Going through the same relentless thing...