Urgent questions re mirgraine before I take myself to a&e

[bookworm1982]

Messaging in chat for more responses as I know mirgraine are very common.

I don't know what to do and can't stop crying. I've had a headache since Sunday, not getting any better. Right side of face, throbbing, like when you wake up hungover. Light hurts but not all the time and the pain of the headache isn't always bad - sometimes 3/4 out of 10, other times, like now, it's about 8/9 out of ten. Throbs a lot when I suddenly stand up. No other symptoms except for one dizzy spell on Wednesday. Doctor did a physical examination today, checked my vision, did all that touching the nose and stuff, all ok. Unrelated, I had bloods done a few weeks ago and they were all normal. Doctor believes it's a mirgraine, but agrees it's unusual to suddenly get one when I've never had one before. (I just turned 40)

My questions are:

Does this sound like a mirgraine?
Is it unusual to last this long? When I've googled it it says they last around 72 hours, I'm well over that.
Is it normal to go from bad to ok to back to bad again?

I'm so sure it's something terrible, like a tumour. I'm beside myself with worry. Pleas help xxx

That's not necessarily true of brain tumours. The first my old neighbour knew was a seizure followed by fast diagnosis and removal.

You're just scaremongering. Many people with migraine don't have an underlying brain condition. I do. But they were found months before I started (in adulthood; had them as a teenager but they stopped 2 years later and started again in my early 20s) having migraine again.

They'd only do scans if necessary.

Sorry for being annoying with my questions but it's now spreading to the left side of my face - not a huge amount, but definitely not just right sided now.

Do mirgraine do this too sometimes? After 5 days? ☹️

Have you taken a covid test yet?

We really do need to know this. Covid advice will be different. Unless you don't believe in testing?

Im spending the night at MIL to try and get some peace from children, she's got tests so I'll do one in the morning. I would do one now but I just ate a piece of toast and it says not to do after eating,

Hope you feel better soon op 💐💐

Aww I know how bad it can be. I've suffered debilitating migraines since childhood.
My triggers include: bright sunlight/light, chocolate, cheese, not enough water, stress, lack of sleep, too much caffeine. The usual.
I have had what I call my 'normal' migraines where it's painful but I can continue with most things. Then there's the 'bastard' migraines that I can't shift for days. Lights hurt. I'm physically sick, meds don't work, etc.
i do find a very cold ice pack or flannel on your forehead/over your eyes does make a difference most of the time!!

I would suggest seeing someone if it carries on without improvement in the next 24/48 hours.

In 2011 I'd had what I thought was a really bad migraine and I was on my 6th consecutive day of pain when I literally couldn't do anything at all and then I passed out. My daughter was about 5 years old then and called my mum and 999. I was rushed to hospital and had a spinal tap. Results: MENINGITIS!! About a day away from being life threatening if untreated.

Don't want to scare anyone but my point is if something doesn't feel right or you're worried, go get checked! It's better to overreact and be told it's a migraine and sent home ... the alternative could be something needing different treatment.

Hope you feel better soon

I would go back to A and E to be honest. I'm not sure why they couldn't give you an MRI or CT scan? Make a fuss, don't be fobbed off.

No she shouldn't. A&E are busy. What she needs to do is take a simple 30 second COVID test first. I know of 3 friends who have all had covid within the last 3 weeks and they've all suffered with massive migraines. OP has been told by numerous people to do a test rather than going to A&E but for whatever reason hasn't done one yet.
I hope poor OP feels better soon but it really is best to try and rule out the simple things before heading to A&E putting more pressure on an already overloaded system.

Because its not a priority when migraine is the diagnosis. MRI and CAT scans don't give you a migraine diagnosis.

It took me 20+yrs of multiple migraine types and 5yrs of hemiplegic attacks which mimic strokes for me to be given an MRI. Solely because they needed to exclude a series of TIA or an actual stroke. It showed up nothing.

Hi all, I've done a test, it was negative and to be honest I was almost disappointed, hoping that might be the reason for all this.

Headache is again at its worst, even though I'm now on top of my meds. I haven't had caffeine for a few days as I wondered if that wasn't helping, now I'm wondering if stopping has made it worse.

If it hasnt gone by Monday I will ask for a referral by Gp. May even go private to speed it up.

They said at a&e they wouldn't do an mri/cat-scan there and then anyway.

I'm wondering if all the sleep is making it worse? But I don't know what else to do with myself.

I would try a cup of tea to make sure caffeine withdrawal isn't playing a part and keep in top of your meds. Can you go for a walk and see if some fresh air helps a little.

I've had two cups of tea now and feeling the best I've felt all week?! I don't know if that is a coincidence or not. I'm not getting too excited as a few times this week I've felt better and then it's become horrific again, but fingers crossed. At least I can function a little and my two noisy boys aren't hurting my brain so much 😃 I still can't face the light though. X

I totally agree with this. ExDH is a consultant radiographer and you cannot 'make a fuss' and demand invasive procedures because YOU think it's required. FGS- they're experts and will do the tests/ procedures they think are needed. Making a fuss won't get you anywhere. OP's pain sounds horrendous, but as stated it won't show on scans!

Sometimes a bath with Epsom salts helps end a migraine for me.

There is a good infographic online that tells you the difference between cluster, sinus, migraine and tension headaches and where you feel them in the head. It's worth a look.

Sinus headaches are horrible

If it's all over the eye socket and making your eye water and nose run it could be a cluster headache. I find mine aren't as horrendous at the start of a cycle and more migraine in intensity and I absolutely can post online with them.

Either way a 5 day severe headache is something the GP should take seriously especially if you're not a headachey person.

Severe unmanageable pain that OTC painkillers can't touch? Absolutely an A&E visit.

I'm sorry to go on about it everyone but it returned in the night, as horrific as always, but after about 10 hours of feeling reasonably normal. I really thought it was on its way out. This can't be right can it??? To return again like that? I'm now on day 7 of this. Right now it's about a 3/10 pain-wise.

I know i must seem dramatic with all the posts but I'm 40 years old with two little boys and my father died when he was 40 (cancer) and my sister and I were little girls, I just get so scared the same thing will happen.

I will see a neurologist this week if I can, privately of course, but in the meantime im losing my mind with worry xxx

Daft to say but., please stop worrying. Migraines can be made worse by constant stress and worry. So you worrying about your health and thinking you're going to die like your dad did will not be helping at all.
I can't take meds for migraines so I'm on a preventative instead.. it's herbal and natural, called Feverfew. Think it actually helps with migraines too. Also try and get some white tiger balm if you can, that really helps me. I rub it into my shoulders and neck as that's where I hold my stress.

Is the pain relieved by lying down?

Thank you. I shall try that. Do you think that for it to disappear and then come back hours later?

Based on this, when will I ever know it's over?! 😞

I know the worrying is not doing me any good, but it's so hard not to.

I'm not sure really. When I'm totally still and asleep it doesn't hurt, then I wake up and move a bit and it kicks in. But it certainly can still throb when I'm lying down, like last night it throbbed for hours as I lay awake in bed.

Try a cup of coffee. It might not be the cause of your headache but it could definitely be adding to it

Also try a nasal spray for sinus

Also try dissolvable aspirin - suggested by a consultant. He said to try 3 not just 2 but that obv is your decision

I have regular migraine, months of cluster headaches and the like. It's miserable

How do you live like this? I will try what you have suggested. Do yours come and go over, where you think it's gone abc then it's back hours later? Xxx