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Original poster

Thunderclap Headaches

37 replies

ThunderclapHead · 24/04/2023 18:09

Name changed as this could be a bit outing.

I had a thunderclap type headache without a cause (I was hospitalised and a CT scan revealed no bleeds).

The headache appeared within seconds. It was excruciating. I was confused, unable to speak, unable to walk. I was photosensitive and vomiting a lot. It lasted 2 days and my heart beat so hard from the pain, I thought I was going to have a heart attack and die.

(Now it’s over and my partner is typing this for me as I still can’t look at my phone it makes me sick.)

But, I’m one day on, struggling with reading and comprehending what I have read. I have to read back through the shortest sentence multiple times. I also am struggling with short term memory loss, I keep forgetting things that I am literally just talking about.

I wondered if anyone can reassure me that this will pass. The memory loss and lack of focus is concerning. I have got a GP appt booked for tomorrow afternoon.

OP posts:
Original poster
ThunderclapHead · 24/04/2023 18:10

Just to confirm, the headache is over, but the memory loss remains.

OP posts:
Nocutenamesleft · 24/04/2023 18:16

Blimey. That sounds awful

i wouldn’t of thought it should of carried on like that? I bet they said migraine right?

your symptoms are worrisome for a brain bleed so no wonder they thought that

I wouldn’t hesitate to go back if in 24 hours you don’t feel better.

TheVanguardSix · 24/04/2023 18:21

How long after the initial thunderclap did you have the CT scan?

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General health
Original poster
ThunderclapHead · 24/04/2023 18:31

TheVanguardSix · 24/04/2023 18:21

How long after the initial thunderclap did you have the CT scan?

She had it the next evening. The first day she thought she had a really bad migraine.

OP posts:
Original poster
ThunderclapHead · 24/04/2023 18:33

Nocutenamesleft · 24/04/2023 18:16

Blimey. That sounds awful

i wouldn’t of thought it should of carried on like that? I bet they said migraine right?

your symptoms are worrisome for a brain bleed so no wonder they thought that

I wouldn’t hesitate to go back if in 24 hours you don’t feel better.

In fairness they did say thunderclap headache, but to treat it like a migraine. This was after the CT came back clear. She’s stressing about going back to work tomorrow when she feels so slow and forgetful. It happened over the weekend.

OP posts:
PinkFootstool · 24/04/2023 18:36

Well, IF it's a migraine, which is possible if they've eliminated more sinister options, this phase of the attack is called the postdrome.

Ignore the timelines on this graph, they are highly inaccurate - my aura can last day, as can the head pain - but essentially before and after a migraine there are side effects.

I describe the aftermaths of an attack like a hangover. I'm achy, slow in speech and thought processing, exhausted and I still have a "shadow" of the head pain wherever it was for that attack.

Thunderclap Headaches
Original poster
ThunderclapHead · 24/04/2023 18:39

PinkFootstool · 24/04/2023 18:36

Well, IF it's a migraine, which is possible if they've eliminated more sinister options, this phase of the attack is called the postdrome.

Ignore the timelines on this graph, they are highly inaccurate - my aura can last day, as can the head pain - but essentially before and after a migraine there are side effects.

I describe the aftermaths of an attack like a hangover. I'm achy, slow in speech and thought processing, exhausted and I still have a "shadow" of the head pain wherever it was for that attack.

Thank you. This is really helpful and reassuring. The diagram is nice and easy for her to understand at the moment as well.

OP posts:
tatyr · 24/04/2023 18:49

Tell her not to feel bad about taking time off work to recover, especially if she needs to drive to work. She needs to feel back to normal and no one would expect her back before then

AgrathaChristie · 24/04/2023 18:57

Just a thought but had you eaten anything unusual, or drunk anything you wouldn’t usually? I am prone to migraines but had the worst headache ever, really thought I must be having a brain bleed or similar, symptoms exactly as you describe. Was kept in hospital overnight and given morphine, next morning CT was cancelled as the pain had subsided ( think the morphine had something to do with that 🙄) I tracked it down to drinking pineapple juice I’d been offered at a friend’s house a couple of hours before it started.

Original poster
ThunderclapHead · 24/04/2023 19:03

tatyr · 24/04/2023 18:49

Tell her not to feel bad about taking time off work to recover, especially if she needs to drive to work. She needs to feel back to normal and no one would expect her back before then

Thank you. I’ve actually been told to tie her up so she can’t go to work tomorrow.

She’s adamant and there’s no telling her.

OP posts:
Mumblechum0 · 24/04/2023 19:09

I had this after a near drowning. It lasted 4 to 6 weeks on and off, couldn't work as it literally hurt my brain to think

By the time a saw a neurologist privately though it had worn off. Never had it since. Neuron guy said the lack of oxygen had damaged a tiny bit of my brain.

So try to reassure her that it will probably get better by itself but she really needs signing off work for a bit imo

Original poster
ThunderclapHead · 24/04/2023 19:09

AgrathaChristie · 24/04/2023 18:57

Just a thought but had you eaten anything unusual, or drunk anything you wouldn’t usually? I am prone to migraines but had the worst headache ever, really thought I must be having a brain bleed or similar, symptoms exactly as you describe. Was kept in hospital overnight and given morphine, next morning CT was cancelled as the pain had subsided ( think the morphine had something to do with that 🙄) I tracked it down to drinking pineapple juice I’d been offered at a friend’s house a couple of hours before it started.

I had a careful think about this, but no, I can’t remember anything unusual or anything she ate that she doesn’t always eat.

She made salad on Friday evening, and then we had some chocolate Brazil nuts…her favourite. She went to bed, but woke up in the early hours with belly pains. I made her coffee and she seemed ok. She said she was going to get ready and it happened whilst she was doing her makeup.

I did later find out that she’d lifted the ottoman bed to get something just before starting her makeup, and that ottoman is heavy, but it’s the only thing she did out of the ordinary.

She had suffered with headaches all week, every day after work and she’d mentioned being stressed. It felt like just one of those things. I’m glad it’s over and feel sorry for anyone who experiences this regularly.

OP posts:
Original poster
ThunderclapHead · 24/04/2023 19:11

Mumblechum0 · 24/04/2023 19:09

I had this after a near drowning. It lasted 4 to 6 weeks on and off, couldn't work as it literally hurt my brain to think

By the time a saw a neurologist privately though it had worn off. Never had it since. Neuron guy said the lack of oxygen had damaged a tiny bit of my brain.

So try to reassure her that it will probably get better by itself but she really needs signing off work for a bit imo

What a scary story. Glad you’re ok now.

I really wish she would take some time off now. It feels like a warning. No chance though.

OP posts:
Original poster
ThunderclapHead · 24/04/2023 19:12

My partner sends her thanks to everyone. She’s hoping it subsides now over the next few days.

OP posts:
AnneKipankitoo · 24/04/2023 19:16

I used to find a release of stress was my trigger for migraines. Perhaps that is the trigger for your partner’s thunderclap headache.

Mydoghealsmyheart · 24/04/2023 19:18

Did you have a lumbar puncture? I’ve just read an article in the BMJ which says that if a CT scan is normal then a LP should be done. I’m going to try to paste the article here.

  • Summary pointsThunderclap headache is a severe headache that peaks within 60 seconds of onset
  • Neurovascular disorders often present with thunderclap headache
  • Infectious disorders, intracranial hypertension, and hypotension syndromes occasionally present with thunderclap headache
  • Subarachnoid haemorrhage is the most common cause; diagnosis is based on plain brain computed tomography (CT) and, if normal, on lumbar puncture
  • Suspect reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome when thunderclap headaches recur over a few days
  • Cervical artery dissection, cerebral venous thrombosis, reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome, and pituitary apoplexy may present with isolated thunderclap headache and normal physical examination, CT, and cerebrospinal fluid
  • When CT and cerebrospinal fluid are normal, other investigations are needed, including cervical and cerebral vascular imaging and brain magnetic resonance imaging
Seas164 · 24/04/2023 19:20

I had these about ten years ago in a period of massive stress, and they were brought on by orgasm. I know. Try being the one in the A&E for the lumbar puncture to check you're not having a brain aneurism with everyone knowing that. All scans and tests came back clear so they put it down to Thunderclap Headaches, but my god it was a shocker.

They were absolutely brutal, I thought I was dying. It was excrutiating and really frightening. It was like being hit round the back of the head with a baseball bat, I was literally on the floor and it would take a couple of days to recover during which I remember feeling totally wiped, and a bit battered. I had two or three over the course of a few weeks, and then some smaller ones, all at the point of orgasm, and then just disappeared.

So weird.

So, tell her I say hello, go steady, lay in a dark room and try and relax for as long as necessary, and it will go away in a couple of days.

blitzen · 24/04/2023 19:30

ThunderclapHead · 24/04/2023 19:09

I had a careful think about this, but no, I can’t remember anything unusual or anything she ate that she doesn’t always eat.

She made salad on Friday evening, and then we had some chocolate Brazil nuts…her favourite. She went to bed, but woke up in the early hours with belly pains. I made her coffee and she seemed ok. She said she was going to get ready and it happened whilst she was doing her makeup.

I did later find out that she’d lifted the ottoman bed to get something just before starting her makeup, and that ottoman is heavy, but it’s the only thing she did out of the ordinary.

She had suffered with headaches all week, every day after work and she’d mentioned being stressed. It felt like just one of those things. I’m glad it’s over and feel sorry for anyone who experiences this regularly.

Show quote history

It sounds really scary. Wondering if the coffee was different to usual? It's my only trigger of migraine. Hope she feels better soon x

Original poster
ThunderclapHead · 24/04/2023 19:40

AnneKipankitoo · 24/04/2023 19:16

I used to find a release of stress was my trigger for migraines. Perhaps that is the trigger for your partner’s thunderclap headache.

I do think it could be stress.

OP posts:
Original poster
ThunderclapHead · 24/04/2023 19:42

Mydoghealsmyheart · 24/04/2023 19:18

Did you have a lumbar puncture? I’ve just read an article in the BMJ which says that if a CT scan is normal then a LP should be done. I’m going to try to paste the article here.

  • Summary pointsThunderclap headache is a severe headache that peaks within 60 seconds of onset
  • Neurovascular disorders often present with thunderclap headache
  • Infectious disorders, intracranial hypertension, and hypotension syndromes occasionally present with thunderclap headache
  • Subarachnoid haemorrhage is the most common cause; diagnosis is based on plain brain computed tomography (CT) and, if normal, on lumbar puncture
  • Suspect reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome when thunderclap headaches recur over a few days
  • Cervical artery dissection, cerebral venous thrombosis, reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome, and pituitary apoplexy may present with isolated thunderclap headache and normal physical examination, CT, and cerebrospinal fluid
  • When CT and cerebrospinal fluid are normal, other investigations are needed, including cervical and cerebral vascular imaging and brain magnetic resonance imaging

No, they didn’t do this. Just a CT scan. I feel a little concerned now. She has an appointment with her GP tomorrow so I might see if she wants an escort and I can mention it.

OP posts:
3luckystars · 24/04/2023 19:42

DO NOT GO BACK TO WORK TOMORROW

COP ON

Original poster
ThunderclapHead · 24/04/2023 19:43

Seas164 · 24/04/2023 19:20

I had these about ten years ago in a period of massive stress, and they were brought on by orgasm. I know. Try being the one in the A&E for the lumbar puncture to check you're not having a brain aneurism with everyone knowing that. All scans and tests came back clear so they put it down to Thunderclap Headaches, but my god it was a shocker.

They were absolutely brutal, I thought I was dying. It was excrutiating and really frightening. It was like being hit round the back of the head with a baseball bat, I was literally on the floor and it would take a couple of days to recover during which I remember feeling totally wiped, and a bit battered. I had two or three over the course of a few weeks, and then some smaller ones, all at the point of orgasm, and then just disappeared.

So weird.

So, tell her I say hello, go steady, lay in a dark room and try and relax for as long as necessary, and it will go away in a couple of days.

I’m quoting directly from my partner now…

“Well, that might have made it worth it”

OP posts:
Original poster
ThunderclapHead · 24/04/2023 19:44

blitzen · 24/04/2023 19:30

It sounds really scary. Wondering if the coffee was different to usual? It's my only trigger of migraine. Hope she feels better soon x

Show quote history

I suppose it could be. She has had the coffee plenty of times…just bog standard Kenco. But we have to be open minded to all possibilities.

OP posts:
Original poster
ThunderclapHead · 24/04/2023 19:47

3luckystars · 24/04/2023 19:42

DO NOT GO BACK TO WORK TOMORROW

COP ON

I am reading these to her.
I want you to know that I have made it very clear that I feel she should be taking some time off. Her job is both very mentally draining and physical. She is being silly and I feel putting her health at risk.
But, she’s never listened to me before so…

OP posts:
userxx · 24/04/2023 19:50

PinkFootstool · 24/04/2023 18:36

Well, IF it's a migraine, which is possible if they've eliminated more sinister options, this phase of the attack is called the postdrome.

Ignore the timelines on this graph, they are highly inaccurate - my aura can last day, as can the head pain - but essentially before and after a migraine there are side effects.

I describe the aftermaths of an attack like a hangover. I'm achy, slow in speech and thought processing, exhausted and I still have a "shadow" of the head pain wherever it was for that attack.

I call it a ghost migraine, it's physically gone but weirdness remains. Bloody horrible things.