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Original poster

In hospital abroad and so so scared

197 replies

sorehead123 · 04/08/2023 17:36

Earlier today I looked upwards while on a zip wire and immediately got a blinding pain in the back top of my head. This happened earlier this week but went away quite quickly and I thought it was stress as my ASD child was mid melt down.

My head felt like it was going to explode for maybe 20 minutes. It felt like I had been whacked round the back of the head.

Has now eased off but 3 hours later the pain in the back of my head is still there. Has turned into a more general bad headache feeling.

I'm abroad and called 111 in UK for advice. They advised I come to hospital and said possible brain haemorrhage which has frightened the life out of me.

My husband has taken the children for food and I am waiting alone. Im so frighted.

OP posts:
Knackeredhamster · 05/08/2023 08:07

Trulywonderfulworld · 05/08/2023 03:38

For future reference
My husband had a brain haemorrhage and you would not be capable of posting on MN if you had one.
Glad it seems it’s not serious and you enjoy the rest of your holiday.

This is not true with respect.

It happened to me.

Tessisme · 05/08/2023 08:10

Headaches can be frightening. It's the fact that they can be unbearably painful and completely innocuous or unbearably painful and very, very serious. My sister sadly died from a brain abscess which she may have survived if it weren't for the fact that she usually had migraines and spent several days treating it as such. The symptoms were very similar, but just kept on going instead of resolving. You did the right thing getting it checked out OP and I'm so pleased for you that there was nothing sinister. I hope you get enough relief from the pain to enjoy the rest of your holiday.

Knackeredhamster · 05/08/2023 08:15

Tessisme · 05/08/2023 08:10

Headaches can be frightening. It's the fact that they can be unbearably painful and completely innocuous or unbearably painful and very, very serious. My sister sadly died from a brain abscess which she may have survived if it weren't for the fact that she usually had migraines and spent several days treating it as such. The symptoms were very similar, but just kept on going instead of resolving. You did the right thing getting it checked out OP and I'm so pleased for you that there was nothing sinister. I hope you get enough relief from the pain to enjoy the rest of your holiday.

I'm so sorry you lost your sister. It terrifies me now that this could have happened to me.
That your sister suffered from migraines is one of the things that can mask this.

It's just so rare and after a few days my friend insisted I go to the GP who sent me immediately to a&e.

Again so sorry 😞 xx

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General health
Mummyoflittledragon · 05/08/2023 08:34

olympicsrock · 05/08/2023 07:51

Hello OP , I’m a vascular surgeon. I’m concerned that this may have been a vertebral artery dissection. Rare and often missed but your story is a classic one for this problem . ( It’s a tear in the lining of an artery in your neck)

It would not have been spotted on a standard CT head looking for a bleed. Did you see the report - did it mention the arteries in your neck?

Ideally you need a duplex ultrasound to MR angiogram to look at your vertebral arteries.

They are important to spot because they carry a small risk of stroke BUT the treatment is just to take a small dose of aspirin to prevent clot settling on the tear. My advice would be to get some aspirin over the counter 75mg . Take 2 the first day then one daily for the rest of your holiday and then go to your GP the day you get home and ask to be referred to vascular surgery for an ultrasound of the arteries in your neck.

Happy for you to pm me if you have a copy of the CT report.

Olympics is always great with advice. Such support on Mumsnet, brilliant as always. I hope the pain goes soon op.

ZiriForEver · 05/08/2023 08:41

Just a question about language, doesn't your travel insurance come with on call language support? Normal human translator ready to join over the phone (put on loud speaker), so your communication is easier and more accurate than using an app?

In my country it does, so just checking if it isn't an option as well, doesn't sound wise to expect people abroad to speak English.

Original poster
sorehead123 · 05/08/2023 08:58

Morning all, thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to post and offer support and advice. It really helped.

I've only just woken up but still have quite a bad headache although doesn't seem to be as debilitating as before.

@olympicsrock thank you for your post. That sounds a bit scary but I will get the aspirin as you suggest.

I feel quite tearful and scared this morning, it was a horrid thing to go through and quite upset that the headache is still here. The hospital all felt a bit surreal but having woken up with a bad head still I am finding it hard not to panic. The hospital prescribed me paracetamol and something else that I think it similar to ibuprofen but I have those with me already. I will get the aspirin though.

We don't go home til Thursday and I really do wish I was at home, I feel scared to do anything now really.

OP posts:
Tessisme · 05/08/2023 09:06

Thank you @Knackeredhamster.

Original poster
sorehead123 · 05/08/2023 09:10

@tessisme

I am sorry you lost your sister. That's a very sad story xx

OP posts:
Original poster
sorehead123 · 05/08/2023 09:11

@olympicsrock

I just noticed you said about PMing you. Thank you. The report is in French so going to look at translating it but if I may do after that, it would be good. Thank you.

OP posts:
Xenia · 05/08/2023 09:25

I am so sorry. I can imagine the wait to going home to the UK on Thursday wll be difficult. I would not do very much between now and then. If you can afford it and are allowe to leave the hospital you might want to pay for a flight just for you home and go straight to A&E in the UK for a brain scan perhaps but definitely either way get the French report translated - you can probably type it into google translate. Good luck.

Hellokittymania · 05/08/2023 09:26

Hang in there, very stressful and very scary, I have been there. I will never forget being in a tie public hospital on Ko Samui, all on my own. I am visually impaired and had to be taken by boat from Kotel in 2012, my mother actually did fly from the US to see me, but I was being given medicine through an IV drip for most of the week. I do speak some Thai, which helped greatly, I hope you are in a place where people can understand enough English to help you and to comfort you. Somebody visiting their relatives stopped to see me and they went to go and buy some things for me. They also checked on me when they came to the hospital, which was really really nice.

If you look on Facebook, if you use it, there are often groups of foreigners living in areas around the world If you look on Facebook, if you use it, there are often groups of foreigners living in areas around the world, just look for foreigners living in… Wherever you are, and you are more than likely So if you type in foreigners living in… Wherever you are, you are more than likely to find groups of people who can offer information, advice, or just be there

So if you type in foreigners living in… Wherever you are, you are more than likely to find groups of people who can offer information, advice, or just be there to listen. Many people who have moved abroad have had similar situation Because you also have a child with ASD, I’m wondering if you might also be worried about not being with your child, I have a disability, so something like this would panic my mother I think if she was in the same situation as you.

Rowgtfc72 · 05/08/2023 09:26

Pleased you've been checked out. I had the bad headache for three or four days after the massive headache. Just kept taking ibuprofen and paracetamol.
Hope you get to enjoy the rest of your holiday.

Wafflesandcrepes · 05/08/2023 09:34

Hi OP,

I’m sorry you’re in such pain.

I’m glad Olympicsrock came on with advice. I was hoping a surgeon would.

I’ve had no end of problems with the French health service, culminating in my mum dying of what I suspect was aortic dissection in January.

My best advice: do not be British about it. Ask for the things that OlympicRocks advised. Be forceful if you need to. Do not think “it’s the French system - much better than our NHS”. It simply isn’t. Don’t worry for a second about them thinking you’re a PITA or rude.

Are you still in A&E? Have you a cardiovascular specialist?

If you need anything today or the coming days, I’d gladly help.

i don’t want to scare you but if I had known how bad things had become in France, it could have saved y mum.

PragmaticWench · 05/08/2023 09:44

@Littlegoth would you mind if I pm you about your csf leak?

olympicsrock · 05/08/2023 09:55

OP I speak French - just ping it over

olympicsrock · 05/08/2023 09:56

If you want to of course xx

JustBanPlasticAndSubsidiseTheTrainsAlready · 05/08/2023 09:57

sorehead123 · 05/08/2023 09:11

@olympicsrock

I just noticed you said about PMing you. Thank you. The report is in French so going to look at translating it but if I may do after that, it would be good. Thank you.

@sorehead123 if you pm me I can translate your report.

Did they give you doliprane?

Original poster
sorehead123 · 05/08/2023 10:00

@JustBanPlasticAndSubsidiseTheTrainsAlready

Paracetamol and Bi Profenid LP

OP posts:
Original poster
sorehead123 · 05/08/2023 10:00

@olympicsrock thank you I will do that shortly. Thank you so much.

OP posts:
SerenityNowInsanityLater · 05/08/2023 10:06

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

Original poster
sorehead123 · 05/08/2023 10:07

@olympicsrock

I can't work out how to pm so I am just posting this here - i blanked out my name anyway. I so appreciate your help, thank you

In hospital abroad and so so scared
In hospital abroad and so so scared
OP posts:
ClairDeLaLune · 05/08/2023 10:10

Trulywonderfulworld · 05/08/2023 03:38

For future reference
My husband had a brain haemorrhage and you would not be capable of posting on MN if you had one.
Glad it seems it’s not serious and you enjoy the rest of your holiday.

A lady I used to work with had a bleed on the brain and still went into the office, until her headache got so bad she was hospitalised and it was diagnosed.

Ruth98 · 05/08/2023 10:16

About 3 years ago I was sat in my lounge folding washing (looking down) and when I looked up I had the worst pain I have ever had across my head and neck. I was really unwell with a virus at the time (this was about 2 weeks before the fist lockdown so will never know if I had covid as no tests) and still have no idea if it was related. The pain was worse than anything I've ever experienced and I'd only given birth 6 months prior! It was absolutely terrifying. Painkillers had no effect until I was prescribed amatryptaline (excuse spelling) for neuropathic pain 3 months in. The relief from that was immense. I stayed on this for 6 months and slowly the pain went. Very occasionally it re-occurs. I have no idea what caused it but scans and tests were all negative. It does sound similar and you have my sympathy as it was absolutely awful, depressing as it went on and scary. If it continues visit you GP to discuss pain relief. I was told paracetamol/ibuprofen would have little effect on neuropathic pain so if this is what you have you need proper medication.

Helpuschoose · 05/08/2023 10:17

sorehead123 · 05/08/2023 10:07

@olympicsrock

I can't work out how to pm so I am just posting this here - i blanked out my name anyway. I so appreciate your help, thank you

That report actually says no recent bleeds in the brain, no masses, no fractures and all looks normal on the scan.

Littlegoth · 05/08/2023 10:20

@PragmaticWench feel free x