Please help. Two week long headache

[RhubarbCircles]

I'm not coping at all, I've never felt so unwell 😢

For about 3 weeks, every time I went in the car I felt sort of travel sick and got a headache even if I was only driving 5 mins.

Then 2 weeks ago I had a massive migraine- I was so sick and sobbing in the dark in pain. The next day, I then had another, which was the worst one I've ever had. I've had them before, maybe once a year max.

Since then I've had a constant headache, I've not left the house for two weeks, can't shower alone without feeling light headed, can't go up and down the stairs without my head booming and instantly feeling sick. If I bend down to put something in the dishwasher for example my head bangs. Can barely get dressed by myself.

I've spoken to the doctor 3 times. After the 2 migraines I went for an emergency appointment and she checked my ears- all clear. I also had an eye test the previous week- all fine.

I'm now on propranolol 3 times a day, aspirin 4 times a day, anti sickness once a day and I've been given sumatriptan to take if I feel a migraine is coming on, I haven't used this yet (I’m quite scared of new meds in case they make me sick, but I will take it if the migraine happens again). I was taking paracetamol, ibuprofen and naproxen but yesterday the doctor told me to stop and switch to aspirin since they weren't having any impact at all anyway.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me please? I honestly feel awful.

Thank you.

Has the GP referred you for any further investigation, scans, bloods anything other than pain relief?

This sounds awful but equally worrying you can't be left not knowing what's causing this? Did the first headache get trigger by anything? Have you changed diet? Moved house? Been under stress?

Sorry you've been left like this, can you go back with anyone who can advocate for you in an appointment?

Did they check your blood pressure?

Two things spring to mind.

Are you sure it's not sinus related? Especially since bending down causes instant banging.

There is a thing where if you have too much paracetamol it can cause headaches. I can only use it for 3 days before I get headaches which is annoying as I need it regularly for chronic pain. This means I have to have a few days break from it. I'm wondering if that's why your GP has taken you off it.

Sumatriptan could make all the difference but just have plans to lie in bed as it could make you feel very heavy/sleepy. Drink loads of water. Drink some electrolytes and coconut water. Aspirin does nothing for me but irritates my stomach lining. I take ibuprofen and paracetamol, def no codeine.
There are other preventatives you can take so if it continues back to the GP. You need to keep a check on your blood pressure as propananol will lower blood pressure and you can feel horribly light headed if it’s too low. It should be around 120/80. My blood pressure on propananol was 94/60 and I felt awful and had to come off it.

hope you feel better really soon. Keep pushing with the GP x

I had the exact same thing, it turned out to be inter cranial hypertension, you should get a test for the pressure in your eyes in A&E

Thanks everyone. No trigger, it's come out of nowhere.

I have borrowed a blood pressure machine from my mother in law and it's been normal the last 3 days I've checked it.

The headache is on the back/top of my head, and in my eyes... hard to explain that bit.

An added complication is I have a crippling fear of hospitals due to severe emetophobia and OCD (centered around germs and contamination). I've always said if I broke my leg they'd have to sedate me to get me in.

It's been so bad I have started considering a&e but the thought makes me extremely panicky and distressed, I honestly don't know how I'd manage, my mental health is quite fragile and with my OCD it feels out of my control.

I have private healthcare though, should I try and see someone? Who though?

I get the eye headache with migraine sometimes. I would consider trying a sumatriptan. It doesn't make me feel drowsy or ill. Even if it does, I can't see how that's worse than your current situation.

Hope you feel better soon

If you have private healthcare, could you have a GP appointment through that to get a second opinion? It could be something neurological and I would be asking for a scan.

Have they talked to you about cluster headaches?

I've recently been diagnosed with these and take 10mg of amatriptyline before bed.

It's really helped me.

Mine was always same time every night waking me up from sleep. Watery eye that felt like it was being stabbed with hot pins, pain in bone around eye and then feeling like something was in my eye all day afterwards and a residual headache that was constant.

You have my sympathies - I get long duration migraines too and it really is horrendous. You get to the point where you can't think. I've had some so bad that I told my DH I wanted to die.
I really hope you start feeling better soon. Meantime, is there any chance you can see a different GP? You need to be referred to SDEC (same day emergency care) - that way you can be checked out at hospital without having to wait around for hours in A&E.
I also have severe emetophobia (which totally rules my life tbh) and I'm hospital phobic. I wouldn't have been able to wait in A&E but when my GP sent me to SDEC I coped okay. My issue turned out to be hemiplegic migraine. You really need some answers as to why this has gone on so long so I would push to see a different GP if you can.

Thanks all. I can see a GP privately on a video call so I'll book an appointment for this evening. I couldn't go outside to a face to face appointment unless absolutely necessary at the min.

@itsgettingweird the GP suggested cluster headaches but I don't have the one sided eye pain at all, it's just behind both my eyes.

@Pyreneansylvie I'm sorry you're in the club nobody wants to be in too. I've never heard of SDEC, google isn't sure if it's a thing in Scotland and suggests to go to Urgent Care which again doesn't feel manageable but we'll see how desperate I get.

I appreciate this is a long shot but you're already trying the other options. There is a chance some of it could be referred pain from your neck. Inflammation in the neck can also trap nerves/vessels and cause other issues. Tension and anxiety will make that a lot worse. For example, there was a concern that my relative has suffered mini strokes but it turned out to have been caused by an arthritic condition in the neck.

By all means ignore me, but if you want to try all options, you could see an osteopath for an initial consultation. They won't treat you if they don't think they can help you and won't do anything you find uncomfortable. (Not an osteopath myself but a long time user, on and off).

Take the triptans. If they work for you, you could be out of all pain in as little as 20mins.

I have chronic migraine, up to 28 days a month when out of control, and triptans are the only reason I'm still alive.

Fuck worrying about side effects when you feel like this, give it a go.

I was told this for years and nope - time neck pain is a symptom of my migraine, not the cause of the pain.

Took me absolutely years and ££££ of treatments and medications to discover this. Migraine under control, means I have no more neck pain.

@ButtSurgery should I just take them now? GP said take if you feel a migraine beginning, which I haven't. I'm just in constant headache, quite severe, but not tipped the line into migraine since the two before.

Have you had an mri?

No, I haven't been referred for anything, just given meds.

If I was you I would try one. If it doesn't help you're no worse off.

I have to take them regularly and they have changed my life.

I had similar. It was Covid. I had a terrible constant headache and massive migraines for 2-3 weeks. Dizziness, nausea, feeling detached like I was in a bubble. Then my facial nerves got inflamed and my face started twitching. Then finally my nose started to run, and a week later I developed a cough and sore throat. I finally tested positive at this point.

It’s taken a good six weeks for the dizzy detached feeling to ease off. I’m still coughing a bit. GP said this is how new strains are presenting now. Some people just get the first part - the dizzy migraines - and they fight it off. Others like me progress to full blown respiratory infection. So it could be that.

Gosh poor you @Bellamari that sounds rotten. I hope it doesn't turn into anything worse for me, I feel at the end of my tether as it is.

I was actually hoping that might be what you’ve got! Because at least it gets better, albeit six weeks later.

@Bellamari that's a good way of looking at it- that there's an end in sight. I don't have any covid tests so I've ordered some.

I wanted to see an online GP but can't remember my log in for work healthcare so need to wait til Monday.

Bumping for the Sunday crowd. I still feel absolutely atrocious, the headache comes and goes throughout the day and brings nausea with it. The aspirin doesn't touch it. When it is bad today I'll try the triptan.

I'd try the triptan now. It might prevent the next worsening