To go to hospital for a second opinion and get some family and dh help

[boomerang1]

Hi all,

To cut a long story short I have had a headache for over a week. It started as a migraine and I lost my vision in one eye temporarily. I was sick and in a lot of pain for a day. That subsided but a less severe headache remained. I don't normally get migraines apart from during pregnancy (I'm not pregnant) and a couple in my teens, leading me to believe its hormonal for me.
During this week the headache is constantly there. It is a dull ache but quite painful and I feel sick and have been sick a few times. When I turn my head to look in a different direction it causes a sharp pain behind my eyes and at the top of my head. On a couple of days it has been worse and turned into a migraine again but goes back to the headache after a few hours or overnight. The pain is keeping me awake at night. This is not that bad though because I'm up 5 or 6 times anyway with my 9 month old.
I have taken paracetamol and ibuprofen but I can't take anything else as I'm still breastfeeding. Those don't take the pain away and only take the edge off.
I went to the doctor yesterday evening and he was no help. He pretty much said he didn't know what it was and as I was bf couldn't give me anything. He booked me in for blood tests in a weeks time ! But I honestly don't know how to cope with the pain for another week or more.
I have asked my dh to take time off work as I'm home with the 2 children (9 months and 5 years) I don't have any other offers of help. Dh is afraid to lose his job, even though I think if he explained he wouldn't, but I understand , so said he will only come home if I go to hospital. I'm thinking of doing this. I don't want to waste their time at all and never go unless it's very serious but I'm in pain, I can't get relief and I have 2 dc who I'm struggling to care for. The doctor did suggest it was sleep deprivation finally killing me as a bit of a joke, but I can't escape that despite trying sleep training, plus I'm not sure it is as I've been getting a bit more sleep than the previous 2 hours a night as iv given in to co sleeping.
Wibu to go to hospital once the children are in bed tonight to get a second opinion and also so dh has to care for the children so I get a small break? I wouldn't usually think like his as dh has to work and I get that but I'm in pain and sick and it's very hard with two young children.
I will just add I was a single parent to my first child so I know that others have to get on with it without support, I know that gets mentioned often on these threads.

Thanks all

Do you genuinely think it is a medical emergency that needs immediate care? If so go to hospital. If not, get an appointment with a different GP if you feel you need a second opinion. Sleep deprivation is hell and can cause awful headache, i currently feel like there is a knife behind my left eye trying to prise it out of my head.

Is your husband taking the children when he is at home so you can get some sleep? Have you got the funds to pay for some childcare while he is at work? Can your husband take annual leave?

A and E is for just that - accident and emergencies. You won’t get a second opinion; you’ll be seen by a junior doctor.
Go back to GP and ask for analgesia.
No your husband shouldn’t take time off to give you a rest. The five year old can do something sensible and you can nap whilst the baby does.
Your husband could have the children in the evening and you could have an early night.
Your husband could give you a lie in at the weekend.
Pay a babysitter for a few hours if you can afford it. They could take the children to the park whilst you slept. Plenty of sixth formers off school at the moment.

Yabu. As pp said, it's not an accident or emergency.

Of course you are being unreasonable. Accident and Emergency is just what it says. This is not an accident and if it can wait until tonight then it's not an emergency.

Honestly it just sounds like you have a very bad migraine that isn’t shifting, rest as much as possible and try and ride it out. Sleep deprivation definitely won’t help so is probably making it worse. Go for your blood tests when you have them but I wouldn’t go to hospital. Ask your husband to do bedtime or whatever so you can have an early night but other than that I don’t think there’s much you can do. I hope you feel better soon

This is about your DH, not your migraine.

Long shot but have you tried menthal crystals in hot water and breathing in over bowl/towel on head?

You can't be certain it's a migraine.

The temporary loss of vision could have been a TIA, and if it's a precursor to a further occipital stroke, you could lose some or all of your sight permanently.

I'd go to A&E, because a GP will be no good if it was a TIA.

I disagree. This sounds serious and similar to a mini-stroke. The sight loss, however temporary, is a red flag.

See a different Dr. Write down every symptom you have listed here. Ask for a scan.

Have you had your eyes tested recently. My doctor wouldn’t refer me until I got my eyes checked. They will check behind your eyes to see if there is any pathology causing the headaches. x

I am actually of the opposite opinion to everyone else, my ex had a migraine and sickness when he had never had one in the run up to his exams, he saw a doctor who said it was stress, he had to leave halfway through his A-levels, he went to A&E and had a bleed on his brain. Of course it’s very very rare but he didn’t expect that, nor did anyone else.

If OP was older they'd have tested for a stroke.

Agree with PP, lost vision for me sounds serious

I would go to a walk-in centre / A&E

Please get it checked out. I'm normally the first to spot a drama queen but this could potentially be really serious. You're right to be worried. Don't leave it, go to A&E and go today.

I agree that TIA needs to be ruled out.
At the very least see another GP. The first one sounds unprofessional and dismissive.
Tbh I think a man presenting with those symptoms would be taken seriously and referred to hospital.

There is a piercing you can get in your ear that can eliminate migraines.

I have a feeling this may be down to stress my dear, as a new mum and mum of a 5 year old you must be up against it. I am not suggesting you ignore this headache btw but l do think it is extremely hard looking after 2 DC on our own . I can remember suffering from extreme anxiety and stress following a brutal delivery on my second DD birth and l was so ill. I actually thought l had a brain tumour because the extreme stress gave me a tick in my eyelid , l was eventually diagnosed with PTSD and had therapy for it . Bless you my dear , l am sure you are ok but do get it checked out to put your mind at rest .

Ask for an emergency app with your gp for this morning, and she/he can decide whether the hospital is the best option.

Any sickness or loss of vision is a red flag with head pain if you do not usually suffer migraines.

Thank you all for your replies. So I agree I am being a bit unreasonable. The reason I said wait until tonight is so that dh didn't have to come home and I knew the children were cared for and sorted.
Il keep on with the pain killers and ride it out. When I cough it throbs in my head or when I move, does this sound like a migraine.
There is no chance of a break in the day as the 5 year old has Sen and won't be left alone for more than 5 minute and the baby does not nap unless being pushed in the pram or in the car (something I realise I need to work on but don't have the energy right now).
No dh does not take over when he gets home from work, I still have to do bed time as I bf the baby to sleep. He cooks dinner but I take care of the children to allow him to do this. I honestly don't think dh realises how seriously unwell I feel because all he sees is me carrying on as normal. Which I do for the kids. I try explain but I think he just thinks I'm having a bit of a moan and rant because I'm tired.

Phone your GP and try and get in to see a different doctor. Mention concern about TIA and see what they say.

I think your husband could be doing a lot more, is there any reason he can't do some of the night duties?

You can also take codeine while bf.

I think it could be a sinus infection. I had one for 2 weeks and fantasized about shooting myself in the face to relieve the pain.

You're NOT being unreasonable. Please go to the hospital.

you sound at the end of your tether, OP. I'm so sorry. You need more support right now but it doesn't look like there's a whole lot of slack available. Personally I think if you can't get another GP appointment today, and it's still this bad tonight, go to A&E: you shouldn't have to carry on like this. I don't know whether you have migraines regularly or - if you do - what their usual pattern is, so can't advise particularly, but if this seems out of the ordinary and you aren't coping, you do need some extra help and you are reasonable to worry.

This has been extremely migrainey weather lately, hot and humid can really bring them on.

However, the symptoms of a migraine can be stroke-like so I think you have to get them checked out further if they aren't abating after a few days. It is unusual but there are more serious causes of such symptoms (stroke, tumour) and whilst it is probably stress/sleep deprivation coupled with the weather, you can go to A and E and have this checked.

Indeed I have been into A and E twice with people with these type of symptoms, once it was migraines, once it wasn't. They do consider loss of vision an emergency for those doubting it.