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

I agree with the other HCP, this is ringing bells for me and should be seen in A and E. I have seen people with migraines/hangovers/headaches which were much worse pain than before and had cerebral bleeds or an other cause of raised pressure in the brain. The unusual pain, together with the ongoing vomiting and visual disturbance should be checked.

Of course it could be stress/migraine but still worth assessment.
Did your GP examine you and look at the back of your eyes with an ophthalmoscope? I 'd suggest going and asking your GP for a referral to the on call medical team, or going to A and E. I saw a number of people like this when I worked in medicine or casualty.

Loss of vision with headaches can be migraine, TIA, or bleed on brain. I know 2 people who GP dismissed as migraine. It wasn’t. Both were bleeds, neither are here today as by the time docs realised it was serious it was too late. I know I’m scaring you but you have young children. My cousin was 26 when he had the bleed. Young people can have strokes -friend had one in her late 20’s. Thankfully her GP was on the ball.

I don’t think you are being unreasonable. Your Gp sounds useless. It’s unlikely but could be as PP mentioned.

I would go to A and E for stroke or similar to be ruled out.

People go to A and E for a lot lot less

Dh had ongoing unusual headaches, everyone and their dog claimed it was exactly like their migraine/viral headache/tension headache etc.

It wasn't. It was a problem with the blood flow to his head and he had a stroke.

Its quite dangerous posters telling you YABU. In this case you had sight loss, and the headache is still ongoing.
Yes it may be nothing, but you do need to be checked out. If this means your dh explaining the situation to work and taking some time off (pretty sure there's an allowed amount of time to look after children?), then it's not unreasonable to ask him to do this.

HCP here . I worked in A/E in past . I really think that you should attend there to outrule a haemorrhage or another serious condition. Ignore the posters on here telling you that it’s just a headache or telling you that you have migraine . Maybe you do but only a doctor who was thoroughly examined you and carried out the appropriate investigations can make a diagnosis

Yes it could be migraine, stress, lack of sleep or as others have said it could be a stroke. Quite shocked at all the people saying not to go to a&e for this, yet so many other posts telling people to go to a&e for a stumped big toe. Do you have high blood pressure? Diabetes? I would be wanting an ecg, my blood pressure taken and a ct scan to rule out a bleed. Yanbu!

RN here. Agree with above poster. I think you're OP is playing things down bc you do feel U. These are very severe and new symptoms and A&E is the place for you. Best case you have a severe migraine and deserve better pain relief and worst case is something more sinister that may only be ruled out with a scan. Go and go now.

OP I think this does sound potentially serious, particularly the loss of vision

I experienced something similar and was investigated for a brain tumour as when I tipped my head the pain sharpened.
I am not trying to frighten you - I did NOT have a tumour but my point is that the symptoms were taken seriously and investigated.

Go and get some proper medical assessment.

Barbiegirl

I have also found that with the shower.

OP are you drinking enough water as migraine can persist with dehydration and with the weather being hot and humid. Worth a try to get some relief even if only for a short time.

However I agree with others about A&E. 1. You have had it for a long time. 2. You have had loss of vision. 3. You are being sick with it.
You would be better to be safe than maybe sorry.

I can't believe your GP didn't take bloods while you were there and is making you wait a week. Mine would have done them there and then himself - he has done several times.

Could you get a friend or relative to go with you?It would be better to go in the day because they can refer you for a scan or ophthalmologist I was referred once because of visual disturbance they rang up from A&E and I was seen within the hour. He was lovely and gave me a thorough check.

I hope you feel better soon.

@boomerang1 if you are in UK at the moment have you ruled out sinusitis due to hayfever?
I don’t get hayfever usually but a few weeks ago I was willing to have root canal surgery, despite being terrified, cos I was in so much pain on one side of my head (thought it was a fractured tooth). Then someone suggested taking an antihistamine and it cured it! Turns out if you grew up in a city you will have larger sinuses so when they get irritated they can cause much more pain.
Try Piriton, old fashioned chlorphenamibe maleate make you drowsy but GPs can give ok to use when breastfeeding.

Everything you're having sounds like a typical migraine Except loss of vision in one eye. Tbh I would have gone to A&E if that happened to me and I've had migraines since I was 12.

The only solution to stop it I think is to stop breastfeeding long enough to take a prescription migraine pill like Imitrex (not sure what it's called in the UK) and for it to work itself out of your system. If you're unwilling to do that then you'll have to just ride it out with homeopathic solutions only.

I too think go to a&e. It is an emergency, just one that crept up on you instead of going from zero to 100 in a couple of seconds like a broken leg.
And when you are on top of things, complain about the gp. There are other things you can take - Codeine (I was on this in the first week after my ebf baby was born) , some migraine medication as pps have said. Complain because his advice was wrong and because he saw a breastfeeding mum of young children and just thought a mum complaining about being tired. Take a Panadol and go back to your kids.

I was discharged from hospital after having my ds recently with a bad headache which was making me throw up. I couldn’t spend long upright without being sick. I was back in hospital 4 days later and put on codeine, this meant I got my first proper cuddles with baby but still only meant I could sit up to feed the baby without too much pain. I was back in hospital a few days later for a procedure to fix what was a post dural headache. When I got back to hospital the first time the receptionist looked at me and said ‘a headache? Why didn’t you just go to the gp?’ Headaches are dismissed so easily but they can be debilitating and can mean much more serious things.

Go to A and E.
Seriously. For you to lose your vision like that especially when you are not normally getting migraine headaches would sound alarm bells.
I second the TIA. Fil had migraine headaches that would leave him in bed for days... he almost died from a massive stroke...
His gp dismissed it as an ordinary headache.
Go to the bloody emergency dept.
Chances are there are people there with a cold anyway.
Go.

Your husband and Dr both need a kick up the backside

Totally. And you need to get seen.

The NHS is such a joke sometimes. Do go to A and E. You can't trust the NHS to diagnose serious medical conditions unless you force them to. Hopefully it us just a bad migraine but it may be something bad. Better safe than sorry.

I think you should phone 111 and ask for advice. IMO you wouldn't be unreasonable to go to A&E with the symptoms you're describing.

Another NHS knocking post, Racecar, just give over, it's beyond tedious.

Hope the silence means OP is en route to A&E.

Agree Bluelady. Beyond tedious indeed.

Hope you have at least visited the doctor this morning.

Please update, boomerang1.

I bet if you phone NHS Direct they will tell you to go to hospital.

OP if it was a migraine I would be saying the same as other posters have. however. This is new for you. You don’t tend to suffer. You lost your sight. And its debilitating. A&E to get checked out,to rule out the worst. I feel for you I suffer with migraines so can appreciate the pain you at in if you say the pain is similar. Good Luck.

I have a horrible suspicion that if she does come back it will be to say she's waiting another week to see if it gets better and that her husband still doesn't want to miss work.

Go to A&E to rule out a stroke; can you call anyone apart from DH to look after your 5 year old so you just have the baby to take in with you?
If A&E think you're ok then try an optician to check you over. I had migraines from blue light intolerance (strip lights) and I've been able to avoid them from optician advice. Other people get migraines from red light (too much sunlight) or food intolerances (caffeine and chocolate are common), so it may not "just" be lack of sleep and there could be other things you can do to relieve it.

Take care and I hope you feel better soon.

OP this is an emergency, what you are describing isn't normal. Don't play games with your health.