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

Er if it was me I'd go to a and e.

Sounds awful op! You shouldn't have headache for that long.

I think the GP has made a serious mistake here (going on the information in the OP but I do recognise there is a possibility that there's other relevant information not necessarily listed.)

The loss of vision is a red flag and @boomerang1 should be going to A&E. I say that as a health professional who would have referred her there.

To those of you with no medical knowledge posting to say about sinus infection- you wouldn't loose your vision with that.

Please don't dissuade someone from going to A&E unless you have some medical training.

It is quite possible that it is a focal migraine which can include loss of vision but TIA, stroke etc would need to be ruled out.

I've worked in ED myself for many years, I am not a doctor/nurse or even clinically trained as I am a PA; However, I would keep pushing at your GP's for a second opinion.
As this may be combined migraines, this could well be another matter that could be a more pressing matter.
I would go back to your GP if this doesn't get any easier and they may do more thorough checks and may then refer you for scans.
We all know that the NHS is so stretched but I wouldn't pass off anything to do with your head and eyes.

I've only skim read, I would phone an opticians as there are some tests they can do to rule eye/brain issues in or out.

If it is a prolonged migraine, go to your GP and push for more. If your symptoms worsen, go to hospital. People are saying YABU to go, but this happened to me a few years ago, didn’t push the GP or go elsewhere for help, and I ended up fitting and being blued into A&E and then admitted. It was very scary. OK now, and the cause is treated on an ongoing basis, but it could have ended horribly. It’s not worth the risk.

And another! RTFT. This is serious stuff. She needs to go to A&E. I'm getting really concerned for this poor woman.

As a specialist nurse I'd advise a&e ASAP. Perfectly reasonable to attend the hospital for this. I did myself in my uni days: viral meningitis. I've suffered headaches sinc and that was 20 years ago. Hope you feel better soon.

@Splodgeinc are you a medical prescriber? If not, please don't talk bollocks about codeine and breastfeeding. It's safe and frequently prescribed. I've been taking it long term and have breastfed all 3 babies for years as have many breastfeeding mothers with chronic pain issues.

converse the advice not to take codein whilst breastfeeding has changed relatively recently (last couple of years)
it's only advisable under strict medical supervision. not self medication.

op hope you are getting seen and feel better soon!

@PerverseConverse I think @Splodgeinc is referring to the fact that people metabolise codeine in different ways. In some mothers it can be metabolised faster than others which can result in adverse effects in the baby. There has been some guidance suggesting not to use codeine in breastfeeding because of this here

@bluerunningshoes of course only prescribed. My concern is that the pp is likely to cause unnecessary concern amongst breastfeeding mothers already taking codeine. There are risks, yes, the research indicates the risk is to newborns mainly, but also states the problems caused are very rare. PP did not mention this, just said it's not safe which isn't true. Proper risk and benefit needs to be undertaken by a medical professional.

Oh for fuck's sake.

You hardly ever have migraine. This is not typical of your migraines. The headache is persisting way past what is normal for you. You lost vision. Whilst you can't assess this over the internet, it sounds like you need seeing properly. I wouldn't be that surprised if you had a headscan. Go to A&E. During daylight hours.

Hope you're ok, boomerang1
Please let us know how you are doing. Hope your DH has left work to have the kids and you are at A&E being seen

Hello,

Thank you all for your replies and support. Sorry I haven't been back on, it's been a full on day with the children.
I had my eyes tested not long ago but I could go again and rule that out.
I'm currently waiting for dh to return and going to ring 111. The headache is still there, although it's not as bad this afternoon.
Thank you all for your concern and advice.
I will keep you updated after I have rang 111.

Is it worse first thing in the morning @boomerang1?

It was worse this morning but it's usually stayed the same. I have started to drink more water at night as I'm bf a million ( it feels like) times at the moment x

Glad you're calling 111 boomerang, it can take you a little while to get through their questions so how about calling them now, then when your husband gets back you can go straight to A&E if that's their advice too?

What have 111 said?

Hi

I get migraines - seriously, go to A&E. Your symptoms need to be looked at to rule out anything serious.

And the doctor is talking bollocks. You CAN have codeine when breastfeeding, i had 30mg/200mg cocodamol (the strong stuff) I was given it for surgical pain, but found, quite by chance it worked on my migraines too.

Don't bother with 111. Just do as all the HCPs have said and go to A&E.

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

I agree. I know 4 people who had dreadful headaches that wouldn't shift and that turned out, on examination, to be bleeds. The youngest was 31, the oldest 59.

I also have a friend who was treated, unsuccessfully, for migraine for years, until she saw a young locum GP. He was concerned and referred her, and she had a tumour (thankfully, benign, and she made a full recovery after surgery).

It's probably tiredness, stress and hot weather and nothing to worry about OP, but nothing to be lost by getting it checked.

Anything that keeps you awake at night should be checked out. Something that's kept you awake at night for a week, makes you feel awful and has cause a loss of vision should be checked out urgently imo. If you have an eye hospital locally, go to ophthalmic A&E. If not, just ordinary A&E. Hopefully you're there already.

Posted on this thread almost 12 hours ago ( as a HCP) as I was very concerned for the ops wellbeing . I’m worried for her sake that she has not taken the advice of those who suggested that her condition may be serious .
I find these posts such a waste of everyone’s time . They always follow the same pattern . My leg etc is falling off and WIBU to go to A/E. 150 posts later and the person is thinking of calling 111 , GP etc !!
I’m not going to bother replying in future .

Also hcp doing pretty much this as my job. Actual proper ED please

One more thing .I was on another parenting website several months ago and someone posted that their preteen dd had severe headaches all day and vomiting every morning . The number of people who replied suggesting it was hormonal /puberty related was unreal . I was one of the only people who said that she needed an MRI. Luckily the Mum went back to the GP and insisted on further tests but unfortunately her dd has been diagnosed with a very advanced brain tumour.
I’m not sure if medical queries should even be allowed on these forums . There’s a lot of both accurate and inaccurate information but unfortunately it can be very hard to tell the difference if you don’t have medical knowledge .