to worry about DH?

[ShowOfHands]

I'm committing the MN cardinal sin of posting in AIBU for traffic.

DH suffers from migraines and seemed to go down with one last Thursday, a really bad one. It hasn't followed the normal pattern and he has remained at a high level of pain since Friday. He cannot tolerate moving, talking, any light. I phoned NHS Direct at 3am on Monday when he was incoherent with pain and they told me about NICE fever guidelines (he hasn't got a fever) and we saw the emergency GP later that day who prescribed Tramadol which just made him itch.

Nothing has worked. The tramadol, aspirin, codeine, ibuprofen, migril, paracetamol (not all at the same time, tried different things according to advice). Not even taken off the edge.

Today he's started vomiting violently.

We have another appointment at 11am.

What is it? This is not a migraine. It's just not fitting his lifelong pattern. 20 years together and he's actually called in sick for the very first time.

Another vote for a and e... I'm surprised with the tramadol prescription I would of thought they would give simatriptan or similar

I'm going to the GP so that we can bypass A&E and get a CT scan and any other tests. Going to A&E won't get him seen faster than waiting 60mins to see our GP.

No point giving him sumatriptan. The triptans don't work for him, never have which is why he uses Migril or Cafergot (ergotamine tartrate).

Op why aren't you listening? Rng the GP now. Why waste an hour. This sound serious if he is in this uch pain. Ring the Gp and ask them to send word you will be arriving to a and e. The Gp can do this without seeing him.

Given that you don't seem to be taking on board the advice on here I am going to frighten you now.

A family member presented with the same sympoms as your OH. It was a brain aneurism. She is fine now, but it was touch and go for a while. Get him to hospital asap

None of those medications are generally prescribed for migraine. If he doesn't respond to triptans, he needs to see a specialist anyway. He also needs a scan.

GP as you say, but be prepared for a trip to A & E this time.

Longer term, had he tried alternative preparations of the triptans - nasal sprays, injections etc? He may be unable to digest the tablets, which will be contributing to his vomiting now.

I get your point about being fast tracked in a&e but I would call GP now explain the situation see if they can see you before 11 or so over the phone.

I really can't understand the GP thing. Those symptoms describe my Dad. He had a brain tumour (that the GP totally missed). Please go to A&E. Ring GP & say your on way there, he can get scan sorted while you're en route.

He doesn't tolerate triptans, they cause severe chest pain and he saw a neurologist who found him a drug regime which works (ergotamine tartrate and soluble aspirin).

I am listening. I have spoken to the GP surgery TWICE in the last 90 minutes. They want to see him at 11am.

I get you OP. I had a severe bladder infection and saw my GP as an emergency and they got me admitted directly to the medical assessment ward, without having to sit in A&E at all. I hope everything goes ok.

I can understand you OP. I get anomalous migraine like this, and no medical person has ever taken me seriously, not even when I started to have stroke symptoms, - facial paralysis, speech slurring etc. I'm sure they thought I'd been drinking and I saw the A&E receptionist write "bad headache" on my notes but it was in too much pain and too confused to do anything about it.

Could you go now to the GP and ask to be seen quicker? Honestly I'd have been better off seeing the GP than going to A&E with migraine.

However, does your husband think this is a migraine? If he's not sure, A&E. If he's sure it's a migraine, I'd say GP. He will know the difference.

@ShowOfHands I hear you on the triptans. Thank god he has seen neurology. Stick to the GP. He knows his body and his head.

You have already made up your mind op, so no point giving you advice. As a migraine sufferer myself I can say that this is something I have experienced but generally after 3 or 4 days I'm with a doctor of some description being given an injection to stop the vomiting. Sometimes IV paracetamol (I think that's what it was, pretty out of it at that point). I've been wheelchaired into A+E because every move caused me to retch.
To me, if you can get into work it's not a full blown migraine, I experience more what you are describing every time it happens. I cannot work.
Having said all that... there are life threatening conditions that cause these symptoms, and the fact that your husband hasn't had them before is worrying. Your doctor's appointment is soon, but don't be fobbed off. Your husband needs to go to hospital. I'm amazed you can get him in the car, into the waiting room etc to be honest in that state.

I can't believe people are berating the op for not going to A&E when he has a GP appointment in an hour or so. Wait times at a&e can easily be 4+ hours.

Yanbu OP, a very scary situation, but stay calm, it could all be fine. Wishing your DH a speedy recovery.

Your DH will be triaged in A&E and if he goes at this time I can’t see the wait being too long.

If your GP arranges the blood test/CTG the results will go back to the GP not the hospital. The GP can bypass your DH waiting in A&E by giving him a letter, and can also refer him to a consultant for further investigation however I’d want all tests doing by the hospital so they can act on the results as soon as they are available.

He needs to be in hospital for a CT scan and spinal tap to exclude viral meningitis, aneurysm, subarachnoid haemorrhage or brain tumour etc. He also needs an injection for both pain relief and to stop the vomiting. You are relying on the GP being able to arrange an emergency CT. This is difficult to do in general practice on the phone during a busy surgery. It is better done by the inpatient medical team. Driving him to GP/hospital with violent vomiting and agonising head pain is a nightmare as he will want to lie down. An ambulance might be better and I don't say this lightly.

The wait in A+E could be long in my experience. I've been hunched in a wheelchair in my dressing gown and slippers, retching every time I lifted my head (nothing left to throw up in other words) and unable to string a sentence together. I still waited a couple of hours to be taken into the cubicle for the blessed relief of the Magic Jab and IV drugs.

Oh, and when I'm in that state the last thing I want to do is lie down. I have to be sitting up, it hurts too much to lie down. I'm constantly explaining that to nurses.

I haven't made up my mind. A&E is currently at a 5 hour wait. They are turning away ambulances. I have a GP appointment in 40 minutes. They won't see him sooner. They won't phone ahead for me. What do you want me to do? Seriously, tell me and I'll do it. The other A&E is 90 minutes away in good traffic.

Migraines are dismissed readily. When they hear "he's had it since Thursday", they assume it isn't an emergency. But what about the vomiting I might ask. Does he ever vomit with migraines madam? Yes, often. They hear migraine and they think migraine. The GP who knows us professionally and personally also knows the system and believes us if we say we need the hospital so will get him straight in at the hospital.

He can't lie down! Never can with a migraine. Sitting up and hunched here too.

You have already made up your mind op, so no point giving you advice Except OP has read the advice, accepted he needs hospital and is choosing to wait to see the GP in order to speed things up at A+E, thus shortening the overall waiting time!

She seems eminently more sensible that posters berating her for something sh hasn't actually done!

SHowofHands I hope your DH is feeling much better, very soon!

The general rule with severe headaches is "first or worst" so even if he regularly gets awful migraines, this being the worst he has ever had means it does need looking at.

GP will probably just send you to A&E. They don't usually cut down the wait time that much sadly.

Hope he feels better soon.

In those circumstances it sounds the right thing to do to see your gp so they can help you fast track A&E, he does need seeing in A&E so he can get some pain relief and some anti emetics to help with his vomiting tho, and needs a referral to neurology.

I hope he’s feeling better soon.

Thank you Samphire (I haven t eaten Samphire for years).

I AM doing my best. I'm really not ignoring advice. I am getting him seen asap.

GP won't send us to A&E. We had this conversation on Monday, we've been here before and he can and will get DH seen immediately without the wait.