To want DP to go to the doctor?

[ladybee28]

DP's currently on the couch with a horrible migraine - the second one in 3 days.

He went for a deep tissue massage early in the week as he had some weird symptoms from work (he works with his hands), and the masseur focused on his arms, shoulders, and upper back.

The day after the massage DP had a migraine and was totally exhausted. Yesterday he seemed fine, but today he woke up again with another migraine.

He said after the massage that the one thing he didn't like was the few minutes the guy pulled on his head and neck - I'm guessing some kind of craniosacral stuff that was maybe done too hard?

I'm worried something more serious is up than just tension release, but DP said he looked it up online and it's normal to have flu-like symptoms and headaches after a deep tissue massage, especially the first one in years.

DP's pretty stoic when it comes to pain and illness - he just goes quiet and shuts himself away, so I'm finding it hard to judge what's going on, but I'd rather he just go to the doctor and get looked at.

AIBU to be really worried? Am I overreacting?

Hi OP. I do think you're over-reacting a little, sorry! Though understandably as migraines can cause all kinds of odd issues that seem unrelated.
I don't have any experience with massages, but frequently have tension headaches and migraines - any kind of muscle twang, stress or manipulation in your head or neck can cause migraines quite easily, and from there you get anything from flu symptoms, tiredness, nausea, vertigo, shivering, loss of vision etc etc.

Give it a few days and if he still feels rough it might be worth popping in to the GP, by otherwise I don't think there's any real cause for concern - unfortunately he will just have to ride it out!

Thanks, @WeirdAndPissedOff – I've never had a migraine and seeing him like this is just awful. Can't imagine how it must feel, and there's nothing I can do to help!

He's also not prone to them so it definitely seems like it's related to the massage.

Anything spinal / head-related just feels risky to me, especially if someone's been fiddling around with you – but I'm happy to accept IABU so I'll back off and let him ride it out

No, you're not overreacting. Yanking someone's head and neck about should never be considered a normal part of massage, the capacity for serious damage or worse, is incalculable. It can cause very serious injury.

I speak as someone who had serious consequences from having my head and neck manipulated during what was supposed to be a therapeutic massage. I needed urgent surgery to resolve the problem.

Not all such massages have the kind of consequences I had, of course, but if I were in your place; if he doesn't/won't call his GP or 111, then I would.

As someone who has suffered from migraines for years I can tell you that going to the doctors will do nothing!

You just have to wait for it to pass and finding your own solution to that. For me its music and a dark room away from everyone.

@Figural - this is what I was thinking - I'm worried the craniosacral manipulation might have been too strong...

And @Thesnobbymiddleclassone I hear you, and if migraines were normal for him that would be one thing – my concern is that it's not normal, and it's happened so quickly and so intensely since the massage. 2 days of full-on migraine out of 3 when you've only had maybe 2 in your whole life before that... it seems a bit unlikely. But I do wonder what a doctor could do either way, or how they'd know?

It's so hard to know - it could be nothing, or it really could be something serious...

I would definitely be phoning doctor. You need to be really careful with massage and I don't think a lot of people really realise this.

OP READ THIS

I could have almost written your post at the weekend

My Hubby was in a similar state, massive migraine, after he had a deep tissue massage (and I thought it might be connected, at first) ..by the next day he was in a huge state, sick, cant stand the light etc

Hes been in hospital since Sunday and diagnosed with Viral meningitis

Do get help. NOW.

We never saw this coming. and it is very contagious - I have had to have treatment too

Perhaps give it a few more days before going to GP, why not try pharmacist first?

I’ve only ever had two migraines in my life and they were just after the loss of my dad so I knew they were stress related. I did a lot of lying on the floor with my feet on the bed or sofa, in the dark, with an ice pack on my forehead. They were so bad it took me about 3days to recover.

Migraleave are good tablets to take!

AiryFairy I hope your dh is ok.

However the op has said migraine/headache-not sickness/light aversion.

If everyone rushed to A&E with a headache it would be overrun with nothing but.

In the absence of any other symptoms except headache there’s no reason to automatically think ‘meningitis’ when 3 days in and no worsening of symptoms.

Can I ask your husbands age?

Red flags for headaches;
Over age of 50 and don’t normally suffer headaches
Wakes up from sleep
Sudden onset (thunder clap)
Focal symptoms.

If you believe any of these are for your husband he probably does need to see a doctor.

When I say doctor by the way, I mean just make a GP appointment rather than go to a&e.

My Hubby was in a similar state, massive migraine, after he had a deep tissue massage (and I thought it might be connected, at first) ..by the next day he was in a huge state, sick, cant stand the light etc

Hes been in hospital since Sunday and diagnosed with Viral meningitis

OP I wouldn't immediately think get to A+E if he just has a migraine but what if (a huge coincidence I know), your DP and AiryFairyUnicornRainbows dp have been to the same masseuse? If the Viral meningitis is that contagious it could be dangerous.

If everyone rushed to A&E with a headache it would be overrun with nothing but

True that!

Just wanted to make OP aware of the symptoms and it may not necessarily be related to the massage, just bad timing

I'd ring NHS 111, which is what we did on Sunday - ask them for advice

@NOTthepinkranger he's 39.

None of those red flags fit the bill, so that's reassuring.

He's shut himself in a dark room, but I think that's just as much to encourage sleep as because of real light aversion.

And yes, not thinking A&E (unless he goes rapidly downhill), I just mean to check the masseur didn't pull his head partway off!

Tinty, thats a good point,

OP are you in the midlands?

It really is coincidence that my hub came down with this, almost an hour after getting home from the massage - we totally thought it related and the massuse had somehow injured him. Until the Sunday morning when he woke up much worse and he asked me to get a doc, which is very unlike him

@AiryFairyUnicornRainbow thank you - hugs to you and your DH too, that sounds awful.

We don't live in the UK so 111 isn't a 'thing' here - it's basically Mumsnet, GP, or A&E, usually in that order!

I didnt realise how contagious mengingitis is, coughing sneezing, the staff are all gloved and masked up when they are treating hubby

Sorry not trying to freak you out OP, not at all

ahh OK ladybee,

going to dash, but good luck, hope he is OK X

@ladybee28 was he ok after