To ask was this just a massive migraine

[BeckySharpish]

My sister was rushed to hospital with a tremendous terrible pain in her head that came on suddenly as she was swimming in the sea. She suddenly couldn’t speak or think and was vomiting. She has had CT scan, lumbar puncture and MRI but nothing has showed up. What on earth was it?

I had similar. Severe head pain, vomiting, one sided head numbness. It was terrifying.
I was rushed into hospital and after tests, a migraine was diagnosed. Never had it before or since!
I’d drank one glass of red wine the night before for the first time and I don’t know if it was connected but I’ve not had one again just in case

It could be. I have had similar migraines, and they're especially frightening here as my Mum had a massive stroke and died instantly when she was 60.

Hopefully, your sister will have some input from neurology to try to prevent any more episodes.

I’d drank one glass of red wine the night before for the first time and I don’t know if it was connected but I’ve not had one again just in case

Some wines can definitely cause migraines because of sulphates/toxins.

I once had something similar when I was 23, it was terrifying I was reading the newspaper and suddenly it was as if I had never learned to read, I could see the words but couldn't recognise them, my tongue felt numb and I couldn't speak, I couldn't move one side of my body, after 20 minutes or so it passed and I felt awful vomiting, worst migraine ever. They never found any thi g the matter, I'm now 45 and have never had that happen again.

Getting it investigated was the right thing to do even if it was 'just' a migraine as sudden intense pain can be a symptom of something serious!

I rarely get migraines now (one of the benefits of being post-menopausal), but when I did, I would sometimes get one that came out of nowhere: just a sudden, utterly crushing headache.

When this started happening a lot, my GP prescribed topiramate, which seemed to sort it out, and reduced the frequency of my ordinary migraines too.

Yes, I’ve had one. I get migraines now and again but nothing compares to the first one when I was 14. I genuinely thought I was going to die. Never felt pain like it before or since and nothing could shift it. Extreme light sensitivity, I was puking like that scene in The Exorcist. If my head had spun round on my shoulders I wouldn’t have been surprised. My mum got the GP out and I vaguely remember him staying for quite a long time but I think I was coming out the other end of it by the time he arrived.

@BeckySharpish

She had just recently had her vaccination. I can’t remember which one she got. I’ve heard of a thunderclap headache but it lasted for much longer than they apparently do. She says it was a screaming white pain down both sides of her head and she only had about 1% awareness of her surroundings. Fucking awful. Her kids were terrified waiting for the ambulance on a remote beach as it was getting dark.

You should be able to find out which one from her vaccine card. People are reluctant admit it but there can be side effects from the jab sometimes bad like blood clots etc. It would be best to inform the doctor treating her so they can investigate it more.

Thank you so much everyone. She needs to do some follow up for sure. She said the pain was so intense that if she had had a gun she would have blown her head off. And it took ages for the ambulance to arrive. Then the paramedics gave her intravenous paracetamol I believe and over the night the pain slowly started to recede. But she still has residual pain now.
Interesting re vaccination. I think it was Pfizer. I’ll double check. Trying to not text her as she’s trying not to look at screens too much.

So it’s migraine x 10000000
But as @MyNameForToday1980 said how can something so painful be benign? What’s exactly happening inside your head? Is it like an electrical/wiring/nerve malfunction or is it vascular or to do with your veins contracting?
Horrible not knowing if it will strike again.

Have you checked which vaccine she had yet?

@InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream
It was Astra Zeneca about 3 weeks ago. They did ask that in the hospital

www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-57267169.amp

The family's statement sounds so familiar to your sister's situation. I don't want to be alarmist but if it was me I'd want to push the doctors to check for this.
"In a statement, Ms Shaw's family said: "Lisa developed severe headaches a week after receiving her AstraZeneca vaccine and fell seriously ill a few days later.

"She was treated by the RVI's [Royal Victoria Infirmary] intensive care team for blood clots and bleeding in her head.

"Tragically she passed away, surrounded by her family, on Friday afternoon.

That sounds like the migraines I used to have. I remember that I couldnt think or speak or understand. Vomiting, light sensitivity, an aura and horrible pain. It is so scary.

Cold water swimming can cause dilation of blood vessels and dreadful headache. Like ice cream brain freeze to the power of 10

@Takingabreakagain thank you for that. I had not seen it. Terrifying. Because although they have sent her home she is still feeling sore in her head.

Your poor sister. I've suffered from migraines since I was a teen, though I've had periods without them. For some reason, they resurfaced with a vengeance during the first lockdown.

The pain is so, so awful- a hundred times worse than childbirth- and the aftermath so weird that I can't believe it doesn't leave some kind of scar or damage. For about a week afterwards, I still feel it in my head, like a wound.

I became so desperate last year, I had a daith piercing, which some people find helps. I don't believe in that kind of thing, but it's helped a lot (psychosomatic or otherwise.) I get the migraine aura, floaters, numbness, out of body feeling etc but little or no pain.

@Tickledtrout I thought it might have been the cold set it off but she had only just got in the water and had it put her head under. Was freezing tho apparently.

[quote BeckySharpish]@Takingabreakagain thank you for that. I had not seen it. Terrifying. Because although they have sent her home she is still feeling sore in her head.[/quote]
I hope she's feeling better soon . It's probably not this at all but it's good to be aware just in case.

had not put her head under

Thank you all so much

Obviously not medical, however i can get extreme ones, the pain is in the whole of my head, front, sides, pounding in the back, pain in my neck, leaving me feeling sick and unable to move due to the pain, can also make me forget words.

Quite possibly. Does she suffer with migraine normally? Last year I was admitted to hospital for 4 days with a severe migraine, had all same tests all normal. I am a migraine sufferer though.

If she still has symptoms, as it was AstraZeneca she had, I'm afraid I would be erring on the side of caution and going back to the hospital. I know it sounds alarmist, but did they specifically tell your sister she was all clear for the specific cerebral sinus vein blood clots associated with the vaccine? I know it's extremely rare, but because it's so rare the signs can be missed. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to scare you.

@InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream thank you.
I googled CVST and that’s something that definitely needs ruling out. I had never heard of it.