DH says I’m wasting NHS time. AIBU?

[Tulipelle]

For the past two weeks I’ve had a persistent headache which is absolutely relentless. It’s an excruciating sharp shooting pain in one side of my head which just will not go with OTC painkillers and it’s been present non stop all this time. Contacted my GP last week who thought it could be a migraine (no other migraine symptoms, not made better by darkness etc) but the maximum dose of migraine medication doesn’t touch it either. Noticed the pain is getting more intense over time and tried my GP again, who can’t fit me in for another appointment for another week. I’ve barely had headaches before and certainly not a persistent one for this length of time and I’m seriously concerned about the fact it’s getting worse rather than better and is impacting me both mentally and with my work (I’ve barely been able to work since this came on 2 weeks ago).

Spoke to DP this morning as I’m at my wits end and considering contacting 111 for some urgent help/investigation. DP says it’s clearly a migraine and I shouldn’t waste time contacting an emergency number and should wait out my GP appointment. Would appreciate your thoughts, I don’t want to waste anyones time but I really am at my wits end with this pain , surely this isn’t normal?

Good luck with 111, or as Howmanysleeps suggests, please do seek help at A&E!

Yes definitely ring 111, you're not wasting NHS resources. Thats what they are there for.

The NHS exists to provide medical attention. This is clearly not a normal headache so you need to see someone. Hope they can help with proper pain relief soon.

111 will decide whether your symptoms need assessing or not. So tell your Dh that he doesn’t need to make that decision.

a 2 week persistent headache certainly needs looking into

Absolutely not meaning to scare you with this post but my friend was in the same boat. Ended up in A&E and has a tumor. That’s a pretty uncommon outcome but shows for you to trust your gut and go and get it looked at.

Welp my mum died of a brain tumour they misdiagnosed as migranes so please don't just leave it.

This is the NHS advice, having read this I would request an urgent GP appt due to length of time it has been going on and the lack of response to OTC medication and if not available I would escalate to the next level (so, 111 or walk-in).

www.nhs.uk/conditions/headaches/

Two weeks is a long time - glad you are calling 111.

Do you find that changing your head position (e.g. turning to one side) gives any relief? I get a sharp shooting pain in the side of my head quite frequently that is caused by a pinched nerve in my back/neck. I usually find there is one head position that relieves the pain each time it flares up.

Definitely get checked and ignore your dh. And just to add an anecdote, I had extremely painful headaches on one side of my head in my early twenties. No pain relief would help. Turned out, it was my wisdom teeth growing the wrong way and pushing on a main nerve in my head. They were taken out and the pain never came back.

You are clearly entirely reasonable to get help.

DH is clearly entirely unreasonable.

Hope you feel better soon.

@Tulipelle

**Is your H a trained medical professional?

He certainly isn’t but seems to think everyone should “just get on with it” and has accused me of being “dramatic”. As someone who has barely visited the GP in my life I certainly am not!

The only appropriate answer to this is 'fuck off, it is my head not yours'.

He sounds like a dick…

At face value
Your husband is being unreasonable

However if you have a pattern of being very healthy anxious and frequently going to GP over various ailments
Then puta a different light on it

Good luck with 111! If you don’t get anywhere with them, which I suspect you will, maybe try booking an eye test in case it’s related just to rule that out.

@implantreplace

At face value Your husband is being unreasonable

However if you have a pattern of being very healthy anxious and frequently going to GP over various ailments
Then puta a different light on it

The OP said As someone who has barely visited the GP in my life I certainly am not!

I had a headache once that was worse than the usual . GP sent me to hospital . It was viral meningitis. No other symptoms. I thought it was possibly migraine

A severe headache for 2 weeks sounds worrying. I hope you get medical attention today.

That's what 111 is there for, to prevent people phoning 999 or rocking up at a&e if they're not sure. If you need to be seen urgently then they'll tell you.

Hope you feel better soon.

avoidthecreakystair

Two weeks is a long time - glad you are calling 111.

@avoidthecreakystair
Unfortunately changing my head position doesn’t give any relief. I haven’t found anything that provides any relief so far!

This absolutely needs medical attention.
Please report back.
We all send good wishes your way x

Don't like your "d"H.

Definitely escalate via emergency GP appt/111 or A and E.

Thanks so much everyone for your sensible advice and sympathy, I really needed this today. Calling right now!

Is it on one side of your head/face? I was referred by gp straight to a and e once for blood test following similar symptoms. Thankfully it wasn’t what the gp thought but it was considered an emergency as left untreated if it was that I could have gone blind. Took me months to get actual diagnosis from neurologist. Best to get it checked out.

I had similar caused by nasal polyps of all things. I put up with it for weeks and weeks. GP diagnosed it in 30 seconds by looking up my hooter.
Yanbu to seek proper attention