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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

DH says I’m wasting NHS time. AIBU?

448 replies

Tulipelle · 14/03/2022 11:45

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 Sad, surely this isn’t normal?

OP posts:
oakleaffy · 14/03/2022 14:52

@Tulipelle
Definitely seek help.
I’ve suffered from sick headaches since a child, but if the headache is severe and lasting for that long without respite, you do need to be seen.
Migraines often have visual disturbances before the pain kicks in-
Sparkling oscillations that start small and then fill visual field.
First time I had one, thought l’d been spiked by LSD.

NoCauseRebel · 14/03/2022 14:54

I don’t want to be alarmist but my SIL had very similar. It got so bad that she went to a&e and they agreed to keep her in overnight.The next morning she wouldn’t wake up, they did a scan and found she had a brain tumour. Please take this seriously. Go to a&e if things don’t improve.

WhiteKinderBueno · 14/03/2022 14:55

OP. I haven't RTFT....

Have you got this sorted yet? Do you have any other symptoms such as nausea, floaty spaced out feeling, ringing in ears, confusion?

If you're not feeling any better you really need to get further help. I was in your situation a few years ago, docs suspected a migraine, but turned out to be a brain haemorrhage.

I'm NOT diagnosing you or suggesting that this is what you have and don't want to alarm you, just making a point that if your symptoms are getting worse then you need to persist in getting some help.

I hope you get some answers or start to feel better soon.

oakleaffy · 14/03/2022 14:57

@NoCauseRebel

I don’t want to be alarmist but my SIL had very similar. It got so bad that she went to a&e and they agreed to keep her in overnight.The next morning she wouldn’t wake up, they did a scan and found she had a brain tumour. Please take this seriously. Go to a&e if things don’t improve.
Jeez, talk about terrifying the OP!

Op, It could be any number of things.

Glad a GP is phoning you.

Htotheizzo · 14/03/2022 15:02

@oakleaffy speaking from experience- this could be potentially serious. No one is trying to scare the OP but Christ, I wish I had been less blasé about my own situation. I am a huge hypochondriac these days but I absolutely have a reason for it.

PatchworkElmer · 14/03/2022 15:02

Hope the GP call back is helpful OP.

VeganVampire · 14/03/2022 15:03

I see that you're waiting for a phonecall, but would an optician be able to help? There's always stories of people going to the optician and being referred for attention, so if you could get an eye test faster than an appointment it might be a start? Or may actually be related to eyesight anyway!

ElvisPresleyHadABaby · 14/03/2022 15:19

Really hope they can get you scanned, ignore your DH being a knob.

Sapphireskies · 14/03/2022 15:23

Definitely contact 111

MamaFirst · 14/03/2022 15:23

Is your DH a neurologist? Nope, didn't think so.

Sapphireskies · 14/03/2022 15:25

Sorry OP should of read the update glad GP is calling you

aloris · 14/03/2022 15:25

Sorry you are dealing with this. I have had migraines for many years and have always been told by my doctors that, even with a history of migraines, any new headache, especially if severe and consistent, should be investigated.

Rosehugger · 14/03/2022 15:30

Brain tumours are rare but not so rare that I don't know of anyone who has had one - I know two people in their 40s who are having treatment for brain tumours.

It probably isn't that, but it's the sort of thing that needs to be ruled out by getting checked over, and it definitely isn't wasting anyone's time.

SallyWD · 14/03/2022 15:35

Do you have TMD? I do and it can cause one sided headaches for many days. You must get this investigated as others say.

BellaTheDarkOverlord · 14/03/2022 15:36

I've had electric shock headaches for a few years now. Mines occipital neuralgia. Have you had a look at that?

justmewithmylifetoday · 14/03/2022 15:37

Hope GP is able to help OP! Sounds awful.

RockinHorseShit · 14/03/2022 15:39

Brain tumours are rare but not so rare that I don't know of anyone who has had one - I know two people in their 40s who are having treatment for brain tumours.

I agree, I've known 3 people, though weirdly non of them had headaches as prominent symptoms, not until much later at least, but waking black outs... coming round on a bus at the wrong side of town & no idea how they got there for example & weird visual & hearing problems. So hopefully that makes tumour even more unlikely

CheesyWeez · 14/03/2022 15:40

I agree, brain tumours are rare but I know two people who are having treatment for that. One was diagnosed by a high street optician as the mass was pressing on the optic nerve (no noticeable change to eyesight by the patient, but the optician could see it... the mass was a cyst which the surgeon took away.) The other person had persistent debilitating headaches and also needed surgery to remove the mass from her brain. If the GP doesn't refer you I would go to A&E OP. If you are dreading the pain for another night that is definitely not on. Your body is telling you something.

Thunderpunt · 14/03/2022 15:43

I've been getting these kind of headaches for years on and off. Initially thought it was a trapped nerve as would be in agony for weeks at a time and then it would ease up. (Ridiculous as it sounds - sneezing sets it off!)

GP prescribed Amiltriptyline which I take as and when I get a flare up.
Went for X Rays and MRIs and nothing found. Finally had a phone consult during first lockdown with a consultant to discuss the results who said he thought it was migraine.

Have not had a flare up for over a year and then a month ago it started. Needed more Amiltriptyline but needed a prescription review, spoke to a new GP who wants it investigated again, possibly for a brain scanConfused so I'm going back to see her in a couple of weeks.
Would definitely get an appointment to see GP if only to rule out trapped nerve related headaches, and to discuss pain relief options.
Amiltriptyline is a nerve blocker I think and does make you feel a bit stoned (and awfully dry mouth) but certainly helps take the edge off the pain (I use nurofen/paracetamol alongside)

dipdye · 14/03/2022 15:46

Good decision, op.

Your DH is talking out of his ass, you need to be seen.

oakleaffy · 14/03/2022 15:56

[quote Htotheizzo]@oakleaffy speaking from experience- this could be potentially serious. No one is trying to scare the OP but Christ, I wish I had been less blasé about my own situation. I am a huge hypochondriac these days but I absolutely have a reason for it. [/quote]
It could of course be serious, but it equally might not be.

Luckily OP is being phoned by her GP.

NoCauseRebel · 14/03/2022 15:59

Nobody is deliberately trying to terrify the OP. But a persistent headache absolutely could be extremely serious for a multitude of reasons. It’s far better that OP take it seriously than be reassured by people who don’t know that it’s probably nothing.

TBH I would have said OP should go to a&e.

As for people saying brain tumours are extremely rare. Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killers of children and adults under the age of 40.

Nobody would be giving someone a hard time for suggesting what a potential breast lump or bleeding could be, so why is it wrong to suggest that a persistent headache could be a tumour (among other serious things,)?

Pawtriarchal · 14/03/2022 16:04

@Tulipelle

Thanks everyone. As an update, I spoke to 111 and they are arranging for a GP to call me back today. Really hope something can be done today so I don’t have to go another night with this pain Sad
Honestly I’d go to A&E. You’ve been in constant pain for two weeks that is worsening vs improving.
Chocaholic9 · 14/03/2022 16:11

So sorry you're dealing with this. It sounds awful. Your DH is being quite unkind by discouraging you from getting it checked out. If the situation were reversed, I'm sure he would be. Interestingly, it seems like everyone (including medical professionals) sees women's pain as not quite as real and valid as men's...maybe your husband is carrying some of that bias.

MrsHutch3029 · 14/03/2022 16:14

NBU might not be a migraine, could be cluster headaches or some other type of problem (just and example, not an attempt to diagnose). It’s not a waste of time - our GPs are there for this kind of issue! DP should be more sympathetic. Hope you get it all sorted and you’re right as rain soon.