Dull throbbing pain on both sides of my head lasting 1 week!!! Aibu to go to a hospital?

[OrientalDaisy]

I am really worried at this stage. I developed an ice pick headache over a week ago which was just annoying and would strike out of nowhere and lasted a few seconds each time. It had happen quite a few times but then the following day I was back to normal. However last Tuesday so exactly a week ago I woken up with a very very heavy feeling in my head. I was exhausted. My head was hurting and spinning. I am still with this constant dull ache on both sides of my head (feels like its really really tight and the tightness is not going away ! ) . No painkillers have been helping tried aspirin with paracetomol one, paracetomol and Iboprufen. Nothing helps with the feeling. It is not as bad at night and I can sleep but it is always there. I am getting very worries as DH needs to be away this weekend and I will be with 2 kids. Any advice? Aibu to try and get emergency appointment tomorrow morning ,with GP? I've never had headaches/migraines before even with colds and flu so I have no idea if this even a normal duration for a headache. Any help will be very appreciated !!!

You've been told to go to out of hours. Go to out of hours.

Ask your DH to come home if he can, get a relative/friend round, or go as soon as your DH is home.

Could be sinusitis triggered by hay fever. First time I had this I was totally convinced I had a brain tumour. Pain was awful, relentless for over a week and when I crouched down to pick something up I couldn’t stand up again.
Try steam, lots of it, hot as you can bear but don’t burn yourself.
Otrivine drops or nasal spray ( drops work quicker I found)
Drink hot lemon.Avoid dairy.

Sounds like IIH to me OP, I had the same thing 10 years ago. Book an eye test and ask them to take photos of the backs of your eyes.

I went to gp and a&e through desperation over the 4 weeks my headaches were bad. No one took me seriously or even looked in my eyes. Just told me to take paracetamol and lay in a dark room. I booked an eye test out of desperation and that's when good old specsavers noticed I had extreme swelling behind both my eyes and I was referred to GP. GP called me and I got given an appointment within the hour and was blue lighted to hospital from the appointment.

If they had just taken me seriously in the first place, I would have avoided a lot of worry, stress and tax payers money on a bloody ambulance!

If you have vision problems call 111 back and let them know it may change their recommendations

I experienced pain like this and it lasted months. I had bad anxiety and the more I worried the worse it got! Had CT and MRI and all normal but I still worried and wouldn’t accept it was nothing! See a GP for reassurance and you might find it eases on it’s own.

Try ibuprofen, paracetamol, strong coffee with paracetamol, lots of water, neck massage or a hot/cold compress on neck.. just some ideas!

It could be something as "harmless" as a sinus infection or something, as others say, needing more urgent medical attention.

I get both chronic sinusitis and migraines. For years i confused the two, bad sinusitis episodes made my eyes go funny and I can sometimes throw up. Similar symptoms to the migraine. Reading your symptoms it sounds like sinuses to me, but I'm no doctor.

Hope you get checked out and given some medication for whatever you have. I used to feel bad for saying "I've got another one of my headaches" but needing to take time off as it sounded so wussy.

Good luck!

Thank you so much everyone for really helpful tips and advice! Woken up feeling much better in the morning but the headache, however I did get back whilst I was on my way to the GP. I so have a hay fever as my eyes run and nose starts running when I am outside but I've been taking some OTC meds for that.

My GP says its really hard to diagnose headaches but mine sounded like tension headaches. I got prescribed propanolon in case they are triggered by my anxiety ( I have that) but also she suggested I take 3 aspirins with a glass of water and if that doesn't help some anti migraine nasal spray but it has got so many side effects I am quite worried to try it although it this pain carries on I will try absolutely anything at this stage.

Sorry for all the typos was typing with my left hand 🙈

If you've been prescribed a triptan spray (probably sumatriptan or zolmitriptan?) then it will only work on a migraine, not a tension headache etc.

Ignore the enormous list of side effects, unless you also read them on paracetamol and aspirin?

With a zolmitriptan spray, I get a sore throat and usually fall asleep for a few hours then am shaky for a day or so, but the sleep and shakiness is also a symptom of a migraine. At least with the meds, you should be out of pain very quickly - within the hour for me.

Yes I got zolmitriptan spray will try it if it gets absolutely bad again. GP told me its really hard to identify the type of headache because it really started as one type and now it is just an annoying dull ache I am glad though to have all or this stuff in the house before everything shuts down on Friday.

Accupuncture is amazing for getting rid of tension headaches.

Amazing.

My daughter had one for a week and it was coming and going but very bad at times.

A doctor friend suggested Accupuncture as she found it great.

It lifted it a good bit in an hour or so, a good nights rest and she felt great the following day.

@OrientalDaisy I'd recommend using the triptan spray asap instead of waiting for it to become bad. It works best if taken immediately.

Best of luck. I'm on day 4 at the moment and this morning genuinely couldn't see much point in carrying on if every day is going to start like today did.

I hate it I hate it I hate it.

Your symptoms sound a lot like my husband's arachnoid cyst. Comes and goes, but gets steadily worse.

His came and went, because the cyst blocks the cerebral fluid getting out, but then moves and the opening is unblocked and symptoms disappear.
It may be tension headache, but don't get fobbed off if it recurs and you want to investigate further.

UPDATE

Nothing seems to properly get rid of it. I felt much better yesterday and today till 2 hours when I started suddenly getting mega tired and next thing you know I was crying from the same pressure in my head. It is excruciating. My right eye is twitching pretty bad too is that common with any type of headache? Can it be so bad because of the hay fever??? I am using OTC citirizine but maybe it doesn't even help me? I also feel more pressure in my eyes today. Like they are going to roll out About 50 mins ago I finally went for the triptan spray and I think it worked. After 20 mins I was able to go out for some ice cream with my kids. But eye pressure is still there but its more unpleasant rather than painful.

Any more advice would be appreciated. Nobody will see me tomorrow because of the bank holiday but I don't want to waste GP's time anymore too. Please tell me it is not a tumour.

That sounds horrible. I was also crying in bed today as I couldn't even play with my kids. I hope you feel better soon and you find something that helps . Sending lots of hugs. I had no idea headaches can have such an impact on one's quality of life .

I tried 3 x aspirin in a glass of water yesterday and it seemed to help but it came back today and left me in tears. Finally tried the spray and it seemed to have worked. Is one array normally enough? Or best to take another in a few hours?? I've never had much of a headache before so I don't even know how migraine vs tension vs cluster headaches feels.

One spray and the pain is gone tells you it's a migraine. It doesn't work on other types of pain.

Read the instructions, but you shouldn't need another until you have a new attack.

Hi you don't have any ear pain at all do you? I have blocked eustachian tubes in my ears and sometimes it causes me to have similar headaches like you have described. I also get a lot of sinus pain.

I did actually have some ear pain just over a week ago and my left ear is still playing up a bit but my GP had checked both ears and all was clear yesterday....

I've been very sensitive to my kids crying with this headache too and it always got a looot worse when I would look at my phone. Can this be the light sensitivity? I appreciate all the responses a lot as I've never experienced anything like that before . Both of my parents suffer from severe headaches and migraines and I think it started around 30 too so bloody hell I don't want that 😔😔

Just go to A&E, tell them the pain is making you suicidal and you need help.

im guessing you’ve tried things like heat packs/hot showers on your neck. Cold ice packs?

I have trigeminal neuralgia which is exactly the pain you describe. It's a nerve condition so Normal pain killers won't help.

I can empathise, bad headaches of any sort are horrible and unhappily, it’s possible to get multiple types at once eg tension and migraine and sinus and for days at a time. Utter misery ☹️

I do think at this point with this amount of pain and no formal diagnosis that you need A&E. They will probably do a scan and it’s better to be seen while you are having the symptoms.

It could well turn out to be migraine but it’s better to have it checked out sooner rather than later.

If migraine, then in my experience don’t try to push through it if you have a choice. Rest and quiet in a dark place asap. Chocolate/ sugar helps me but triggers some people. Science still doesn’t fully understand migraine. Hope you feel better soon

Have you had an eye exam yet OP? Sinister things often show up at the back of the eye and they are usually pretty obvious.

I would also recommend stopping the antihistamine for a couple of days and seeing if that helps, some people do get headaches as a side effect, but they're not usually as severe as you're describing.

Have you tried a decongestant? If you get hay fever I can't help wondering whether it might a sinus issue.

Sorry i forgot to say when my ears are particularly bad my eyeballs actually hurt and my vision can be blurry as well. I have had tests done to make sure its not neurological and it is my blocked tubes that cause so many symptoms.
Sometimes i go numb down one side of my face its horrible.