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 !!!

I guess I will give it a few days and see if this is going anywhere. This has been the most annoying pain that I've ever experienced. What kind of scan would they do? I am just terrified that this pain keep on lingering. Even when it is not pain as such but a dull heavy feeling in my skull. The triptan spray made a difference though more than any painkillers. I am horrified if its the start of cluster headaches which is for life and sounds dreadful. I also have a faulty nerve in my neck which been playing up since my last pregnancy. Like a nerve pain I've had a few horrible episodes with that in the past so maybe its pressing something now that connects to the head.

A question for everyone really...

If its hasn't gone away completely in the next few days should I push for a diagnosis? Go to the GP again or call 111 and hope I can be seen in the hospital? Would they do a scan there ? I do not want to waste hospital's time on what might as well be a long migraine.. I don't know at this stage my husband is getting worried at this point.

Please get an eye test I had this with glaucoma your eye pressures need testing urgently

OP, what you've described is not even slightly similar to cluster headache. Have you looked at the Migraine Trust links I've posted?

I've had two bouts of cluster headache, and when they call it the suicide headache, they mean it. Nightly attacks for me lasting up to an hour a piece, onset about 0300hrs, every night for weeks. I was afraid to go to sleep. There was no respite from it, I can't describe the level of pain I was in but I was crying and if someone had offered me a gun, I'd have taken it.

Cluster headache is highly specific and not that common a diagnosis.

If you're still not out of pain, contact 111 by all means, but I doubt you'll get a CT or MRI this weekend. Your GP can order them as well.

Don't use the spray and go out, you use the spray and go and lay down in a dark quiet room. A migraine isn't something you can push on with, it'll give you symptoms like a hangover too for a couple of days.

Make sure your sugar levels aren't low too a lot f time if you're susceptible low sugar levels and over tiredness can trigger them.

I feel a lot of pressure in my eyes indeed. I had my eyes tested exactly a year ago and all was good, got a new prescription for glasses (I've always been short- sighted) It definitely gets better and almost goes away completely when I lie down so I sleep well and not much pressure in the morning. Almost builds up during the day....

I am so sorry you go through that it sounds really painful. You are right, it doesn't sound like my pain as I sleep through and in fact feel almost normal when I am horizontal.

I wouldn't trust my GP completely as she misdiagnosed my son twice both times he had a chest infection. So probably calling 111 would be a way to go.

This is classic symptom the lying down. Sudden onset is possible it happened to me. I'm surprised that the GP didn't suggest it

When I was 25 out of the blue a migraine started and never went away. I'm 40 now. Chronic pain all day every day.

I'm now under a fabulous neurologist, finally got a diagnosis of hemicrania continua.

At first I was suicidal that this is what my life had become but eventually you learn to live with it.

So sorry to hear about that! It must have been really hard to learn to live with this pain. Sending virtual hugs x

My pain feels almost like neurological pain , the more I think about it, the stronger it gets. All so weird.

Have you tried some stretches for your neck and shoulders? I get all sorts of headaches and migraines but the most annoying one actually comes from holding tension in my ñeck. This is especially true if I'm stressed or worrying which it sounds like you are. That will not be helping and possibly making things worse.

Pain is often linked to attention. Your brain receives much more input then we have a conscious awareness of. If you feel the pain in your head, ask yourself where feels ok, where feels comfortable and focus on that. Keep asking yourself.

If it persists I would call your GP again after the holiday and call 111 again if it gets any worse. If you do not trust your GP ask for another one and if possible one with an interest in neurological conditions.

Yes try to get seen to as soon as you can.

I've suffered with awful headaches from around the age of 17. I got diagnosed with "chronic daily headache" after scans revealed nothing. Over the years I learned to live with the fact I always have a headache....

UNTIL a chance conversation with a pharmacist. We were talking about B12 injections and he mentioned B2 and asked if I knew what that was good for. I said no, and he said migraines. Apparently high dose B2 is recommended by the migraine society or something. 400mg per day.

I decided to order some, even though I've never been diagnosed with migraines. The day after my first dose, I woke up with NO headache for the first time in 24 YEARS. I now take 400mg B2 every day, and my headaches have reduced in frequency and intensity.

It might not help you - but it might be worth a try?

You could ask your dr to be tested for vitamin deficiencies in general, in case there's something a miss there.

I was prescribed low dose Amitriptyline years ago - it helped a bit, so it could be something else to ask your dr about.

Good luck, it sounds horrible.

I am a headachy person, tension headaches, headaches caused by neck tension, migraine, hormonal headaches. was my main issue in pregnancy, etc.

During my worst migraines I am sick and have genuinely wanted to cut off my own head the pain is so bad, I was admitted to hospital for pain management a few times when pregnant (I've been induced without an epidural and I'd take that over a migraine!)

For migraine I find the best over the counter meds are naproxen combined with paramol. Get a wheat bag that you heat up for the back of your neck and cool patches for actually on your head itself.

Steam won't do any harm, try adding a bit of olbas oil as that might help open up your sinuses.

Consider seeing a chiropractor for your neck to see if that nerve can be released. Trapped nerve in my neck caused me to have a headache for months and painkillers weren't very effective (standard painkillers don't work well for nerve pain).

Go back to the GP if it doesn't clear up. Like lots of chronic type pains you do sometimes need to keep representing annoying as that is.

I hope you feel better soon.

The pressure is constantly there and makes me want to just cry whole day long. I cannot really deal with it any longer. It almost went away earlier in the afternoon but bloody came back!. I am starting to believe its something serious. It was so sudden and now I cannot get back to being normal. 😔😪

In the afternoon when it went away I felt like I was in euphoria..... it felt so good to be without pain. But now its back and I cannot even play with my children. Feels like my head is squeezing my brain and eyes out.

I do not have any nausea but do have light sejsitivity especially when I look at my phone and noise sensitivity .
It is however not constant. It comes and goes. Sometimes its pressure in my cheekbones, sometimes in my head, sometimes in my eyes. Nothing at all helps.

For reasons that are extremely personal and tragic I’m going to tell you to go to A and E.

I don’t care if posters pile in just go. Even if you have to take the kids.

Hi OP,
Please go to the A&E and take a taxi and try not to drive. Best to get it checked if you are experiencing vision problems with the headache.
Don't want to scare you but best to show it to trained medical staff.

I agree. Family member had almost identical symptoms, didn't seek proper medical advice and it was a sad outcome. If he'd gone earlier it may have made a big difference.

Hope A&E can sort something OP.

Out of hours GP fobbed me off with some more anti-migraine medication. Said doesn't look like I need an emergency scan as I am not vomiting and not in too much pain at the moment. That I should go back to my GP again and again if the pain persists and she will decide what to do next.

Sinusitis often gets mistaken for migraines; I’ve been under a neurologist for years due to both.

The Vicks nasal stick, some decongestant tablets and a relief spray will help, as might steaming.

Light sensitivity is a well known symptom as well as pressure.

@OrientalDaisy I’ve pm’d you.

A&E ASAP OP!

Have you had full bloods? Are you anaemic or is your ferratin low?
I suffer chronic migraine, have been hospitalised and take sumatriptan injections to manage it.
If my ferratin is low I get a weird constant migraine every three days so am always pre, during, post, pre, during etc. I get the twitches and pressure thing too.