Please please please someone help me

[Fedupwithallthis2]

I’m not exaggerating when I say that this is ruining my life. I really need help from someone but I don’t know what to do or where to go.

ive been getting horrendous headaches for the last few months and I actually think I’m going to have a breakdown about it. I’ve been to the doctors and been told different things each time, migraine, stress, tension etc but regardless of what it is, nothing is helping. I’ll describe the headaches below and I’m praying that someone recognises a feature and knows what it is and how to stop it.

1. it started off a few months ago and at first the headaches were occasional and it got worse and right now it’s everyday or every other day.
2. they start around lunchtime/afternoon and get worse throughout the day. By dinner time they are unbearable and by night time it is horrific
3. The pain is almost always on the right. It’s a throbbing ache around my right temple and right eye area. It feels like someone is actually drilling through my eye
4. random things make the pain worse- sneezing is horrific, as is coughing, moving in general but especially bending down or moving my head down eg to tie my laces and then bringing it back up. The other thing that makes the head so much worse is lying down, the light, touching my right temple/eyebrow area or physically passing stools , it honestly feels like my head is going to explode.
5. Nothing helps- I’ve had stuff from the doctor and OTC and I’m currently chewing painkillers like sweets and it barely takes the edge off it
6. I feel sick and occasionally dizzy with them. I’m not always physically sick but sometimes am from the pain
7. im not tired, I’m not stressed, I’m not dehydrated and I can’t think of any reasons this is happening
8. ive been to the optician and I don’t need glasses
9. i get really irritable with them. Little things annoy me and I want to scream and cry or explode all the time
10. lying down and sleeping for a little nap or a few hours makes it so much worse afterwards. But lying down and sleeping for 12+ makes it a bit better but then it starts to come back at lunchtime after I wake up anyway

please, if anyone has any advice or ideas I’m actually desperate this is ruining my life. My doctor won’t do anything and said even if I do get a referral it will take well over a year anyway and I can’t afford private. I’m really struggling and honestly feel like I could smash my skull with a hammer to get relief

please someone help me😢

It sounds like a Bryonia headache.
You could try one 30C tablet, placed under the tongue.
Can be bought anywhere they sell homeopathic products.

This doesn't sound like GCA - GCA is usually continuous, not altered by things like sneezing/coughing etc.

Depending on the OP's age, it may not be an option - it doesn't occur in under 50 year olds, and it's pretty rare in under 60 year olds.

Whoops, was meant to reply to the comment saying to think about GCA,, sorry you have had it @been and done it. Hope you are recovered.

Have you ruled out dental issues? I had a mild left side headache which began around October last year. By November it was working towards my face - cheekbone area but still radiated to the side of my head. By December I was in severe pain and had several attacks of pain over one weekend where I could barely function. It was only at that stage that I began to suspect it was my tooth, but the pain was so widespread I couldn't actually tell it was coming from my tooth.

It turned out to be a dying nerve in my tooth and I had a root canal treatment shortly after which has resolved it. I still find it mad to think the pain started in my head and not near the tooth itself, and took months to build up enough for me to realise it was my tooth.

100% this.

Thank you SO much everyone for all the help. I didn’t expect to get so many responses when I posted and I’m actually in shock but thank you so much for all being so helpful and suggestive of things I can try.

last night was probably one of the worst nights of my life. I started being sick so I went to bed and I was up all night pretty much writhing in pain and running to the bathroom feeling sick. Eventually I went to sleep and actually got an ok sleep and I woke up this morning and the headache had subsided. My poor mum has a pile of my sick covered pjs that she’s going to wash today (I’ve insisted on washing it but she’s insisted on doing it so I’ll definitely be getting her a big thank you present🙈) last night was the closest I’ve been to going to a&e but realistically it’s been going on for a few months so I didn’t think it was fair for me to go because it’s not a sudden emergency or new problem but I did consider calling an out of hours gp for help and probably will if it happens as bad as that again overnight.

ive got work today so I’m there now because I feel better this morning, although I’m fully expecting it to start again either this afternoon or if I’m lucky and get a little break from it it might not start again until tomorrow afternoon but regardless it’s not getting better so I’m going to go to the gp and get help. I slept in this morning after last night was so bad and I missed the window to book a GP appointment for today (no advance booking it’s only on the day) so I’ll try again tomorrow to see someone and I’ll definitely take my mum to back me up.

thank you so much everyone again for the help, you’re all so kind and it’s such a relief to know other people have had awful headaches like this too (although I’m sorry others have had it!) x

Good luck OP. Very glad you're better this morning. Do follow the GP advice on this thread and make sure your doctor understands that there are red flags meaning you need immediate referral.

Then once really bad stuff ruled out, can work through all the other suggestions.

If it’s that bad you really should go to A&E next time. I know you’ve been experiencing this for a while but until you know the cause it could still be an emergency.
My GP sent me to a&e with a headache similar to the one you describe and they did a CT scan that day to rule out anything serious. At the very least they may be able to give you something to help with the pain.

If the headache comes back today, please go to A&E. I have suffered with headaches all my adult life but nothing on this scale. This doesn't sound cyclical like you get with hormonal headaches. If it was me, I would want a scan to rule out anything unusual - before then exploring different treatment/drug options.

I don't want to sound dramatic - but fairly sudden onset of chronic severe headache with vomiting is something that should be investigated

OP, I’ve suffered from migraines for 20 years and I’ve had it all in the headache stakes - a few that looked like strokes (hemiplegic, I think?), a few from aseptic meningitis (which isn’t dangerous but the headache is HORRIFIC), and then now the last few months, I’ve had daily headaches again (not had that since I was 17).

The rule of thumb for A&E for headaches, from a neurologist, is “first or worst.” So if it’s the first time you’ve ever had the type of headache happen or it’s the worst it’s ever been, you should be going to A&E if you can. So last night, you would have been completely justified going to the A&E and they wouldn’t have “told you off” or something. Headaches that have started causing night sweats and vomiting can be very serious, and they need to see you when it’s happening, if possible.

Second, and this is COMPLETELY out of left field, but you might have a small leak of spinal fluid? It causes headaches like what you’re describing and in particular, the headaches will: feel worse when you bend over and feel worse when you lay down. The “feeling worse when you lay down” is an important symptom. You may feel better after 12+ of sleep or in the morning because that’s when your body has had a chance to “replenish” and then it slowly leaks all day. Some people experience a runny nose with this, BUT some don’t at all as it goes down their throats, so they might have a slight sore throat, or if it’s a small enough leak, maybe you wouldn’t feel it at all.

The wait list will probably be horrible but at this point it sounds like you need a head CT and an appointment with a neurologist.

My other bit of advice would be next time you have a headache, before it’s unbearable (if this is possible) or you feel too nauseous, DO try to actually get some caffeine in you. Some flat Coke (just pour it in a glass and then stir it to make it flat) or some tea. See if the caffeine helps with the headache at all. For some people, it’s a headache trigger, but for others, it’s a big help with headaches when they’re happening.

Hi. I have been told my pain is trigeminal neuralgia or / and cluster headaches. I have found Botox helps enormously. I get a top up when pain returns so about every 4 months. Well worth trying

I too, have been thinking about you, OP.
My DF had a brain aneurysm which took five days to be diagnosed and for all that time he was in the house with the world's most unbearable headache.
He described it as like tree roots were growing inside his head and it was such violent pain he couldn't stand up or sit down or get comfy. He also was sick frequently. I know someone else also suggested upthread the pain could be tiny amounts of leakage from a blood vessel. Please make sure they eliminate that outcome when you see the medics involved.
Hoping you get relief and appropriate treatment very soon. Even though you missed the appointment window, please call the surgery today or head for emergency treatment if it re-escalates.

You use a sinus spray everyday? That can cause serious problems, including severe headaches

I have intracranial hypertension, and before I was diagnosed it was similar to how you describe.

Did the optician check your optic discs? (Papilioedema doesn't have to be present but can be).

I ended up going to a&e and finally got seen by someone who did some neuro checks and admitted me for a lumbar puncture.

They also did a CT and MRI as IH mimics a brain tumour.

I've heard it all now. Homeopathic products for potential red flag symptoms?

No. Absolutely not. This sort of crappy advice can kill.

I loathe the homeopathic industry.

Honestly, I'd go to a&e and tell them it's the worst headache you have ever had, you're vomiting, unable to move, and it gets much worse as the day goes on.

First of all, you have my every sympathy because headaches like that are absolutely horrible. I get similar headaches on the left side and although they're a lot less frequent now that I've learnt how to manage them a bit better, I still get the occasional belter. I usually have to take ibuprofen and paracetamol together and hold an ice pack to my eye socket to get any relief.

There are so, so many different things that cause headaches but the fact that you're getting them on one side makes me think that the issue could be caused by something like tooth-grinding/jaw-clenching at night, or perhaps a sinus problem? Some people also have severe headaches/facial pain on one side because they've got a wisdom lodged up very high that isn't descending, so definitely worth seeing your dentist for some x-rays, and also asking them about your headaches and whether they think you might have a tight jaw and/or be a tooth-grinder. There are various things they can do for wisdom teeth and tooth-grinding, so definitely worth investigating that.

There are also other things that can cause pressure on a facial nerve which might trigger headaches - a relative of mine had trigeminal neuralgia, which gave her terrible, shooting pains in one side of her face and didn't respond to ordinary painkillers at all, and that was caused by a blood vessel wrapped around a nerve and was fixed with surgery. Sounds like a different form of pain from yours, but yours could still be something nerve related.

In my case it's almost certainly caused by a combination of a weirdly configured sinus and muscle tension, which is badly exacerbated whenever I'm under stress or overworked. I'm much better at consciously relaxing my facial muscles and jaw now, and I also know when to take screen breaks (frowning at a screen is terrible for headaches) and so on, so it's not as bad as it was.

This sounds like mine, albeit stronger/more frequent. About 12 years ago, I was diagnosed with Cluster Headaches. But I went to a specialist recently where I live now (not UK), who said it's 'only' a migraine. Sort of like brain freeze, is yours like that?

Nothing helps me (meds-wise) other than Sumatriptan, Oxygen and stodgy food. So test it by either leaving a window open or going for a walk if you can manage it, getting someone to help you hobble round. Get an ice pack, put it on the pain point for as long as you possibly can, then put a warm palm on it. That usually gives me several seconds of relief when it gets too much.

Summatripatan is on prescription BUT I recently found out you can get 2 tablets over the pharmacy counter if you're in a bind.

When I was a first diagnosed I went to an 'OUch' - cluster headache conference (Website here), but then felt like a fraud because most people there were chronic (and sounded a lot like you describe); mine only happen every few weeks and last for 2-6 days. They used oxygen a canister which often cured the episode. Lots of them couldn't work because it was so bad. So sorry you're in this situation.

I'm a GP, I'd advise going back to your doctor and asking/insisting on an MRI scan. If you've been to them multiple times and nothing is helping they will have little reason to refuse this.

Sounds awful OP, headaches are so debilitating because you just cannot distract yourself from them.

And if you can't bear it any longer and can't wait to see your GP, I'd think about heading to A&E, you'd be wasting nobody's time.

OP, I hope you are ok today. Please see GummyBear's advice above. Nobody will think you a timewaster, vomiting because you're in so much pain is serious.

Have you had your iron levels checked? I was getting horrendous headaches where I just wanted to go to bed. Turns out I was very anaemic: I'm on ferrous fumerate tablets now and haven't had one since x

I would see a physiotherapist and check what’s going on with my skeleton and muscles around my neck, jaw, and scalp.

I have cluster headaches . Had them for the last 20 years so i literally feel your pain ..
My neirologist calls them suicide headaches as they are literally unbearable.
But this is not what you have. I can tell because with cluster headaches they are not affected by pressures such as pushing out a poo, or bending down etc - its a different kind of pain.

Nevertheless, it took me almost 7 years to get diagnosed . I was fobbed off with 'its migrane' 'its allergies' etc etc .
I used to think to myself "jesus, these grannies that you hear who are just going to lye down as they have a "meegrane" are bloody tough because when i have one i am screaming and blubbering and banging my head on the floor .. last thing i can do it lye down still !!
In the end i had to run into A&E screaming . My car running outside with the doors open and begging them to help me.
You need to INSIST on an urgent referral to a neuroilogist, It WONT take a long time because they look out for this kind of referral and aim to get 'first timers' in within a week as they know how desperate this kind of pain is.

Just go back to your GP and demand a referral to a neurologist
They are the only ones who can ultimately diagnose and help you

best wishes x

Please OP, take note of the doctors on this thread and go to the GP.

This is the recommendation of my husband a Neurologist who is a headache specialist in the USA. He recommends you beg/borrow the amount you need to see a Neurologist who is headache specialist ASAP. You need to see a Dr such as this:

www.thelondonclinic.co.uk/services/conditions/headaches

This is assuming you are being told you won’t be seen by the NHS for a year or cannot get into the ER.

Any other questions please DM.