111 for a headache?

[BambooLanda]

This is day 7 or 8. It’s constant and in one spot. (Above my eye). It doesn’t respond to painkillers of any type at all. Every morning I wake up with a tightness across my forehead before it settles above my right eye and builds in severity throughout the day. It’s a pressure type pain. I’ve tried to get a GP appointment and been fobbed off/ told there are no appointments and I’ll need to try the next day. Now it’s Easter and obviously nothing is open. Would you wait until Tuesday and try GP again? Just wondering if this is a 111 issue or not? I’ve never used the service before and feels like it needs to be urgent before you call.

Can you get an optician appt today like specsavers? They can check pressure in eye

Not to alarm you, however with an ongoing headache, visual disturbances you would want to rule out a TIA- not saying that is what’s happening at all but I am saying your symptoms warrant a doctor to review and you’re not being unreasonable to call 111

How did your gp fob you off? Surely sudden onset, debilitating headaches necessitates being seen?

It's probably viral or hormonal but no one here can say obviously so yes ring 111 and next time don't let gp receptionists fob you off.

Definitely talk this through with111. A high street optician would have all the correct equipment to check the back of your eyes, which is the first thing they would do in hospital (IF they have the correct facilities - not all do). I do think this is important especially if you have recently had covid. Unfortunately they are probably all closed this W/E.

You can do nhs 111 triage online, at the end it will give you directions ie go to walk in, and wait for callback, or in my area they can book ooo gp appt for you. (won’t let me link so just google it)

Definitely reasonable to do this. Hope you feel better soon!

GP you have to call at 8am to get an appointment. I call at exactly 8am and am always somehow at least 20-30 in the queue. By the time I get through to anyone I’m told there are no same day appointments left for today and to try again tomorrow. Told for urgent matters to go to A&E. But it’s obviously not urgent enough for that so we just cycle through the same thing every day.

111 will just send you to A&E/walk in but might be able to book OOH GP or indicate a time slot. Given the sudden onset, blurry vision, length of time it’s persisted, pharmacy visit, multiple medications tried to no avail I think you’ve done due diligence and need a proper review.

T bh I think they will advise you go to A&E anyway if you call 111.

Just to add I don’t have blurry vision now at all. That was literally over a week ago and lasted a few minutes at most. In fact by the time I was starting to panic about it my vision had gone back to normal.

My headache started later than evening but I never linked the two things together and they could be completely unrelated

I'd see an optician before anything else if its around the eye and there have been vision changes.

You'll worry yourself sick if you don't get it checked. I get migraines that last 3 days. Mine present differently, though.

But that isn't right so complain once you're better. Someone with a sudden onset headache lasting days needs seeing or even a telephone consult. Even a nurse prac could've seen you?

Because it was sudden and you have no history of migraine.

There are 1001 reasons for blurry vision followed by a headache.

Don't forget, the human eye is amazing when it comes to adjustments and compensating for clear vision.

So please call 111 or go A&E !

And get off MN!

I would certainly go to A and E .its not trivial to have lasted so long .

My husband had this last week and doctors advised him to go to A&E, he was dehydrated so got a drip and antibiotics for an infection. Said he’d never had a head as bad and it was tightness across the top aswell.

I’ve had migraines many times..have you tried codiene? I’ve also heard a full fat coke and salty McDonald’s chips can help. I also use the forehead cold stripe and an ice pack sometimes. Hope you feel better soon!

Have you had your eyes tested recently? I was having headaches and doctor told me to get eyes tested and blood test and come back. Turns out it was my eyes. But i would ring 111 see what they suggest, you have nothing to lose there

@BambooLanda please get checked out, I had severe headache some years ago, GP receptionist advised to go a&e and turned out I had viral meningitis, it could be any number of things but please get yourself checked, better safe than sorry. Hope you feel better soon

Could be cluster headaches , but I would ring 111 for advice .

Sudden onset headache that won't shift, loss of words and visual disturbance - definitely phone 111.

Phone 111.

it might be a migraine, but it might not and that needs to be assessed by a person with the knowledge and equipment to rule out anything else.

when I read your initial post my first thought was your sinuses (because of how it progresses from the morning) but there’s no way to physically know that unless someone has assessed you properly.

if your set up is anything like mine locally, 111 will have access to out of hours GP appointments which might be based on your local A&E or a nominated surgery locally.

Ring 111. Let a medically trained person decide.

Call NHS 111, they will give advice and if they recommend that you go to a walk-in centre should be able to book an appointment to avoid you having to sit and wait. Hope you get some relief.

Yes do call. They'll triage your headache and signpost you to the right service