Excruciating headaches - stemming from the top of the nose radiating over face, eyes and head. Is anyone else experiencing this with COVID

[Mummytotwonow]

Three weeks in and if you've read my other threads suffering quite badly. Ended up in hospital on Friday as the whole of my left side of my face and head went numb and I started clenching my left jaw. 111 said I needed to go to A&E as soon as possible suspected stroke (there has been quite a few cases caused by COVID apparently). Had CAT scan, bloods etc and kept in for monitoring, antibiotics issued. They all came back ok. Numbness has subsided and now replaced with excruciating headaches and eye pain to the left hand side. Pain killers aren't working. Is anyone else experiencing this? If yes, how long did it last and didn't anything help with the pain?

Not from covid but after my vaccine. It’s been like this for 8 weeks now, day in day out. Had pretty much the same experience as you in hospital.

Currently on Diclofenac (voltarol) twice a day and tramadol four times a day. Pain still there but duller. co codamol didn’t touch it, they tried some other medications for migraines, didn’t touch it. Back to neurology next week.

Are you having follow ups, or a neurology referal?

YES
I had this but also with face twitches from my first vaccine. (Reported it to yellow card system)

I got cv immediately after 2nd vaccine unfortunately so it hasn’t started working, I mistakenly thought it was a migraine side effect again from vac-2. It was torture - like migraine and neuralgia with face twitching. Resolved after four weeks.

I have a history for Bell’s palsy but the headache/migraine was off the charts.

Did an ophthalmologist check your eye, to see if there was raised pressure? You mention a CT scan but when I had identical symptoms (not during Covid but still) it was raised intra cranial pressure but not caused by a tumour - excess fluid. The condition is called IIH, I had CT, MRI and a lumbar puncture but they cd see the problem from enlarged discs behind the eye.

Mine is right sided not left but it can be either or both sides

Have you been vaccinated?

Some people get facial numbness with migraines and the pain is often one sided around bridge of nose/eyes. Not sure what painkillers you’ve tried but you could try sumatriptan which you can buy over counter in a two pack or ask gp for some. Other painkillers for migraines would be codeine or aspirin/ ibuprofen. I’d take them with a can of coke for a bad migraine or buy the ones with caffeine in. Did a and e discuss migraines. Maybe not if the head pain hadn’t started. I’d ring gp. I presume you had dimers tested in bloods for blood clots.

@FreshFreesias yes double vaccinated

Yes, I found ibruphren (anti-inflammatories) worked better than paracetamol. From my personal research (I had long covid and this was longstanding symptom, weirdest headache I've ever had, even my nose ached) my understanding is covid is a disease that attacks the cells which line blood vessels so I think the pain is caused by inflammation.

I had migraines weekly for about six months after I had Covid. I found hot baths and ibuprofen with lysine worked best for me. If I kept my head warm it really helped.