Extreme headache for 4 days. Should I be worried?

[WonderWomanIsTired]

I've had a headache for 4 days, I'm exhausted but it's so painful that I only fall asleep exhausted for an hour or two before the pain wakes me up again.

I do get migraines but my prescription triptans aren't touching it.

I've been taking regular paracetamol and ibuprofen (sometimes swapping the ibuprofen out for aspirin as I have found that this can be more helpful for migraines).

Occasionally I've taken codeine firstly for the pain just so I can get to sleep and secondly to help with my IBS symptoms that's what they are prescribed for.

I can't see well and it hurts to wear my glasses.
It's so painful it hurts to touch my face and head.

What else can I do to alleviate this?

Poor you, it sounds like your having a rough time of it.

Sounds like hell op. I'd keep taking the painkillers if I were you and just rest and stay in a dark quiet room and sleep as much as the pain allows you to. If it's not better by Monday I'd ring GP and ask for an emergency appointment sooner than what you already have.

A friend's daughter had a horrendous "migraine" resistant to all usual migraine treatment which lasted for days.

A&E initially diagnosed migraine and sent her home. She went back still in severe pain a few days later. Then they checked her sinuses! Severe sinus infection. Antibiotics and decongestants did the trick. Has this been ruled out?

Seconding muscle relaxants. They are the only thing that touch my migraines these days.

That sounds awful. I've had a banging headache for the last 3 days and no amount of trip tans, naproxen, paracetamol and codeine, prochlorperazine and ice packs have helped. I wish I knew the answer.

@WitchQueenofDarkness no-one had mentioned sinusitis but I wondered that myself. They did take bloods but I'm not sure whether they would have tested for it.

Sorry @BorneoBabe which muscle relaxants do you mean?

I findSymdol and then sleep is helpful. It’s got a muscle relaxant in and makes me sleepy but relaxes my skull somehow. Hope you get some relief

I had terrible head pains last year. Came on suddenly without warning and could last an hour or two or more several times a day. Never known pain like it and could not do anything when it came in. Went to A&e twice, blood tests, ct scan etc. Went on for 10 days or so. Eventually was told by gp (on second appointment and different doctor) sinus infection and had antibiotics and never had it since. The first gp said it was probably migraine but I'd never ever had a migraine and the pills they gave me to relieve migraine didn't relieve it at all (can't remember what they were called).

I can so feel your pain but ask them about possibility of sinus infection.
Hope you feel better soon.

@WonderWomanIsTired methocarbamol works very well for me, but it's prescription only in the UK for some reason (OTC in the US and Canada). Someone else mentioned Syndol, which is OTC, but there are two versions. You need to check that you're buying the one with doxylamine succinate.

I have vile 5 day headache. Nothing worjed. I had a history of migraines but not so much for the last few years.
How's out damp towels in the freezer for a few hours and then placed then when ivy around my head.

Eventually at 11pm on 5th day phoned emergency doc and he said it didn't sound like a migraine and asked me could I get to the emergency clinic to see h im.
The pain was at my right temple over the ear and also painful to touch. Gave me cocodamol and told me to go to GP immediately in the morning. My GP phoned me at 8.30 to get down to him. Diagnosed with Temporal Arteritis/ Giant Cell Arteritis. An emergency situation as it can make you go blind if untreated. Steroids cleared the pain in two days.
I was on major steroids for a year.
Get to Dr !!

ivy - icy
How's - out

Excuse typos..... My battery is low and trying to give info before it gives up.

I started getting migraines during perimenopause. HRT is helping loads. However, I also, years ago had a severe headache for a few days. I actually had viral meningitis. In the end I was prescribed morphing orally to help which did the trick and got me some very much needed sleep. Your eyes will be particularly painful due to lack of sleep. It was as though I’d actually ran out of tears my eyes were so dry.

Hope all Ok OP

Thank you again for your advice and kindness everyone.

The headache(s) are still here.

As it's the weekend DH is witnessing first hand what I'm like when they become really bad. I'm usually articulate but when the pain hits a zenith I can't speak properly and I can't see.

It's unlikely that I would be able to see a GP before my appointment later this week. Our surgery have a system whereby you can request a same day appointment but it is always with a nurse practitioner. No exceptions. Nurse practitioners are outstanding for the simpler concerns but sometimes don't have the breadth of knowledge for complex presentations.

Nurse practitioners have my absolute support and gratitude, this is not a dig at them. They're often nicer than the Drs too!

I've got some Syndol, I'll take it in an hour and report back I'm waiting to give adequate time between paracetamol doses.

My BP, temp and heart rate were all low when they were doing my hospital obs and there was nothing back from the bloods. So I'm lost and in so much pain.

To anyone who experiences headaches - past or present - I wish you well and that you are free of pain

Sorry you are still in such pain

Going to the nurse might be a good plan, tbh, because they can 'pop in' on the doctor and get you seen if they need to. If it's any consolation, my migraine pain has been daily since I first mentioned it on this thread. It eases with a shedload of painkillers, but returns. I'm sure it's hormonal for me.

Sounds awful. You can get evorel patches (conti at least) from online pharmacies but you have to pay.

Thanks @Egghead68, that's really useful - I would pay! Do you know of any of the online pharmacies that do them? I'll Google it anyway but if you know of a good site I'd be very grateful.

I'm sorry you're still suffering too @Lougle, I'm thinking of you.

Thank you WitchQueen. I have to ask - are you a witch or Pagan IRL? I've some friends who are, they have an inner calm.

Here you go:

www.theindependentpharmacy.co.uk/menopause-hrt/evorel-conti-patches

Oh no - just realised sequi and conti are both out of stock there too. If you ask on the menopause board someone might know of somewhere else.

I have never used this website but might be worth a look:

www.treated.com/menopause/evorel

I had horrific headaches for 2 days, I never normally get headaches. They were so bad I couldn't sleep and barely ate. Ended up being sinusitis like some other posters have said. I had no idea but it was horrendous!!
Also, try and see a nurse or anyone physically in the surgery. I've gone to a nurse with a complex issue and they call a dr for a second opinion.

OP just to say that I really feel for you. I get horrendous migraine that is usually managed by a combination of codeine and triptans but I have twice ended up in A&E due to the severity of the pain and the debilitating effect. Once it turned out to be Viral Menegitis (which I am sure yours isn't as there would have been some indication of infection in your bloods plus you would have been fevered and other things by now) and the other time, I couldn't even keep my head up/follow a finger/anything - so they did a CAT or MRI scan (can't remember), three lots of bloods - and kept me in overnight but just couldn't find anything - so it must have just been a horrific migraine. It stayed for six days and apart from drinking water (which I did lying down) and using the loo which was fucking awful, I don't think I moved my head the whole time. But it went. And that was three years ago so it wasn't anything sinister.

How are you today?