Icepick headaches and Indometacin

[Phantosmia]

Anyone else experiencing icepick headaches and treating them with Indometacin?

I was supposed to see my GP today to discuss the side effects of the meds after trialling them for 2 weeks but it got cancelled and rearranged for next week. Frustrating because I don't know if I want to continue with them but I was told to stick with them for one more week.

Even though the stabbing headaches are not as severe now they are still happening and no changes to my teary/red/droopy eye or the facial tingling and general eye pain that occurs. So I don't know if the side effects of the meds are worth it - the dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, constant low grade headache etc.

Something that has been happening, and I don't know if it's the headaches or the meds causing it, is that all of a sudden I will start feeling exhausted. So tired that I'm wobbling and stumbling like a drunk and slurring my words, struggle to form a sentence and can barely keep my eyes open. That will maybe last for 45 minuites to an hour and then I feel Ok again. Awful when it happens at work and I'm trying to keep it together but people definitely notice.

I don't know what the point of this post is really. Anyone else struggling with them managed to find relief?

What you describe sounds like cluster headaches the droopy and runny eye are classic symptoms I found this organisation really helpful ouchuk.org/. They are a mine of information and very supportive.
I have the seasonal sort of cluster headache and I've taken indomethacin a long time ago I don't remember it having any real side effects but now find triptans more useful

Thanks for that site link. I will look at it.

I think cluster head aches aree much much worse than what I experience. Mine hurt and stop me in my tracks but they don't make me want to die like that page suggests. They don't last long either. GP decidided icepick headaches because the pain is a sudden explosive stab right through the top of my head, gone within a minute and then I'm fine. Sometimes is a stabbing pain behind my eye. But it goes as suddenly as it comes, could happen only once, could happen 4 times in a day. Can go days without any pain. So i wonder if the runny eye is something else.

I don't know. I just haven't felt 'right' for a while now and i feel sad that the accepted treatment makes me feel worse but in different ways.

Hi @Phantosmia

I get ice pick headaches tho I chose not to medicate

I also have assorted eye conditions and am medicated for a couple of TIAs.

None of which bring the symptoms you describe

Please go back to your GP - I'm not a medic but I'd be asking for a neuro referral

Has SUNCT or paroxysmal hemicrania been suggested?

The ouch website suggests sunct/suna when I took the questionnaire.

I've been trying to keep a list of symptoms and when they appear but it just looks like a bunch of random things and I'm worried the GP will think I'm being dramatic.

I was in the shop getting something for dinner earlier and my words were starting to slur and I was having a very hard time finding the correct word I wanted to say and a couple of times a nonsense word came out that sort of sounded like what I wanted to say. Eg. Saying exploses instead of explodes. Like a brain typo. No headache at the time.

Also I had a very runny eye earlier but no head pain. Then had mild pulsing slicing but not stabby head ache on top of my head that lasted a couple of minutes and now my eye is dry and fine. I feel tired but it is nearly bed time. Headache is just mild ache on top of head, barely hurts unless I sit down and then I can feel it.

Also sorry for bad grammar and sentences, just trying to write it all down but my brain still feels a bit jumbly.

Today the pain has been constant and I had a weird eye pain and my vision just completely whited out.

@Phantosmia I get this . And all that you describe . I’ve been diagnosed with chronic migraine along with ice pick headaches .
I find that my ice picks are worse during a bad headache spell . My bad spells last weeks (normally around six ) and during that time I feel nauseous , tingling on and off , bad headache and ice picks throughout the day . Try not to worry too much . Chances are it’s very similar to what I have but do get checked out . Cluster headaches are slightly different . They are more eye related and tend to cause streaming .
I use indomathecin during bad spells and it does take the edge off ( sometimes ) interestingly I have come on today to ask if anyone experience anything similar to me so I understand your worry and I have seen plenty of neuros so I do get it . X

Thank you. It is kind fo a relief to know I'm not alone (though feel sad for you too).

I'm just sad and frustrated that the one medicine that made them manageable gives me such horrible side effects that it's almost not worth taking them.

It's also shit that I've gone 30+ years with hardly any headaches ( and I don't even take paracetemol when I do get one) to getting these ones out of nowhere and now they are just relentless, pain every day for hours at a time.

Did your vision white out in one or both eyes?

Just one at a time. My right eye usually, very rarely the left.

I'm still in pain every day with these bloody headaches. 9 weeks and they are still relentless.

Now taking amitriptyline and it hasn't helped yet but hopefully soon.

I tried joining a support group but got no response to my post. I just need a hand hold or something. Maybe that is weak and pathetic but everyone I knor IRL doesn't care and I don't know where else to turn.

I can't keep on like this. It's ruining my life.

You need referral at this point

Yeah, my GP said we'll trial the amitriptyline for another 4 weeks, then if that doesn't work he has a 3rd option and then he'll consider a referral to neurology but he's confident this will work and they'll pass.

I am struggling to do my job, to get up in the morning, to be present for my kids. I think because I'm not suffering from a "typical" migraine nobody is taking me seriously.