Hello All! I'm so excited about finding this website! I am a 32 yr old female and I had a brain aneurysm rupture in Feb. 2009 and had it coiled. At my follow up angiogram for the coiling 2 new aneurysms were found on my anterior communicating artery and I had them clipped in October 2009. I was in the hospital for almost a month. I feel blessed because I survived a rupture and both surgeries, however, now I have headaches all the time and I cannot sleep more than a couple hours a night. I have tried numerous medications and none seem to work. I am currently taking Ambien, Ambien CR and 3-4 pain killers at night and still only get a couple hours of sleep. I have worked with an insomnia specialist and he has given me guided relaxation, which does seem to help with resting but not sleeping. Any one having these same issues? I feel like I am kind of at a dead end. I contacted John Hopkins to see if I can get in and maybe get some help there.
Welcome to the club, I've only been a member for 2 weeks, had coiling surgery 6th April 2011 and babysitting a 4mm anne, so still very new to it all, but have found the site sooooo helpful and positive. Sure someone with more experience will soon be able to share their thoughts on the Insomnia, , as opposite to you I am feeling rather fatigued zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz,
Sorry to hear your experiencing the same difficulties my wife has experienced following her clipping right ACOM artery. She's had her headaches for 17 years following surgery. We found that her migraines are caused by stray electric fields from numerous electrical sources many of which are in your household such as electric clocks, digital TV converters boxes, printers and computer monitors. You may need to avoid as much electrical equipment as possible inside and outside your home. I realize this sounds strange and off the wall but it is true. We have significantly reduced her headaches by avoiding these items.
Before you start spending a lot of time visiting Doctors trying to solve this problem. Try what I suggested, it cost you nothing and atleast you'll be able to rule out these devices out as the cause. Good luck and keep me posted how this is working for you.
My first year or so after treatment, I had much difficulty w/a sleep pattern; and, still do...tho quite reversed.
I had a lot of no-sleep nights; then almost had some normalcy; the last couple of years I am almost narcoleptic. I could be sitting here typing this, and my eyes close...some times, in 5-10 minutes, back to normal (like resting my eyes, no sleep); then, same symptoms (tired eye feeling/w/brain blank-out) and I will sleep for 1-3 hours, so soundly that I do not hear the phone, etc... reminds me of flipping the light switch on the wall. The doctors have told me I am not narcopletic; however, have not diagnosed what it is; its cause.
I do some yoga; and, have thought of taking it or tai chi lessons to try something new...
Thank you Gaynor! Im looking forward to getting to know people. After my coiling I slept a lot also which is a good think cause the Dr. said the brain repairs itself when you are sleeping, so look at it as healing time for your brain :)
Holly, Had my annie Sept, 2010, had 26 coils put in it. I thought I was the only one that had insomnia. I go to bed around midnite & am back up by 4 or 5:00AM. I can't seem to sleep any longer. When I do sleep I sleep like a rock. The house could come crashing down & I wouldn't hear it. I have tried everything but nothing seems to help. I do take Ambien to help. I have found out that if I relax with the TV low & in the dark with no one around I can fall asleep, but I'm still up at 4:00AM. Eventually, after a couple of weeks it will get the best of me & then I will sleep the whole nite. Before I had the annie, I was in bed no later than 10:00PM, now its the opposite. I still have the headaches & am told I'll have them for quite some time, along with the foggy feeling & unbalance. I'm in water therapy & it has really helped. The docs are watching another annie, so that may not help with the insomnia. Worry. Try to hang in! This site has helped me much, hope it does you to. Thinking of you.
It was a huge task identifying all the "wall warts" and trying to reconfigure our house. It's really crazy how we as a society have become so reliant and forced to accept technology. We decided to keep the printer unplugged unless I really really need it and I now only use one at my Mom's house. All other electronics are kept in a rear bedroom that is slightly separated from the main part of our house. The microwave is kept unplugged until we need it. If my wife has to use it, she can so long as she has the has the surgical side facing away from it when plugging it in. Only I turn the dishwasher on after she gets to the bedroom first. When we shop for groceries usually at Walmart, she needs to keep away from the freezer and refrigerated isles and also any isle's like make-up and jewlery and stays way clear of the TV display sections as well as the checkouts because of all the video montors.
Like I said, its complicated and to the casual observer, watching her walk backward past a Bed Bath and Beyond isle video monitor to prevent a severe head pain looks strange but it really works for her. By the way, I used a device called a EMF meter (electromagnetic frequency meter) to confirm the stray electrical fields and their levels that these devices emit. A few electricians use these devices to find bad electrical ground faults. Using this device made a believer out of me about how much exposure even we healthy folks are exposed to everyday. I call my wife a sentinel because she can actually feel these fields while most everyone else cannot and we really don't know what the long term implications could be.
Let me know if this helps reduce your pain at all.
MY NAME IS SANTIAGO,A NEW MEMBER. I HAVE HAD MIGRAINE'S AND INSOMNIA FOR THE LAST 23 YRS OR SO. A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOK FORWARD TO REST AT NIGHT. THAT IS WHEN MY NIGHTMARE COMES ON. THE BRAIN STAR'S TO THINK,EVEN WHEN I DO NOT WORK. WHAT I 'AM DOING NOW IS JOGA,MUSIC AND IT HELP'S. THE DR GAVE ME AMBIEN, WELL CRAZY, I FELT I HAD A HANGOVER ( I DONT DRINK)
NOW, A LOT BETTER. SINCE EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT JUST CHECK WITH YOUR DR.SOMETIME'S YOU MIGHT HAVE TO. BEST WISHES,
Thank you Santaigo - I can relate to the nightmare at night - it is strange that our bodies can adapt to getting very little sleep. A site that you might want to check out is www.drshane.com I have been to see him and have been working with him - I have been sleeping a litte bit more, maybe a hour at most, but the biggest benefit from working with him is getting the mind to shut off and be in a “restful” state so even if I’m not getting that much more sleep I feel more rested in the morning.