My husband has his surgery 2 1/2 years ago, he gets headaches with weather change and doesnt feel himself anymore. He has daily pain in his head, eyes bother him sometimes, he has ear pain to the touch but not inside the ear, jaw pain and all of this is on the opposite side of where his surgery was. He is paranoid of getting another aneurysm, we were in the er today because of the problems he is having now. He is afraid to sleep afraid to be awake, just paranoid all together. He is depressed, doesnt like doing what he use to love doing. Does anyone else have any problems with pain in the head, not headaches but just overall pain? What do you take for your pain? Need some help so my husband can feel somewhat better
My clipping was almost a year ago. I have been fortunate not to have experienced more than some lingering discomfort at my temple and jaw muscle which the surgeon had to cut through. With minimal physical reminders it is easier to move on emotionally. One thing that strikes me is his anxiety and depressed state. Often times they are ugly "cousins" and you can experience both of them. I am gently suggesting that he perhaps explore that with a mental health professional or his doctors along with the physical symptoms. When you experience anxiety everything can be heightened including your response of stimuli. It's almost as if the doorbell rings but your body reacts like its the fire alarm. It's a very physical reaction as well as cognitive. It's a cycle that can be broken. Again, just a suggestion that I hope can help him find some peace and wellness. I am not at all suggesting anything is in his imagination. Hardly. But I think it might be helpful to explore his anxiety.
I had my clipping Oct 2011 so have crossed the 2 year mark and yep I still have recurring pain. I wake up most mornings with a funny, fuzzy head. It's not a full blown headache but it's uncomfortable. It's almost like my head takes time (usually an hour) to go from horizontal to vertical. I often get a metallic vibration noise in my head as well as a list of other annoying little issues. I went to a concert recently and ended up with a headache so bad I had hot/cold sweats & was vomiting. Hadn't had a big one like that for approx 3 months. The most annoying thing for me is I have an upper tooth that gives me serious grief. On multiple occasions my Dentist has reassured me the tooth is perfectly healthy. It wasn't until I had an OPG done that you can see a very feint image of the clip. This is something I have to talk with my Neuro about - whether it is near the nerve or maybe my sinus's.
I think it's totally normal to be paranoid about developing another anni. It's something that scares me also. They're genetic in my family - my mother and I both had crani's without rupture, my aunt is in a nursing home because of her rupture (& they've found she has another couple), while my grandmother (in her 80's) picked up on her rupture so quickly she still lives by herself and regularly goes down to her club to not only play competitive poker but regularly wins the table (Grandfathers sister & mother also both died of aneurysms). Whilst it does play on my mind, I have to make myself not think about it by keeping busy. Of course as soon as you get a twinge, there's that thought bubble appearing again.
Both Mum & I were told that it could take up to 2 years for everything to settle down. I worked in the health sector & as my co-workers all liked to remind me, we're all different so some take longer and others heal faster. I go back for another check-up early Feb so I have a page of notes to discuss with my Neurosurgeon. My notes also help me to look back and see improvements or assess my triggers & things I've done to cope etc.
As far as pain relief - I have a stash of pills for minor, medium & OMG headaches. Generally it's Panadol or Codalgin Forte (maybe 1 of each or both overlaid) but if it's a serious one then I take 1 or 2 Endone. Luckily I don't use them that often but it's nice to have them on hand just in case. I also put myself in a dark, cool room with a wet washer on my forehead. Most importantly for me, I made a playlist of calming, chill-out music. I find that helps with my anxiety. When I get a headache, I get more tense/anxious - I basically scare myself. So I pop in the head phones and try & relax myself so the painkillers can do their thing.
I'm Australian so I'm not sure how your health system works, but I have a fabulous GP who I talk with about my fears & concerns. He's always very encouraging. After 19 years with our health dept I was made redundant while I was on a return to work plan after surgery. I decided to go to university thinking it would help my brain to continue learning. My GP wrote a letter so I get assistance during exams (I get a 10min break every hour so my brain doesn't stress out) and I don't have to start anything before 10am so that gives my brain time to wake up & warm up. For me, making a few lifestyle changes and accepting a bit of help (which is hard to do) has helped reduce the frequency/severity of headaches.
Hope your husband finds something that addresses his pain and eases his worries.
I had my clipping March 2011 & I felt like this post was about me every bit of it. I have gotten better about the depression & anxiety. I was 30 when I had my clipping & as a mother of 3 young kids I had to say I'm not letting the devil steal my JOY! I have headaches daily, seen a few doctors about them, they say I have migraines, been to an eye dr. too. I have regular check ups & stay positive as best as I can. I was just put on a blood pressure meds used to treat migraines but it hasn't helped. I take Aleve, try not to get frustrated or upset. Bright lights & sun also make my headaches worse. I had a 5mm annie on my optical nerve. Best of luck, I know how he feels. I feel like I'll never feel normal again I'm just thankful I'm still here on earth with my kids, husband & family. Praying he can get some relief soon!
Hi My Name is Steve and I had a sah a little over 3 yrs ago-- I also have head pain and sometimes in my left eye. When the pain comes if i can I take a hot shower and really try to relax while the hot water runs down the back of my neck and shoulders-- this helps alot
Thank you for posting. I wanted to add that a lot of what you describe sounds frustrating but fairly normal. I had a clipping in 2004 and I still get headaches (especially during weather changes). I was anxious and depressed for a long time after my surgery. It took a long time, years unfortunately, with lots of intervention (cognitive behavioral therapy for the health anxiety) and even briefly medication. It is a hard thing to go through.
For the head pain I have I take Advil. Seems to help. I also have my husband rub my head which helps both the pain and my anxiety. I wish your husband and you well and healing and peace.
Hello
I am exactly the same way. In fact it is getting worse. I was ok the first yeat - i was clipped on October 23rd, 2013, but lately i feel really bad. I have chronic insomnia - like if i had the jet lag- and i am suffering from this for at least the last 3 months. Even with sleeping pulls i get no more than 3 or 4 hours sleep. Then i am exhausted the whole day and cannot attend to my affairs. As i am alone, this is a real handicap.
I did change a lot: i was always full of life, loving to do a lot of activities, traveling, etc. I am staying cooped in my home and my brain feels like enclosed inside of an enclosure. I just cannot concentrate ir only for a few hours - 3 or 4 at most. And then I fall asleep again. So i would really appreciate to know if anybody has experienced this problem and what has been done about it besides sleeping pills. Thank you very much