Headaches & 2 nitrogen treatments on my scab - 6 & 7 months after craniotomy

General
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Not sure anyone has posted a similar topic or not.

I just got a 2nd treatment of nitrogen sprays over my ‘fall hard’ scab. When the doctor sprayed on it, it actually ‘triggered’ the same kind of a headache I have every day. Now, I suspect that scab has something to do with my headache. Could it be? The doctor said that it’s common that people ‘all of a sudden’ grow things like that. It looks like that the hair stuck inside still wants to grow. Weird… Any of you had that happening to you while healing? Now, it’s almost 8 months after the surgery. Lucky me.

The worst is that there is still a staple inside the scab? Oh, my!! I am going nuts now. (Though the residence assured me that there wasn’t any staple left in the incision after a staple was discovered 2 months after the surgery…)

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My question back to you bibewelove is WHERE is the headache? is it INSIDE your head, in your brain? Or is it OUTSIDE your head along your scalp? That might be kinda hard to figure out but it may also help narrow down the source of the headache.

With what limit info you’ve mentioned I’m tending to think it’s the healing process of the scab/scalp.

azurelle

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Thank you so much for your reply.
My headache is on my scalp.
Location wise, it is always on the same side of my scab.

I don’t think it’s inside of my head. Though when it “hurts”, my whole head is affected by it. Neurologist thought it as migraine (since one side, coffee helps, etc). A rub (or massage) on my head isn’t tolerated. So I believe my headaches are caused by the left over activities of not falling scab?

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Having dealt with neurologically complicated migarines as a patient for 30+ years I’m going to be bold and disagree with your doctor. Keep in mind I, myself, am not a medical professional, I’m a patient.

Migraines are INSIDE the head. True migraines are impacting the brain and brain function (this is not to say other headaches are not just as painful as migraines, but, the source is different therefore the treatments are different).

The reason coffee helps is because caffiene is a vaso-constrictor. Not to get too complicated too fast but there there two fundamental types of headache. One is when the veins in the head are too open causing a rush of blood through the area creating pain. The other is when the veins in the head are too closed and the pressure of the blood being forced through creates pounding/pain, ususally inline with ones heartbeat. The fact that coffee helps mean the veins in the head are too open and allowing too much blood to rush though a given area, the pressure from the rush of blood causing pain. Your veins naturally constrict as a way to control body temp and blood flow in general, it’s just sometimes it’s not being done “properly” given the circumstances which then creates headache. You drinking coffee helps the veins constrict which in turn lowers the blood flow into the area which lowers the pain.

Also, migraines rarely impact the whole head, migraines are to one side. And since a migraine is inside the head massaing the head/neck isn’t painful in and of itself. Again, this is not to say other headaches are not as painful as migraine, it’s that the root cause is different and they require different treatment.

Based on your additional info I’m still think it’s an issue of healing gone awry. It makes sense that the veins in your head are open to get lots of new blood to the area to promote healing. It sounds like your body might be being a bit too hyped for healing, allowing too much blood flow to the area which in turn is generating a headache.

If coffee helps you can certainly try self medicating with it and other caffiene rich beverages. I, personally, am devoted to Diet Mt. Dew. Black tea is another good beverage. There are also medications that are vaso-constrictors that could help in the short term. These include:
ephedrine.
epinephrine.
dopamine.
phenylephrine.
pseudoephedrine.
oxymetazoline.

Although I’m not advocating self medicating with OTC meds prior to speaking to your doctor a good piece of info is the fact that psuedoephedrine is readily available at any drug store. It’s the main active ingredigent in products such as AccuHist DM® (containing Brompheniramine, Dextromethorphan, Guaifenesin, Pseudoephedrine)
Advil Allergy Sinus® (containing Chlorpheniramine, Ibuprofen, Pseudoephedrine)
Advil Cold and Sinus® (containing Ibuprofen, Pseudoephedrine). Maybe treat the headache like an allergy or sinus headache and see what happens?

Again, speak to your doctor before launching into an medication trial, but I think it is something to think about.

azurelle

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Dear Azurelle,

Wow… I learn a lot by reading your message. Thanks a lot for the insightful information. I never know too much or too strict blood flow could cause headache. :frowning: I just worried that the scab might have something to do with it. How simple my mind is! I believe your analogy. Maybe my head didn’t like those two clips placed inside my artery. Though doctor punched and took the aneurysm bump away, the clipped area might be stressed out. Sigh! I will be reading my CT scans after the surgery to see if there is any little pin left inside of my head to cause that scab first.

Funny thing is that my neurologist told me to ‘cut’ down coffee even further but only use it as a medicine for my headache. I have cut down from 2-3 cups to 1 cup a day now. I notice the difference. Though I still have headaches, I have less frequency of it after cutting some caffeine back. However. I do pop in caffeine when my headache flairs up. That helps to tame the headache down.

I will try those OTC just for a test. I think treating the headache like allergy might also work. Thank a million for the sharing of the knowledge. I appreciate it a lot!!

Amy

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You’re very welcome. Migraine/headache is a subject near-and-dear to my heart as well as an often massive pain in my head!

One other thing, withdrawal from caffiene causes… you guessed it, headache. So be careful as you tinker with your intake. Cut it down too much or too fast and you’ll get a withdrawal headache. It sounds like you have your coffee drinking well in hand, though. You can also try caffiene pills like NoDoz or engry drinks that boast of high caffiene levels like Red Bull.

Are you seeing a neurologist? Or a neurosurgeron? Because those are two very different things. A neurologist will be better equipped and educated to deal with migraine/headache (assuming it’s decided these are not part of your healing processing). Although I must admit I’m sticking with the healing process for now. You’ve had a deeply invasive thing done to your brain and veins it may take you a long time to fully recover.

Good luck! Keep me posted! Feel free to PM as well.

azurelle

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sigh… I’ve seen just about three neurologists… :smiley:
1st one told me to talk to my surgeon
2nd one told me to screen for CSF leak
3rd one told me to deal with my migraine
none of them suspected there might be an opening (secrete path) under my scab that might cause the headache… << this, I imagine, could be the cause of my headache >> since when the doctor was applying the nitrogen on my scab, it caused the same kind of headache that I normally experience on a daily basis. The 4+ degree (on a scale 0-10) for two days.

I don’t think any posts had been so imaginative like mine here.

Honestly, I really hope there is a headache after surgery neurological specialty. And, the specialist will look into every little possible way of the causes. Then, he will help me! (us?)

Sigh ------- long sigh. My surgeon has gone silent on me and hasn’t returned my ‘portal message’ in two days. My guess is that he has enough of me, even though I don’t have any complications except for headaches and twice-fluid-leaks. I will pray. Thanks for your response. That means a lot to me.

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This is a complete shot in the dark… I take it the wound isn’t healing or is healing with a “gap” that’s allowing the secrete path? What about speaking with a wound specialist?

azurelle

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This is the 1st time I heard of a “wound care specialist”. Oh… Thank you, thank you, and thank you. I will find one near me. Is that the reason why the doctors ignore me? I only suspect it because I have a scab that old, almost 8 monts old. And, it hurt the same (assuming a migraine) when doctor freezed it.

Thanks for your input.

I looked around, hmm, they’re for foot and ankle… am I missing something here? I will keep searching on it.

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I don’t know if this is standard term, but in Ohio (in America) there are Wound Care Centers.

You are going to have to be careful and do research as wound care first spun off as a specialty because of diabetics with calf/ankle/foot wounds that didn’t heal because of the complications of that diease. But the speciality has really expanded, there are actually many reasons wounds don’t heal properly and need more attention, just ask lots of questions.

Good luck! Keep me posted!

azurelle

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So far, doctors who had looked at the scab said it’s normal… that’s because it doesn’t grow on their head. :smiley:

I will continue on my search for answers. Thanks for the tips.

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I am so glad that you posted this topic. I had a craniotomy in September 2017 and about the end of April I began to have headaches in the scar area. At first it began as a dull ache but it was a consistent ache ranging from a few hours to days. My doctor said then, that it was a normal part of the healing process and it would go away. However, he said to let him know if it got worse, or get to the ER if it was one of those “hell-fire” (my name for them) headaches.
Well, it has gotten worse, to the extent that it hurts to the top of my head, my eyes, and cheekbones. He has ordered an MRI for the end of this month.
One thing that bothers me immensely, is that I have a couple of dents that run the length of my scar, but this one particular at my temple has gotten so deep that my finger goes in a ways. I’m scared to get a haircut because I’m scared that the clippers will hit the bone. The area directly above my left eye is totally changed so that my left eyebrow is somewhat higher than the right. There is also a track of numbness that runs from the scar to the top of my head and if I should pull my hair back I feel pain.
I’ve never had nitrogen shots or anything else, for that matter, so I can’t relate to that, but a headache, definitely.

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Just be careful with those energy drinks, such as Red Bull, etc. They’re not good for your heart! There are copious amounts of their active ingredient in each can of Red Bull and others, which, used regularly can do damage to your heart.

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I had some hairs “growing” out of my scab for a few months! Once my scab completely fell off, though, I’m left with a normal scar that has no hairs growing along it.

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Thank you for sharing with us of your headache. Sorry I didn’t read it until now. (being away for a long long time.) Is there anything that happened on April? Do you by any chance get to read the ‘doctor’s note’ about your surgery? I learned from reading my note that my ‘scalp’ was paper thin. i.e., my head isn’t as thick as normal people. :frowning: That said, my dents shall be more likely to happen than others. Unless the doctors prevent the dents by using some bone powders (don’t know the exact name). However, one cosmetic surgeon did mention that some craniotomy’s screws do cause sensitivities in patients. The pointy screws might rub against our scalp. When it happens, new scabs and or never-ending headaches have resulted from the rejection of our scalps to those plates/screws. He did suggest if my headaches (localized in those screw areas) won’t improve, then he could take those staples/screws out for me. I checked it with my surgeon about that idea. And, of course, my surgeon (residence) said that leaving the screws intact will protect my head better than taking them out in case we bump into anything. (which in my case, I was absentminded since birth anyway.) What does the MRI show this time for you? (if you don’t mind sharing the results with us.) Some people part their hairstyles differently to cover the dents. The numbness probably will remain for quite a while? I do have some itchiness going on top of my head. That area isn’t operated on. Strange!!

Wishing you the best!!

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Thanks for the reminder. You are right. I have cut down my coffee and/or caffeine but only use it when I have the headaches. My doctor said that since coffee helps and also causes headaches, he wanted me to use it only as needed. That actually works well for me.

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How funny…? So the hair that grew on scab might not have roots? I had one new scab about 2 weeks ago. It then fell off. I hope they won’t come back at all. A constant revisit of scabs might mean the underline wound was irritated by the fixations. Sometimes, seeing a bald space is still better than some weird hair growing over some weird scab. :slight_smile: