Headaches after coiling

Hi Dorothy, I think I would let the doctor know about your change, espically since it was a sudden change.I'm sure its nothing but better safe than sorry. I started having some vertigo,which I never had before. It last for days and everything spins around. Can't walk and makes me sick to my stomach. But, there hasent been anything found causing this! cat scans,x-rays,ent workup all clear. so that's good. Antivert helps lessen the symptoms. It seems to happen every couple of months?? My hair is dyed blonde,so i guess u could say I'm a dizzy blonde-ha! donna

Yes Donna its easier to write annies than aneurysms. I use my phone so letters are small and I always mistakenly miss spell stuff! Wow, you have been through a lot! Thanks for explaining an sah Iā€™m sure that is extremely painful! I remember one night a few yrs before mine were found I had an episode of pain so bad in my head I thought it was going to explode! It only lasted 30 seconds or so then slowly subsided and just left me with a bad headache. After that happened I had a few instances where I felt light headed and my vision started flashing like someone was turning a light switch off and on, scared me but then it went away and I figured it must have been from over working, stress, not enough sleep, too much coffee or anything that wasnā€™t life threatening! I have always had a lot of anxiety and hoped if o ignored things I didnā€™t understand they would just go away! Pretty foolish way of thinking. Iā€™m sorry to hear you woke with a cough, o have had a terrible cold since Friday and I know its like adding insult to injury! Sure hope and pray you will be feeling better soon! Cindy

I hope over time you begin to feel better. Best of everything to you.

Hi Karen, I have had enough days like that so I know your feeling bad! hopefully, this will pass. are u home or still in hospital? I found I could not take the narcotic pain med.-that is what was making me so sick and dizzy.Once I stopped that things got much better. Donna

1 Like

Hi, Donna. I had a ruptured ICA aneurysm with SAH in April of this year followed by coiling. I have daily headaches too. Sometimes, really bad, lasting several days. Sometimes, nothing helps: Tylenol, ibuprofen, fioricet and/or oxycodone. Sometimes, the pressure is so bad I can hardly stand it. I have to go to bed with all of the above and an ice pack on my head. Other times, the headaches feel like my skull will literally crack. The doc says this is normal and my follow up angiogram was good. Have a second, smaller ACOM aneurysm that is stable in size from 6 months ago. A&E?not familiar with this.
I really havenā€™t spoken with anyone who had a SAH.

I too have had some dizziness. My neurosurgeon suggested I try Dramamine. It has helped considerably especially since there were no other symptoms of anything bad. Hope yo find something that helps. Itā€™s a horrible feeling when the room spins.

Donna,

Although I didn't see any mention of it in the posts, you do have blood pressure under control? Just a thought!

Ed, not sure which Donna you are addressing, but yes I try and keep my under control. I take two medications for my bp. Usually only time it runs high is when I'm sitting in a doctors office LOL :)

It seems now that my headaches will come and go. Fortunately they are much better at the moment than when I first wrote here.

After reading this discussion, I am wondering if people who have procedures other than coiling, like clipping, have problems with headaches.

I am also wondering if the severity may somehow be related to high bp as Ed has suggested. My bp is generally not a problem, but when I had the bad headaches recently, it was quite high for me and stayed high for a week or two after the headache diminished. It may be a chicken or egg question - did the headaches cause the high bp, as I assumed, or could the high bp have caused the headaches?

Has anyone heard anything relating these things to headaches?

Donna -

I also was coiled in October 2011 after a rupture. I continue to have pretty severe headaches. My neurosurgeon doesn't feel they are related to the SAH & has suggested I see a neurologist for treatment. I am in the middle of several tests, MRI, blood work, steroids, etc. I think the steroids helped while I was on them but the headaches have returned. I have been on pain killers for over a year & would like to stop taking them. The neurologist thinks they might be 'rebound' headaches from the pain meds. I only take them when the pain is really severe. After reviewing this website & reading blogs from others I feel they are related to the SAH. I sincerely wish these specialists could find answers & some relief for all of us. I wish you the best in your recovery & if you find any solutions for us all please pass it on.

I have headaches, but I am only just shy of four months out from my rupture. I just had a second coiling of the same aneurysm (continued growth) on Wednesday, so have pretty substantial headaches again. What type of headaches are you getting? Mine vary from migraine style, to more of a sharp stabbing pain that radiates around the head. I pray your headaches will cease.

Hello Ed, I am the other Donna-donna w. And I have had hypertension since my sah. It continues to be high in spite of medication. Just increased med today,so we'll see. donna w.

Ginger, I know of the rebound headaches. I had really bad migraines before my coiling and would sometimes take prescription pain meds to relieve them, only for the headache to come back after the pain meds wore off. The doctor told me it was my body wanting more pain meds. I finally quit taking them and the headaches were less frequent. So it really did make sense. However, after my coiling I am now getting a different type headache and not the one sided migraine.

Donna -

That's the same kind of headaches I'm talking about. These headaches are different than the ones I have suffered with since I was 12. I started developing migraines in my 40's. But these always start behind my left eye (the area of the SAH) & alot of the time I have alot of neck pain, so these are definately different. It's funny how we can tell the difference. I have only taken the pain meds when absolutely necessary, I try tp get by with tylenol. I'm hoping the neurologist can find some answers.

I get headaches and my coiling/stent for a non-ruptured aneurysm was 3 years ago. My headaches are always on one side, but they are one the opposite side from where the coiling was done! They are like migraines and come about every 2 weeks. Anyone else? I also get some visual migraines with no pain in both eyes. A sort of flashing of lights that comes only about every few months if I am dehydrated or exercising. I seldom had headaches before the coiling and don't think they were always on the same side back then.

My headaches are at full force right now, as I just had my second coiling on Wednesday. My first coiling was in July, due to a rupture. The headaches after the rupture and up until the second coiling, were always near/around/behind my left eye, and in the left temple.
Now that Iā€™ve had the second coiling (granted, it is early yet!) the headaches are completely different in nature, and are almost debilitating at times. They come and go and cause eye pressure (two eye doctors say the eyes are fine), flashes of lights, and neck pain. Not the crippling pain from the rupture. This is different. Ugh! I just know that Iā€™m really tired of headaches!! The headaches from coiling seem to be very common. I was told to expect them to last 6 mos to a year, but that ā€œsix months seems to be the magic number for mostā€. Iā€™m starting to doubt that as Iā€™ve talked to more and more people who have had ruptures and/or coiling.

My neurosurgeon also told me that there are no answers, and no two cases are exactly alike. Some people will have headaches for the rest of their lives. I guess it is a toss-up?

Jenny -

My headaches are in the same area as yours. I agree with you, my headaches are also different since my SAH last October. I can tell the difference between a migraine, sinus, general & the ones since my rupture. I guess we have all become headache experts, lucky us! I haven't had the flashes of light. My neurosurgeon told me they would last from 4 - 6 months, possibly a year, well, I am 13 months & am still dealing with them. He also told me that some people suffer indefinately. At times I have to just take some pain meds & lay down. Most of the time that helps.

I wish you the best in your recovery. Just remember to take it easy & get lots of rest.

Hi Donna.

I had a bleed at the end of feb.

it was coiled, in june i had a second coiling.i do have headaches on a daily basis,however they used to be a lot stronger prior to my bleed. now i just have to take ibuprofen 400 mgs, seem to work. if it doesn tork i ad 500 mgs tylenol...

i hope you feel better soon

Hi, Ginger. I experienced a ruptured aneurysm with SAH in April of this year. I still have headaches, daily. They vary from a dull ache to pretty bad pain where nothing really helps including all of the following: Tylenol, ibuprofen, oxycodone and fioricet. Sometimes, when the headache is really bad, I get desperate and take all four because they are all made from different ingredients (except for the 325 mgs of tylenol in the fioricet) and still donā€™t get relief. I have also taken steroids on two separate occasions and found them to be somewhat helpful, but only temporarily. Terrible stomach upset. Has your doc tried blood pressure meds, by chance? I have found them somewhat helpful although I do not have high blood pressure and instead typically have low BP. The theory is, it reduces vasospasms. I do wish we could find relief. Daily headaches get really old. I find that I am constantly asking my family to lower their voices and earplugs come in handy (I am not joking here). The headaches are so painful. The family doesnā€™t mind too much, they are young adults and my husband.

Teresa -

My neuro put me on blood pressure meds immediately after surgery & I'm still on them along with another one. I never had any BP issues until the SAH. My BP is good. Sound like you're taking alot of meds @ a time. I am still taking Norco on occasion, but try & tough it out with tylenol, alot of time I just go & lay down in the quiet. My kids are all grown and gone & my husband is really supportive even after a year of dealing with this. I'm really hoping the new neurologist can come up with a new idea.

Stay in touch & keep me posted on your progress.