I just wanted to ask everyone about headaches...I am having horrible headaches everyday, the doctors say that I should not have them anymore...December 12, 2011 is my 6 month mark...any feedback ?
Hi Tanya...Were you coiled? I was coiled and my Neurosurgeon told me I could have headaches up to 6months after the surgery...and I did have them...I still have them once in awhile (you know the bad ones) but today is my 1 year... I find many here at BAF who were coiled continue to have the headaches...
I hate this for you...Colleen
Tanya, I have suffered headaches and bad migraines most of my life since age 14, maybe it was the aneurysm playing up and I did not know it. I seem to remember complaining of a headache the day I had the rupture, but my husband does not believe this as it was the afternoon of New Year's Eve and I cannot even remember the Christmas that had just passed - he says I just collapsed, fell down the stone stairs, and did not really regain consciousness for 7 weeks. I also seem to remember being put into the ambulance but he does not think I could really remember that either. Anyway - most days since, I do have a headache, not usually terrible but I do get through a lot of headache pills. On the other hand an old friend of mine also collapsed at home with a burst aneurysm, she managed to crawl to the phone and call her Mum who sent an ambulance round. She says she eventually made a full recovery except for a slight loss of peripheral vision, and what is more, she too had been a lifelong migraine sufferer, in fact this sabotaged her acting career - but after the rupture she never had any more! So I guess we just have to wait and see. Good luck, my 12-month neurology exam is coming up in January and I will ask them about it - let's keep in touch and share notes? Sally
Tanya,
I have developed migraines and have had bad headaches since mid August after returning to work. My neurosurgeon said that I could have headaches up to one year. I will find out the what's going on next week after my angio on Wed. I know what you're going through..It's tough...Hope you feel better soon.
Big Hugs,
Karen
Hi there I still get headaches 9yrs later so try not to worry to much 6 months in is very early days just rest when you need to and drink lots of water. Jess.xxx
Congrats on the one year Colleen...
xoxoxoxoxox
Thanks Kimberely...! I am glad one year over, seems I was thinking alot about that day and NICU...
Hi Tanya,
Are you taking any type of pain meds? Please give some more information on how bad they are and if taking any meds, how much per day.
My operation was on 10/10/11. I can only tell you of my situation. For myself they were horrible migraine type headaches with pain that I had never experienced before. I was dependent on the Percocet every 6 hours or Tylenol every 4 hours.
Upon seeing my Neurologist, she told me to stop ALL pain meds immediately or I would have headaches the rest of my life. I stopped that day and with each day that went by the headaches were gone completely within the 1st week. I felt I had to give it a try or the meds themselves would do damage internally also. I still can't believe what she told me worked and pray that it is not a coincidence.
I am not advising you or anyone to do the above, but it worked for myself.
Please check with your doctor first. I hope this information is helpful.
It is a horrible experience to deal with.
Best wishes, Jeanne
i'm 2yrs out and get some good bangers, lol. i know it aint funny, they can be up to a year or forever as my husband was told. If the dr says you shouldn't have them anymore get a new ct or mri and check things out.
Hi Laurie
Laurie, almost one year in, I still get daily headaches and take a fair amount of paracetamol and other pain meds. I have read that you can get a rebound effect from the pills so maybe I should try to just tough it out? I also get tinnitus and buzzing in my head and my hearing has deteriorated, my husband bought me 2 digital hearing aids but they don't seem to help much and even with the noise filter on the background noise - say in a restaurant - drives me crazy, also I hate having the ear pieces stuck in my ears, they itch! I do not see my neurologist again until January, no date yet. Also my eyesight is affected so socialising is difficult as I can't see people's expressions very well and also have to keep asking them to repeat what they said.
My husband is great, but I am too fatigued to go back to work yet, and feel very lonely and isolated. Luckily my husband works at home as a website designer but I can't keep interrupting him just cos I feel like a chat or a cuddle!
That is where sites like this are literally a lifesaver. I feel suicidal sometimes but I have 3 grown kids in the UK, miss them so much but cannot travel yet, they nearly lost their Mum and I cannot duck out of life just because sometimes I want it all to stop. Have not been able to work for a year and so we are missing my income.
Hubby is wonderful but I cannot help feeling like a burden although I do what bits I can around the house. Any suggestions?
Sally
Yes, I was coiled...
Tanya-so sorry to hear you are experiencing headaches....have had a few myself since my elective surgery with the Pipeline on 11/21/11. I have tried hard not to take pain meds as I understand taking too many can cause rebound headaches. My youngest son had a concussion from baseball when he was 10 or 11 and the neurologist we saw at Children's Hosp. in Phila. prescribed an anti seizure medication, Neurotin, to help with the headaches due to the chance of the rebound headaches with the use of OTC pain meds and some prescriptions, which due to his age, he was unable to take anyway. So, I am trying to tough out all but the worst headaches, and today is my second day almost completely headache free! I know how debilitating they can make you, I had never had headaches in my life until this surgery. I am lucky in that my annie was discovered and fixed prior to rupture and I had the PED and no coils put in. Seems I read of many people having headaches that had coiling.....not sure if there's a connection there. I wish for you better health and hope you get relief somehow....Hope you feel better soon! (((HUGS)))
Cece
they might not go away, try to find out what triggers them, i have days where i cant hear anything and i know its hard to deal with. It won't stop but it will get better, try reducing the pain meds and see what happens, get a hearing test from a ent doctor and get a eye exam. Dont ever be shy to come and post or talk.I got cut that way also and today i feel tugging, could be from the cold also.There is always tomorrow and dont be afraid to go for counseling, i did.I have my husband a 22 yr old and 13 yr old, and what bangers i get. Do things slowly work up to what you use to do make a plan to do three things a day for a week then increase it to five until you know you cant handle anymore, you will know your head will hurt.Find crosswords and brain tease games online and DONT isolate yourself, i found my first year to be so hard shopping i didnt wanna go cause everything spinned but the more i went the better it got and yes i still spin i have vertigo from my rutpture. hang in.
Laurie, thank you, this just a quick note as I have palpitations, have taken half a xanax tablet and I am off to bed, but just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your advice. Hope all goes well with you,
Hugs, Sally
I had coiling, mine ruptured...I find the cold weather is not helping....I was rushed to the best stroke center in New Orleans, had my surgery and was in the iciu unit for 2 weeks...I had my followup angiagram on October 11.2011....The doctor said it was fine and grown over (skin over the coil)...The thing is i have very bad ringing in the ears and then I loose the hearing. My eyes twitch uncontrollably. I am having serious depression...The hospital i was treated at basically a teaching hospital....I now feel that they have kicked me to the curb...they have told me that you don"t get a free lunch with these things...Meaning that I will have deficits, I understand this....My problem now is they will not give me pain meds, nothing for anxiety, or depression....I feel lost and do not know where to go next! According to my doctor I need to move on, and he has healed me!!!!!
Tanya,
I was having headaches at my 6-month point also. I had returned to work and was under a great deal of stress. But the headaches scared the bejeebuz out of me. So I saw a neurologist who examined me and told me that the headaches had nothing to do with my aneurysm. She asked about stress and I said 'yeah, plenty.' So she prescribed a vacation. I took a few days off with my husband and we went somewhere quiet and nice and the headaches went away. Sometimes it's just a headache.
That was over 10 years ago so ... try not to worry.
anytime
I would find another dr, i'm having the same trouble. The dr who treated me in the er with my bleed is my primary and he says a month ago theres nothing wrong with you, ok i cant stand i have vertigo etc, HELLO. So waiting to be called to the new dr.
Tanya,
My surgeon told my husband that I could experience headaches up to a year. Some have made comments re: rebound headaches. I posted back a little in the forum about the rebound headachesI was suffering from terribly. They literally put me out of commission for almost a month. THey are finally under control, so please be very careful taking medication for the headaches. I never realized how many different medications contain acetaminophen and I was popping percocet and tylenol like crazy and turned out that I was just making my headaches worse.
I do get headaches every once in a while now, but I have been taking fioricet which is a migraine medication to help with the headaches. It has worked wonderfully!
Good luck with the headaches.
And BTW, my doctor tells me that the headaches have nothing to do with my annies. I have an entire support group who would disagree with him!!
Linda
Hello tanya, Dec 5 will be 6 months since my annie ruptured. I had 9 coils and one stent put in . I need more because my annie is only 90% blocked. I get " strange " headaches. They hurt like hell thank god they only last a minute at a time . The best way for me to explain mine is it feels like somebody is stabbing me with an icepic in one little spot they come out of nowhere if they lasted even 5 minutes I'd be going to the hospitol. I too went to a teaching hospitol And my neurosurgeon is nice but nice doesn't cut it . I feel like they could care less . I don't know if you are having full blown headaches or ones like mine. I'm not even sure if mine are "normal" As far as depression I don't think I have that but I can go from 0 to ripping someones face off in a matter of seconds . I may not be the "same' but I'm so tired of people telling me that .