How long do the headaches last after the PED. I had my PED done almost 6 months ago and still have headaches every day, mostly on the left side where the aneurysm was in the left ICA. Taking all sorts of medications but not helping much. I feel incapacitated.
Never had headaches before. Aneurysm was discovered incidentally after an episode was vertigo which was unrelated to aneurysm. It was 6mm.
I have 2 little kids. Life feels miserable due to headaches.
Any replies will be appreciated.
Hi Shifa, sorry to hear about your headaches. My headaches lasted for about 6 months and then they stopped just after my 6 month angio. I was taking fiorcet almost daily for headaches. Have you spoken with your doctor? Maybe he an shed some light or send you to someone who can help. Like you, I never experienced any headaches prior tomy PEDs being inserted. I am now 2 and 1/2 years post PED.
Best of luck and I hope you find the answer.
Linda
Thank you Linda for your reply. I am taking 3 prophylactic medications but still get headaches everyday. I am having 6 month angiogram in 2 weeks. I hope everything goes well. But headaches have made my life miserable.
I hope things get better for me. How do you feel 2 years post PED?
Hi SHifa,
I’m actually a little past 2 1/2 years post paid surgery and I’m feeling fine, other than the other medical problems I have. As I think I told you we all experienced headaches some minor some none and some just like you are experiencing. I really believe after all this time of going through everyone’s posts and surgeries with them, that a lot of the headaches are exacerbated by stress.
I do believe that the PED itself, because it is a foreign body in your body, does cause headaches. However if you go back through everyone’s posts a lot of times the headaches lesson or subside at the six-month period. I was lucky, my doctor warned my husband at the time of surgery that headaches were a possibility after the PED was inserted.
It should be close to the time of your six-month Angio, please keep me posted on how it goes. I can also tell you that some people were fully occluded at six months, and others after one year period.
Best wishes, and please keep me posted on your angio and your headaches.
Linda
Thank you Linda
I will keep you posted. I am having 6 month angiogram on Dec 27th. Past week was very painful. I had terrible headaches one more time. If these headaches don't subside I am not sure how I am going to survive. Please let me know what medications have you tried to lessen the headaches. Nothing seems to work for me.
Please remember me in your prayers.
You’re more than welcome Shifa!
For my headaches I was taking fiorcet every four hours. In addition, I am also in pain management for other issues unrelated to my aneurysm. I am not sure if those medications combined with the Fiorcet is what assisted in helping my headaches, but that would be a question to ask the doctor.
I had to giggle to myself when I saw your Angio date because that’s exactly when my six-month Angio was, December 27, but in 2011. Maybe that’s a good luck sign and when you do go have it you’ll get the good news that the PED did it’s job and it is fully occluded.
Something just popped into my memory I remember one or more of the females of the group took up yoga to help them learn how to relax their minds and bodies. Just a thought, but you may want to try that sort of an approach.
I see that you have two small children. I was 49 when I was diagnosed so there were no little children that I had to tend to. I’m sure it’s difficult to try to take care of yourself and a family on top of your illness.
Anyway, I am here whenever you need just to even talk. Sometimes just having an outlet to let somebody know you’re scared helps relieve the stress.
If you look on the front wall of our group, in the second set of panels you will find “A letter from your brain”. I suggest you print that out and read it every time you feel stressed. Remember your brain just went through surgery and your brain controls your entire body. Share that with your family and let them know what you’re going through. It really did help me I kept it posted everywhere after my surgery just to remind myself my coworkers and my family when I was going through. I think as PED recipients we are at a disadvantage because people look at us and think that we are normal because we have no outward scars. they don’t realize that just like someone who has had a craniotomy or someone new has had a coiling, we too just had brain surgery.
I could ramble on forever!
Please keep me posted on your angio and good luck on the 27th. I will pray that you have the good results that I did!
Linda
xxxx
Hello,
I am sorry you are not feeling well. I have been there- and I know exactly how you are feeling. I was nauseated, didn’t want to brush my hair because it hurt. My PED was inserted after my coiling failed so I was definitely paranoid of reoccurring headaches and to be honest frustrated that I felt so bad. I didn’t leave the house for months. There is light at the end of the tunnel. My neuro told me to expect the headaches for 6-9 months while the aneurysm is healing and clotting off as needed. He was right- my headaches eased off around the 6-7mth time frame. And I am now headache free!! I get an occasional sinus headache but nothing like I had after the PED. #1 you are not crazy, #2 your pain is real and will subside once the graft has completed (PED).
Wishing you a speedy recovery,
Jackie
Thank you for your reply Jackie
This site has been a great support
Sometimes these headaches have made me feel that I dont have a reason to survive
I have a busy schedule with two little kids and not much support
I go for my 6 month angiogram on 27th
I hope all goes well but above all i dont want to be in pain 24/7 Our families deserve us back
It has been a tough and life changing journey. It feels good to talk to people who can understand your pain and can relate to you.
I will keep you updated.
Shifa
I still get bad headaches after having my pipeline put in June 2012. Doctors don't have any answers.
Thanks for reply Cindy
How often do you get headaches
It is a constant thing for me
Tired and sick of it
Several times a week especially on left side behind the eye where the aneurysms were. Passed out driving August 2013, they haven't let me drive since, so I have not been able to work either.
I am sorry to hear that
Why did you pass out?
Did you see the doctor after that
What have you tried for headache?
I have taken inderal for years to help with migraines even before the aneurysms. Now I am on gabapentin Keppra and Depakote. At first the neurologist was saying he thought I had a seizure is what made me pass out. Now I really don't know what he thinks. He said when he put me on the Depakote if it helped with headaches he would wean me off keppra.
Do you think your headaches have gotten worse after PED
Is it getting better with time or same
I am on verapamil and indomethacin, melatonin
It got better for some time but are back again
I have 2 kids
Feel depressed due to headaches
How old are you and how was aneurysm diagnosed?
My problem after the PED is none of my doctors seem to know anything about them and the doctor that put it in only did a 6 month ango and that was my contact only with them. My first aneurysm ruptured when I was 47 and it was clipped and they found the 2nd one at my 5 year check-up. I have had headaches my whole life, but the dizziness and loss of balance happened after the PED ,and the pain behind the eye is after the PED. But Monday the neurologist acted like the aneurisms had nothing to do with this stuff, but he had been saying people that have aneurysms do develop seizures sometimes. So now I am still not driving and he says he will send me to a headache specialist.
So sorry to hear about your issues
I hope things get better for you
I am dealing with headaches
I'm late to the game here but wanted to give my quick answer. I had the ped placed 2 years ago (age 38) next month. my kids were 5 and 9 and i had headaches daily after surgery. varied from annoying to incapacitating. What really helped me was when my doctor did a burst of steriods. his explanation is that even when the annie is shrinking, it is causing movement in the brain which can cause pain. I did fiorcet when needed, but otherwise just ibuprophen. I will tell you that the follow-up angiogram dye caused a crazy bad headache, but again did a burst of steriods and it soothed it all out. by 6-8 months post op, all of a sudden headaches days were less than non headache days. it was that feeling of joy because you realize how bad you felt for so long now that the pain was gone. At 6 months, one annie was gone, the other still there. at 1 year, both gone. during the recovery i really tried to focus on the joy that they found and could treat the annies and the headaches were just the price to pay for life. easier some days than other to convince myself of that. It will get better. the brain takes time to heal. although the surgery is "easy", just remember that you did have brain surgery and they left a foreign object in your brain! slow down, don't push yourself, and throw out the" i had brain surgery card" when you are feeling bad. :)
Well stated Teresa! Great input!
Hi. Yes I agree.
I had headaches and migraines before the PED and they have remained after (was hoping they would go away). Plus I got a few new types in new areas! My neurologist has me taking topiramate as an anti-migraine/ anti-seizure. Still head pain daily but it is soooo much better than before. Even the numbness in my face and arm is sometimes called headache by my doc.
One thing I got caught out on was medication over use headaches - two much panadol or any of those chemist pain killers can cause headaches themselves!
Best of luck sorting this one.
Hi,
I had mine coiled (failed) then the PED. My headaches were awful for about 6-9 months and gradually started getting better. My surgeon sent me to a specialist but I refused to take more medications. I think I started to live and quit worrying so much and now I am headache free. I get the occasional sharp stabbing pains and sinus headaches but nothing like I did after the PED. Stay positive, rest when your body tells you and try to get some sort of stress reliever like walking.
Hope this helps 
Have a blessed day!!!