Hi all,

I think I have CH but I haven't had a definite diagnosis yet, just a "probably" - I've had a really hideous one sided headache that comes and goes during the day for a week now, have tried voltarol, paracetamol & codeine, imigran and dihydrocodeine and none of them have touched the pain. I've been to my GP today for the 3rd time in a week and she prescribed me the imigran injection, which I had done earlier today by the lovely Practice Nurse. I had a bit of a reaction to it - it felt incredibly tight across my forehead and the base of my skull, plus my blood pressure dropped by 20 systolic and 10 diastolic. The GP hasn't said I definitely have CH but that she thinks it sounds like I probably do have, and said that if the imigran injection didn't work, then the only other thing she could suggest was to go to casualty. Well, about 4 hours after the injection I have right sided head pain back again - admittedly it isn't quite as painful as some of the attacks have been, but it still hurts rather a lot. So I'm thinking that I am going to possibly have a fun casualty visit tomorrow - or am I wrong in thinking that if the imigran was going to work, it would have worked by now?

I've had migraines on rare occasions over the past 10 or so years, but I've never had anything like this before and it is rather scary. It was nice though, although that sounds a bit wrong, in finding this site and knowing that there are other people having the same kind of thing.

I think there was something I was going to ask, but I don't know what it was now, so I think I have just rambled on about nothing, so apologies!

Thanks for reading!

Mist

Hi Iddy,

Well, I took the quiz and that also seems to suggest that I have CH. And if I go to casualty tomorrow, I might get more luck in getting some tests done than from my GP so will definitely press for that.

Thanks

Iddy wrote on Mar 6^th, 2009 at 12:45pm:

Hi

Thanks for the posts, it is much appreciated.

Guiseppi - yes, our casualty over here in the UK would equate to your emergency room. It's not somewhere I would probably have thought of going to but as my GP said to go there if the imigran injection didn't work, I thought I had best do that. I have a sneaking feeling that they won't do anything, but at least then if I still have the pain on Monday I can make another appointment knowing that I've done what they ask me and ask them how we go about confirming that I have CH rather than just thinking that I do.

The headache journal is a good idea, thanks for that. I've got a few notebooks that I bought because they were pretty but haven't used yet, so this is the ideal opportunity to make use of them I suppose!

Thanks again for the posts, it is really appreciated and I don't feel quite so alone.

Mist

Well, what a fun day at A&E I had.
Was in some pain when I got there, and the triage nurse was really nice and told me to sit where I could see her and to come and tell her straight away if the pain got worse. Well, the pain did get worse but by that time her shift was over and the other nurse didn't have my notes but did go and tell the doctors, but it was still probably another 30 - 45 mins before I was called through, by which time I was at about 8 1/2 - 9 on the kip scale thingy and sitting there crying and almost pulling my pashmina apart! Unfortunately I got seen by the most unsympathetic registrar I have ever come across (and I used to work as a ward clerk so I have met rather a lot of reg's in my time, although admittedly the ones I knew weren't A&E ones) - I described all my symptoms, told him the medication I had taken that hadn't worked and that my gp thought it was probably cluster headaches. He told me he wasn't an expert on headaches, but then proceeded to tell me that I was having a migraine and hadn't given the medication a chance, although I don't see the point of taking potentially addictive medication when I'm not having a bad attack (I've been lucky enough in that I tend to get the really bad attacks from between about 11am and 2pm and have the evenings relatively quiet). He then said all he could do was give me stronger painkillers and that I would have to get my gp to refer me to anyone else. I was at this point crying with the pain, and he must have had a brief moment of sympathy as he came back in the room again and said that if I wanted, I could have the strong painkillers there and stay there to see if they worked, and if they did then fine, I could go home and if not, then I would be admitted onto a neuro ward. Of course I said yes, had some painkillers (although by this point, about ten minutes after the dr had said his piece, the pain level had dropped of its own accord to about a 7 - 7/12), then my blood taken about half an hour later and then about twenty minutes after that went and sat on the CDU ward. I rang my other half to say what was going on and asked him to pack me a bag in case the painkillers didn't work. Well, about another 2 hours the pain level was exactly the same as it was when I had taken the tramadol so I was all expecting to be staying in overnight. And then the registrar came in to see me, asked if the pain level had decreased since taking the tablets to which I said no, told me my blood results were all fine (which was a relief, I have to say) and then said that he was sending me home with some co-codamol. I said "but the painkillers haven't worked" and he just repeated that he was giving me some more painkillers, was going to send a discharge letter to my gp, that I just had a migraine (!!) and that I should get my gp to refer me onto a specialist, and then just walked off the ward! I almost burst into tears, but managed to wait til I got home (I managed to catch my partner before he left home so rather than him & his dad coming to bring me clothes, they came to bring me home). The only good thing is that I know my bloods are ok, which rules out some other nasty alternatives - but whether there were no beds on a Neuro Ward or whether the reg decided that as my bloods were ok that I didn't warrant being admitted, I don't know, but I just felt really really down. So it looks like yet another GP appt on Monday (although at least I can say that I did what I was told and went to casualty) and asking to be referred to a specialist to get a definitive answer as to what the hell is going on.

Katie - thank you for your advice, I will definitely try that on Monday!

And sorry for the rambling rant above, but it was a total nightmare that I think you peeps here would understand

Hi again Katie,

The co-codamol the grumpy Reg gave me is the 30/500 one, and I've taken two lots today and the pain hasn't changed each time - I've been on about 6 since I got up at 8.30 with a couple of bouts (thankfully shortlived) of 8. I don't really like taking medication, but I thought I would give it a proper go today so at least I can say I have tried! But if it doesn't work today I'm not going to take it tomorrow as its not doing me any good and the addiction thing does worry me. But at least when I make an appt tomorrow I've done what the GP last week told me to do and I've done what the Reg told me to do, so I'm being a good obedient girl at least!

I'm kind of kicking myself about not asking for oxygen but I was in too much pain to start with to think straight and then I was so upset about him saying I would be admitted and then him changing his mind that I didn't think straight then either. Will have to try better next time!

I know work are going to be a bit peeved that I won't be in again (I've not been in all this week) but I'm finding it hard to concentrate on doing things cos of the pain and I have to admit, I'm scared about having a bad attack when I'm out on my own because it just hurts so much, but I think that's something I'm just going to have to learn how to live with.

Any info you could give me to take tomorrow would be exceedingly appreciated - and thanks lots for the hug too!

Hope your beastie lets itself get chained up in a quiet cave somewhere far, far away too!!

Hi Katie,

the PM did indeed make sense and is responded to.

Luckily I am near Southampton which has a neuro unit so that is one positive thing at least.

Will update on the GP appt tomorrow, so fingers crossed till then!

Hey Rod welcome to the board and glad you found us. Start a new thread in this same section, sort of an announcing your presence! Have you tried oxygen yet? And more importantly have you tried it correctly? Read the link on the left titled oxygen info, complete with pics. been  alife saver for many. Welcome to your new second home.

Joe