Emergency Brain CT scan - and still not happy

[chl_hobbs]

Hi all

Yesterday the pain in my head go so much and so bad that I almost fell down the stairs whilst carrying the washing. I kept feeling dizzy (can never tell if its anxiety or related to the headache) but I rang urgent care who sent me an ambulance. I have had this headache for over 7 days now. Its a throbbing, tight pain in the right temple and just above it, Its tender to touch and often starts up about half an hour after I wake up and lasts all day.Its worse at times when I bend down.

Well, the drs at a+e said they wanted to do a ct scan to check for a bleed.

The ct scan (without contrast) was clear. They sent me home with MORE painkillers. My mum was on the phone telling me to ask them WHY i had had a headache for over 7 days in the same place, but they were no help.

I was relieved with the scan.... for about 10mins as I know that MRI is the best for the brain. Im now convinced I have some sort of aneurysm ready to burst or some sort of small tumour. Im so scared. Crying makes the headache worse, and Ive done a lot of crying recently. So yesterday it was thumping.

Ive read (even on here) stories about people having headaches for ages and then suddenly a massive bleed. Im so scared.

Please if anyone can help me, or knows what this sounds like, please help. Would the ct scan have ruled pretty much all that stuff out? Why has it been hurting in the same place all this time? All the drs want to do is keep giving me painkillers. Im shaking Im so scared.

Charlotte x

[Daisy Sue]

Hi Charlotte, sorry to hear it got that bad, and that you didn't get any explanation :(

I presume the hospital did obs on you like blood pressure, heart rate, blood tests?

I would imagine that an impending stroke would show particular changes in these observations, and for the doctors to hear your symptoms, examine you, see your results including the CT, then send you home, you can start to relax as far as anything serious goes..

What did they say to your mum on the phone? Any suggestions at all as to what might be causing it?

Obviously I'm not a doctor, but maybe you could discuss this with your gp.. when I was suffering with my awful headaches recently, I was given something called Methocarbamol which is a muscle relaxant... it did help quite a bit, and as a nice surprise I didn't get any adverse side effects from it (which I often do with meds).

[RVP]

Mine is very similar to this and sometimes throbs, but most of the time it's tight pressure around right (sometimes left) temple area and I'll get twitching there too. Had this for over a month now.
My GP just gave me nasal spray for sinus.

[nomorepanic]

Charlotte - I don't remember any stories on here about a bleed - who was it?

[shaunnajadelle]

Could it be migraine? I hear they can last for long time periods and be really really bad x

[Eek]

Charlotte - I don't remember any stories on here about a bleed - who was it?

I don't remember the name but I remember this happening. If I remember correctly it was someone who registered with some symptoms which ended up with her collapsing with a brain bleed. She posted from her hospital bed to tell everyone, the last thing I remember her posting was that she was going home from hospital.

Sorry you're going through this Charlotte, but as shaunna said it could be a migrane. Also you've had a CT the poster you mentioned didn't have one, it would almost certainly have been picked up if she had.

[shaunnajadelle]

Yes, if there was any sign of abnormality on the brain, it would definitely have been picked up in a CT scan.. they would have picked up on any kind of bleeding or clots too if they were there :) x

[Pinktel]

Yes I agree the ct scan surely must be good at picking up bleeds or clots etc, otherwise why would the hospital go to the expense and bother of using the machine? If they wanted to check for a bleed on the brain you have to trust that they then use the appropriate equipment to check for that specific condition, otherwise they would be wasting their own valuable time which I cannot believe they would want to do.

[Anxious_gal]

You should see a dentist to see if it's TMJ, that can cause headaches and temple pain.
Also migraines can cause one sided pain, with migraines you can be sensitive to light, feel off balance, feel strange,unreal, you can throw up and so on.
Neurolgists do deal with migraines and will run tests to make sure it's nothing else.

I really think you're looking for the wrong thing!
The CT scan would show up clots, blockages, masses, any physcial problems including infection or swelling.

Migraines can last weeks, some people even have to stay in hospital due to the pain.
It can be a horriable throbbing pain,
I usually get some kind of headache every single day between the TMJ and the migraines.

Often too after a migraine you can feel very very tired.
You might be getting some other type of headache too so it'd be good to go back to your doctor.

[nomorepanic]

I don't remember the name but I remember this happening. If I remember correctly it was someone who registered with some symptoms which ended up with her collapsing with a brain bleed. She posted from her hospital bed to tell everyone, the last thing I remember her posting was that she was going home from hospital.

Sorry you're going through this Charlotte, but as shaunna said it could be a migrane. Also you've had a CT the poster you mentioned didn't have one, it would almost certainly have been picked up if she had.

Thanks for the info.

I assume they hadn't had scans etc prior to the bleed?

The point I meant was that now she has had the scan and it was clear then it will be ok. The person you mention may not have even had scans prior to this happening.

[chl_hobbs]

Thankyou SO much for all the advice, it's so lovely that you guys are here, feeling the same sorts of things and helping reassure.

Well, an interesting development. I emailed my acupuncturist today explaining about my headache. She rang me immediately, and said I could come see her at 11am. I didnt hold out much hope. She stuck some needles in the usual pain points, and then felt around the side of my head and asked where was tender. She actually put a needle right in the spot where it hurt! It killed at first but then I felt some sort of 'release'. She put another in my forehead and one in the top of my head and left me for an hour.

Well, its been 6 hours since Ive had the acupuncture and my head feels so much better!!! It is still a bit tender, and does feel a bit 'tight' there still, but no throbbing at all! I havent had any painkillers in 8 hours! Obviously, this might not last, but its sort of made me think that this is some sort of migraine or tension headache and I could have kissed her when I realised I was feeling a bit better!

Im getting loads of palpitations today, and think (well, HOPE) that its just another sign that Im very stressed at the mo and need to calm down somehow

Thanku again all, fingers crossed....

Charlotte x

[Anxious_gal]

that's great acupuncture worked! I had it done once but wasn't too taken with the lady that did it, so glad to see the one you're going to is so nice : )

[chl_hobbs]

Oh no. Woken up and the headache is back. Same place. Really worried now x