Pain and headaches in back of head started after car accident and has been recurrent ever since ( 7 months). Son hit back of head on head rest after being slammed into from behind while stopped at a light. Impact bolted him into car ahead. 3 cars totaled.
Dazed after accident. Went to ER. Only evidence of a concussion and whip lash. Released. Next AM couldn't move head off pillow and severe headache in back of head.
Was told to go to concussion center. After months of therapy, headaches still would come and go at the same location. Decided to go to ER at the next strange headache event to try to get in with a neurologist because of the 10 month wait. ER doc gave a double dose of Toradol, Reglan, and Benadryl calling it a migraine. Released to go home after 1 1/2 hrs. rest in ER. Dizzy upon standing, told us thats normal and in the morning you may have a rebound migraine that is much worse than you have now. Come back and we will give you another injection. Sent home at 4:15 am. 9:00am son had the worst pain of his life , so bad he contemplated suicide. He refused to go back to ER for another injection (thank God) or
he would be dead if he had. Called PCP office who said he had an expected reaction to the medication and they would see him the next day as an emergency. His initial symptoms were extreme slurred speech, total body weakness, feeling of hot blood rushing through is brain and could not put his head on the pillow because of the intense pain. To me it resembled a stroke, but because of his young age of 19 was told extremely unlikely! A cat scan was suggested if he didn't feel right after the weekend. We called PCP Monday morning and said his symptoms improved, but could she order an MRI, because it might show more. PCP agreed, but could not get in for MRI for another 11 days.
Afternoon of MRI. He now feels better, contemplates not going. I insist. Sitting in MRI room, they say they need to do contrast because they need a clearer picture. After MRI radiologist talks to us, she said there was a large amount of dried blood, asking what happened approx. 1-2 weeks ago? I told her about our ER visit. She said ahh Toradol! Telling us to go immediately to ER THEY ARE WAITING FOR YOU. Don't take any detours ( ER was across the street),
ER immediately admits him to ICU Neuroscience dept. He has MRA, another MRI, and agrees to Angiogram. All they can see is a pool of dried blood in the Pons of the brain. Release him after 5 days and tells him to live his life cautiously. That was one month ago. Yesterday saw the neurologist and he reviewed MRI that was done night before this appt. and told it was either a Cavernoma or a Capillary hemangioma and see a Neurosurgeon for further guidance. I don't understand why he never had this pain in the back of his head before his accident. He was told it was from the whip lash and concussion. Has anyone ever heard of a similar case? One neurologist in the hospital said it happened due to weakened vessels and that it could be recurrent micro bleeds. Son has history of ocular migraines which feel totally different than this pain was.
