I had an accident 6 months ago where I hit my head very hard, I had a CT in hospital which was all clear and they said any any headaches would clear up soon and just to take paracetamol.
6 months down the line I get loads of tension headaches sometimes lasting all day and pain in the front of my head when I lean forward. I had an MRI recently and the doctor said all was clear but I’m still plagued by headaches.
I consider myself lucky in that I don’t seem to have suffered any other ongoing issues although it is very difficult to interact with people when you have a continuing headache.
The neurologist I saw has said he can prescribe some medication which I think would be low dose anti depressants but I’m worried in case they cause me to be more isolated then I am now.
I’m not sure if I should be seeing a different type of doctor who could offer more than just tablets.
When they did the CT and MRI scans did they check your neck, ie cervical spine, it would be worth finding out. You can also see a good private (saves waiting) physiotherapist or chiropractor or osteopath for an assessment too. I found they knew more about it than the neurologists and health service in general and they sorted my issue, cranial hypertension caused by cervical spine damage, out. Not sure taking antidepressants for a headache is a good idea, sounds like they are playing the mental health card because they don't know what's happening.
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Hi,
Thank you for your comments.
The report from the MRI scan says that the craniocervical junction’ and skull base are normal which I assume is the area you are referring to.
I was not happy with taking anti depressants for headache was the right approach as it may ease the headaches but I wondered what the side effects would be. I got the impression that the doctor didn’t really know where to go otherwise.
I was looking to see if I could find a doctor that specialised in headaches but Essex seems a bit of a sparse county for specialists.
That sounds a good idea about seeing a physiotherapist or similar and will look into that, I intended to go private as the waiting list for anything nowadays is so long.
I see Bisoprolol mentioned on your profile page DenBoy. Was that prescribed for blood pressure maintenance or for the headaches ?
I'm thinking that a more effective painkiller than Paracetamol might relieve (what could be) a vicious circle of pain and stress.
I've had Amitriptyline in the past which was good for treatment of both pain and mood. I became tolerant after 15 years, so was prescribed an SSRi plus high dose Co-Codamol ; headaches (&migraines) have drastically reduced.
The Bisoprolol is for my Atrial Fibrillation, I take Amlodopine for my blood pressure which seems to work well.
I’ve seen Amitriptylene mentioned a few times and will look into that, currently seeing if there is a doctor that specialises in headaches somewhere local to me.
Please see nhs page about medication overuse headaches. Amytriptyline made my migraines more painful very painful but helped with sleep .I cannot type well as screens make my headache a lot worse I think neck physio would be good
25 years on the headaches for me continue and so do various other cycles. I am so used to things going wrong I just ignore it and carry on, it's difficult but I haven’t found any alternative.
I keep shouting wherever and whenever I can but to be honest they really haven't a clue and don't have any answers.
25 years is a long time and I admire your ability to carry on regardless.
Even in the short time I have had this problem I came to the same conclusion very early on that doctors know very little about the workings of the brain. Sure they can do scans etc and can spot visible damage but that’s as far as it goes. No physical damage means no clue where to go from there.
Yeah, I could have been on the phone at 8 o'clock this morning going bonkers due to the headache rearing up again but I may or may not have got through, I might have got an appointment in 6 weeks or possibly even been told to go and sit in A&E for the day. Then the fatigue started up worse than I remember (but then I don't remember a lot because I don't want to!) so what to do .... not a lot.
Last week I saw my Psychologist lady at the Brain Injury Service who is very nice and I know is doing stuff on my behalf to get the local Headway group mobile (I'm not supposed to know 😉), we appear to be making progress. Next week I've got an appointment with the Neurologist which my Psychologist lady asked me to sit in on and I never know my bad luck, something good might happen 🙂
Thing is, as stressful as it is, the only thing to do is keep shouting and demanding attention - I remain optimistic though from time-to-time it does get bit stressful!
That sounds positive having meetings about your condition. Finding someone who tries to do something is a massive step forward. I hope it goes well for you.
I feel for you as sound the same as me. I had CT scan at the time which was clear and just had MRI which they say just normal aged related changes? I had no head pain till after head injury and do not know anybody at 50 who has memory loss, hearing eye processing difficulties and fatigue with sore head exactly where I hit hit on the head. I went yo see head specialist and he suggested physiotherapy but called it a cervico-genic headache? He also said to take amitriptyline. They all seem to be ignoring the head bang and the NHS are saying it is stress and have sent me to a pychatrist nurse for mental health😪 the headaches are not easing and I still can't sleep on the left side or back of head or look up at anything and failed that test. They just everything you say making me more angry with them. I gave started to just say what I feel about them directly.
You are not alone but it is very frustrating and annoying. It makes me more determined to go out and about and fall about everywhere so others can see me and complain about the NHS. They just cannot even thing about concussion.
I had a CT scan at the time which was normal and later on had an MRI scan which I was told was normal apart from age related changes.
I had no issues with headache prior to the incident and all my GP could say was that tension headaches are just in your mind, what a stupid thing to say. When ever I have a headache the top of my head where I hit it also becomes sore.
I understand your frustration especially as the accident has left you with much more then just headaches, I do hope that things improve for you over time.
I came to the conclusion early on that doctors just don’t know what to do where they cannot see any brain damage on a scan. So frustrating as you go to see a doctor and always expect they will find out what is wrong, maybe not initially but in the end and unfortunately they don’t.
I’ve seen a neurologist 3 times now and don’t see any point in arranging another visit unless I want to be prescribed tablets.
Hi am in similar position. Headaches continual but thankfully not high level. I have gone down route of anti depressant tablets. My doctor explained that at low level I have they are for neurological things too, which is in tablets sheet too. I am so glad I tried them as they are helping. Would say its always a decision you have to make for yourself with as much information you can get beforehand. Good luck with whatever you do.
Amitriptyline is mine and no side effects as far as I know. Having little memory recall not sure I would remember though. Can say that if I miss a dose in the evening I do know about it the next morning straight away. You could also ask if your doctors surgery has something like a group pain management sessions for their clients. Not used this myself by may be worth a look.
The neurologist I saw said that anti depressant medication at a low does is what he would prescribe for headaches, so that all fits.
I can ask my GP about pain management sessions if I can get an appointment with her although I’m not that confident the surgery will have such a thing.
Hi DenBoy. As it's a night of insomnia, I decided to throw a couple of thoughts into the general mix about your persistent headache issue based on personal experience and no medical training whatsoever.
First, do you have a constantly runny nose that worsens if you lean forward? If so, is it clear watery/highly salty fluid that's leaking rather than slimy mucus? If the answer to both is 'yes', it could indicate a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, which is not uncommon following head trauma, though a diagnosis is often missed. If you think this might apply to you, the fluid should be beta-2 transferrin tested so you need to speak with your GP (again) to arrange for a sample/testing. If the test is positive, you should be referred to a CSF leak specialist, usually a neurosurgeon or highly specialized skull base surgeon, which can be ENT. Unfortunately, leak expertise is rare in the UK and an accurate diagnosis of CSF leak is therefore often missed by GPs and neuro specialists alike, let alone the precise location of it. CSF leaks, especially small ones, aren't picked up on standard CT or MRI scans; imaging needs to be a CT myelogram or MR myelograph. Here's a reference for further reading: csfleak.uk/resource/diagnos...
The world's leading expert on CSF leaks is Dr Wouter Schievink in Cedars-Sinai USA and he's put a lot of info out online.
Two hospitals in the UK that know their way around CSF leaks are the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery at Queen Square in London (Mr Laurence Watkins' clinic) or The Walton Centre in Liverpool. I have personal experience of the former and 'leakers' on the CSF Leak Forum recommend the latter.
Second, you could be suffering from whiplash, which is extremely common following head trauma and doesn't show up on scans. When/if you see a physiotherapist*, you could do worse than mention possible whiplash and ask them to check you for it. Whiplash can cause head/neck troubles for a very long time if left untreated.
Of course, the origin of your headaches might be something entirely different, but I've found over the years that it's better to have a few conditions up the sleeve to rule out rather than nothing at all to work on. That's when GPs begin writing out prescriptions for tablets, usually of the anti-anxiety variety.
By the by, in my opinion, any GP who advises that tension headaches are in the mind needs refresher training.
A good physio should be able to help you with any muscular issues. *I avoid osteopaths and chiropractors these days. This is owing to a long story that I won't bore you with, but I learned a very hard way that fully qualified physiotherapists are the safest first port of call for musculoskeletal issues.
I hope you get to the root cause of your headaches soon.
I do not have discharge from either my nose or ears and therefore I do not believe I have a CSF leak.
Your response on CSF leakage is very detailed and clearly you have researched the issue well. I had a look at information via the link you provided.
I was a bit taken back by my GP who advised that tension headaches were all in the mind, I’ve seen her on many occasions in the past on other matters but this was a silly comment.
I think your advice on whiplash may be correct as I was coming to the same conclusion myself. I’ve looked up local physiotherapists and also chiropractors and wasn’t sure which to see. I came to the same conclusion myself that the physiotherapist route is probably the safest although most I have googled in Essex seem to be one man bands offering home visits whilst there are a couple of chiropractors clinics in my town which one must assume must be better than lone workers.
I have used the NHS MSK service before some years ago but that has now changed and they now simply give you some exercises to do over 3 months without any further support, which is rather naff.
I shall carry on looking and find someone to pursue the possibility of whiplash causing my headaches.
You're very welcome DenBoy. I appreciate that finding a good practitioner, i.e. physio, can be a challenge which means that sometimes a chiro is the only practical option. Owing to that, I thought I'd share a bit more with you about why I'm cautious regarding osteopaths and chiropractors. If you find you do have to go down that route, I strongly advise you not to allow the practitioner to perform any low-amplitude neck thrusts to 'open' facet joints or apply traction (manual or mechanical) between your occipital bone and cervical spine. In other words, no sudden twists and no pulling. I was subjected to both and the serious trouble, including whiplash injury, that it caused to my neck is reduced now but still ongoing 5 years later, as is the loud and irreversible tinnitus.
The re-orientation process that my (later) physio recommended for the whiplash trauma was gentle, targeted and slow paced. This involved a cycle helmet with a torch fastened on top of it and several A1 sheets of paper with various lines and circles drawn on that I had to pin up on a wall. Fascinating! The good news? The routine associated with this rather strange set up (at home) worked to re-set my head/neck orientation back to centre, I was advised this was because I followed it daily and precisely for several weeks.
Golden rule I was told (by several senior medics) is that gentle/conservative is best when it comes to neck and head therapy.
Good luck with the hunt for someone who's knows their stuff and that you feel you can trust. 🤞
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Severe headaches after surgery
