I was hospitalised with viral meningitis in October 2017. At the beginning I was often fatigued but my main problem since October has been my daily headaches. I have tried multiple medications and treatments, both conventional and complementary. I have been on Amitriptyline, Gabapentin and had two occipital nerve blocks. These were all unsuccessful. I am now taking Candesartan which does offer some relief but the dose keeps needing to be increased to achieve the same effect. I have had a course of acupuncture, cranial osteopathy, take migraine prevention vitamins and have tried cbd oil. My observations; pulse and blood pressure are high on standing and so I have been tested for POTS. The doctors are still unsure whether there is a cardiovascular element to my headaches even though POTS has been ruled out. (POTS - your pulse rises to a high level on standing). I haven’t been able to work since my illness. I am unable to achieve good pain control and pain killers are ineffective. I wanted to ask other headache suffers about the nature of their headaches. Mine are very positional, I always wake with a very low pressure feeling in my head, I wouldn’t say this sensation is painful. On waking and moving about the pain will get steadily worse throughout the day. The pain gets worse on standing and subsides with lying. It’s worse when I bend over, it’s never pulsating and is mostly frontal. I will develop pins and needles on my face the more upright I am and am often nauseous on standing. At the moment my neurologist is trying to work out whether I have a low pressure headache from the initial lumber puncture.
How would you describe your headaches/migraines after viral meningitis?
Are they positional?
Follow a daily pattern?
Anyone found a miracle cure?!
Do they come and go, triggered by things?
I’m desperate to return to work and regain a bit of who I was before this happened.
Thank you in advance!
Big hugs, I just tend to get episodes of dizziness, with a sense of pressure around the back of my skull. But when it happens I also get exhaustion and cant even think have to just lie down.
FWIW I rate using turmeric with black pepper and fresh ginger in my diety as anti inflammatories as helping. Stress massive aggravator. Found pregabalin in higher doses trigged headaches though it helped in low doses wtih sleep and anxiety. But we are all different....
Many thanks for your reply. Will give the dietary additions a try. Always good to try something new with no side effects! Good luck with everything.
Thanks. Good luck with aiming for the return to work. My advice is wait as long as your sanity will let you and the do a phased return witu a very slow build. I crashed out in my first attempt and am only up to 4 hrs 4 days on my second aiming for 6 by late November.
Yes my first return to work was a disaster but I did feel I was thrown into the deep end. Will aim for the slow build if work allows. Good luck with your increase in hours.