Can you get this disease again and is there any relief to the severe head pain?

[shortygeez]

My son had Spinal Meningitis on his 21st birthday a few years ago. He gets severe headache just like the ones he had when he was diagnosed with the disease. Can you get this disease again or does it ever go away and what can you use to relieve the pain

[legless7397]

I do not know about spinal meningitis but I contracted Meningicocal septicemea 6 years ago and this was a question I raised and the consultant informed me that unlike other illnesses you do not get any immunity after having this disease.

Mick

[Vespalover]

There is something called Mollarets Meningitus which is recurring meningitus. Goggle it and see if that fits.

I had VM 8 months ago and have the headaches now and again still. I have a feeling of a cold circle on the top of my head, then head pressure which gets worse. It is usually kicked off by stress, either physical or emotional.

Off the shelf pain meds don't come near it but I have been prescribed Butabarbitol and that works.

Ana

[daffodil in reply to Vespalover]

Thanks Ana - thats just what I was trying to remember! We must have been typing at same time!

[daffodil]

Hi - I had meningoccocal septicaemia -coming up to 5 yrs ago .I asked consultant if you could get again and he did say you could,or you could get a viral form.I dont know much about it,but there is a condition which makes you suceptible to repeated bouts of Meningitis.A number of folks on forum have had it more than once.

I suffered severe,daily migraines and like your son,at first I was worried the bacteria was still lurking! Twice I went to Gp as was so scared it was coming back.Since Menigitis it is like my brain is very sensitive and reactive - foods cause headaches,cold,heat,glare from computer and sunshine,even loud noise.

I now have preventative migraine treatment and this has greatly reduced my migraines and also helped the visual distortions - moving ground,walls, snow globe glittery snow! I would ask Gp to refer your son to a neurologist or a pain clinic.

Tens machines have been shown to relieve headaches .Also various herbal mixtures - feverfew ,available as capsules and tinctures is a well know herb for headaches.St Johns wort also helps some folk.I use magnesium capsules and 5htp which I feel have really helped my migraines,or it may be a combination of them and prevenatatives?

What shouldnt be done is to take painkillers regularly as this causes rebound headaches.My neurologist said that if you are having more than 4 migraine attcks a month,then treatment needs to be preventative.There are various preventatives -I did well on pizotifen,gabapentin,but couldnt tolerate epilim or topomax.I ve been through them all! It will be a case of trial and error. I am very relieved to have found relief from the dreadful headaches-they are not completely gone -still have a sort of background dull ache but its bearable.

When fatigued,my headaches seem to worsen,even on the preventatives.I reckon this is just my body saying to rest and take a break?If I lie down and have a wee sleep my head improves.

Hope this helps.

[iaveadream22]

Hello

I Guess having had menincocal Bacterial Meningitis 4 times in my life I should be able to answer some of your concerns , Firstly its a Horrible illness and as yuo life threatenign to many , besides the horrendous potential effects .

The answer to the first question is yes you can catch it again, howver this is an over common illness, eventhough I recognise soem people are more susecptical to getting it again . Unfortunately I have had the illness 3 times in childhood and sadly again 2 years ago, ( I am now 51 ) . The cousation in my case is an immunity defficency and therfore i take life long penecillin to assist with not getting it again , however there are NO Guarantees my specialists tell me , hence the penecillin failed to stop another attack .

IN respect of the head aches I fully understand the pain and severity of the head pain when meningitis is full blow , its horrible )....... I still get on going head aches today and I take prescibed on going Co- codomal as required but in trueth this is not the solution as taking pain killers on going is not too Great ., hence i now only take as required. I also need to sleep more i find and some times have the need to go to bed early to rest the head due to head preasure and head aches ., so dont be afraid to take more rest . I guess Im lucky as i have also reduced my working hours as I get more tired ..

Im also aware this condition is life threatening and often leaves people will significant after effects, and whilst i was in and out of coma condition and almost lost my life i regard my self luck as I survived, and my thoughts are with those not so fortunate. In respect to the effects i suffer 2 year on are the ongoing head aches intermitant . and also significant memory loss , which can be embarrishing at times , besides frustrating indeed. Also Balance issues and also an annoying stutter at times , difficulty getting words out and also difficulty recalling words., and hearing problems .

I wish all those who have experienced the illness the best recovery possible and those who have a friend or family member with the condition I would ask you to have some HOPE, as having survived 4 attacks it is possible to survive against the odds .

God Bless and feel comfortable to email me a reply or a PM if yuo wish to discuss or gain some reasurence

Keith

[Fatma_Ally in reply to iaveadream22]

Thanks for the information but I'm really scared to get it again cause i had it and i know it's a terrible disease till now i still have headache and i stutter sometimes and i loose balance sometimes and most importantly I care for my family cause they have been there for me all the time and I don't want them to be worried for me every now and then

[JohnFionaEllie]

Hi, my daughter has had pneumococcal meningitis twice now and yes - unfortunately, it can come back again. Have you ever had a head injury? I did not know at the time but when my daughter suffered a head trauma, due to a tear in the meninges, this left her susceptible to meningitis. She takes penicillin daily now - possibly for life - and also has had repeat vaccinations of the pneumococcal and meningitis C vaccination. Have you had these vaccinations? It is worth talking to your Consultant and Doctor to plan out a preventive process in terms of jabs etc because - as horrible as it is - it can return dependant on why you contracted it in the first instance. With regards to the after headaches, again, talk to your doctor - my little girl is only 9 so we try and treat with paracetamol and nurofen. I wish you well for the future and I hope it never returns for you. x

[maineknitter]

I had contracted bacterial meningitis in 2011. I still have 2 to 3 migraines a week and at least 66% of the days are pain days. ThThere's actually four stages to migraines and so I'm in a migraine all the time. The migraine.com website is great for finding out new things and also current thinking. It is a US based site and most things should translate to the UK system.

Also the meninges is where the infection was in meningitis. The meninges are the thin membranes covering the spine and brain. The membranes also filter CSF through them from the ventricles where it is made to the outside of the brain and spine where it acts as a shock absorber.

The meninges around the brain is also the only place where headaches of any kind occur that have a start in the brain. Tension headaches are muscle aches on the outside of the skull. So back to inside the skull.

In meningitis the meninges are inflamed, swollen and then scar tissue forms making stiff places in what is to be a flexible layer, for some people, like it sounds your don and myself. Because of the scar tissue, a formerly known as regular headache is now a more intense headache, and the migraines are also much more intense than before.

Thus, what I used to get once or twice a year is now twice or three times a week. And, what I used to be able to sleep off in acool dark room, now needs preventative and abortive medications for migraines. My prior meds have been adjusted to have the same effect and also be a preventative medication. I'm on about three of those. And on an abortive, the second medication for that. The first one started giving me insomnia. So we switched to a different one.

I share my experience with this stuff to be a compatriot in this new world to you and your son, and also to be a resource for other people in the future.