anyone had stabbing pains left temple?

[FionaHerts]

Hi

I've had migraines for 13 years, usually associated with hormonal changes each month.

In Oct 2016 I started getting shooting/stabbing pains in left temple. They were so painful, like someone had stuck a javelin in my head. Happening up to 13 times a day. I'd started on Methotrexate for Rheumatoid arthritis two weeks previously.

GP, worried about temporal arteritis, put me on high dose prednisone and I had a temporal artery biopsy which was negative.

Pains continued, but less frequent and only half so painful. I came off Methotrexate (apparently known to make migraines worse). Things improved, but was still getting the odd stabbing pain.

Last few months my migraines have been less severe, but the stabbing pains are more frequent, every day or all day. Sometimes it's just a niggly pain there all day.

Don't know whether this is migraine related or not, my migraines often start in the same place. Sumatriptan works for my migraines, but not always for this pain. I'm 52 so hormone levels all over the place and wonder if this could be causing it as hormone levels dropping seems to trigger my monthly migraines.

GP referring me to a neurologist, bit worried what it could be. Anyone had anything similar?

Thanks

Fiona

[sykgirl]

I have this too, coincidentally since October 2016. I have had classic & hemiplegic migraines since my teens too, which I'm pretty sure are hormone related too. I also have FND and CFS, but have been told these particular pains are migrainous.

They began with a huge crushing head sensation, worse than my usual migraines, and then loss of consciousness, totally out of the blue when I was sat down watching TV. I have had a constant hemiplaegic migraine ever since, with 70% loss of vision in my left eye, numbness in left side of face and tongue, and weakness down left side (though I was already weaker that side thanks to FND) plus the stabbing pain you describe, which comes and goes at varying frequences. My GP rushed me into hospital with suspected blood clot on brain or brain bleed, but tests found neither. To cut a long story short, the verdict is that I had a 'migrainous event', which they cannot fully explain. I have always found migraine treatments agrivated my other illnesses, but I have just had a round of bottox and had 6 days migraine and stabbing pain free! If nothing else has worked for you, maybe you could ask about that.

I know it's scary, but it's a good thing they are being thorough. It could all be migraine related, which is frustrating, but not the worse thing. Good luck! I hope you get it sorted x

[FionaHerts in reply to sykgirl]

Oh my goodness Skygirl, so sorry to hear what has happened to you! I hope the bottox injections continue to help and you are now on the road to recovery.

I'm just about to book an appointment with a consultant neurologist, so hope they can get to the bottom of what's happening.

Best wishes

Fiona

[sykgirl in reply to FionaHerts]

Thank you. Same to you. I would love to know how you get on, if you're happy to x

[FionaHerts in reply to sykgirl]

Yes, I'll let you know how I get on x

[Kvelvetrose]

I get stabbing pain on occasion, but I don't think my migraine is hormonal, we havent found a trigger other than stress :/

I used to get BOTOX 3 monthly (approx) until I fell pregnant which seems to have reduced the intensity and frequency of them. But now I'm pregnant they are back to fighting strength with the hormones coursing through me

I go to see a neurologist regularly and I cannot recommend it more highly, my gp has no clue what to do anymore I have tried so many medications, but Gina is great, she even has a backup plan for while I'm pregnant I just have to survive the first trimester so my risk of MC drops before any treatment.

Good luck and I hope you find some relief soon x

[FionaHerts in reply to Kvelvetrose]

Thank you! And good luck with your bump! X

[Miche123]

Hi Fiona I have had similar nowhere near as bad by the sound of it I have had a mri scan nothing showed I am 49 so hormones a bit misbehaving doctor has put me on 10mg amatripalyn once a day I was getting heavy temple pressure and nerve pains in the tops of the ear lobes much better now it took a couple of weeks to work

All the best miche

[FionaHerts in reply to Miche123]

That's good to know! I've just had my MRI and MRA results and it didn't show anything that would be causing my pains or migraines.

The neurologist did suggest 400mg/day ofbothmagnessium and riboflavin and I've gone caffeine free and that seems to have helped the stabbing pains. He also recommended taking Naproxen with sumatriptan which is advice I've not heard before. I have tried it and it did take away the migraine and it didn't returnlike it normally does. So I'm going to try that first, but if I run into difficulties he's suggest amyltriptaline or an anti epileptic drug.

Best wishes and I hope you continue to do well on amyltriptaline.

Fiona

[Violetta70]

Hi Fiona. I had migraines when young (I'm 72) and now occasionally get silent migraines - aura, but no pain. However, I also sometimes get ice-pick or primary stabbing headaches which may be what you are describing. From what I've read, they are common in people who also get migraines and the pain is usually in the area where the migraines occur. Thankfully, mine may last for a few hours, but aren't that frequent, so I don't take any medication. There is some information on patient.co.uk under 'Headache'. If you think this sounds like the pain you get, it may be worth mentioning it to your doctor and see what he/she says. I hope things improve for you.

[FionaHerts in reply to Violetta70]

Thank you Violeta. I'll have a look at the ice pick headaches information.

I've seen a consultant neurologist since writing my post. He thinks the pains are migraine related. He's suggested trying high dose magnesium and riboflavin. This is helping and I haven't had any stabbing pains in the past week, maybe a little niggle, but nothing worse. I'll. have to wait and see if this is really helping me long term, if not he's suggested migraine prevention treatments.

I'm glad to hear your pains have subsided along with migraines and hope this continues to be the case for you. It gives me some hope that hormone related migraine will decrease as my hormone levels drop too.

Best wishes, Fiona

[kitch23]

Hi Fiona, I’m 57 and my hormonally triggered headaches are subsiding so there are compensations ahead😬 since a teenager I started with left sided thunder bolt cluster headaches which developed into left sided temple migraines accompanied by neuralgia I left side of face particularly jawline which I was told many years later were both caused by an oestrogen imbalance. I had nothing apart from paracetamol until my late thirties and have tried numerous tabs but sumatriptans have been most effective after onset, magnesium before bed so I sleep better (as that’s another trigger) and now I’ve been prescribed 2mg of canderstartan (a blood pressure med but I haven’t got high bp) as a preventative which has dramatically improved headaches. I hope you find your cure very soon