Occipital Nerve Block

[Paulacg]

Hi. I’m getting an occipital nerve block done next week. Just wanted to ask anyone who’s had one what their experiences were, particularly if it caused them any problems in the couple of days afterwards as I’m away the weekend after.

[Cally01]

Hi, I've had them a couple of times and didn't have any side effects but that didn't seem to be the norm. A lot of people have pain at injection sites and stiff neck and some bad headaches.

Hope your like me, good luck !

[Cat00]

I've had about 8 of them, they didn't have any effect on me at all good or bad, it's just all they could give me when I was pregnant. Migraines were just normal after all of them.

[designer111]

Hi I had one two years ago. My head was numb and stiff for the rest of the day. I felt my migraines tailed off for two weeks after but then back to normal after that. So didn't work for me. My neurologist I've just seen at Kings College hospital said it only really works well for chronic suffers. I wasn't at the time so maybe a waste for me.

[Paulacg]

Thank you for your replies. I have chronic headaches/migraines so hoping it might at least give me a break from the current one I’m a few weeks into.

[Sunsapphire]

Hi I had to his procedure about 2 months ago, because life was a nightmare with chronic migraine on the right side of my head near the temple area ...

I can honestly say that it worked

Life is easier ... I had no side effect at all I was told that the nerve that was treated may grow again if so I will definitely go back and get it done again wishing you the very best of pain free days😊

[fran2]

I have chronicle headache/migraine and had GON injections a few years ago. I felt slight pressure at the injection site for short time afterwards that day. They didn’t work for me but fingers crossed for you x

[kirbymarsha]

Hi,

I’ve have had two GON injections so far on my left side 12 weeks apart.

Side effects were sore stiff neck and difficulty sleeping for first few days. Found that after about a couple of weeks the intensity of pain and my daily nausea and tolerance to light improved at least to the point that although still suffered, actually began to be able to function a bit more rather than cower in the corner all the time.

By time 12 weeks came around for second GON i had noticed symptoms had started worsening and frequency of worst attacks began to increase again but not to the same extent as before my first injection.

I hope it provides some relief for you honestly am so glad for them.

[Realneet]

I’ve just had my 2nd round of injections last week. Both times I’ve had 4 injections - the greater AND lesser occipital nerves on both sides. Yes, I also had the numb head and stiff neck both times - the first time round they reduced both the severity and the duration of my near-daily migraine. Like kirbymarsha, I had a reduction in the nausea too. The (good) effects lasted about 7-8 weeks so I rang and sent in the 3 month pain diary early and they booked me in again

This time I had the same numb scalp all day and overnight, but it was worse than the first time so I couldn’t sit with my head resting against the chair (which I need to do as I have arthritis in my neck) and I couldn’t lie on my back in bed so I had terrible lower back pain the following day, which developed into severe lower back pain which lasted for 5 days, but that was from sleeping awkwardly on my side, I think I twisted it…

I still get the nausea, sensory overload, light sensitivity, and the “feeling” of a migraine in my head, temples, behind my eye, but weirdly I don’t get actual “pain” I’m writing this 1 week after the second set of injections

I’m happy that even though I still have daily head “pain” and migraine, it’s at a much lower pain level

Good luck, it’s worth trying, I hope it helps 🤞🏼🙂

[Paulacg]

Thank you for all the replies. I had it done about an hour ago and the local anaesthetic is wearing off. Little bit of swelling and tender but seems to have gone well. Fingers crossed 🤞.

[Snoopydog1]

I had both of the occipital nerves blocked on both sides of my head done by a headache specialist on 2 occasions. I did get some soreness and swelling at the site but not too bad. Unfortunately did nothing for migraine for me but I did notice I had a lovely soft neck for a couple of weeks whereas usually there are many painful lumps and bumps on my neck.

Hope it works for you.