Occipital nerve block are they a good thing or a bad thing?

[Cookingcookie]

Hello no just wondering if anybody has had an injection of steroids into their occipital nerve as a nerve block to help with migraine with hemicrania continua? Did you have any side effects if you did go for this option? Thanks thanks for your help out there

[Claire27]

I've had plenty, mainly when I've been pregnant as there aren't many other safe treatments. No side effects and if you've ever had Botox injections a nerve block is a walk in the park by comparison. Problem is they aren't hugely effective. I get some improvement but it's not dramatic. For some people it's excellent, but there isn't a great deal of evidence to support them. Worth a go as with most things migraine related!

[Cat00 in reply to Claire27]

This is exactly the same experience for me too. Had them for both pregnancies , had no effect positive or negative.

[PurpleTranmere]

Hi I’ve had a nerve block previously on my left side of my head for chronic migraine and hemicrania continua. No side effects but did not help. Due to have one hopefully soon on my right side so 🤞it helps this time.

[Cookingcookie in reply to PurpleTranmere]

Sorry to hear that but thanks for replying very grateful for your honesty wising you and all who replied the very best ....

[Cookingcookie in reply to PurpleTranmere]

Thanks for reply wishing all the best keeping my fingers crossed for you 😊 xxx

[Francesca21]

I had greater occipital nerve block and didnt help at all, if anything it exacerbated my chronic migraine/ndph. We all know how effective lignocaine is at dentist or for ladies perineum after childbirth for stitching I genuinely thought this cannot fail to work! Especially mixed with steroid.How wrong can u be! Neuro was saying as he gave it , “this could make it worse , the injection site could be painful” I was like yeah yeah just get it in there am so excited this one absolutely has to work. Wrong! It made me feel the existing pain was a sleeping lion and wed prodded it with a stick! And the site was indeed painful for a week. Im sure it must work forSome people tho otherwise they wouldnt use it. So I hope youre lucky and it benefits you. Good luck.Dont want to be negative but had to answer honestly.

[Wrexham16]

Hi I have migraine on my RHS and Hemicrania on my left. I had occcipital nerve blocks on 3 separate occasions on the LHS which had no effect at all - neither good or bad,

[Cookingcookie in reply to Wrexham16]

Thanks so much for your reply n honesty ....very Grateful wishing you all the very best xxxx

[designer111]

HI I had one and altough made changes to my head for a couple of weeks, it did not work. Hope it does for you!

[Cookingcookie in reply to designer111]

Thanks so much for your reply I'm sorry it didn't work for you thank you for your good wishes and and I am sending all the very best wishes in your Direction thanks again nxxx

[chelsea00]

hi , i had it done a few years ago for my right side, it took a few weeks to take effect, but for me it has been really good only get a very occasional migraine now. Everyone is unique and we all react to that, so i hope it works for you

[Cookingcookie in reply to chelsea00]

Thank you so much for your reply as you can see from the feed I have had mixed reviews it's glad to hear that it won't for you so maybe it will work in this instance wishing you all the very best and thank you ever so much for replying xxx

[chelsea00 in reply to Cookingcookie]

hi, I had the one sided headache and it was severe pain. and almost daily for a year.and this was different to the migraines i have suffered with since the age of 9

.I also used heated wheat bag and kept it on top of the area of bad pain and that helped to ease it a bit. But it didn't go away until a few weeks after i had the treatment .

Some people find cold helps them but for me cold is a trigger. It's maybe helpful to do a food intolerance test- with a good lab- if you can. Hope all goes well for you.x

[Cookingcookie in reply to chelsea00]

Thanks for your reply some good tips there I'll be thinking of you you yes all food things covered and stopped thinking of you and wishing you all the very best thanks for reply once again xxx

[Kirstinab]

I’ve had this done a few times for chronic migraine. Didn’t help, unfortunately.

[Cookingcookie in reply to Kirstinab]

Thanks for your reply sorry that it didn't help you sending you all the very best wishes xxx

[Uppingham]

I have had it several times. It's not intended as a long-term solution and doesn't work for everyone but it worked for me in that I had no headaches for 3-4 weeks. So it can be useful respite.

[Montie]

Hello, I had to have a nerve block before I was allowed Botox. Never again!! The nerve block made my head feel like a hard coconut & inside my head felt like a fish bowl. This is how I described my head to my Dr a week later - he said many of his patients say the same! The migraines increased & I felt got worse! I was allowed 3 nerve blocks - no thanks! I then had 5 sessions of Botox (32 injections) every 3 months - didn’t make any difference! I wish you the best of luck & I wouldn’t wish this pain on anybody x 🦋

[Cookingcookie in reply to Montie]

Hello I would like to thank you so much for your response I understand and I'm sorry things have not worked out for you in terms of treatment offered but as I am getting to hear it is not an unusual situation I think learning to live with and seeking out treatment or hemiplegic migraines or migraines migraines or any type of head facial pain chronic pain of any nature indeed can take some resolve and the need of a good pain clinician I am thinking of you and just want to send you good wishes your way at thanking you for your reply more than happy to chat again you take care all the best

[Cookingcookie in reply to Montie]

Hello Monty I use a dictaphone I am sorry if my message sounded a little unsympathetic and I hate to have used that word resolve it didn't come out as I intended as I have no doubt anybody suffering with chronic pain as I do also knows exactly what it is like and the worst thing anybody can say is to talk about resolve in any shape or form I was glad that you got in touch I was very glad to hear from you and just wanted to wish you all the very very best with any or all your ongoing treatments thank you so much for replying it was very kind I love the butterfly at the end of your text it's a nice but I'm very beautiful wishing you all the very very best to warmer stuff regards take care now

[Cookingcookie in reply to Montie]

Also my dictaphone makes lots of mistakes! All I shall say now is thank you for your reply and wish you all the very best I love the butterfly take care

[Montie]

Morning Cookingcookie, no need to apologise I totally understand what you mean. Glad you like the butterfly, I use it often as for me it resembles freedom. Over the years I have wanted to fly away from all the pain & settle on the prettiest flower - daft I know ha! I am on my 3rd day of migraine pain & there have been tears this morning as I know today will be another day of limits. On a positive note the sun is shining & I will do the best I can. Hope the sun is shining where you are, speak soon & take good care x 🦋

[Cookingcookie in reply to Montie]

Thank you for your understanding I completely understand my mother used to say that crying wasn't necessary release valve for us all and I think it helps us to acknowledge what is happening then move on sometimes I always think of that saying that trying to change the things we can on having courage to accept the things we can't I think you already have the wisdom to know the difference! Thank you for your reply and the beautiful butterfly I am a keen gardener and I planted some bulbs in the autumn and now they are all coming out and winter flowering plants some alpines primroses primulas daffodils Snowdrop they all look rather jolly in the sun shine today life is very tough with hemiplegic migraine with migraine in general I really hope that it dampens down at least all the very best

[Cookingcookie in reply to Montie]

Gracious Me mistake the phone doesn't always say what I mean I was trying to say that crying was a necessary release valve sometimes it takes courage to let her feelings out and I have no doubt you have that's in spades! Right I'm going now as I seem to be making a right pigs ear of these messages I think I will quit while I'm ahead! I don't know I don't think I can even say that hahaha hope you have some time in the fresh air today wishing you all the very best

[Montie]

Aww thank you for your reply, I could not help the tears this morning. I woke & knew the migraine had not shifted, I will be on snails pace most of the day but I am grateful I can get up & about. Lovely to hear about your planting, sadly I have just given all my potted plants to my dear friends as I am moving next month to an apartment with no garden!! It is a case of needs must for the moment so I can accept that & see my lovely pots when I visit friends. I am waffling so will keep you no longer, spk soon & enjoy the day x 🦋

[Cookingcookie in reply to Montie]

Kind of know how you feel moved from the very beautiful place which had a very large garden ring me because could no longer look after and now I have a small courtyard with lovely views I feel grateful for this and I really do gardening I put perennials and bulbs and very lucky to have a great partner who helps take care are as many of them are cooking from my old garden and plant that friends have given me over the years and of course they only survive if they can live by rain water I mean water themselves we have to face so many losses it is hard and sometimes heartbreaking but I like your positive approach to looking forward to seeing them in your friends garden as I did something very similar wishing you all the very best and going now ready to chat take care

[babs1234]

I have Hemicrania Continua and had the nerve block. Unfortunately they didn’t help but j in j ow they do help some people