Suffering With Severe Headache. That is ready to Explode. GP just prescribes painkillers since last year.

[Kelly_Anne]

Hi everyone. I hope someone can help me. I've been having severe strong painful headaches. Like my head is going to explode. Since last year. And all my GP does is to prescribe me painkillers. I've must have tried them all and she won't book me in to have a scan to find out the cause as there must be something there that's causing me this severe pressurise pain. It's so bad it brings me to tears. Does anyone know the cause to this. Or has anyone else had this type of pain. And if you did. How did you stop it. Please any advice will be appreciated. To help me be pain-free. Thanks in advance Kelly x

[teadrinker]

I'm sorry your are having such an awful time, Kelly. I've suffered from pain in my face, including explosive headaches for many years. It has got better but it took time to sort out.

Like you, it took some convincing of some (not all) doctors that I needed more than medication that wasn't helping.

Have you tried keeping a diary of when you get the headaches, how severe they are, what they feel like, and whereabouts in your head they are etc? What helps, what makes it worse, what were you doing at the time? If you try some of the migraine websites they have diaries to help with this. I'm not saying it is migraine but the diary might help - taking some evidence along can be useful. Oh, and if it's reducing you to tears make sure you tell the doctor that, if you haven't already. Maybe there's a different GP you could see?

Chronic daily headache is a big problem for a lot of people so you are not on your own. Hope this helps.

[Kelly_Anne in reply to teadrinker]

Hi teadrinker.

Thanks for your reply. Thanks for the idea of me to start a diary each time I get my pains. It will maybe help my GP to see how serious it is to me. I'm due to see another GP on Friday. Who I hope can help me of send me to have a scan. I will keep you all in formed. Thanks Kelly.

[Hidden]

Hello

Sorry for your pain

Do you wear glasses or do you need your eyes checked, could be that. Are you on the computer for long periods of time, that can cause a problem. You can get a pair of special tinted glasses to get rid of the glare.

Another thing it could be is migraine that can cause pains like that, there are special meds for that.

Always try the obvious before looking for the worst. Another this is the television could be that. sometimes flouresent tubes can cause it put a standard light over were you are working it can change the light source sometimes a desk lamp with green shade is also good.

I am not trying to trivulize and I hope it is one of these problems with the exception of migraine

All the very best

BOB

[Kelly_Anne in reply to Hidden]

Hi Bob.

Thanks for your reply. Yes I do wear glasses. But since last year I've already had two six monthly eye test. Which have me fine thank god. But maybe it could be migraine that I'm suffering with. I just hope they can diagnose it and prescribe me the right medications for migraines.

I've made an appointment to see another GP on Friday. Which I hope will be more understanding and maybe can get me to have a scan to check for sure. I shall keep you all informed regarding my appointment.

Thanks my kindest regards Kelly.

[onhereagain]

Please read up on cluster headaches and see if you think it is this my niece suffers from this and she is reduced to tears with the pain

[Kelly_Anne in reply to onhereagain]

Hi onhereagain.

Thanks for your reply. I have heard about cluster headaches and tension headaches. But I will check out the cluster headaches thanks for this info. I hope your niece feels better too. As these headaches are so severe and unbearable to live with. I've booked to see another GP on Friday. Which I hope he can help and hope he will send me in for a scan to make sure there's nothing more serious. After I've seen him I will inform you all regarding this.

Thanks my kind regards Kelly

[Mistee]

Aw thats awful hun

The pain diary is an excellent idea, I would include a pain score in this too, ie how would you rste the pain out of 10 - 1 being nothing there and 10 being chopped in half (my dr's words, lol!) . I really cant understand why it takes doctors soooo long to send people for scans and xrays, I know they're expensive, but really how long do we need to suffer before they start taking it seriously???

I get some pretty bad headaches from time to time, which are caused bu a combination of neck injury and subconscious jaw clenching which my dentist has ordered a mouth guard for.

In may of last year, I had my first ever migrane. It starridiculous hadurday night and by Sunday morning, my head hurt so much that I had to stop what I was doing (going up stairs!!) and lay down! I tried phoning my mum in tears to ask her to take my 3yr old for the day but all I could manage to do was sob "pain". She sent my dad over with strict instructions to take me to a&e! I tried to argue a little - how ridiculous for a headache, but my mum is the kind of person who has had maybe 2-3 sick days in the last 10yrs so I quickly gave in and went. They ended up admitting me for tests and pain management, I was given a CT scan and Lumbar Puncture before diagnosing me with a viral migraine - luckily for me was nothing sinister and it eventually went away.

The moral of that little story is, if your headaches are so bad they are bringing you to tears it may be worth heading to a&e next time...?

Hope you manage to get something sorted soon!! Xxx

[Kelly_Anne in reply to Mistee]

Hi Mistee. Thanks for your reply. It seems you've suffered a lot too. But glad you're feeling better now.

What you say is a good idea too about my pain score. At the moments it's about 8

But thanks for reminding me this as I've already have had two severe headaches since I've started my diary and I will show it to my GP on Friday. But like you said if he doesn't refer me to have a scan. Than I will do the same as you and go to a & e.

I hope to inform you all on Friday after I've seen my GP.

Thanks again my kind regards Kelly

[johnsmith]

A scan may show nothing. A GP cannot refer you for a scan. The GP must refer you to a specialist who can refer you for a scan.

Seeing a private physiotherapist may help. A chiropracter may be able to help. An Alexander Teacher may be able to help. If the GP will not refer you to an appropriate specialist then the GP may well be in breach of the GMC rules, and complaint procedures should be started.

Many tension headaches can be caused by something you are doing. Hence the need to seek help from other experts.

[Nicotinejack]

Kelly_Anne In the 1970's I went to hospital to have my ears checked as my hearing in left ear was not good, they sent me for a scan, In 2005 the hearing in my left ear was a lot worse, after a session with the hospital ear specialist they sent me for a scan. I did not have headaches and was fairly certain I did not have a tumour, as I had been to a eye surgeon a month before and he said there was no major problem with my eye's, opticians can see these things in your eye. It appears that if you say you are deaf in one ear the ear specialists suspect a tumour and send you for a scan. So tell them you are deaf in one ear. Sorry for your pain, I have never had a bad headache in my life and I am nearly 80, but I do have friends who suffer badly with migraine. Jack.

[Palioly]

Look up AVM - (but beware I have no medical expertise) - however  I would never before a few years ago have even known about the existence of the AVM.