I have a horrid, horrid headache. I get migraines, and this is worse. It's been growing on me for several days now. I feel like worms of fire are eating my brain. I also have an occasional tightness, like my head is trying to collapse in on itself. Also, my spine hurts. It never stopped after they gave me an epidural (yes, more than a year ago, when Emma was born), but it's been getting worse for about a month, and now it's a throbbing, constant pain, centered on that spot and radiating about an inch and a half out. Maybe more. And I feel dizzy, weak, have trouble keeping my eyes open, and everytime the baby squeals, I just want to smother her or something to shut her up (which is not a normal impulse for me, and which is really scaring me).
Is this just a worse migraine? Or what? My migraines aren't typical.
Is there anything I should do to make it better? My normal techniques aren't working.
I'm going to go lie back down in my dark room now. It's hard just to type. But if anyone has any suggestions, I'll check them in a while.
Posted by mothertree (Member # 4999) on :
What happened with your mouth sore? Also, have you been tied to the screen a lot? P.S. I checked your post log, and while I wouldn't say posting is causing the headache, I don't think cutting back would hurt.
[ April 12, 2005, 05:30 PM: Message edited by: mothertree ]
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
((((ketchupqueen))))) I don't have any advice except a hug.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
It healed and went away, and no, I've been taking it easy because of the headache.
Posted by Aunty Eem (Member # 7743) on :
Can you bend your neck? Touch your chin to your chest?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
with much painn yes
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I'm no expert, but it sounds to me like this wouldn't be a bad time to see a doctor. Hopefully CT, Theca, Ela, Alucard, or any of our other members with medical training will happen by soon and be able to offer more informed advice.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Do you have a fever? Rash? Sensitivity to light?
[ April 12, 2005, 05:58 PM: Message edited by: rivka ]
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
no, i dont know, yes
new development- every time i hear a sudden noise, the throb in my head is accompanied by one in a limb.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
oh and nausea lots of nausea
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
You mentioned not having much for breakfast. Have you been eating properly?
Really bad headaches, especially persistent ones, can be a sign of something serious.
If you can possibly manage it, I think you need to see a doctor.
Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
Sounds like a migrane, kq... :/ I'd see a doctor.
Posted by Shigosei (Member # 3831) on :
Yeah, could be meningitis, although lack of a fever makes that less likely. But still...get thee to a doctor right away!
[ April 12, 2005, 06:04 PM: Message edited by: Shigosei ]
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
But she said no fever.
OTOH, meningitis is not the only Very Bad Thing that can have a severe headache as a symptom.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I dont eat in the mornings. never have, now i dont get a chance.
can't afford a doctor. really. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
rivka you're right i havent been eating properly.
could this be related to improper nutrition while nursing a baby?
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Possibly. I know I have been known to get nauseous and light-headed while nursing and not eating enough and nursing -- especially if I were also dehydrated.
Have you been drinking enough?
But the combination of severe headache and stiff neck is REALLY BAD. I'm no doctor, but I know that. Is there no medical clinic with a sliding scale that you can get to?
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I'd say go anyway, and find a way to pay for it later. I know that we're always saying "go to the doctor!" here, but seriously, this sounds like a time when it'd be worth it. Think about what would have happened to Elizabeth if she hadn't seen a doctor when she was having headaches and having problems focusing here eyes and all that.
::angry with a system that denies people basic medical care::
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
closest clinic is downtown. no car, husband at work.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Bus?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
noemon, REALLY REALLY CANT afford it
Posted by Theca (Member # 1629) on :
*Moves carefully over to the side so as not to get run over when Elizabeth reaches this thread*
It's a bit slow for acute meningitis. No fever, and no rash, I assume. You could have a migraine, or a mixed migraine/tension headache. I also wonder about your spine pain and I wonder about muscle spasms. What exactly HAVE you been doing for the headache? I seem to recall they aren't the typical things doctors usually recommend. Have your headaches been changing lately? Have they ever been evaluated by a doctor?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
train, but have to walk 2 blocks. don't feel i can.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Can he take off work to come get you? Are there taxis in your area? Do you know a neighbor you could ask for help? Are there any hatrackers living in your town?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
diagnosed with atypical migrane disorder, age 8.
visualization, painkillers (good ones), self-hypnosis/relaxation, pressure points, massage not working.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Coccinelle and kat are in Dallas. No idea if either works anywhere in the vicinity.
Posted by Theca (Member # 1629) on :
Which painkillers? Any caffeine?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
noemon, if i really really needed to, my mother-in-law could get me and the baby (complication to transportation-- child in infant seat)
but i still can't afford it. seriously. we have NO money right now.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Oh, okay, I didn't know that ketchupqueen lived in Dallas. Ketchupqueen, if one of them could pick you up, would that make any difference to you in terms of your willingness to be seen in a clinic?
Also, in a city the size of Dallas, surely there are some clinics with sliding scales for emergency treatment, aren't there?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
drank a Dr. Pepper.
Posted by Alucard... (Member # 4924) on :
KQ,
Unfortunately, I have more questions than answers:
Do you believe your adverse event from the epidural to be the source of your migranes? Or did they occur before the epidural?
Have you injured your neck or spine recently?
Have you had your spine manipulated by a chiropractor or physical therapist etc... recently?
What do you do specifically to treat a migrane?
What successes or failures can you share in the treatment of your migranes?
As far as diagnosis and treatment of your migranes, you really do NEED to see a physician. I would recommend a neurologist and a batch of tests, most likely consisting of an MRI, CT Scan and bloodwork to start. However, my diagnosis skills are not even close to a physician's abilities. What makes this so hard is that headaches and migranes have so many etiologies that without more specific information, treatment is limited to OTC analgesics that help with pain, and that is not the answer to your problem!
I'm sorry I can't help more. Is there a doctor in the house?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
My ability to pay is about $5 right now. like i said, my husband has the babys seat. my mother-in-law has one if i really need to go but the baby is asleep.
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Absurd question, but has your neck been hurting this morning? Did you sleep well?
Or did the neck flare up in combination with the headache?
-Trevor
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Alucard,
no, yes
no
no
listed above
i have a routine that usually works, when it doesn't, it's not usually this bad.
trevor, I slept fine. my neck always hurts. the stiffness came along with the headache.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Saw your post only after I'd posted mine. I hope I'm not irritating you here by being too strident or whatever--it's just that in my nearly total medical ignorance this sounds like it could be serious. I'm *really* glad that Theca made her way in here--she's probably the best one of us you could have hoped to have look in the thread (no offense to our other medicos and medico types). The fact that you have a history of atypical migranes puts me at my ease somewhat, but still.
If you had to go to a clinic you could always pay later. Even if the most you could afford was a dollar a month, you'd be paying toward your bill, and I believe (Dag, UofUlawguy, correct me if I'm wrong) that as long as you did that they couldn't turn you over to a collection agency or something.
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
KQ, please go see a doctor. My dad found himself with a splitting headache one morning, unable to focus on anything or even to walk easily, and he didn't want to go to the hospital. I overruled him and he was operated on later that day to remove a ruptured brain tumour.
Go. Please.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
twinky, i will see if it still feels this bad in 2 1/2 hourse when jeff gets home. if it does i promise to go, ok?
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
You may not be able to afford it, but at the rate this conversation is going, I don't think you'll be able to afford not to go.
When is your husband due back from work?
-Trevor
Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
((((kq)))) Just hang in there. But tell us if you get off Hatrack, OK?
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Ok, I hate sounding morbid, but:
Either call him and let him know what's up or write a note and leave it for him in case you can't communicate to him in 2.5 hours.
-Trevor
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
he knows, he came home for lunch and put the baby down for a nap.
he didnt want to leave but doesnt want to get fire.d.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I'm glad you'll go if it is still bad when Jeff gets home. Much sympathy and many hugs in the meanwhile!
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Do us a favor and leave a note - if you're asleep, he might not want to wake you up.
And I'd rather him actually check on you and you respond then to just assume you're asleep.
-Trevor
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
quote:twinky, i will see if it still feels this bad in 2 1/2 hourse when jeff gets home. if it does i promise to go, ok?
Okay.
*sends good vibes in the meantime*
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I don't think that waiting is such a good idea. I remember Elizabeth talking about how essential getting treated quickly was. Plus, you've had this all day, and your symptoms have only gotten progressively worse. Seriously, what's to be gained by waiting. I really think that you should call your mother-in-law.
Posted by Theca (Member # 1629) on :
There should be clinics that do sliding scale. Becoming a patient of the internal medicine residents at the University of Texas medical center there would be one way of doing that, you'd get good care, but I'm sure there must be other clinics too. However, I suppose they are not open right now, you'd have to go to a walk in clinic or the ER. ERs are better at sliding scale.
I suggest you have someone come over and look at you, kat or your husband or a good friend to see how you are functioning and just how bad things are and together you decide if you need the ER or if you need to sit down and work on finding a clinic tomorrow.
(It took me awhile to type this post)
Oh, and you haven't listed your painkillers yet, or doses, unless I missed them.
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
I agree with you, Noemon, but KQ seems pretty set on this idea. If she was a relative of mine I'd just bundle her into a car and take her to the hospital, but she isn't...
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Yeah twinky, I'm a little worried that I'm coming off as pushy in an area that really isn't my business. Even so, I thought it was probably better to err on the side of being a bit of an ass.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Yes, doctor, please. Please.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
hahaha. you'd have a fight even with me feeling bad...
i took 3 advil earlier, they didin't help. drank a dr pepper.
now I took one, um, i forget the name... it's prescription, tylenol and something else. on top of hte advil, seems to be helping the pain a little... drank about a quart and a half of water, helped the dizziness. but the shakiness/spsms getting worse.
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
I'm pretty sure KQ knows and understands - but she's a stubborn soul.
I don't know if there is anything that would change her mind at this point - I'm just glad we got her to agree to consider a clinical visit.
-Trevor
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Damnit.
Did you eat anything today? Anything resembling solid food?
-Trevor
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
yes... um...
drat, I know there was something.
it's not low blood sugar. I know what that feels like, trust me.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Pain in head is down significantly. Pain in spine decreased to normal levels.
I feel a little lightheaded, with a minor headache, but otherwise okay.
Sorry to scare you, guys.
*looks at prior posts, with misspellings and little to no capitalization*
Yikes.
I'm not going to go edit that because it's too painful to look at. Sorry, guys.
Um, maybe I should really look into getting my migraines taken care of.
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Bloody hell, ya think?
I did a brief skim on epidurals and side-effects - apparently migraine headaches can be side effects.
I would seriously recommend talking to a doctor at a clinic because I don't think this is a problem that's going to clear up by itself if it is a complication from the epidural, possibly aggravated by your diagnosis on migraines earlier.
Pfft...just be glad I didn't have to roll out the serious guilt trip.
-Trevor
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
So, okay, I'll find a clinic.
Think I should print this thread out to help them get an accurate account of what was going on and why in the heck I'm there?
BTW, once the pain started to decrease, I went and did the self-hypnosis/relaxation again, and that's what stopped the shakiness and spasms. So probably tension was part of it.
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
It couldn't hurt to write down a list of what your symptoms were and the sequence in which things happened.
I'd also jot down what you ate today and any medical history you think is pertinent - if nothing else, it'll give you a checklist for what to tell the doctor.
-Trevor
Posted by Alucard... (Member # 4924) on :
KQ,
I was very worried! My wife suffers from migranes. After battling with them since her early teenage years, I finally convinced her to go to a neurologist. He brought her from 18 migranes a month to about 3 or 4 a month. He found her migranes to be a chemical imbalance of the brain.
I found her in the hall once in the middle of the night mumbling and sobbing. It was very scary. I also had a friend die of a cerebral hemmorhage with a presentation that was eerily similar to the pain and symptoms you described. She died within 48 hours. That is why I too agree that you should get checked out as soon as possible in a thorough and complete way.
But you need to look at your quality of life and determine what will help you most. We only see a sliver of how your migranes are affecting you. I wish you the best in finding an answer and getting them under control!
[ April 12, 2005, 07:00 PM: Message edited by: Alucard... ]
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Trevor, I was raised by a physician. I always have a written list of symptoms and progression with me.
I just thought they might get a kick out of this thread. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Alucard,
I promise to get it taken care of as soon as I can.
I'm madder now than I was before that my husband's work's insurance plan costs more than he makes in the average week per week and we are just making it as it is, so we have no insurance.
I really hope he gets the job he's hoping for.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
I'm so glad you are feeling better. I hope this works out for you, kq. [And you know how I feel about the healthcare "system" in this country.]
quote: I'm *really* glad that Theca made her way in here--she's probably the best one of us you could have hoped to have look in the thread (no offense to our other medicos and medico types).
None taken, at least not from this little corner. I, too, am very glad Theca is and was here, even in the middle of the stress of starting a new job. It's a relief and a pleasure to know that she is here to watch over y'all.
[ April 12, 2005, 07:08 PM: Message edited by: ClaudiaTherese ]
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I'm glad you're feeling better.
Please DO get the headaches dealt with -- for your sake, if not ours.
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Pffft.
For our sake, if not yours - I don't know if I could handle another bout of this.
-Trevor
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Okay, Trevor, next time, I'll just e-mail you. Posted by Susie Derkins (Member # 7718) on :
I'm so glad we have a private health care system. I'm so glad we're not like those poor people suffering in Europe because their governments try to socialize everything and then they have to wait in lines and don't get the best plastic surgeons. Besides - how are we ever gong to increase morale in the lower classes if we don't make them work hard and deserve medical care like the rest of us do?
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
Yeah, Annie. This is one of those threads that makes me love the fact I have a health card in my wallet only a few metres away .
[sidenote: I had a professor this year who has a stron hatred of communism and socialism (he's a complete nutter but that's another story). He hates unions, and yet this year a union saved him from being fired. It's when you need it it suddenly actually doesn' seem so bad, eh?]
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Did he change his mind about unions, or just grudgingly accept their help and continue hating them?
Glad you're feeling better ketchupqueen.
Posted by Aunty Eem (Member # 7743) on :
Had to go away for a while, but I was very worried-- I had Virul Menengitis about 15 years ago and your signs scared me. They all sounded like mine back then. I am so glad you are feeling better!!
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
(((hugs Aunty Eem))) Thanks, guys. And don't worry, if I had had a trace of a fever or a rash, I would have called my husband and been in the emergency room quicker than you can say "menengitis".
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
quote: Did he change his mind about unions, or just grudgingly accept their help and continue hating them?
The latter. He's a very bright man but very strongly opinionated, a bit of a real-life troll, hypocrytical, self-centred, righteous but not necessarily upright himself, un-politically correct and somewhat closed-minded. He was born Jewish and is now and atheist with Catholic beliefs.
However, he realises he is all of these things and readily accepts it.
In conclusion; he's probably a little insane.
Posted by Aunty Eem (Member # 7743) on :
KQ----I didn't have a fever--but spent 2 days in the hospital. If you have a severe painful reaction that is like a migraine(I have them too) but have a stiff and/or painful neck. Forget the cash call a doctor its not worth leaving that beutiful baby girl alone with no momma. By the way she look remarkabley like Ryuko at thet age! You take care of yourself for her. Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
*grins* Ya know Aunty Em, I was going to save that line for a last minute guilt trip, if needed.
-Trevor
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
You think I don't get enough of that from my husband, Trevor? Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Pfft - whatever works.
-Trevor
Posted by Aunty Eem (Member # 7743) on :
I am a mom after all Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
*looks at medicare card in relief*
I hear ya, Annie and Teshi.
Thank heavens for bulk billing.
I'm glad things got better Ketchupqueen. I hope they don't flare up that bad again. But if they do...
Go to a doctor!
(If you come live in Australia, I'll take you to the doctor. Not that I have some secret plan to move every Hatracker to my country or anything.)
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
KQ, have you looked into reflexology? While I wouldn't suggest it as a replacement for proper medical care, it can greatly relieve symptoms in the short term. I frequently rub Fahim's feet when he has headaches or neck & back pain, and usually, it goes from blinding to not bad in less than a minute.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
imogen, I'd love to move to Australia, but only after you guys got rid of so many of the most poisonous/dangerous animals and insects and fish you have down there. Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
I agree with Mack. The wildlife's a bit frightening! Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Not to mention the hole in the ozone. I sunburn enough as it is!
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Talked to my dad, and came up with an explaination as to what happened today.
He said it should go away with time, especially if I am able to control the migraines.
He also said that I need to see someone about controlling my migraines. Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
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