I had a nerve block in my neck and base of spinal cord about three months ago for headaches caused by misplaced neck during surgery. Oh my aching head its back with a vengence and its the weekend! My medications don't help. My PM doc doesnt have a on call service and the hospital does have anyone with any sense in it. I have my two kids and dads at work. He doesn't come home unless sombodys dying. I just dont know what to do. It hurts so bad. Any suggestions???

I'm so sorry.....my head pain can keep me in bed for a day or even more...

Once the severe head pain starts, you may need to ride it out. Its often best to try to prevent headaches by learning what triggers your pain and then avoiding your triggers. I've learned that I can't use my arms for anything too strenuous - especially anything like raking or digging.

But since your head already hurts you might want to try wrapping a heating pad around your neck, or taking a nice hot shower and letting the hot water hit your neck for a while (if the kids are old enough for you to do that). If you can rest your head on a good pillow for a while it can help. (I use one of those orthopedic pilows for sleeping and its made an enormous difference). Keep noise and confusion with the kids to a minimum. Turn off unnecessary lights.

If necessary, call someone other than your husband to watch the kids so that you can escape to your bed until he comes home. After all, you are human and severe head can be totally dehabilitating - if your kids are really young then they need to be kept safe.

Take care, and good luck. XOXO Sandy

My kids are 6 and 7 and its bedtime at 8 so I think i'll wait till there asleep and take your advise. Thanks so much!

I've just this very moment rose from the floor in the midst of debilitating head pain, which for me is a vise like grip, almost a seizure really, which grabs just the right side of my skull. Any physical strain on my spine sets it off, and that's what happened this week. Pretty bad.

But what I literally just finished doing, and then read your post, was to place a tens unit all around the base of my spine, which turned off the pressure in my skull more than a few notches (I can't get a SCS for fears of exacerbating things). If you have one, give it a shot.

-- Dennis

I agree with the above,,A nice hot bath,scoot down all the to the base of your ears,,you can later rotate a heating pad and ice ,,my wife will take 1 asprin 800mg advil and 2 extra strengh tylenol,,,caffeine will either help it of hinder it,,and a anti-depressant[like a xanax] does help too,,,,relax if you can in a dark room,,,,,,,and pray,,,

With really bad headaches like ya'll are having have you ever thought to check into an Atlas Orthogonist or NUCCA chiropracter? They are not your run of the mill chiropracters. They do not twist, snap or pop your neck in. But they do adjust the top bone of your spine, the atlas. Your head sits on it. I was down in bed for over 6 yrs with a headache. Turns out that the atlas was twisted 7cm around my brain stem. Over a period of several months they got me straightened out enough I only need maintenance adjustments now. Before I found one of these types of chiro's I had tried them all. Neuro's of all kinds. I even had experimental surgery to try to get rid of this darn headache. I even went to a specialist dentist who treated the tri-geninal nerve in Minneapolis. I went thru a chronic pain clinic in St Paul at Sister Kinney's. I tried everything including the type of chiro that does twist, snap & pop your neck to no avail who works for the Olympics every 4 yrs. Then I found an AO chiro who fixed me up as best as could be after 6 yrs post injury........now I see a NUCCA who does my maintenance. I moved from Iowa to California. But these chiro specialists do wonders for migraine headache sufferers also.

Check out their websites by googling Atlas Orthogonal Chiropracter or NUCCA Chiropracter. I believe there are videos on both sites so you can see what it is they do. They have different techniques but accomplish the same thing. They also have searches on both sites to find the closest one to you. The biggest problem is finding one close to you. The AO I went to was over 2 1/2 hrs one way........but the drive was worth it. And I was so bad I couldn't drive the first several months at all.

One correction, Xanax isn't an anti-depressant..........it is an anti-anxiety medication................we all need to try to label medications correctly so as not to confuse anyone...................*S*

Good luck to all of you & I hope this is helpful to you.

Debby

abrown, I'm so sorry for your terrible headaches. Some of my worst headaches, feel like an ice pick stuck in the temple area of my brain. I've been diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia They are truly terrible-take your breath away. I generally have them on one side , but have had them on the opposite side. There is a group under TN under this forum. Hope it helps.
This disorder puts a terrible strain on the family and marriage. You have two young children, which must make it very difficult. Are you in counseling?
It's important you take care of yourself and learn communication skills to keep your relationships as peaceful as possible. July a thought-keep yourself financially protected. Have you applied for SSDI? I've had this 15 years, am 62 in May and have RSD full body and internally . I hope the best for you and your family. your friend, loretta

I went and saw my pain doc and medtronics rep this week. They reprogramed my stim and my pm doc said I need to repeat the nerve blocks in the base of my head and neck. He said due to my positioning of my head during last surgery is what is causing this. He wants me to go get fitted with a neck collar and wear every night to bed. I just don't see wasting my money on one because I just dont see myself wearing it. I don't think it would be comfortable or be able to sleep with it on. Does any of you sleep with one or have did it before? Just looking for another opinon.

Just a hunch, talk to your neuro about an MRA (before the chiro - although they can really help!), rule out vertebral or basilar artery aneurysm...

I am not sure about the brace. I would ask if you have rsd in the neck for ex if it should be in something like that. I know and this is different but I wore an airboot that made things worse because I actually needed more movement rather then less. Now yours may be totally different but a thought that came to my mind. Have you tried topomax? I know some of the peole in the pain clinic who had severe head aches were on it. I am assuming with scs you can't have an mri but I was wondering before if you ever had one of your brain? I hope you feel better