# Spasm like headaches??



## teri2280 (Feb 7, 2012)

OK, I know that headaches are expected with med changes, hypo hell, etc. BUT, spasm like headaches?? I mean one where the normal level is about a 7-8 (on a scale of 1-10, 10 being worst), and then a spasm of pain every 10 minutes that shoots the pain level to a 12-13??? And it's not an all over headache. Just concentrated on the left side, right in front of the top of my ear.

Ended up in the ER fri nite over it. Headache (without spasms) started around 6ish, took 2 vicodin. Made me loopy for a couple hours, pain somewhat subsided, then at bed time came back again. Took a 600 ibuprofen around 9, and at 10 we were on our way to the ER. Spasms started during the trip to the ER, and continued while we were there. ER doc gave me some pill AND a shot, and even an hour after taking both of those, I was still having spasms. Got home around 1230, spasms finally ended, and I got a little bit of sleep (like maybe an hour). Was fine yesterday, other than a SMALL headache around 4ish (that a 600 ibuprofen knocked out). Today, back to the killer pain and spasms. Even left work early, taking 1/3 of a point. 2 600s and 2 vicodins in me (throughout the whole day so far) and I'm STILL having these dang spasm things. WTH? I know headaches are normal, and I've honestly gotten used to them, but THESE?? I call bs on the doc saying that spastic headaches are normal.

Figured out another way to kinda describe them. I've never given birth and probably never will, so I'm guessing here, but it sounds like the right theory.  You're in labor, and already in pain, then a contraction comes along and worsens the pain. Seriously? Am I having contractions in my HEAD?? (This is one thing that IS all in my head! LOL )


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## teri2280 (Feb 7, 2012)

Calling my fam doc first thing in the morning. Could've gone to an urgent care place today, but I'm pretty sure they would've done/said the same thing as the ER doc.


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## Texaschick (May 26, 2012)

Hi Teri, I really hope you are feeling better - I am glad you are calling your doctor tomorrow...Take care and I hope you get sleep tonight.


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## Bethany79 (Jul 24, 2012)

Did the spasm feel like being stabbed in the head or shocked, on top of the headache pain? Did you feel like you were blind when the spasm occurred?


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## teri2280 (Feb 7, 2012)

Bethany79 said:


> Did the spasm feel like being stabbed in the head or shocked, on top of the headache pain? Did you feel like you were blind when the spasm occurred?


Blind, no. No vision issues or nausea whatsoever (which made the ER doc rule out a migraine). Shocked, not really. It's more of a gradual thing, kinda like a charlie horse that you can feel coming on. (But, unlike charlie horses, moving around or rubbing it does absolutely nothing to help it.)

Had a couple more of the spasms last night, took a WHILE to get to sleep, but when I did, I stayed there. When I first woke up this morning, about a half hour ago, nothing, and am feeling it start to come back already. (Already took a 600 ibuprofen in hopes of killing it before it gets here.) Hubby thinks it's the cytomels I'm on, but, 1) I was on them before and didn't have them, and 2) I've skipped them the past 2 days. When I was on cytomel before (pre RAI), I started feeling the effect of going off of them within a day or 2, so I'm pretty sure that's not what it is.

It's gonna be a long hour waiting for my doc's office to open!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

teri2280 said:


> OK, I know that headaches are expected with med changes, hypo hell, etc. BUT, spasm like headaches?? I mean one where the normal level is about a 7-8 (on a scale of 1-10, 10 being worst), and then a spasm of pain every 10 minutes that shoots the pain level to a 12-13??? And it's not an all over headache. Just concentrated on the left side, right in front of the top of my ear.
> 
> Ended up in the ER fri nite over it. Headache (without spasms) started around 6ish, took 2 vicodin. Made me loopy for a couple hours, pain somewhat subsided, then at bed time came back again. Took a 600 ibuprofen around 9, and at 10 we were on our way to the ER. Spasms started during the trip to the ER, and continued while we were there. ER doc gave me some pill AND a shot, and even an hour after taking both of those, I was still having spasms. Got home around 1230, spasms finally ended, and I got a little bit of sleep (like maybe an hour). Was fine yesterday, other than a SMALL headache around 4ish (that a 600 ibuprofen knocked out). Today, back to the killer pain and spasms. Even left work early, taking 1/3 of a point. 2 600s and 2 vicodins in me (throughout the whole day so far) and I'm STILL having these dang spasm things. WTH? I know headaches are normal, and I've honestly gotten used to them, but THESE?? I call bs on the doc saying that spastic headaches are normal.
> 
> Figured out another way to kinda describe them. I've never given birth and probably never will, so I'm guessing here, but it sounds like the right theory.  You're in labor, and already in pain, then a contraction comes along and worsens the pain. Seriously? Am I having contractions in my HEAD?? (This is one thing that IS all in my head! LOL )


What was your blood pressure? Your pulse rate? Did they check carotid arteries and other arteries for blood flow? What was your Co2?

Did they rule out Temporal Arteritis?

http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/temporal-arteritis/overview.html


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## teri2280 (Feb 7, 2012)

Andros said:


> What was your blood pressure? Your pulse rate? Did they check carotid arteries and other arteries for blood flow? What was your Co2?
> 
> Did they rule out Temporal Arteritis?
> 
> http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/temporal-arteritis/overview.html


Blood pressure stayed right around 120/80. Saw anywhere from 120-125/72-83. Pulse got no higher than mid 70s. Temp was LOW, like 94.something when I was in triage. BP and pulse were monitored my entire time there, but temp only taken once. No other tests. Had a friend of mine at work ask if they did a cat scan, and she seemed surprised they didn't. (I didn't know that ERs would even DO a cat scan..? I've had an EKG in the ER years ago, but not a cat....) In the 2 and a half hours (roughly) that I was there, they talked to me, told me it was normal, monitored bp and heart rate, gave me some drugs, and sent me on my way. An hour of it was probably them just keeping me to make sure I didn't have an allergic reaction to the drugs.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

teri2280 said:


> Blood pressure stayed right around 120/80. Saw anywhere from 120-125/72-83. Pulse got no higher than mid 70s. Temp was LOW, like 94.something when I was in triage. BP and pulse were monitored my entire time there, but temp only taken once. No other tests. Had a friend of mine at work ask if they did a cat scan, and she seemed surprised they didn't. (I didn't know that ERs would even DO a cat scan..? I've had an EKG in the ER years ago, but not a cat....) In the 2 and a half hours (roughly) that I was there, they talked to me, told me it was normal, monitored bp and heart rate, gave me some drugs, and sent me on my way. An hour of it was probably them just keeping me to make sure I didn't have an allergic reaction to the drugs.


Yep; they do CAT scans and they should have. What if you have a meningioma (benign) which is showing up a lot due to constant cell phone use or so some purport. Not to mention the arteritis I mentioned.


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## teri2280 (Feb 7, 2012)

Andros said:


> Yep; they do CAT scans and they should have. What if you have a meningioma (benign) which is showing up a lot due to constant cell phone use or so some purport. Not to mention the arteritis I mentioned.


I guess I shouldn't be surprised. The er doc doesn't know me or my history whatsoever, so he had no clue that headaches are NOT a normal thing for me. Yes, I told him so, but you know what dip****s ER docs can be. Got through to my fam doc, and I have an appt. @ 1030 this morning. On the plus side, the ER doc WAS kind of a Dr. McSteamy.  Probably fresh out of med school, from the looks of him, but still cute.

LOL at the meningioma from cell phone use! I don't buy into it, but when I DO use my cell (which isn't very often at all, and it's an old school flip phone) it's on my right side, whereas the pain is on my left, so unless the little power that my cheap a** cell is radiating (seriously, it was a $30 phone with $30 mail in rebate!) can travel from one side of my brain to the other, I doubt that's it. Unless it can magically travel to my head while I'm texting, which I do a lot of....


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## teri2280 (Feb 7, 2012)

Just got home from the doc. Basically, if it had been 5 years ago, he'd refer me to a neurologist and be done with it. Unfortunately, out of 20 some neurologists within an hour of me, only 2 are currently accepting headache patients. Gave me a script for amitriptylin, which is actually a sleeping pill but ideally should block the headaches before they start. If that doesn't work, I'm supposed to pop a couple of aleve. If THOSE don't work after a couple of hours, I'm supposed to pop a Maxalt, which is a Migraine drug. If there's no change after 48 hours (noon on Wed), he'll refer me to one of the 2 neurologists (one of them is a good friend of his, and he actually already called them when he saw I was in the ER over the weekend for headaches...should be able to get in to him in about a week if I have to), and we'll go from there. He wasn't all about just sending me in for a cat scan, he said he'd rather have mri over a cat, but wanted to try to just knock it out with drugs first. He knows how my history is with headaches (super minimal), but says he's seen people develop migraines later in life. He's saying what the ER doc did, that it's not a migraine, but I might just be in the in-between stages of getting them, and if we're going to kick it with drugs, we'll kick it with THESE drugs.

I took an aleve about an hour ago, and nothing, but I'm gonna go lay down and see what happens. If, in an hour or so, I'm feeling no change, I'll pop the Maxalt, and will def be taking the amitriptylin at bed time.


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## teri2280 (Feb 7, 2012)

Oops. It's Amitriptyline, not amitriptylin


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## midgetmaid (Jul 22, 2010)

I get headaches that feel like a charlie horse. The pain is steady, though, with no spikes. It's across my forehead. I have found that if I take ibuprofen, apply heat and lay down the pain greatly decreases. I have a sock full of rice that I heat in the microwave for one minute.

I hope you feel better soon!

Renee


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## teri2280 (Feb 7, 2012)

Update: Saw a neurologist yesterday. Have still had THE. SAME. headache now for 3+ wks. It's not spasming anymore, and hasn't for about 2 wks, but still hurts like hell, but I've been able to go to work (can't do much more than that in a normal day, but at least I'm not getting attendance points for it). The amitriptyline and Maxalt from my PCP didn't do squat. Well, I take that back - the amitrip made me SUPER irritable. Like enough that when my hubby accidentally took a wrong turn on a trip, the rest of the sandwich in my hand went out the window irritable. We figured out that my irritations started around the time I started taking it, and I stopped. No worse headaches going off of it, so assuming it wasn't doing crap to begin with.
Neuro gave me a script for medrol (or whatever the steroid pack is called), and vicoprofen. Have an MRI scheduled for next tues, and a follow up with the neuro a week later. (The neuro is an hour from me, and my days off are on Mon and Tues, this is why so long in between everything.)


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

teri2280 said:


> Update: Saw a neurologist yesterday. Have still had THE. SAME. headache now for 3+ wks. It's not spasming anymore, and hasn't for about 2 wks, but still hurts like hell, but I've been able to go to work (can't do much more than that in a normal day, but at least I'm not getting attendance points for it). The amitriptyline and Maxalt from my PCP didn't do squat. Well, I take that back - the amitrip made me SUPER irritable. Like enough that when my hubby accidentally took a wrong turn on a trip, the rest of the sandwich in my hand went out the window irritable. We figured out that my irritations started around the time I started taking it, and I stopped. No worse headaches going off of it, so assuming it wasn't doing crap to begin with.
> Neuro gave me a script for medrol (or whatever the steroid pack is called), and vicoprofen. Have an MRI scheduled for next tues, and a follow up with the neuro a week later. (The neuro is an hour from me, and my days off are on Mon and Tues, this is why so long in between everything.)


Glad to hear from you!!! You have had a really tough time of it and it is a relief to know that you have an MRI scheduled.

Bless your heart!! This truly is worrisome!! When you are able, please let us know about the MRI.


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## teri2280 (Feb 7, 2012)

Andros said:


> Glad to hear from you!!! You have had a really tough time of it and it is a relief to know that you have an MRI scheduled.
> 
> Bless your heart!! This truly is worrisome!! When you are able, please let us know about the MRI.


Thanks, Andros! Will do!! It's been a crazy few weeks with this thing. Seriousy, work has been about all I can do on a "regular" day, and my day off chores are literally taking both days off to get them done in. Thyroid wise, I feel great, but the headache has def. been taking a toll on me!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

teri2280 said:


> Thanks, Andros! Will do!! It's been a crazy few weeks with this thing. Seriousy, work has been about all I can do on a "regular" day, and my day off chores are literally taking both days off to get them done in. Thyroid wise, I feel great, but the headache has def. been taking a toll on me!


Believe me; that would bring anybody to their knees! Is it whole head, forehead, one side??


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## teri2280 (Feb 7, 2012)

Left temple, 99% of the time, maybe 2x in the past 3+ weeks, it's been in the same spot, but on the right side. Even my fam doc suggested my stress level (which isn't perfect right now, but considering everything I've gone through this year, you'd think I'd have had a stress headache before now!) when I saw him, but even the neurologist said stress headaches stick to the forehead, and confirming my theory that if that were it, it would have hit well before now.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

teri2280 said:


> Left temple, 99% of the time, maybe 2x in the past 3+ weeks, it's been in the same spot, but on the right side. Even my fam doc suggested my stress level (which isn't perfect right now, but considering everything I've gone through this year, you'd think I'd have had a stress headache before now!) when I saw him, but even the neurologist said stress headaches stick to the forehead, and confirming my theory that if that were it, it would have hit well before now.


Well; has your doc ruled out temporal arteritis? Remember this was listed in a previous post by moi as a possible?


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## teri2280 (Feb 7, 2012)

No, and I honestly didn't think to even ask him about it. I'm gonna wait til I meet with him after the mri. Already have it scheduled, so may as well go through with it. Can't hurt...


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

teri2280 said:


> No, and I honestly didn't think to even ask him about it. I'm gonna wait til I meet with him after the mri. Already have it scheduled, so may as well go through with it. Can't hurt...


Hope you do ask and I hope also that you let me know.


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## teri2280 (Feb 7, 2012)

Will do!


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## teri2280 (Feb 7, 2012)

I'm a little late on the update, but I didn't want to jinx it. On Nov 6 (Tues), I had an appt with the neuro where he told me there was nothing in my head causing the headaches. He saw a MINUTE amt of sinus disease, but nothing he was concerned about. Gave me a prescription for topamax. I took one that evening, and then forgot about it the next night. On Thurs, I tried, just for the heck of it, to leave my hair down instead of it's usual ponytail. (I work in the deli dept. and can get by with a hat and ponytail, but if I leave it down I need a hair net. I'm a tomboy, so hat and pony it's been.) Had a headache most of that day, but by 330 pm, was totally headache free. I left my hair down Friday, but on the Saturday I pulled it back with my Steelers scrunchie instead of my normal rubber-band-ish hair tie. Been doing ponytails with the scrunchie ever since, and also headache free! Since my hair is so thin from all the thyroid stuff, it was taking 4 wraps of the hair tie to get it to hold. I'm thinking that it might have just been too tight for too long....?? (Thoughts?)

In all honesty, after researching topamax on the net, I am SO glad I didn't remember to take it. The side effect list is pretty nasty looking, and there's only one on there (the weight loss lol) that I'd actually welcome having (but my luck wouldn't get lol).

I'm going to call my neuro's office on Monday and let them know what's going on. I'm all for cancelling the appt. I have with him on the 10th of Dec, but we'll see what he says. I'm just not all about this guy. I just got the impression that he was content to put me on whatever pill got rid of the headache vs. finding out the cause. (I was prescribed 3-4 different meds in just 3 visits to him.)

Also, part of the reason I waited so long to post an update was that I wanted to make sure none of the other meds he had me playing "russian roulette" with were in my system still.

*ADD* Oh, and I forgot to mention that the only time I actually took the topamax was that one pill the first night.


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