Spinal headaches

Sir GuitarCozmo · August 04, 2016, 09:51:58 AM

Wife had to undergo a spinal tap on Tuesday. Took that day and most of yesterday to stay laying down, as advised. This morning, she got a crazy bad headache, much like she was advised could happen if she didn't take it easy, which she tried to do. It gets better when she's laying down, worse when upright, common symptom. Anyone else dealt with one of these? If so, was there anything that helped manage the pain? Advil didn't seem to do much, apparently.

Prog Snob · August 04, 2016, 10:09:03 AM

My ex used to get migraines from time to time and used to use, if I remember correctly, Excedrin for migraines. It actually worked really well for my headaches when I took it. It has acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine, which is a pretty winning combo for what she needs.

Advil never worked for me.

Prog Snob · August 04, 2016, 10:12:42 AM

I just did some reading. Excedrin Extra Strength has the same dosage as the three things I mentioned above, so if you can't find the migraine pills, get extra strength. It's 250mg each of aspirin and acetaminophen, and 65mg of caffeine.

King Postwhore · August 04, 2016, 10:23:12 AM

Damn Coz. I hope she recovers quickly.

cramx3 · August 04, 2016, 12:26:10 PM

Quote from: Prog Snob on August 04, 2016, 10:09:03 AM
My ex used to get migraines from time to time and used to use, if I remember correctly, Excedrin for migraines. It actually worked really well for my headaches when I took it. It has acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine, which is a pretty winning combo for what she needs.

Advil never worked for me.

Advil liquigels works for minor headaches for me, but excedrin is the best shit for a hardcore headache or migraine.

Honestly, marijuana is a huge help as well, obviously illegal though, but my doctor friends have even agreed that it can be better for pain than prescribed pain pills.

Dr. DTVT · August 04, 2016, 06:50:31 PM

Try praying to St. Hubbins.

Sir GuitarCozmo · August 05, 2016, 07:47:12 AM

She works for the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania. Two of her supervisors are a doctor and a nurse. They finally made her go home yesterday, and she laid down most of the afternoon and had a Coke (sugar + caffeine). Seemed okay the rest of the night and tried to take it easy. This morning, it started again, though not nearly as severe as yesterday, so I sent a Coke with her and am hoping for the best.

I called the neurologist's office yesterday (the neurologist referred her for the ST), who also echoed the sugar + caffeine suggestion. They said that if this goes on another day or two that she should get a blood patch at the ER. Basically they take your own blood and re-inject it at the site of the ST, clotting the area and sealing the leakage. The sooner it is administered, the more effective it is. Thing is from all the blood work she has had in the last week or two, she's made it pretty clear that no doctor is coming near her with a needle again any time soon.

splent · August 06, 2016, 11:03:30 PM

I've never had those knowingly, but I get migraines (especially due to stress, or if I drink alcohol, and no it's not a hangover because sometimes I get them after drinking one beer), and I usually take exedrin for them. My doctor also said high BP could cause them, and I was on BP meds for a while. I need to start taking them again. Originally theyput me on prescription aleve, and that worked a bit, but exedrin works better for me and it's cheaper.

Exedrin Migraine is Caffiene, Asprin, and Tylenol, so that may help.

Usually now when I drink a lot I'll take migraine meds to prevent a possible migrane as well as drink water and gatorate after I'm done or in between drinks. But sometimes even without alcohol I get them and ithey're so bad I puke, and I can't look at light or smell anything or I'll get sick. Idk if that is the same with your wife or not. But regardless, the sugar/caffiene helps either way.

sneakyblueberry · August 06, 2016, 11:24:20 PM

I had like, a million spinal taps for chemo, I found yeah lying down helped the most. High doses of caffeine as I think has already been mentioned. Lotsa sweet coffee for me. They really suck, I hope she gets over em soon.

cramx3 · August 10, 2016, 12:45:10 PM

Quote from: splent on August 06, 2016, 11:03:30 PM
Exedrin Migraine is Caffiene, Asprin, and Tylenol, so that may help.

Usually now when I drink a lot I'll take migraine meds to prevent a possible migrane as well as drink water and gatorate after I'm done or in between drinks. But sometimes even without alcohol I get them and ithey're so bad I puke, and I can't look at light or smell anything or I'll get sick. Idk if that is the same with your wife or not. But regardless, the sugar/caffiene helps either way.

Be careful, Tylenol and specifically acetaminophen, is NOT good to be mixed with alcohol. Will burn a hole in your kidneys. Stick with Asprin if you plan on having a drink. I only use advil for hangovers or if I have a headache and know I may be having a drink later.

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20131104/tylenol-and-alcohol-a-bad-mix-study-suggests

Sir GuitarCozmo · August 10, 2016, 12:51:45 PM

I forgot to update. She's much better with the headaches now. How this all came about:

Maybe a couple times a year, she gets a migraine, sees floaters (colors, shapes, etc.). On Friday, 7/22, she felt pain in the rear left side of her head and neck, and saw a flash of black in her right eye. Thinking this was similar to any migraine she might normally encounter, she took some Advil and laid down. After a while the pain went away. Vision was a little funny, but she felt perfectly fine otherwise. Went to bed, got up Saturday morning, still having trouble seeing out of the right eye. Looking straight ahead, about the right third-ish of her right eye's field of vision was not working properly. Did our errands, got more concerned and went to the ER.

Did lots of visual acuity tests and her outer right eye peripheral vision was just not there. They'd hold things up and bring them into her field of view and it would almost have to be in front of her before she'd start to see it. They did a CT scan and blood work, etc. CT scan showed some sort of questionable specks of some sort in the occipital lobe, and ordered an MRI for Wednesday, 7/27. Turns out the specks on the CT scan were a red herring. Nothing but some sort of something about the way her brain is shaped or something. I didn't get a clear explanation. However it's lucky that that prompted the MRI, which showed a mild stroke in the visual cortex. The neurologist showed us on the MRI scans. Scheduled lots of blood work, an echocardiogram, a carotid Doppler, and the aforementioned spinal tap/lumbar puncture.

So now we wait for the results to come back. On one hand, you hope they find something that can explain what happened and if anything can be done, but on the other hand, you hope nothing show up, because you don't want there to be more problems. She has considerably lessened how much she smokes as a result, which is good. Hopefully it will be the impetus for her to be able to quit altogether. Driving to work, downtown in the middle of the state capitol, and parking in a fairly narrow 11-story garage with a Chrysler Town and Country might be daunting for most people anyway, but with her reduced vision she's even more scared.

Looking back, I absolutely can not believe that I did not immediately clue in to the left side/right side link and force her to the ER on the spot. Not that they would've been able to really DO anything, but still.

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Spinal headaches