Headache prone???

[Susie*Bee]

Brad--

Ha ha! LOL! You are a funny fellow! You can at least "try" that one on your wife, but if your surgery was THAT long ago, I doubt if it will work...

I DO get those headaches-- and they are debilitating too. Oh dear. They have been getting worse, I think, and I start back to work in a month. At least that darvocet has made it not as bad-- but then again, I'm feeling a bit light-headed. Maybe it's time for a little nap! (But I have prided myself on not having had one since about 5 or 6 months post-op, so this would break my good record if I do...) What's a body to do?

[Qikdraw]

Ha ha! LOL! You are a funny fellow! You can at least "try" that one on your wife, but if your surgery was THAT long ago, I doubt if it will work...

Well in my defence I was under a lot of stress at work at the time, and we were also planning a trip to Cancun for her birthday. Its just that on her birthday I forgot it was her birthday.

I DO get those headaches-- and they are debilitating too. Oh dear. They have been getting worse, I think, and I start back to work in a month. At least that darvocet has made it not as bad-- but then again, I'm feeling a bit light-headed. Maybe it's time for a little nap! (But I have prided myself on not having had one since about 5 or 6 months post-op, so this would break my good record if I do...) What's a body to do?

Have you tried hot baths (with lots of bubbles) or hot tubs? Getting a massage from your husband? I'm shooting in the dark here, but just a thought.

Brad

[debbei]

I'm sorry Susie that you're getting these headaches. Is there something you can do to prevent them? What makes them go away? Sleep?

I hope you feel better soon. I get sinus headaches sometimes, (knock on wood not so recently) and to me they feel horrible. Sometimes the only thing I can do is go to bed.

[Susie*Bee]

Thanks, Brad and Debbe-- for your concern, but it's ok.

Brad -- it would probably give me more of a headache to try getting in and out of the tub with my long fusion and extra cushioning! Plus I don't think I could get comfy anyway-- I'd miss that way I used to slump (is that a word?) down in the tub by bending my back! It just wouldn't be the same to sit up "straight as a rod" (or two!) But the thought is nice. And I have an aversion to massages for some reason. It has to do with a strange grandmother I had who insisted on giving me a swedish rubdown when she returned from living in Europe when I was about 10 or 11. Wrong age, wrong person, etc. And she really absolutely gave me no choice in the matter. Obviously it affected me, if it still riles me over 40 years later.

Debbe-- I really think from what I've read that it all has to do my cervical vertebrae/nerves/etc. and the stress, so I don't know that there's any way to prevent them. I am always "tight" through the neck and shoulders anyway-- as in very tense. I will check with my scoli doc when I see him in Sept. I try to massage the back of my neck (that much I can tolerate, Brad!) some, but it doesn't do much. (A funny thought-- I wonder if I could have triggered this one by seeing how far I could turn my head, several times, in response to that question Pam had on people being fused to T1 in that one post yesterday... Can't you just picture it?) But I doubt it. And Debbe-- funny that you should mention sinus headaches-- that's what I kept thinking at first, but with no sinus problem. They really remind me of sinus headaches in many ways--even my cheekbones hurt. And yes, I feel like going to bed when I have a bad one. However, I didn't go take a nap after all, so my record still holds.

[Qikdraw]

Thanks, Brad and Debbe-- for your concern, but it's ok.

Brad -- it would probably give me more of a headache to try getting in and out of the tub with my long fusion and extra cushioning! Plus I don't think I could get comfy anyway-- I'd miss that way I used to slump (is that a word?) down in the tub by bending my back! It just wouldn't be the same to sit up "straight as a rod" (or two!) But the thought is nice. And I have an aversion to massages for some reason. It has to do with a strange grandmother I had who insisted on giving me a swedish rubdown when she returned from living in Europe when I was about 10 or 11. Wrong age, wrong person, etc. And she really absolutely gave me no choice in the matter. Obviously it affected me, if it still riles me over 40 years later.

Whoops! I answered your PM before I saw this...

You should be ok with the tub, just make sure you have some of those non-slip mats in it. My fusion is from T2-L4 and I get in and out ok. Granted I've had a lot longer to get used to my fusion. You youngsters don't know what it was like in 'my' day. lol

One good thing about having a long fusion, no one can ever say your slouching. I've been complimented on my posture before, I just tell them I can't help it. lol

I can definately understand the aversion, but by making into a 'romantic' night it may help you replace those older memories. My wife's massages are great and not only because of the massage.

Oh, and she read my post about forgetting her birthday and she said 'thats not an excuse'. *sigh*

Brad

[ladare]

Hey Susie, I'm really sorry to hear of these bad headaches you are experiencing, especially since you are heading back to work soon. I've just now read this thread and can only add that the frequency of migraines increased when I started taking Tramadol about three months before surgery (before that I was on Vicodin and my migraines were on their usual schedule). I've been off Tramadol since surgery, but have had many medium strength headaches which I think is due to the Oxycodone. But yesterday I had another migraine.... Late in the afternoon I thought I was feeling better and got up to start a post, but ended up dashing to the bathroom to give it all up again... I spent almost all day in bed. It's hard to deal with these extra problems when dealing with the surgery is big enough. I hope your doc can find a med that will help you but keep you clear thinking for work. That's been my struggle - pain meds make me so loopy I can't think clearly, I can't read well, I often forget what I'm talking about mid-sentence, forget people's names, etc. I'm quite convinced it's the pain meds causing my brain problems, not the scoliosis. Keep us posted on what you find works for you. BTW, when do you head back to work, mid-August? Blessings. Lisa

[sparks42]

Hello,
I'm 23, had spinal fusion at 18

had terrible migraines/headhaches ever since, but never before.

THEY HURT and I'm going to lose my job for attendance issues :'(
just came back after being suspended, and I'm having head/neck pain.

gotta love the call centers and insurance companie that think im faking my pain because im simply lazy, and dont want to work

FURSTRATED !!!

sorry for the rant style

[Confusedmom]

forgetfulness

On the forgetfulness thing, names, words, etc., I would not be surprised at all if it is related to the surgery. Have you heard of "chemo brain?" People who undergo cancer treatment experience this. I am guessing it's a combination of the stress of treatment, the fact that you are thinking about a LOT of things all the time, relearning how to function in different ways, and also possibly the pain medication. I'm guessing (hoping!) that it gets better with time.

Evelyn

[Susie*Bee]

I was surprised to see this thread I'd started 'way back in ot (how in the heck do you spell that-- the substitute for zero?) eight, making the rounds again. I'm sorry to hear of your problems, Sparks. I really understand how miserable migraines/headaches can be. Since you mention insurance companies, I'm assuming you must have been to see a doctor about yours. My family doctor tried a few things with me (a high blood pressure med that apparently prevents migraines in some people, but didn't with me-- and I didn't have hbp) and then decided to send me to a neurologist a few months ago. In the meantime he had prescribed tramadol, which helped cut the pain a little, so that was a little better, but not great.

The neurologist had me keep a headache diary, recording the dates of my headaches. He also gave me a few samples to try and a prescription for a generic med. Yay! Generic always sounds good. Don't be fooled by that word! These generics are roughly $10 each... Yes, you heard me right, each pill! These generics are to be taken at the onset of a migraine and they work wonderfully for me. They are a sumatriptan, generic for Imitrex. (I think that's it.) Now he is having me take something to try to decrease the number of migraines I have. I think he diagnosed my headaches as common migraines, but whatever they are, mine last usually 2-4 days and I often get them 2-3 times a month.

And this (somehow) leads me to mention to Evelyn that definitely there are meds that cause "brain fog", because this one is written in the medical literature as being one of the culprits-- at least it's one of the possible side effects. It can cause the inability to think of simple words to put together in a sentence, forgetfulness, etc. So far, I'm good to go and I've been on it for a month... Anyway, it's topiramate, generic for topamax, nicknamed dopamax (even in the medical literature!). And the good news is that I have only had a bad headache for one day since I started taking it one month ago, and I just got to full dosage this week. (You have to build up to it... It is actually an anti-seizure medicine but is FDA approved for migraine control, but needs to be started in stages-- so I took 50 mg the 1st week, then 100, then 150, now 200... and that is where I'll remain. If or when I stop, it will also have to be stopped in stages or it can cause seizures. Sheesh. Life is full of scary stuff, aint it.

Good luck with your headaches and with your job, Sparks.