Headache and pressure

Keegan
Keeganon Friday, September 25 2015
3 Comments

Greetings, 

So I had a mini-stroke about 5 weeks ago and have left arm/shoulder/neck pain ever since as well as headaches whenever I concentrate or attempt anything mentally .. like writing this.  The headaches are better described a combination of pain and then a feeling of heavy pressure in my head.  Lying down helps but generally requires sleep to remove the pressure completely.   I am completely new to all of this and my GP has been  unhelpful.  Advice would be welcomed.

3 Responses
StrokeLine avatar
StrokeLine

Hi Keegan,

 

Sorry to hear about your stroke and your ongoing headaches, arm, neck and shoulder pain. I would be getting a second opinion from another GP just to check there is nothing else going on.

 

Other questions for you to consider:

Do you know what your blood pressure is like currently? Are you well hydrated? Getting enough sleep? How are your stress levels? Do you you have any other signs of stroke? You can check here. If you're having any other signs of stroke you need to call 000.

 

Some people can experience headaches after stroke and may find it difficult to concentrate however this usually improves over time. I would also be checking with a GP or neurologist that how your feeling isn't due to any side effects from medication.

 

Do you have a neurologist you can call for a review? Are you due to return to the hospital where you were diagnosed with your stroke for a review? 

 

If you can call us on StrokeLine on 1800 787 653 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) we would recommend you doing so or book in to see a GP or specialist as soon as you can for a review.

 

Thanks,

Simone (Occupational Therapist for StrokeLine)

Kay avatar
Kay

I'll let him know you replied Simone. At least someone is concerned for him! New GP appointment on Wednesday so hopefully more answers then. Specialist physician (because for some stupid reason that is his only specialist and the one who diagnosed the stroke finally) says the headaches are after effects and should settle down, apparently. They seem to be related to cognitive fatigue from what dr said and we can work out. What a mess of a journey this is.

Kay

Kay avatar
Kay

For the sake of anyone following the update on those headaches is that since the incident on 17th August, he has now developed cluster headaches and vasovagal which has been resolved with a new blood pressure medication. This medication also agrees with him more than the previous one so a lot of the fatigue takes a lot longer to set in now, and doesn't involve the headaches in the same way. So he's back to having word finding difficulty and some changes in his cognition and fatigue that takes most of a day to build up instead of one hour.

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