I had a stroke last July. I have had constant headaches on and off since. When I asked my specialist about them he said they were not uncommon and to take panadol if i needed too. I find if i drive for any time my headaches gets worse. Should I do anything about it or just carry on for the next 6 months and see what happens after the 12 months?

Hi Robert,

Sorry to hear about your stroke and the constant headaches you're experiencing. While it isn't completely uncommon I would be requesting further investigations with your specialist to ensure there isn't something else that could explain them. It isn't something you should have to put up with long term. When are you due to see the specialist again? Do you know what type of stroke you had - haemorrhagic (bleed) or ischaemic (clot)? Do you feel the headaches have improved at all since your stroke or are they getting worse? Did you previously suffer from headaches or migraines?

Some suggestions in the meantime:

- Keep a diary: record the severity of the headaches out of 10, list potential triggers (fatigue, certain foods, lack of sleep, stress), how long they last and what helps to ease them (sleep, dark/quiet room, panadol, etc).
- Ensure you are receiving adequate hydration. For men the recommendation is approximately 2.5L of water and more if you're exercising daily. You are aiming for straw-coloured urine.
- You could look into relaxation strategies like meditation and mindfulness and complimentary therapies (in consultation with your specialist) to help manage the headaches.

I hope other survivors who have experienced headaches after stroke will contribute to this conversation. If at any stage your headache becomes severe, sudden onset and not relieved with standard pain medication like paracetamol, please call 000 immediately. It can be a sign of a stroke.

If you would like to discuss further please call us on StrokeLine on 1800 787 653.

Best wishes,

Simone (Occupational Therapist for StrokeLine)