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Discussion

I need advice

10 hours ago my usually stoical husband complained of very sudden onset of the most severe headache he has ever had in his life. He does not usually get headaches, and has had none recently. He took paracetamol/ acetaminophen. After half an hour there was no relief from the pain whatsoever and he had said to me ten times "I've never had a headache like this in my life." I took him to the emergency department. The doc sent him home with ibuprofen saying it is probably a tension headache. His temp, pulse and BP were normal.

The pain is now a litte worse despite regular ibuprofen (He normally won't take pills). He is photophobic and has neck pain. He is lying in a darkened room. Temp is still normal. He is obviously still GCS 15 with no obvious neuro deficits, or I wouldn't be on the internet! Should I take him back to the hospital and make noises about a head CT scan and possibly LP or am I just being a neurotic pain in the derriere?

Featured Replies

I would take him to the ER now. Demand the tests you want done, it is better to find out that it is nothing than to have it be something. You know, better safe than sorry. Good luck I hope everything turns out ok. Keep us posted!

Scotty~

I wishI had some sort of wonderful advice, but I am a relatively new nurse myself.

But if it were my hubby, I think I would...cause my hubby is one of those never-gets-a-headache, No, I-won't-go-to-the-dr type people...

Hope someone comes on soon who can give you more help.

God bless!

Julie :)

Take him in and tell them just like you told us here.

Something just isn't right and you KNOW it!

Better to be totally wrong and embarrassed than to wait and have something happen that may have been treated.

Go now, and let us know what happened.

-Russell

  • Author

Thanks for your replies guys. I am just trying to get him up because he is scared to move his head. I will let you know how I get on.

Go and let the doc to examine him once again i feel something is not right may be an LP will be of help. Don't make noise ,anybody makes mistakes

I Feels he might be having infection in meniges or along the optic nervers may be viral or bacterial

I agree, go back and let them know the treatment they prescribed didn't work. He needs a cat scan and perhaps a lumbar puncture.

Could be a migraine or a tension headache, but other more serious causes need to be ruled out since he usually doesn't have headaches or complain, and this is a new and sudden onset.

Keep in touch.

  • Author

Thanks so much to all of you,

Hubby saw three more docs, then the consultant said he should have a CT scan and a lumbar puncture in case it is a warning bleed - what I'm fearing (He smokes, he's 42, the pain came on suddenly after he moved his bowels.) Most likely (and hopefully) the results will be fine and I will feel like a fool for putting hubby through this. He is having the CT scan now. I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks,

Scotty

Good for you, Scotty. it probably is just a migraine, but none of us would want to live with the consequences if it isn't...and sometimes it's just as important to know what something isn't as much as what it is. Best wishes to both of you--hopefully this is a one-time-bad-thing and all turns out well--

  • Admin

I'm SO glad you took him back! My warning lights come on fully upon hearing "the worst headache of my life," "sudden onset" etc. I'm so glad he's getting a CT in a PROPER work-up. Keep us posted, we're thinking of you both, and wishing the best for you.

Please let us know how this works out. I have had encephalitis x2 and spinal headaches after both kids. There is no worse pain than a horrible HA. I pray they find the problem and care for his pain quickly. Let us know.

Glad he's having a CT. Too many unknowns with his sx.

My headache came on very suddenly, I could hardly move. I had diplopia, photophobia. Dx 2 days later, after a high pressure, bloody tap, was encephalitis. They were wrong. This was before CT scanners were everywhere.

Ten years later, I found out it had been an SAH.

Keep posting, you are in my prayers.

  • Admin

Mimi2RN, my thoughts exactly. It happened to one of our Cardiologists that way (with CT around).

I hope for good results/outcome. -- D

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