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greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 6861
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, March 6, 2006 - 8:41 pm: | 
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Just curious. My doc scolded me for not telling him about them sooner. Probably should have gone to the ER for a really severe one a few weeks back.
But, he's not stressed that I can't get an MRI appointment for 2 weeks.....
Anyone have any experience with them?
And, if you know someone who had one and dropped dead, please don't tell me about it. I'm serious. This is freaky enough. |
ess
Citizen
Username: Ess
Post Number: 1311
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Monday, March 6, 2006 - 9:09 pm: |
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Greenetree, I get headaches of every stripe, but I have never heard of a thunderclap headache. Could you describe? Is it a sudden onset sort of thing? Does it affect the vision? |
las
Citizen
Username: Las
Post Number: 1155
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 6, 2006 - 9:46 pm: |
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No experience, thank heavens. Just posting so you know I'm reading you. Wow. |
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 4238
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Monday, March 6, 2006 - 11:08 pm: |
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This type of headache can start suddenly for no reason. You go from no pain to severe pain in about 60 seconds. |
ess
Citizen
Username: Ess
Post Number: 1319
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Monday, March 6, 2006 - 11:14 pm: |
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Uh-oh.
Yes, I have experience with them. I did not know they were called thunderclap headaches. |
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 4241
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Monday, March 6, 2006 - 11:17 pm: |
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Thunderclap headaches
From MayoClinic.com
Special to CNN.com
Overview
Thunderclap headaches live up to their name, grabbing your attention like a boom of thunder. The pain of these sudden, severe headaches peaks within 60 seconds and usually fades over several hours. A less severe headache may linger for up to 10 days.
Thunderclap headaches are uncommon. Although they may appear for no obvious reason, prompt diagnosis is important. Some thunderclap headaches have serious underlying causes, such as bleeding in the brain.
Signs and symptoms
Thunderclap headaches are dramatic. The pain strikes suddenly and severely. Some people describe the pain as the worst headache they've ever experienced. The pain peaks within 60 seconds and usually lasts several hours. A less severe headache may linger for up to 10 days.
Causes
Some thunderclap headaches appear for no obvious reason. These are referred to as idiopathic thunderclap headaches. In other cases, potentially life-threatening conditions may be responsible, including:
Bleeding between the membranes covering the brain and the brain itself (subarachnoid hemorrhage)
Bleeding into the brain caused by the rupture of a blood vessel (intracerebral hemorrhage)
A bulge in a blood vessel in the brain that ruptures (cerebral aneurysm)
A blood clot in the sinuses in the brain (cerebral venous sinus thrombosis)
A tear in the lining of an artery in the neck that supplies blood to the brain (carotid artery dissection)
A tear in the membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, leading to a leak of spinal fluid
Death of tissue or bleeding in the pituitary gland (pituitary apoplexy)
Risk factors
Thunderclap headaches may be more likely in women older than 45.
When to seek medical advice
Seek immediate medical attention for any headache that comes on suddenly and severely.
Screening and diagnosis
Diagnosis often starts with a computed tomography (CT) scan of the head to search for an underlying cause for the headache. Computerized tomography uses an X-ray unit that rotates around your body and a computer to create cross-sectional images (like slices) of your brain and head.
Sometimes a spinal tap (lumbar puncture) is needed as well. With this procedure, the doctor removes a small amount of the fluid that surrounds your brain and spinal cord. The cerebrospinal fluid sample can be tested for protein, white blood cells and other substances.
In some cases, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be done for further assessment. With this imaging study, a magnetic field and radio waves are used to create cross-sectional images of the structures within your brain.
The doctor may use a cerebral angiogram to search for a possible cerebral aneurysm. During this X-ray test, the doctor inserts a thin, flexible tube into a large artery — usually in the groin — and threads it past the heart into the arteries in your brain. A dye injected through the catheter fills the arteries to make them visible by X-ray.
CT scan
MRI: Viewing the body's hidden structure
Complications
Thunderclap headaches aren't associated with any complications, but some underlying causes can be life-threatening.
Treatment
There's no specific treatment for recurring thunderclap headaches. Oral pain relievers don't work quickly enough to ease the sudden, intense pain. If necessary, your doctor may prescribe other types of medication to stop the pain.
If bleeding in the brain is causing the headache, emergency surgical treatment may be needed.
February 20, 2006
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Virtual It Girl
Citizen
Username: Shh
Post Number: 4124
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, March 6, 2006 - 11:29 pm: |
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gemini
Citizen
Username: Gemini
Post Number: 424
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 - 6:25 am: |
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Greentree please keep us updated...good luck. |
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