I feel embarrassed to be bringing up another topic, but it's just all the things I have had going on lately.
I have had a headache for several days non stop now. The first time I had the aura thing with zig zag lights in my fiels of vision. They kept on until they left my field of vision. Before they started I was watching tv and the face of those on tv started becoming cloudy to me. After the zig zag lights left my vision then the pain started in my head on one side and behind my right eye, but not the other side.
I have taken a few days ibuprofen that years ago use to help when I had one start around a hormonal time. That was the only time I had them back then was right before my period. Well in about a week I will have met the one year mark of being in menopause.
I have went to bed feeling my eye with pain, sometimes a bit sore inside of it. No meds over the counter have helped. I hurt so much yesterday morning that I could not make my drs. appointment so I will be going in Monday.
I appreciate any ones comments or ideas of what is going on.
I feel like I am falling apart.
Hugs to all.
susanep
susanep.. ugh headache. So sorry you are experiencing this.
Sever headache with eye pain, whole room went darkish and at an angle.. was a reason for my 3rd ER (2011) and they were all over me, evaluating for stroke. Really thorough testing and call to neurologist on call. I have stayed with that Dr. ever since and have been on a regiment of anti-epilespy med. I see 2x's yr. And he tests for neuropathy.
I still do have breakthrough headaches and the only OTC I have found (via research) that helps is Tylenol Extra Strength.
I never had headaches pre- SJS.
The Neurologist asked me to keep a headache diary.
That was so useful, I then started using a diary for SJS symptoms and monitoring benefits of treatment to help the Drs.
So if you can take TES/OTC I hope it helps. Probably a call to Dr. since you are having vision effects.
That's not a headache, that's a migraine. You may want to try excedrine extra strength for migraines next time and see a neurologist. I'm on 25 mg topiramate twice a day longterm for my migraines, although I'm bumping it up to 50 mg twice a day temporarily since I'm in a bad migraine flare.
See if your doctor will give you a prescription for Imitrex.
Sometimes coffee is helpful. Perhaps Exedrine.
Dark room.
But, if it has been going on for days and is very bad, you likely have a migraine and need migraine medication (like Imitrex)
If Imitrex doesn't help, you probably need to go to the ER.
Hope you feel better soon.
Remember Susan, that you have a lupus diagnosis and anything can happen with lupus. Glad you made the appointment so you can get this diagnosed. Sometimes these headaches can be more than a migraine and need to be checked out. Good luck and keep us posted. Irish
I have non-stop aura migraines all the time. I used to only have them right before my monthly cycle years ago when I had one. After that, I began to get them all the time. I found that taking a motrin, and 4mg of Medrol right away, plus changing my diet helped somewhat.
I found that hormone- allergies are my main culprit. Dairy is horrible for me. Now that the allergens are high outside, been getting aura migraines that wake me up every morning at 4:00am for the last 3 days. My entire left side goes numb...very scary. Eating sometimes helps. I had MRI etc and nothing was found either. Its basically finding your own trigger.
Sounds like hormones to me. The drop in estrogen and the levels is what they say causes it. Might want to talk to a doc that
specializes in womens hormones (HRT). Good luck...feel for you!
I will let you know. I despise Lupus, along with all the others that began the curve in my road.
I will tell you something I find not amusing, but weird. In about 2 weeks I will be fully menopausal at 64 years old. :-[
susanep
Do you have pain in your temple which is sometimes sensitive to touch? I got the auras and eye pain for a while and over the last year or so, I started having "headaches" which were sensitive to touch. I was recently diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia.
Ah, one of the lucky ones huh. My MIL was around 56 and she didn't think it was one bit funny. Way to old to be worry about that she said. We have to have a sense of humor to get through this life, that is for sure. Good luck. irish
Seen eye doctor today. He said I have 'Vitreous degeneration' of my right eye. Some type of detachment in the back.
susanep
I just wanted to add a better explanation of what the eye doctor said. It was hard for me to come up with his explanation, but this here I found on the web goes right along with what he said.
Vitreous degeneration - Most of the eye?s interior is filled with vitreous, a gel-like substance that helps the eye maintain a round shape. There are millions of fine fibers intertwined within the vitreous that are attached to the surface of the retina, the eye?s light-sensitive tissue. As we age, the vitreous slowly shrinks, and these fine fibers pull on the retinal surface. Usually the fibers break, allowing the vitreous to separate and shrink from the retina. This is a vitreous detachment.
In most cases, a vitreous detachment, also known as a posterior vitreous detachment, is not sight-threatening and requires no treatment.
(my eye doctor told me that for at least a year that the eye that has been having the detachment will bother me, and I will see bigger black spots of floaters than normal at times. He said eventually the other eye will do the same).
What are the symptoms of vitreous detachment?
As the vitreous shrinks, it becomes somewhat stringy, and the strands can cast tiny shadows on the retina that you may notice as floaters, which appear as little ?cobwebs? or specks that seem to float about in your field of vision. If you try to look at these shadows they appear to quickly dart out of the way.
One symptom of a vitreous detachment is a small but sudden increase in the number of new floaters. This increase in floaters may be accompanied by flashes of light (lightning streaks) in your peripheral, or side, vision. In most cases, either you will not notice a vitreous detachment, or you will find it merely annoying because of the increase in floaters.
How is vitreous detachment detected?
The only way to diagnose the cause of the problem is by a comprehensive dilated eye examination. If the vitreous detachment has led to a macular hole or detached retina, early treatment can help prevent loss of vision.
Treatment
How does vitreous detachment affect vision?
Although a vitreous detachment does not threaten sight, once in a while some of the vitreous fibers pull so hard on the retina that they create a macular hole to or lead to a retinal detachment. Both of these conditions are sight-threatening and should be treated immediately.
If left untreated, a macular hole or detached retina can lead to permanent vision loss in the affected eye. Those who experience a sudden increase in floaters or an increase in flashes of light in peripheral vision should have an eye care professional examine their eyes as soon as possible.
Information - The National Eye Institute (NEI) is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and is the Federal government?s lead agency for vision research that leads to sight-saving treatments and plays a key role in reducing visual impairment and blindness.
(I hope this information may help someone else)
susanep :)
I had this some years back. I had no clue what it was so I called my DIL who is an optometrist and she told me that is what she thought it was. I was going up there in a couple of days and had her check me when I got there. Everything was ok but it was the vitrious like she said. She would have told me to go to the eye doc when I had her on the phone if she thought it was something serious. It is always something isn't it. Thanks for all the info. Irish.
Please see a doctor. Tumors can have this effect, too. Self diagnosis of head pain is risky.
Regards, Elaine