Post Surgery Headache Medications?

[OllieO]

Hi

I had 3cm AN removed via the translab about 2 weeks ago. They gave me oxycotin and recommended taking ibuprofen.

The ibuprofen seemed to work at 1st. But now it's ineffective and my head throbs almost everytime I move or adjust my head. And unbearable when I wake-up.

I know I'm still relatively new out of surgey (stitches still in) but does anyone have recommendations for OTC medications and how long I can expect them (headaches) to last?

[ANSydney]

Does your headache get better or worse if you are lying done versus standing up?

[OllieO]

Going from standing to lying or lying down to standing or even sitting to standing cause equal amounts of pain. I also never lie flat, usually propped/elevated even b4 I had the AN surgery.

[ANSydney]

That's interesting. Why did you not lie flat before the surgery?

[OllieO]

Oh, I've slept elevated since I was a child, lol. I can sleep flat, it's not tumor related, just uncomfortable. I will say they had me lying flat in the ICU and it made me nauseas then.

[LakeErie]

OllieO - headaches as you describe can be brain edema (swelling), I stress the "can be" part. If over the counter pain relievers are not effective you need to see your surgeon, at least let the office know about the pain and the circumstances that seem to provoke it. Ibuprofen is commonly effective for post treatment AN headaches, and if effective, edema is usually ruled out for that reason.
Early morning headache and upon rising from bed are common symptoms of brain and tumor edema following gamma knife. Brain and tumor edema following GK are not common themselves. I know you had surgery, but I had headaches following both microsurgery and later on, gamma knife. I both instances I needed a course of decadron (steroid) for swelling. It was unusual, but is not unheard of. The decadron worked well both times, no headaches after.

[ANSydney]

It will be interesting to hear what the doctors say.

[shull]

Hi Ollie!

I am 3 years post-op and still dealing with chronic (never gone) head pain. It varies from "barely there" to "worst pain of my life". It started maybe 2 weeks post-op. One interesting thing to note for me is I developed a CSF leak about 10 months ago (didn't realize it was CSF till recently). I'm hoping that getting the CSF leak patched will help with my head pain.

I've been on countless drugs as prescribed by the Headache Clinic at UCSF, none of which helped IMO.

I do get migraines (as frequently as 3 or 4 times per week in the first year and a half following surgery). Typically rizatriptan helps short-circuit my migraines, giving me relief after just an hour or so.

As for over the counter meds:
- The best was ibuprofen, though it only lasts 4-5 hours and the pain really comes rushing back when it wears off.
- Next best is naproxen, which I still take 1-2 times per day and lasts longer (~8 hours) with more of a "fading" feeling of pain coming back.
- Acetaminophen never seems to help at all
- Aspirin never seems to help either

Oxycontin should be the most effective but can cause dependency and rebound headaches (though the Doctor at UCSF Headache Clinic claimed naproxen can also cause rebound headache soooo  )

Last thing that may be worth looking into when you run out of oxycontin (or maybe even before that) is something called kratom. Kratom is a leaf that is dried & powdered, and it has alkaloids that partially bind to opioid receptors. "Partially" is important because it means that (1) it's not as effective as true opioids, (2) it's not as dangerous as true opioids, and (3) it's much easier to stop taking that true opioids (in fact many people who have become dependent on opioids use kratom to help them quit).

People take kratom either as a tea (it's damn bitter tho) or as capsules. I prefer capsules because of the bitterness, however one thing to note is that you need to take it on an empty stomach -- totally empty -- or it doesn't work. I don't understand why. Here's where I buy my kratom: http://kratomcaps.com/

I do not take kratom every day because I don't want to become dependent on it. But when my pain is medium to medium-high, then I'll take some and it will really knock my pain back down to mild.