chronic migraine condition after spinal surgery

Your husband's story is identical to mine in many ways, althouth I am 15 year post fusion and still have constant pain and migraines. I have tried all the things your husband has x about 1,000, still no relief. After about 1 year post surgery my migraines did come and go which is better than every day, although the pain is constant. It is mostly at the base of my skull to my shoulder blades and into one eye. The only thing that has ever really hellped was NON-PULSATING RADIO FREQUENCY LESIOINING from c3 down through the rest of the cervical vertebra. This was done at John's Hopkins Pain Clinic. Almost all pain and headaches were gone for about 2 months. It is important that the procedure be non-pulse heat method v.s. pulsating method. I always wonder how I will ever keep going on.

God Bless

i had a uterus removal operation on may 2008..now after 4 months i'm having migraine attacks.I did hav migraine years ago when i had my first operation,,(using anesthetics) i used to vomit about 30 times during the attacks,i couldn't even drink a sip of water .But it had got cured.I don't have any cures but i need help too..As this attacks are are happening again after my third surgery..

I am in the same boat as all of the prev. posts listed. I had surgery last year to have my ovaries removed and after the surgery in recovery i had what they described were LIKE seziers I spent a few days in ICU I was released and the headaches started or better yet the migranes started and hell began. The pain centers more so behind my right eye but does seem to siren around my whole head but none the less it hurts to the point of tears. Ive taken everything. Currently on topomax ( witch i hate because for me I have the side effect of not being able to drink pop due to the nasty burining taste it leaves) but it only helps slightly and latly not much at all. I am at my wits end. I am scheduled for next week for my neurologist so fingers crossed we can find common ground and get some answers. I am only 27 and this is no way to live my life... if you find any answers please post and let me know good luck...

I'm glad to hear that you're going to be getting help from the neurosurgeon because it sounds to me like you had some sort of nerve damage that has left you feeling like this. I hope that they are able to help figure out how to fix it because I know that living with nerve damage can be very difficult.

Please keep us updated on what they are able to do.

I too am having the same problem. I had a microdiscectomy and a hemilaminectomy on my L4 L5 disc about 3 months ago. During surgery my Dura was nicked and I had fluid leak. The Dr glued it up. I started getting migraines. We went in for a second surgery to make sure it was seal and it was. But now I am still getting bad migraines. I get them 1-3 times a week for 6- 72 hrs. I see black dots or I get a tunnel type vision where it is dark and hazy around and object. I get them all over sometimes back of head sometimes right eye some time left eye. My neurosurgeon has no clue why this is happening. Anyone have any suggestions for me?

same boat here, guys.
I've been suffering from those 'migraines' for the past 7 years.

i had a scoliosis (spinal) surgery when i was 16 years old.
two months after the surgery i started getting headaches over my right eye whenever i was vertically positioned (standing up), that were gone after i layed down. No neurologist nor orthopedic doctor could tell me what that problem was, and went to dozens of those. A Couple of years later i found out on the internet it was something called CSF Leak, but that was too late.
For the next 3 years i had migraine attacks (still, feeling them throbbing over the right eye) and endless vomiting, sometimes they lasted 3 days and sometimes 9 hours. I remember periods of time that the migraines came day after day, and i remember them coming once, twice a week.

Nowadays, the migraines come often and seem back related - my neck and upper shoulder musceles get cramped or feel too weak every day, and whenever that happens i can tell a migraine is coming up. Seems to me if i manage to strengthen those muscles the migraines will come less often, problem is, that after i go to the gym i get an attack, and, well, nothing stays in my body - so to speak, so there's no way i can strengthen my muscles anyways.

throughout the last 7 years i tried dozens of migraine related pills - rizalt, topamax, advil, acamol focus etc... some didn't help, some helped for a while but eventually they all stop working. i also tried acupuncture (where they stick needles in you) and chryporactic treatments - they both didn't help.

if anybody finds out about a way to make those migraines go away.. please, let me know. It severely harms my day to day life, and i can't go on living like this.

i had spinal fusion june 2010 c3-c7 i also have pain in neck, shoulder, arms and hands and migraines daily, seems no one can do anything to help me

Has your husband had any relief? I am 4 months post op and have constant headaches similar to your husbands. I am hoping he is feeling better and if so what helped him. Thank you.

Hi saw your posting I had a c1c2 fusion after severe car accident have same problem as your husband I take Fioricet this helps take the edge obut maybe that could help if you haven't tried yet. I wish you luck this is a terrible thing to go thru.

 

Hi people, I have a similar story. Had my first back opp L5 S1 I was fine then it went wrong and started getting migraine every other day , like a headache and severe head cold every time I exercised. It got worse daily , I've had every medication even inter cranial monitoring ( probes in the brain ) lumber punctures ( several) that many MRI,s I can't count ,purtuity gland investigation , caffine infusions, optic nerve blocks and stuff I can't think of. I've taken topiromate

has he tried Imitrex? or fierocet? I have used both with debilitating migraines and they work wonders. When I was hospitalized after my back surgery with severe migraines that's what they gave me. I haven't had much trouble since.

Glad I found this post. I had shoulder surgery 5 months ago, and since then, I have had extreme stiffness in my neck with vision disruptions and migranies. When I told my surgeon he looked at me like I had two heads and said it wasn't related to the surgery. He sent me to an optomitrist and they said my eyes were fine. Any ideas or advise would be appreciated. I am an otherwise healthy person and this has definately disrupted my quality of life and conflicted with my job.

I had spinal surgery (c4 c5 c6 fusion- with c5 removal and replace with donor bone) 11-02-10, since then I went back to work in 1-20-11. That only lasted a month or so before the headaches set in. Progresively the headaches turned into 1 non-stop headache 24/7. The doctors have tried pills,trigger point injections,massages,electric stimulation....nothing helps.The more I move my head,it only gets worse.The doctors act as if its ME,that my headache is not real.For the past two years I have endured this pain,not always debilitating,but "always" there.Sometimes it is more than I can stand. I get my best relief sitting in a chair with a heating pad on my neck.When you wake-up with a headache,and know "this is the best I am going to feel today",There just isnt much worth looking forward to.

I too endure the same pains,mine from c4 c5 c6 fusion.As with you, Drs and even family act as if they do not believe me. Have tried pain blocks,pills,electro stimulation,messagges,trigger point injections.....,nothing works for more than a brief period.I'll pray for you.......