Post-Ictal Headache

[occb]

Okay -- post-ictal headache can occur in temporal lobe epilepsy, FLE and OLE, but is most common in OLE, then FLE, and lastly least common in temporal lobe epilepsy.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence of post-ictal headaches (PIH) and clinical risk factors associated with the occurrence of PIH in patients with localization-related epilepsy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects were 77 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (temporal lobe epilepsy), 34 patients with occipital lobe epilepsy (OLE), and 50 patients with frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE). The subjects were directly asked whether headaches occurred just after seizures. Medical charts were reviewed to ascertain the clinical characteristics of epilepsy in these patients.

RESULTS: The incidence of PIH was 23% for temporal lobe epilepsy, 62% for OLE, and 42%, for FLE. The risk of PIH was significantly higher for OLE than for temporal lobe epilepsy or FLE, and for patients with generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Younger age at onset of epilepsy was also a risk factor for PIH.

CONCLUSION: The occurrence of PIH may be related to the region of epileptic focus and the region of spread of epileptic discharges.

Source:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10949531

[Rae1889]

strange...
I always get headaches. they vary on the severity, but it there. either a dull thud or pound, with what feels like intense heat in between my eyes. or sharp and owie like there are peices broken glass poking around inside my head. on my brain, inside of my skull, into the back of my eyes.

the painful one can happen after a complex partial.

[occb]

Usually partner gets his headaches on the right side, and they're always the worst after waking up (like the one he's having today). They're usually from the jaw up to the top of his head, but today from the jaw to around his eye. Last year he had a month of pain on his right side after waking up, mostly around the jaw, but on many days it creeped up to inlcude the whole side. The dentist found nothing that could be causing the pain.

The one on the left side above his eye that he had a little while ago is the first time he had one like it.

[Rae1889]

anything along the lines of this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temporo...joint_disorder

[occb]

I wondered if it might be TMJ, because of his tendency to chomp in his sleep, but past doctors and dentists have said it's not. Although, I'm beginning to believe doctors don't really know much of anything.

[Rae1889]

I clench my teeth alot. while im awake, or asleep. it doesnt matter. and my jaw started to make annoying clicking sounds, and it would hurt, almost like it was inside my ear too. I went to the dentist, he said I could pay $600 to get a mouth gaurd or it would never stop grinding and clenching and wouldnt stop hurting.

Turns out all I did was pay $40 for a tongue ring and it all stopped. I dont clench as much with it, so it doesnt hurt often. plus its right in the center of my tongue so I cant click it, or chomp on it. *I only did that once right after it was first pierced and the barbell had not been downsized yet.*

I would get that checked into again. just see if he *or better yet you* can hear it click if he opens and closes his mouth a few times.

Edit: Oh yeah, and the dentists didnt even tell me what this was, they just said once you start clenching your teeth it iwll never stop. Bull! magnesium helped this ou alot too.

[Rae1889]

I wonder if I should ask Nak to split these posts off into a separate thread in the kitchen?

Moderator to the rescue!

[occb]

His jaw most definitely doesn't click -- mine, on the other hand, clicks so audibly that partner can hear it across the room. I was always a big grinder when I was young. I'm a chronic clencher as well. I am clenching now. I have been all day *sigh* I also can't chew gum for longer than 3 minutes or it hurts. Partner has no such issues.

But now that I've read up on TMJ, I may be able to explain my annoying ear pain and chronic tinnitus!

[Rae1889]

yeah gum chewing hurts me too. Not because of the jaw but because not too long ago I bit my lips so hard it was almost like a tiny punture all the way through. Darn sharp Canines!

Also, singing hurts my jaw. certain songs I am fine, but when I do alot of the harsher or deep songs, i tend to tense my jaw and withing one song I am hurting! this is why I play instruments more than sing.

[occb]

I have no idea if singing hurts me, since I rarely attempt it. This is a wise, wise decision on my part.

[Rae1889]

oh come one lady! BELT IT OUT!!!!!

[occb]

I think today you'd only get a snap, crackle and pop!

[Rae1889]

Those noise bring inspiration! Snap....*dance* Crackle... *dance* Pop.... *dance*

[occb]

I'm a firm believer that interpretive dance during conversation makes the world a better place.

[Meetz1064]

Interpretive dance IS a good thing.......just don't ask ME to do it.....I'll fall flat on my arse!!!!

[Nakamova]

But falling flat on your arse IS interpretive dance!

[Rae1889]

[Zoofemme]

Hey occb...have you ever checked this out for your partner? I didn't insert as a link so you will have to copy and paste. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluster_headache

These are what I have been diagnosed with. Very nasty...men are more likely to get these than women are. The pain you described made me think of it. Mine is usually over my right eye and shoots down into my neck...feels like someone is drilling into my skull with an ice-pick. My right eye droops shut adn tears up...sometimes it will swell up. I cannot bear light at all. Sometimes I get sick...sometimes I just wish I could. I will grab my head and squeeze as hard as i can to try to make it stop. I wake up with these typically and have to just ride them out. If one starts mid-day, someitmes I can take tylenol and keep it to a dull roar for a little while but by the evening it will blow wide open. Pain killers like vicodin wont touch these...if anything it will make them worse. A sleeping med will help a someimtes. Caffergot helps because it opens the blood vessles I guess? I don't know why epinephrine works but it has when caffergot didn't.

I don't know if that will help you any. Just something maybe for you to look into.

[occb]

From the description of the stabbing pain centering on the eye, and the addition of autonomic symptoms, I would say that's not what he's experiencing, because he doesn't have it as described, but I'll have to run it by him to be sure.

Thanks for the information though. It's interesting to hear about what is out there, and what different experiences could be.

[Rae1889]

Epinephrine works because it is meant to open blood vessels using the natural hormone. They use this in EpiPens to open air ways and stop anaphyaxic shock. So I am assuming that if these can be caused by an allergy of some sort *kinda sounds like your might be. I havent heard of swelling with a headache. have you found a trigger for your yet?* then Epinephrine may help alot.

Not sure if you can get it in any other form other than the needle? do you know Zoofemme?