Couple of medical questions, help please....

[hearts and roses]

First Q: in the middle of the night and twice again this morning, an intense solid wave of pain crept across my head, not quite like any headache I've ever had. It goes across my head, beginning in the left back and like a wave crosses over my head and after about 2-3 minutes it's gone. This has happened three times so far and it stops me in my tracks, very painful I have to close my eyes and wait it out.

Second Q: I cleaned like a nut the other day and took two showers, one at 3pm and another at around 7:30pm. During the first one I didn't notice anything, but during the second one I noticed a HUGE spot that one might call a bruise. To me, it looks more like a hematoma, very deep. However, it doesn't hur t like a bruise and on the surface it almost resembles a burst blood vessel. It's about 2-3" in diameter and I haven't got a clue where it came from. I'm thinking that for a bad bruise like that I might remember where it actually came from, you know?

History: I've been taking naproxen fairly steady for a little over a month, along with an occasional tramadol for pain, and also my regular asthma medications. Nothing else new that I can think of.

So, any thoughts?

 

[BusynMember]

Naproxen can cause bruising. I have always bruised so easily that half the time I don't know where these huge bruises I get come from. It got worse when I was taking a lot of Naproxen. I loooked it up and it's a side effect (or can be).

 

[TerryJ2]

Where is the bruise?

I'll ask around about the headache. I thought I'd had them all but this one is a mystery to me.

Feel better!

 

[Hound dog]

Bruise can be the naproxen. But that headache........if it continues I'd get checked.

My migraines stem from the base of my skull/neck area on the left side......literally start in the neck area first then spread out. These are the ones that bring me to my knees.....and I'm done for until they're gone. Thankfully they are rare.

Any blood pressure issues?

 

[hearts and roses]

Where is the bruise?

I'll ask around about the headache. I thought I'd had them all but this one is a mystery to me.

Feel better!

The bruise thing is on my right inner thigh - an odd location. My friend asked me if I had sex recently...what kind of sex does she have? LOL

 

[hearts and roses]

Bruise can be the naproxen. But that headache........if it continues I'd get checked.

My migraines stem from the base of my skull/neck area on the left side......literally start in the neck area first then spread out. These are the ones that bring me to my knees.....and I'm done for until they're gone. Thankfully they are rare.

Any blood pressure issues?

I have low blood pressure always. I was thinking migraines, but I don't believe I've ever had one so didn't know how they would start. My friend who gets them always sees spots first. I am not having any trouble with light sensitivity (more than usual anyway) and it's only happened once more since my original post. I am tired even though I think I've been getting a full night's sleep. Perhaps the tramadol is keeping me from getting a good night's sleep and it's just tiredness?

 

[Hound dog]

Well at least it's not a blood pressure thing, which is good.

When mine start, it's almost always caused by drastic temp changes. Like going from air conditioning outside into 90 some degree heat repeatedly. One big reason I keep my AC up fairly high. But I still had one hit me yesterday........ Cleaning I was in and out of the house with trash bags a lot. Then had to stop and take Darrin to his soccer award ceremony thing.......which was of course outside.......It hit me at 8 ish......by 9:30 I was in bed. I just got up a half hour ago. omg If I'm in bed before midnight I'm in bad shape. Period. lol

Mine are such a rare event I haven't taken medications for them in years.

Might be a migraine......but most people I know who have migraines, they don't last just a few minutes. Which is why I said if it keeps up I'd go in and ask the doctor.

 

[AnnieO]

One of the ways I know I'm going to get a migraine is waves of deep pain in my head. Usually they only last a few moments, or even seconds, and go away - and about 8 hours later I am burying my head under PILES of pillows in an effort to avoid noise and light.

Onyxx swears she has migraines "all the time". Honestly, I don't know anyone that can actually function during a migraine.

If yours are not getting worse - but keep returning - see your doctor. No joke. I have a friend whose wife had some odd headaches and then dropped from an aneurysm. She's fine now - but - don't mess with it.

As for the bruising... I sometimes get bruises there, too. It's not "what kind" of sex, it's how enthusiastic... LOL seriously though, mine have appeared out of nowhere. If it doesn't hurt... Talk to your doctor, but given the location, if it were me, I'd take 81mg aspirin once a day. But I can, not everyone else can. PLEASE talk to the doctor first.

 

[busywend]

Did you have any nausea?

 

[hearts and roses]

Did you have any nausea?

No.

 

[busywend]

No ear pain?
Drinking regularly?
Not dizzy?

Could be low blood pressue - you might want to see if it is lower than usual.

 

[seriously]

Typically, you should see a doctor when you have new pain of any kind that is that severe and wakes you from sleep. So, while it doesn't sound like an emergency, I would call your doctor and try to be seen in the next few days.

You don't say exactly how big the bruise is which could make a difference in whether you need to call about that too. If it's large (like as big as your fist) or there's a hard center to it you might call and talk to the nurse about it. But if you're going in for the headache you can tell them you are also concerned about a large bruise. If you continue to have unexplained bruising or petechiae (little spots where there's been blood leaking under the skin) then I would stop the Naproxen and contact the doctor's office for advice.

 

[susiestar]

As one who truly has had migraines six or seven days a week through my twenties and mid thirties, you can still function with a migraine - sometimes. Migraine is not a description of severity of pain but is actually a specific type of reaction in your body - they can be in places other than your head. J had abdominal migraines from about age 2 to 9, then they eased and the migraine headaches came with a vengeance.

This sounds like a cluster migraine or series of them. It could be caused by blood pressure spikes, food you have eaten, possibly even too much naproxen if it has blood thinner properties like aspirin. As you have never had this before it is crucial to get it checked by a doctor. They can rx migraine medications and also make sure it isn't because any other issues like tumors or whatever. Blood pressure is a very tricky thing with migraines. It took a lot of tracking my headaches and taking my BiPolar (BP) when I had one, or on the rare times I had an aura (spots or flashes in your vision before a migraine hits) I took it before and after the migraine hit. I learned that for me at that time, if my blood pressure went over 108 it was migraine time. That is for the top number and most docs did not want to give me beta blockers because it was so low. But they worked - and even though this is low for many people, it was high for MY body. Having a doctor who would stop and think about it and look at the journal I kept made a big difference in treatment.

Until you get to the doctor, take sudafed (the kind from the pharmacy, not the stuff now on shelves) and excedrin. NO naproxen - wait 8 hrs after the last dose of naproxen to take excedrin. Do NOT waste money on excedrin migraine. They are basically the same thing and work just the same. So save some money and get the walmart brand or other house brand.

 

[hearts and roses]

Thanks ladies! I will call my Dr tomorrow and after dinner H and I will go grab some excedrin. I haven't taken anything since last night.