8 weeks post op, headache behind eyes starting at 7 weeks post op

[justanotherone28]

Hi everbody,

I am today exactly 8 weeks post my decompression surgery. Since about a week ago I started experiencing these headaches that feel like sinus headaches (pressure/pain at forehead and behind eyes, jaws ans occasionally behind ears). Are these common at this time in recovery? or could it be that something is going wrong with me?

I have to add that in the period between 4 and 6 weeks i experienced some of the pre surgery symptoms, mainly pain in neck/shoulder and arms. These have now subdided and were replaced with the headaches mentioned above. The headache is constantly there, and i have not been active since it started because i did not want to aggrevate it. I don't have any nausea and vomitting.

Please help me with your experiences!

Thanks a lot,
Adam

[selmaS]

  Could be u did too much.....I was told to start slow and as I felt comfortable to add more movement to my exercises.....

Many will have symptoms post op.....and most times it happens around 3 months post op....however, some that do too much too soon can start to have these symptoms sooner.

If u do not have a lump, u should be able to lay on ur side....I had a leak and was able to lay down on my side....to help with the hip and shoulder pains, u can use a body pillow or a rolled up blanket and have someone edge it against u while u r on ur side....then roll onto it so u r partly on ur side and back....this will take some of the weight and pressure off ur hips and shoulder joints....

By laying flat it is meant not to be on an incline....u can lay flat but be on ur side....this is to prevent the CSF from being pulled down by gravity.....and creating built up pressure/

  Keep us posted on how u r feeling and what u find out at ur next Dr visit.

[justanotherone28]

I'm to see my NS at the 3 month mark where i'm also getting an mri. I called and they told me anything would be normal within the first few months. I just wanted to see if there are any other people with a similar experience to mine, while waiting for my next appointment with the NS.

[justanotherone28]

I was laying on my sides all the time, then my hips joints were hurting. Also i worried about a possible pseudomeningocele as a cause of my heafaches, ans i read on this forum that one needs to lay flat for a few days to help it resolve on its own, so i was doing that.

The neck exetcises were post chiari op specific. I found them on the mayfield clinic web site. But as i said i was stretching beyound thepain limit. Was this probably wrong?

[selmaS]

  The 2 miles may be a bit too much....when we do nething we pump blood and CSF thru our bodies...brain, heart...etc...when u have an area that is swollen from surgery to do to much and have too much moving thru can cause more issues then if u were to cut it back....

I still do not lay flat on my back as it was never comfortable...b4 or post op....try laying on ur side for now....

The neck exercises are they ones ur Dr gave u to do?

[justanotherone28]

Hi selmaS,

I was walking about 2 miles daily, i did bend a couple of times and did try some neck exercises at home (maybe i stretched too much beyound pain limits in all directions. Also what changed was that i started lying on my back (before 6 weeks this was impossible for me, as my neck muscles behind the incision would hurt). What i also noticed is that if i press on the left side of the incision line i would trigger a shooting pain behind my eyes.

Thanks,
Adam

[selmaS]

  Hi Adam....may I ask what u were doing b4 it got this way?

Sometimes we can over do activities post op as we are feeling better....the 2 important things u should be doing post op is walking and neck exercises (only those approved for decompression post op) the exercises are to prevent scar tissue from  forming and keeping the muscles from getting tight.

No bending , lifting, pulling or pushing....my Dr said not to bend even to pick up fuzz off the floor....no pouring milk from a gallon size cont.....

So what were u doing? How u feel now,  it just may be ur body's way of saying u were doing too much.