Can strokes cause years of migraines?

[sara12345]

And if so, do they ever get better?  Mine are 24/7 for the past 3 years and are often severe.  Will they ever get better like you recover more function gradually after a stroke?  I am quite disabled.  Also need 11-13 hours of sleep every night since my stroke or the migraines get far worse.

Nerve block injections every 4 weeks and Botox injections every 8 weeks are not working as well as they used to, but do help.  I've tried all kinds of prophylactic meds which either didn't work or had bad side effects.  I've tried accupunture and meditation.  Now trying a butterbur herbal remedy.

I had a carotid artery dissection stroke at age 56.  The stroke was about 3 weeks after I suddenly had distinctly different and the worst headaches that I had ever experienced before.  It was sometime around the time that I bumped my head in the doorway one night, but don't know the sequence of timing.  It could have led to the kind of stroke that I had which are usually caused by a physical trauma.  My neurologist thinks the stroke was the cause which began leaking several weeks before I had the stroke.  Do you agree with him?  And do others suffer years of migraines after a stroke?

Nerve block injections every 4 weeks and Botox injections every 8 weeks are not working as well as they used to, but do help.  I've tried all kinds of prophylactic meds which either didn't work or had bad side effects.  I've tried accupunture and meditation.  Now trying a butterbur herbal remedy.

The migraines are worse from too much physical activity, e.g. walking in a store too long.  

[sara12345]

Sorry I didn't see your response to my earlier question when I just sent a reply to your post.

And so what if the chief of neurology said he rarely sees headaches afterwards.  Maybe your husband is one of those rare cases.  

In any case, the headaches need to be treated regardless of the cause!

You don't need to go the Botox way.  There are very good prophylactic meds that can help him.   And anti-depressants are very good pain killers which act as a prophylactic, so don't be put off by the name of them.  Also accupuncture, relaxation and biofeedback remedies.  The accuncture didn't help me at all.  And I've had SEVERE headaches which I couldn't believe the mental state could help, plus my health insurance doesn't pay for biofeedback.

Good luck again.

[rainboots]

I heard the exact opposite from the chief of neurology at a major hospital. He said "trust me, I see thousands of strokes and rarely see a person suffer headaches afterwards" I agree with you that it is common..and don't think you need to be a doctor to hear what people are saying. I worruy about the intra-cranial pressure on the brain. I think if he keeps suffering this way his body will break down. I'm really afraid for him. I don't think botox is a very good idea but I can see how desperate one must get. I'd probably be addicted to pain killers.

[sara12345]

Thank you so much for your response. I'll find out more about my stroke.  I did not need surgery.  Thanks for confirming that post stroke headaches are common.  

Do I understand that you think that my migraines might get better after years go by--now counting 3 years of mine.   Can the two causes, either "neuronal damage" or "increased intra cranial tension" possibly NOT be permanent?

Thanks for your continuing interest in my terribly disabling condition.

[Raju Thapar, MBBS]

Thanks for the query.

It is little difficult to interpret your question as it is incomplete as to where exactly is the stroke and is it a bleed or an infarct? Did u undergo surgery? Stroke patients do resolve in function sometimes within weeks and sometimes it takes months to years. Daily physiotherapy  is a needed. In regards to headache, post stroke headaches are common, it is either due to neuronal damage or because of increased intra cranial tension.

Take care.