Another month of Crappy headaches?

Sherryg683 · 07-09-2006, 02:56 PM

This is my third time dealing with these awful sinus headaches since I was diagnosed 7 months ago. All my recent scans say I am NED, and I had a brain MRI done a few weeks ago because of the headaches, which came back clean. So I guess I have to figure they are sinus and Herceptin related. It hurts so much between my eyes, nose and temples and lasts exactly about a month..then they will go away and I will feel fine for a month or so. I have had cortisone shots, cortisone packs, antibiotics and it still doesn't help. It seems they have to run that 4 week course . This is just so tiring and draining and I hate to think this is what I have ahead of me forever. HOpefully, it's just that we are having very bad pollen. I am on allergy pills which doesn't seem to help. Does anyone else have or ever had this happen and found anything to help. I hate staying drugged up on pain pills for a whole month but if I have to, I will...sherryg683

karenann · 07-09-2006, 03:14 PM

Sherry,

I have the same problem with sinus headaches since starting Herceptin last July. I have one more treatment and hopefully they will stop. I had a brain MRI last September and all was clear at that time. I had to have it because my left pupil kept dilating 3 to 4 days after my Herceptin infusion (not the first time though...it happened one day before my treatment). The docs think the herceptin triggers ocular migraines.

Anyway, I had the headaches then and I still have them almost one year later. I also have a problem with my ear feeling clogged all the time. As I tell my husbad, "I'm a heap of fun".

Hopefully this helps you feel better, Sherry.

Karen

chrisy · 07-09-2006, 03:16 PM

Sherry you crack me up! And also make me feel a little better about my own crappy headaches. I never used to have sinus headaches - or maybe I just never paid attention to them in the past. But last summer and now again, I get these occasional headaches that feel like sinus headaches or eyestrain, just enough to make me wonder if I should get another MRI...then they go away. It's not bad enough just having the headache...now ya gotta wonder if it's cancer. Good for you with your clean MRI...now you can just enjoy it as a crappy headache!
Take care
Chris

juanita · 07-09-2006, 05:57 PM

there was a thread on this a while back. try typing sinuses or headaches into the search at the top of the page.

Chelee · 07-09-2006, 10:48 PM

Sherry, I am sorry you have these awful headaches...but I am also glad to hear about it as I have had the worse headache since June 23rd. Won't forget that date!

I hardly ever have headaches...and this one WON'T go away. My last full cycle of chemo was June 12th and I am ONLY on weekly hercetpin. So maybe my body and head misses the TCH. lol (Not!)

I have a brain MRI not this week...but next. I am stressing over it...and you know why. I PRAY mine comes back clean like yours did. I am hoping it is from the herceptin since it *use* to cause me lots of sinus problems.

Its funny when I first started the herceptin back in Feb. of this year. I had the runny nose, inside was crusty & dried out...very painful at times. If I blew my nose a little bloody. But I would have slight headaches from it back then for quite a while.

Then it seemed like after about 3 months of herceptin...I QUIT having the sinus problems, bloody, crusty nose? Its like my body got use to it? (At first I thought it was because I was getting more Procrit due to low rbc's.) That was about the same time my sinuses got better.

But now this darned headache has me worried. I had my first chemo in Feb. So me and you are close in the time frame for dealing with this. I noticed you said your headache pain is between your eyes, nose, & temples. That is EXACTLY where mine is. (I almost feel relieved hearing that from you!) Maybe it IS the darned herceptin?

I noticed you are still getting herceptin. I have really bad pain just LIKE YOU. Between my eyes, my temples are killing me! Nose hurts a little...more of the pain is kind of behind the nose..hard to explain. Then some pain at the base of my head in the back. But MOSTLY in the front where my eyes are...and temples. I thought it was my TMJ. Can't wait to have my scan and hear its CLEAN. (Knock wood.) Because this is terrible having a non-stop headache which I know you can relate.

Thanks to your post...I am going to convince myself its herceptin related and try to relax some. I have taken advil, tylenol, vicodin...nothing gets rid of it. Here's hoping yours disappears. Like you said, its draining to have a headache all the time. Ugh.

I go for more herceptin in the morning..I hope and pray it doesn't get any worse after that. Hang in there Sherry...what choice do we have. But my quess now is it IS herceptin related. It sure caused me alot of sinus problems in the beginning. So thats probably all it is.

Chelee

lu ann · 07-10-2006, 04:00 AM

My 19 year old daughter has suffered with headaches for about 10 years. We have taken her to many different specialists including: chiropractors, neurologists, alergists, etc. We finally went to an E. N. T. doctor who performed 3 different types of surgery on her. She had a deviated septum and over 40 polyps and infection removed from her sinusis. The nurse told us that when we have chronic sinus infection, the only way to get rid of them is surgery. The antibiotics will not touch a severe infection. I don't know if this is what is causing your headahes, but it's worth finding out. Blessings to you from Lu Ann.