Thunderclap headaches anybody?
 

Hello everybody,

I'm 4 1/2 years out since my diagnosis. Since I was er/pr negative, my onc told me that if I make it to 5 years without any recurrence then my chances of being "cured" are very high. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to that day!

My concern is that I just recently started getting these "thunderclap" headaches. These are headaches that come on all of a sudden and are the worst headaches ever. I felt like my head was going to explode both times I experienced these. Both times I was lifting weights in a class at the Y. I was in so much pain I had to leave in the middle of class. I rarely get headaches at all and certainly never ones like this!

I went to the doctor yesterday and they are going to do a CT scan of my head to make sure I don't have a mass of some kind in my brain. I'm hopeful that it isn't but just wondering if any of you have experienced anything similar.

Take care,
Brenda

Re: Thunderclap headaches anybody?
 

Brenda,

It is interesting to me that both times you experienced your headache onset it was during a session of weight lifting. If your CT is negative, and I am believing it will be, then perhaps it is something that places pressure on a spinal nerve during the weight lifting exercise. I have cervical spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the space where the spinal cord runs through the vertebrae of the neck, secondary to a whiplash injury years ago. Perhaps you have an old spinal injury, lumbar region is very common, and the weights are further compressing your vertebra causing disc compression that crowds the spinal cord.

We always jump to the cancer-cause, and rightly so as it is the elephant in our rooms, however I think it will prove to be another issue unrelated to cancer.

Please let us know what the scan shows.

Re: Thunderclap headaches anybody?
 

Laurel,

I hope that you are right that this is not related to cancer at all. I'm thinking that it does have something to do with the neck also and isn't cancer. My biggest fear in this whole cancer ordeal is brain mets. Trying to remain positive and hopeful.

Thanks for chiming in. I will keep you posted on the results.

Take care,
Brenda

Re: Thunderclap headaches anybody?
 

This happened to me. During personal training for weight lifting. It's horrible and horrifying. I too had a CT scan and all was well. The cause is not breathing while lifting. It seems natural to not breathe during the lift part but you have to concentrate on breathing. Otherwise you tense and tense your head hard. It's the tensing muscles and low oxygen when doing it. I should have mentioned it to my trainer. He knew exactly what it was and yell at me to breathe after that.

I got the scan to be safe and so should you but you will see it's nothing. If you go to a gym, ask a trainer about this and they will confirm what I explained. Relax and breathe.

Hugs to you.

Re: Thunderclap headaches anybody?
 

Thanks Becky! Your post certainly relieved a great deal of stress. My doctor did mention that it could be due to not breathing correctly while lifting. I'm hoping that is all it is.

Take care,
Brenda

Re: Thunderclap headaches anybody?
 

I think it is. Rest easy. You will see all is well.

Re: Thunderclap headaches anybody?
 

Brenda, I have no experience at all with the headaches but plenty of experience with worry. I know exactly where you are and how you are feeling and while the posts above bring great relief, there's still that nagging anxiety, "what if". I refuse to believe anything but the two possibilities above but I will be holding my breath with you until we get the all clear CT.
Love and hugs, Tracy

Re: Thunderclap headaches anybody?
 

Hey Brenda! I like Becky's theory! Not breathing during lifting? Who'd have thunk it????

Re: Thunderclap headaches anybody?
 

Thank you all for your replies. My CT scan came back perfectly normal! What a relief it was. The doctor does believe that it is due to not breathing properly. I will really have to concentrate on proper technique and breathing in the future.

Thanks again for your support and replies.

Take care,
Brenda

Re: Thunderclap headaches anybody?
 

Yes!!!

Hugs to you

Re: Thunderclap headaches anybody?
 

Wonderful news! Maybe try yoga once or twice a week to get some breathing techniques?

Re: Thunderclap headaches anybody?
 

Fabuuuuulous!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Thunderclap headaches anybody?
 

Thanks everybody for your responses. I do need to focus more on my breathing. Funny thing is that I do yoga on a regular basis. Guess I just havent't mastered the breathing.

Take care everybody. Stay well!

Brenda