Caroline32669

I, too have neck pains and I notice they are worse when I 'overdo' it. I walked for a while last week and my neck and upper back were very painful. Massage helps a lot as well as heat. I have read some places that advise to avoid massage, so check with your doctor. My doctor told me it would be okay. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't get a massage.

I hope you feel better.

Carolyn

Well,

I talked with the Neurosurgeon about the weird head feeling...he explained about the blood and all but he really couldn't say why it comes and goes! LOL. He said it would happen for a while but should go away. Not much help, I know. But it helps knowing there are others with the same symptoms and that it is to be expected. I did read somewhere that it can take 9 months for the blood to clear and it can show up on MRI for years.

Carolyn

Well, at least others know what I am talking about. I will try my best to get answers. I have a feeling it may be due to dehydration (which is what happens when you drink too much) or low sodium, which I had in the hospital due to cerebral salt wasting. But that is supposed to resolve within 1-2 weeks.

So i will ask and let you all know!

Carolyn

I have read posts from others about that feeling of fullness in your head, but can anyone explain why this happens? My headaches went away, then my back pain went almost completely away, but now I wake up feeling hungover every morning...like I have been on a drinking binge. and my head feels big. Like my sinuses are full. Does anyone know what makes this happen? Too much salt? Not enough water? Brain swelling? If it went away, something must have happened to make it return?

Just wondering if anyone has answers. I have an appt with my neurosurgeon in a couple of days and I will ask him then.

Thank you Sandi for sharing. It is the leg and back pain that are almost unbearable. I was thinking of a chiropractor, but worried it might do damage, but I can see it has helped you. I think I will try it. I wish you a speedy recovery. After reading all of the posts, I have decided to give myself at least 6-8 weeks before attempting to return to work. Thank God for support groups like this.

Hi Caroline, welcome to BTG, you have come to the right place!

I also had a NASAH, mine was November 10 and I didn't find BTG until mid January. It was such a huge relief to find BTG and finally get some answers from people who were going through the same experiences.

I had excruciating lower back pain for about 3 weeks after the main event. It was so horrible, almost as bad as the big headache which kicked everything off! I would apply heat, I had a hot water bottle 24/7. I would also walk through the house every couple of hours for a half hour or so. Even through the night. I found this helped. Not everyone would be comfortable with this idea but I also reached out to a chiropractor. I could barely walk when I first saw her. In tears of frustration of not understanding what happened to me and feeling abandoned by the medical doctors and I explained to my chiro that I was afraid to have any work on my neck or head but begged her to please relieve the pain in my lower back.

She was very caring and very careful and very gentle. After my first visit she read everything she could on SAH and a couple of months later after I'd been going twice a week she flew to another city to learn craniosacral therapy to help me even more.

We still don't manipulate my neck and she advises that I never allow anyone to manipulate my neck.

Once I started going to chiro she recommended I apply ice or a feezer bag and then heat. Both worked to relieve the pain.

I also didn't want any pain killers because I found it so hard to detox all the hospital meds out of me. I wasn't in withdrawal or anything like that but I just felt so medicated and constipated and overall awful that I didn't want to take anything else!!

The worst of the back pain lasted about three weeks but I carried on with the hot water bottle and then a heating pad for 6 weeks as the pain had faded but was still there.

Like Surfer, I still have upper back spasms along my spine. This pain is nothing like the debilitating lower back pain though. In fact, sometimes I don't know it's there until someone touches my back. My chiro loosens up the upper back now when I see her once a week.

I'm just over 6 months now. I returned to work first from home about 4 weeks after the event. In the calm and quiet of home I was able to convince myself that I could work. I returned to the office 2 months after the event and 6 weeks later I was in a dire place. I had double vision, was dizzy, I fell for no reason, I would drop things, I made scary mistakes while driving, I couldn't retain information, I wasn't able to work with numbers, and I was so tired and teary!! I had fatigue which I didn't understand. My arms and legs were heavy and sore and following a conversation was too much.

I still have these symptoms when I'm tired and overdo it but I feel much better now. I can read and retain info and my math is coming back as long as I'm rested. I havent worked since Feb 10 but I should be able to begin a graduated return soon.

My neurologist told me that everything I've experienced is normal but everyone recovers differently depending on where your bleed was and the size of it. He said that the blood in the subarachnoid layer mixes with cerebral fluid and creates a toxin which inflames and irritates your brain and causes all the symptoms.

Luckily I'm expected to recover fully except for some minimal right eye damage and the symptoms will come and go while fading for an expected timeline of 2 years. That timeline is always followed with 'everyone recovers differently'.

We've had some members here who have successfully returned to work quickly, so we are all different.

Sorry if I've rambled, I know how important it is to find info so wanted to give you as much as I could!

I'm in Las Vegas for four days, today being the last so must go get ready for my day! We came from BC looking for sun but the clouds followed us here!!

Sandi K. Xo

Thank you all for your advice and support! It feels better just knowing there are others that understand. I will try to take each day as it comes. Thank you all again

Carolyn

Hello,

I just had an SAH, non aneurysm on May 2. Although I am somewhat medically competent, I am feeling a little overwhelmed right now. I am hoping someone can help me with a time frame for recovery? My doctors say I can go back to work on May 24, but I feel emotionally ragged, am having excruciating back pain (which all the nurses thought was unusual) and I feel totally unready to return to work in about one week. Is this normal? Should I be feeling better? The headaches are better, but the back and leg pain are disabling.

I just want to make sure I am not just being a wimp. I am scared to death to be dependent on pain pills.

Thank you if any body has advice.

Carolyn