KateEMay

@KJ_online Hi Karin I had similar symptoms as you in October (I’m not so ‘techy’ as to attach my intro here). I also have tinnitus as well and I had weird sensations and aches down the bottom of my back and tops of my legs following the thunderclap headache, neck spasm and residual headaches that gradually subsided over a few weeks. I am lucky enough to have BUPA healthcare through work and have had several investigations since with a consultant neurologist. They worked with radiologists and revisited the results from the two hospitals’ CT scans and lumbar puncture and undertook MRI investigations on my head, spine and neck, concluding that I never did have a non-aneurysmal brain haemorrhage as the MRI would have shown the residue from the bleed! They suspect that there was blood in my lumbar puncture due to it taking the hospital five attempts to perform it and that the thunderclap headache and pains etc in my legs were because I had likely suffered a Cerebral Spinal Fluid leak instead. Bizarrely they think that as the treatment to resolve a spinal tear is injecting fresh blood into the spine to seal it, the misperformed lumbar punture actually also treated the tear! I am now completely fine but left wondering how many people are diagnosed with a NASAH when an MRI might indicate otherwise

@Tina Thank you. I’ll bear him in mind if I want to press for a second opinion. Really appreciate your support. Hope you’re ok x

@Tina Thanks Tina. I’m waiting to see if a neurologist can tell anything from an MRI scan on my head and neck. The neurosurgeons at St George’s suggested I be referred to a neurologist for any further investigation given that I’d had these violent headaches and neck spasms three times prior to the diagnosed non-aneurysmal SAH. I’m lucky enough to have private health insurance through my husband’s work, but a bit pot luck as to which neurologist you get through BUPA though and I got the feeling he didn’t know so much about this particular condition 😬

@Genie I stopped the HRT patches mid August and had the non-aneurysmal SAH on 1 October. Like I said though I had the previous 3 thunderclap headaches before this time but didn’t seek any medical advice on those as they went away with painkillers after an hour or two. I am currently awaiting the opinion of a neurologist following an MRI on my head and neck.

I’ve just recently had a non-aneurysmal perimesencephalic subarachnoid haemorrhage and had just recently stopped HRT patches (because I had three previous’thunderclap’ headaches and was worried about even the slightest connection. (Also the patches were doing nothing at all for my joint pains or flushes). Feel like I can’t see the wood for the trees at the moment - what to do and what not. Good to read what others are finding helpful though 👍

I’m so pleased to have landed on this group and to be able to read about similar experiences. I suffered a non aneurysmal perimesencephalic subarachnoid haemorrhage three weeks ago - massive sudden onset of headache and neck spasm - radiating from base of skull at the back round to temples. Went to local small emergency unit who referred to bigger A and E dept. CT scan showed no bleeds (apparently) and since I was fine other than neck pain and rushing pulsing headache, I was given diazepam and told I could choose to go home (after 9 hrs in A&E waiting room or wait there overnight for a lumbar puncture as a double check but there were no beds anyway). Went home. Headaches continued and on getting up had strange aches in lower back and down tops of back of legs. Back to A&E for another 12 hrs in the waiting room until finally got admitted onto a ward. Lumbar puncture next day. Results the following day indicated bleed. Given Nimodipine and ambulanced to neurosurgery at St George’s South London. Review of the original CT scan was determined to have shown small bleed so confirmed with CT angiography. I was pretty well throughout except for stiff neck and headaches, and weird feeling at the base of my spine on getting up to walk which was always simultaneous with rush and ‘swimmyness’ at back of head that then settled after a minute or two. I’ve always suffered with bad neck though for last 15 yrs. I’m ‘ok’ three weeks on but what’s worrying me is that although the neurosurgeon and reports I’ve read say this NAPSAH doesn’t recurr, I actually had three instances of that exact same phenomenonal headache, like being hit across the back of the head and then rushing and radiating round, prior to this recent one. I didn’t seek medical attention previously because I thought it was neck spasm and it did go after an hour or two with anti-inflammatory painkillers. All 4 occasions were during same kind of intimacy and they weren’t consecutive but all within last 6 months. Neurosurgeons say the former three were most likely unrelated to a bleed. I wondered if anyone else has suspected that they’d had more than one episode? And also around the time of the earlier episodes I also developed a constant buzzing tinnitus. Wow. I do sound like such a moaner, especially as others have obviously suffered more lasting effects, but it’s all been a bit scary recently.