Conern for husband and a few questions - Spinal Cord Disorders Message Board

Svikki · 05-01-2003, 09:15 PM

Hi everyone, Before I start this let me say that I am sorry that this is so long.I tried to keep it shorted, really.
My husband Roy had that ACDF with wire wrap. Then the 2nd surgery to clean and repair big hole in his neck..made by infection. Now they are wanting to do another surery to repair the mess made from the last surgery. The muscle has gone away from his spine..so they are going to clean off the noby little things that look like they would just pop out of the skin and cover his spine by pulling the muscle from somewhere over the top of it.
This in itself has me worried. But Roy is also having lots of headaches that start at the base of his scull and get worse as the day goes on and sometimes turn into migrains. He has anlother dr. appointment on the 15 to see another Nuroligist (spelling is not right) that deals more with migrains.
That is basiclly what I am concerned with. My question is: Has anyone else had headaches that are in that area of the spine? He has a headache nearly everyday. The doctor was going to do the surgery before he went to see the other doctor but Roy said he wants to make sure that there isn't something else that has to be fixed, so that he doesn't have to have a 4th surgery.
I am worried also because after having that 120 Lbs tarp fall 12 feet hitting him on the top of his head, with all the damage dane to the cervical and the t-6 fracture (that nothing is being done about) I worry that there might be something else causing the head aches.

Can any one help me or give me there expereance on this. Thank you Vicki

mothmin · 05-01-2003, 09:41 PM

so sorry to hear it. all I can relate to that is before my surgery ( c-7 anterior t-plate) I was getting head aches at work, I do alot of heavy lifting, my dr.would have freaked out if he knew the work I was really doing before surgery! any how, the pain was in back of my head where the spine conects to the skull? I thought the very top disk must have hemoraged. it only happened 2 times then I had surgery. so far so good. I've never been a head ache kind of person, so it was scary. hope your's gets resolved soon.

TCain · 05-02-2003, 04:45 PM

Hello, sorry to hear about your hub. I have headaches everyday. Some worse then others. I have severe cervical stenosis from C3 to C6. Surgery scheduled for 5/12 (Laminoplasty). Wish I could help you more.

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TCain

melanie dawn · 05-03-2003, 11:09 AM

Hi ,
The headaches that originate in the base of the skull(occpipital) are very common headaches among people with cervical spine problems. Some of them are from muscle spasm and others can be from nerve irritation, quite often the occipital nerve gets irritated.
hope that helps a little, good luck with everything
Mel

KeithEugeneW · 05-03-2003, 05:06 PM

I agree, it seems a lot of us with cervical problems get the same migraines that start at the base of the skull and work their way up into the back of the head and sometimes to the eyes. I went on neurontin back in early December, and up until about 5 weeks ago, it had stopped the migraines, which up until then I was getting about 2 or 3 days each week, so bad I'd have to leave work and go home and stand under a hot shower for relief. They started up again suddenly, and even with increasing the dosage of the neurontin I'm back to getting them 2 or 3 days a week again. I wish I could say exactly what causes them, but I can't. My theory is that the compression on the spinal cord by discs bulging, stenosis, or any other cause obstruct the flow of the spinal fluid, kind of like a dam, and it builds up pressure in the brain stem. I'm no doc, so this could be way off base, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Your husband has my complete sympathy, it sounds like he's having a bad time of it. After what he's been through with the surgeon, I'd recommend getting a second opinion with another surgeon and consider switching. I haven't seen anyone have so much trouble due to surgy for ACDF, whereas they had to go through the additional types of surgery you mentioned. Just one man's opinion...
Keith