Question:
What can a person take for the terrible headaches post op?

Hi - Hoping to have surgery next month. Is there anyone else out there with pseudo tumor ceirbri? WHat I am worried about is that right now, when I get the terrible headaches I take Advil. It is the only thing that somewhat helps, and I have to take sometimes up to 5 of them at once to get any relief (and then that doesn;t always work) I guess the one reason they work is that they are an anti-inflammatory. I hope that the surgery will help with this medical condition, but what do others do when they still get the headaches until enough weight is lost? I will ask my Doc, but wanted to know the opinion out there. Thanks    — Karen A. (posted on December 17, 2000)

December 18, 2000
hi - i get terrible migraine headaches which i take Imitrex for. but from what i understand, drugs like Imitrex (sumatriptans) only work for migraines, not other types of headaches.<br><br> i looked up your condition, pseudotumor cerebri, and found out that its an abnormal condition with symptoms (such as increased intracranial pressure and headaches) which suggest the occurrence of a brain tumor but have a different cause. this may seem a silly question, but have you seen a professional about your headaches? it seems to me that there has <b>got to be</b> some sort of prescription drug out there that can help you more than Advil.<br><br> just my .02 :)
   — webgrrlie

December 18, 2000
Hey Karen, I take asprin free Excedrin for my headaches. The caffeine in it helps out tremendously and it enhances the acetaminophen in it. Hugs~
   — Marni

January 17, 2001
I had WLS because of my problems with Psuedo Tumor. I know how terrible the headaches are. The pressure I had behide my eyes was terrible. My optic nerves were swollen 5 times the size they were suppost to be. I have lose 75 pounds and the swelling of the optic nerves I had is so minimal now, that my doctor is no longer concerned. The headaches you experience will decrease alot once your pressure goes down with weight loss. I do still get a headache sometimes and I take an anti-innflammatory med. crushed or in liquid form. Please e-mail me if you have any questions. We are in a small group of people who need WLS for this disorder, and I wish I had someone who understands this disorder too.
   — melissa J.

July 24, 2001
I also have been diagonised with a pseudotumor cerebri. I am seeing a neurolgist for this condition. He currently has me on diamox (to help get rid of excess fluid) and also neurontin to help with the pain. I have to say that the pressure has gone down behind my eye (YEAH - no surgery for that) and I give the meds some of the credit. I also have lost about 15 pounds and that helped as well. I still do get the headaches. When they get to the point of being constant, 24/7, I then call the neurologist and he sets me up for a lumbard puncture to drain the excess spinal fluid. So far I have had 3 LP's (NO FUN) and this last time, he had to poke me 5 times before he finally got in... so, if/when I have this surgery, I will look forward to NO MORE LUMBARD PUNCTURES!
   — Carol S.