Headaches

Hi All,   I haven’t posted in a very long time but I am curious if anyone else was suffering from headaches after their surgery? (I am probably grasping at straws but one other woman in my local support group is also having this issue which could purely be coincidence but I thought I’d reach out to you and see.) I am 5 years post RNY and about 5 months ago starting having headaches. My pcp ran blood work and everything was normal so he sent me for a CT and then an MRI which thankfully were both normal as well. He referred me to a neurologist. I have not suffered from headaches before now and would not have classified them as migraines although when I went to the neurologist he did classify them as such.    I do not fit into the normal “pattern" of when migraines start later in life. (i.e. the starting menopause) He put me on meds and they seem to be helping but I really am curious if there is some correlation or if others are having the same problem.   Thanks, Joanne

I haven't had that issue but I will say that if I get dehydrated, I will get bad headaches..that's what the issue is with a hang over. alcohol is dehydrating and usually you don't get enough water and that will cause a headache..

I drink about a gallon of water a day, throughout the day because I live in the desert southwest.. and heat is a killer for dehydration..

Hi Dawn,

Thanks for replying.  I too stay very hydrated drinking at least a gallon of water a day.  I guess it may be totally random that I ended up with migraines and have nothing to do with my RNY.  The only reason I questioned it at all was that another woman from my support group also ended up with them and I was curious if there were others.

Take care,
Joanne

I do get them more often now.  I hate that.  In my case - it has to do with maldigestions. And BM issue.  If my belly gets full of gas - or I get constipated - I would get a migraine headache.
 Also - my BP is lower now, and the weather affect s me - the air pressure. I get headache due to changes in air pressure.
dehydration,  some vitamins and minerals - may cause that. 
My headaches got less severe when I discontinued artificial sweeteners and flavors. But it takes a week or 2 with clean diet - for them to go away. and it takes just 2 diet sodas to have a headache the next day.  I guess my rearranged gut - make it a lot easier to get that chemicals into my Blood. 
I know Andrea U gets debilitating headaches.  She rarely posts here on OH anymore. 
you can find her: 
http://wlsvitagarten.com/

good luck finding out what is going on with you. if you do - let me know.. if you can.  

Thank you Hala.  I will see if I can contact her.  Did she get headaches before her surgery?  Interesting about the diet soda.  I drank diet soda my whole life but didn't drink any after surgery until recently and then rarely.  I have stopped drinking them because the medicine I am on made them taste awful!  Unfortunately the headaches haven't completely gone away.  I do use artificial sweeteners may have to try going without and see if that helps.

Thanks again for your help.
Joanne

I get headaches and gas so bad that I start to dry heave and I don't know why.  It generally feels like I'm getting a sinus headache, and then I start to get gassy.  Sometimes just burping helps but sometimes it is not enough and I end up with dry heaves.  My ENT said he had heard of cases like this but didn't know much on it.

The headaches hurt bad enough but then add the gas pains, it can be unbearable.  But I have also noted the headaches and gas at times but not always come after I have sugar.  But again it is not consistent enough to pin point what is causing it.  Was it really sugar or the carbs?  Anyone else experience this?

Thanks,
Kristina

As she said..... how well hydrated are you? Don't count anything bu****ER.

The headaches are a sure sign for me that I'm slacking. Dull ache.

I had been a migraine sufferer up til about 3 yrs post-op. There is a very distinct difference between "headaches" and migraine. Migraine have patterns, specific symptoms.

Your labs could look "ok" to the doc, but your lytes might still be out of balance FOR YOU.

My magnesium runs top of range.

I try to keep potassium and calcium dead center in their ranges. With calcium, too high or too low is bad news. the range is something like 8.5 to 10.5. I try to hold around 9.0 to 9.4.

If they get out of balance, your heart is gonna be mad at you. Messes up the rhythm.

Calcium citrate and magnesium citrate (pills, not the bowel prep!) can be added sort of indefinitely.

I don't mess with potassium myself, but early one the docs tweaked it to 4 of the OTC for me, 99mg each. That's holding me mid range. Range is maybe 3.5 to 5.5 so I shoot for 4.something. See?

Just FYI, if you had the lowest rx for potassium, it's 10 MEQ. That is appx 782 of the cheapo OTC ones that usually read 500 mg, yielding 99mg elemental potassium.

I'm not encouraging you to mess with your potassium, but the calc and mag cit can move everything back into balance.

KWIM?