So, you're off to the docs with recurring headaches...

[AB]

What will they do?

Friend of mine has had excruciatingly painful headaches on and off for a few weeks now. Finally told her to go to the docs and she is worried they'll send her for a load of weird head scans.

What is the usual form with this? What tests are they likely to want doing?

[Munter]

Well an eye test for a start I'd think. Eye strain causes lots of people's heads to hurt.

[Odie]

Accuse you of being an alcholic & trying to get a sick note. Thats what my doc did a few years ago, until he actually examined my head and found that i had bruising from dropping an exhaust on the side of my head which then knocked the other side of my head into the floor...

[Busa mav]

May also send her to the dentist .

[turbolucie]

Headaches are a very very very common presentation to GPs. Unlikely to send for a scan unless there is something worrying going on. Most likely lifestyle advice and possibly some drugs depending on the cause.

[cocopop]

My GP thinks I have cluster headaches, which are basically excrutiatingly painful headaches (so do I for what it's worth). So far no weird head scans, but have an appointment with a neurological specialist in a week and a bit. Will report back.

[ewenm]

Why the fear (it seems) of "weird" head scans? Surely it's better to know than keep going with bad headaches.

[cocopop]

ewenm said:

Why the fear (it seems) of "weird" head scans? Surely it's better to know than keep going with bad headaches.

Me, or the OPs friend?

I'm up for some head scans, particularly if the end result is the headaches stopping.

[turbolucie]

ewenm said:

Why the fear (it seems) of "weird" head scans? Surely it's better to know than keep going with bad headaches.

The only result you'd usually want from a CT/MRI for headaches is a clear one. Lots of people are just scared they'll find 'something'. If you don't find anything, you're usually no further forward in a diagnosis, to my limited knowledge.

[Lemmonie]

cocopop said:

My GP thinks I have cluster headaches, which are basically excrutiatingly painful headaches (so do I for what it's worth). So far no weird head scans, but have an appointment with a neurological specialist in a week and a bit. Will report back.

I have those too. You have my sympathies. did you get any meds for the meantime? I take imigran inhalours and painkillers(Co-codomal, tramadole, diclofenec) and recently just got a perscription for betablockers which so far have knocked a three week cluster episode on the head. It's life changing