Head injuries.

Ok we did this before, but have some new members.
We were discussing on another thread how many of us rode horses.
I did and had a bad fall and of course my hat fell off...

I also had a bad bang on the head when I was about 6/8
On a bumper car. My cousin in the one behind tried to bump his mate.
He hit me from behind and my nose smashed the metal steering wheel.
What a lot of blood.....my nose has never been the same.

But I wonder, as we are exploring every avenue....

Head injuries......
Oh and I was a forceps delivery....

P

Head injury 1:
Thrown from horse, Helmet flew off..my head right into jump post. Ouch. Got back on though!!

Head injury 2:
My horse was mad from me being on vacation so when I came back he galloped off with me and dead stopped, giving me whiplash.

Head injury 3:
Rocking on a rocking chair, fell off and slammed back of head on brick fireplace. Bled a lot, Dad was home...he's manly machinist, saw no need to go to hospital All toes and fingers were in their places! Haha!!

Head injury 4:
Heavy impact crash with rollover. Head went through windshield, came back through and slammed on roof of car with each roll (4 or 5 rolls). Declared concussion at hospital.

Head injury at 17 - horse spooked and I went off the back, lost consciousness and was definitely concussed.

I got tossed off a horse in college, but I landed flat on my back - no head injury that I recall.

Was in a car accident at 21 - Seemed really minor, no major injuries except for leaving Post-Concussive Disorder (acts like ADD and is treated the same way). Was on meds a long time to function (stimulants) and was able to wean myself off 3 years later or so.

There were a few other minor car accidents but nothing that stands out as a head injury. But when you come to a sudden stop...there is a potential for a bump to the brain.

Hmmm.
Lets see if anyone else has similar experiences shall we?
With or without the horse.

I rode horse every day for approximately 10 years while I was growing up. I remember being bucked off three times and landing on my head each of those three times (approx. age then was 15). Back then no one wore helmets. There were other times that I fell off but I don't remember my head getting the brunt of it.

Every time I fell off, I got right back on and rode again. My dad taught us to always get right back on so the horse didn't win.

Knock on wood.....I've never been in a car accident.

I really don't see any correlation between these injuries and my migraines. I started having hormonal migraines in puberty.

I gave up my horses about ten years ago because my migraines were so frequent that I was spending very little time with the horses. It wasn't fair for the horses not to have daily care and exercise. My husband and sons were not interested in horses.

I really think that riding horse was therapeutic for my upper back and shoulders. I had no problems when I was regularly riding horse, but the migraines are a whole other story.

Becky

There may not be a correlation of head injuries with migraines for everyone. When I told my neuro that I'd had Post Concussive Disorder - he told me that contributed to the migraine problems. That condition messes with (I can't quite describe it so bear with me) a gate that controls the electrical signals sent by migraine condition. The gate doesn't shut or doesn't shut all the way in my case (and is the reason why I'm chronic)...which he is assuming is the only cause. Not sure I buy that but if we can get it to function somewhat normally I'd be glad.

This is another one of those discussions that not everyone will find a correlation. I didn't find a direct for genetic in myself, willing to entertain the possibility however. The cause of mine is unknown. I have no food triggers and it's not tied to hormones - so treating the symptoms as I may never know the real cause. It's probably more likely that mine are traumatic in origin.

Whoaaa!!! Did I miss something here? Is this a former horsebackriders migraine forum?? I am wowed at how many of u have horse stories... Lol I've only ridden 2 times in my life but never fell off.

I did, however, play soccer competetively from 5-17 and had lots of concussions. One where I lost consciousness.

Also been in about 3 car accidents and as a toddler hit my head so bad it needed several stiches.

Hmmmmmmm.

I've never seen this thread b4, nor have I considered the cominality of head injury.

Fell off playground equipment at 3. Head concussion. Migraines started shortly thereafter. Received no treatment for injury. Also I was a forceps kid.

Chris

The correlation between head "inuries" including difficult/forceps deleiveries was first raised with me when I went for a CT scan.
I was actually asked at the hospital if anythng was pertinent to me.

I have said before i have no KNOWN family connection, so they were interested to see if I had any sort of injuries as a youngster.
I think their theory was with no known genetic link, and despite my migraines being hormonal. They didnt come on until peri menopause, Without head traum I may not have developed them.

Every woman has hormones, not all develop migraines and not everyone with head truams has migraines either...its complicated.
Also this appointment was about 10 years ago and I dont recall it accurately.

There has been further discussion of this nature I believe in our MAA newsletter.

Bottom line is I guess.....we are all different and some of us may have a physical cause or exacerbation???
Maybe those without a genetic link, like myself, and again myself have a nec problem, could be a trauma?
I dont know, just speculation...
As I always say, as we dont k now what it is, we dont know what it isnt...

pen, sorry if my memory lapses...

have you had an MRI and an MRA (magnetic resonance angiography) of your brain?

-mgb

Dumb question: difference between MRI and MRA? I've had MRI and have heard of MRA but didn't really know the difference.

no head injury that I know of, no forceps. But huge amount of family history on both sides.

Amy

I dont know the difference either and no I havent. I was told CAT scan sufficient.
Is that right Amy....I dont know of anyone over here who has anything other than CT scan...cheaper....
BUT now Ive said that someone will step forward...

I'm the bane of your life, 'cos I'm going to contradict you again (sorry).....

I've had two MRI's and no CT scans. There are slight differences, but I'm not sure which is really 'best'. Marc?

Amy

Hi,

I have had one possible head injury. When I was 16, my brother and I were in a car accident- I was driving, it was dark, I over-corrscted when changing lanes and the SUV rolled three times. My brother had a concussion and a broken tooth. I had cuts and bruises. We were extremely lucky that our injuries were not more serious. Both of us went to the hospital though, and they did take x-rays of my head- which were fine. 10 months later, the migraines became chronic. I am not sure if this event is related or not- I tend to think that something happened, but we really do not know. All the doctors have said that there is too long a period between the accident and onset of severe migraines. In addition, I had migraines before the accident- my first headache occured at age 12. So yes, there is an injury, but we are not sure if it is related.

Also, I have always had a very sensitive head. Even when I was an infant, I would scream bloody murder when Mom washed my hair. I hated to have my hair blown dry or curled or brushed when I was little. I suppose that is why I had very short hair for years.

I have had numerous imaging studies- 5 MRIs, several CAT scans, and at least 12 CT scans. (Most of the CT scans were done in ER due to presenting with slurred speech and other stroke-like symptoms. All read as normal.

Pain free days,
sailingm

Most CT scans do not have the detail of MRI machines, even low-powered machines.

Most CT scans are low slice machines, meaning they take larger sections of the area they are reviewing and the software knits together the images. CTs are mainly used as a fast pass to check for obviously large tumors or bleeds. They are not very diagnostic, and actually a poor tool for migraine--most CT and MRI machines really don't reveal anything for migraine to begin with.

MRI machines vary in their power. Most are 1.5 tesla magents, to 3 to 6 tesla+ machines. You are only going to find 3-6+ tesla machines at higher end facilities (mostly university/research facilities). These studies have much more detail than CT. The only CTs that can compare are higher slice 256 and 320 slice CTs. Toshiba has a more powerful one, I think 640 slice and GE has mega machine. Siemens is a big leader too. The most powerful machies I've had studies done are on the higher tesla MRIs and CTs at Johns Hopkins. The Toshiba Aquilion One, a 320 slice CT delivers some amazing and helpful diagnostic images with less radiation. Old school 16,32, 64 slice CTs are not of much value for finite reviews.

MR is still the best to check out what's going on in the brain--or any organ for that matter. And only a radiologist that knows what they are looking at can understand the newer tech.

An MRA uses the technology of MR, but the "A" stands for angiography which looks at the blood vessels of the target, i.e. brain. In both CT and MR studies, constrast dye is very helpful at taking a look at things like tumors, blockages, and anneurisms to name a couple.

And yes, The mega Toshiba machine is available in London. http://www.europeanscanning.com/home.html

Too, I had a head injury as a child, a concussion from a sled riding accident. I also have some degenerative problems with my spine and neck.

I have a tumor sitting under my brain on my pituitary and a cyst on my pineal gland.

I'll have to post my brain some day, LOL.

No head injuries, no forceps.
I think only bad luck to inherite the wrong genes
Sorry, today I'm quite depressed and negative

The previous disscussion of this was on the old forum, wasn\'t it?

There is a mule in my user name for a reason (besides that sometimes with the migs my head feels like I have been kicked by a mule {and I have been kicked by a mule, just not in my head }), I, too, am an equine lover, and former rider.

Headaches, and tummy aches (which, while never dxd as such, were probably abdominal migraines), were frequent during elementary school (this would have been in the early 1960s), but I do not remember when they started.

I vaguely remember an incident at a playground (for children under the age of 7), possibly occuring in the late 1950s. I was standing behind a swing, waiting for a turn, got too close, and was hit in the head. The swing was metal, somewhat resembled a glider-type swing for one person, with a molded horse head front. Of course, it gave me a headache, but I don\'t remember ever going to the doctor for it.

Automobile collision #1: During a rainstorm when I was a firstgrader (before seatbelts), we were going to pick up my sister from afternoon session kindergarten (which got out after first grade did), we were stopped at the school crossing and got rear-ended. (I shudder to think what would have happened to the children in the crosswalk if our car had not stopped him.) Mom got a whiplash, and my other sister got a scrape from the door handle. As far as I can recall, I was uninjured.

My father bought us a half-broke four year old Shetland pony mare in late February of 1966. During Easter Vacation I was riding her at a trot with a bareback pad which slipped around under her belly, putting my head down with her hooves.

{I am too tired now, I will come back and finish this later}.

moominamy wrote:I'm the bane of your life, 'cos I'm going to contradict you again (sorry).....
I've had two MRI's and no CT scans. There are slight differences, but I'm not sure which is really 'best'. Marc?
Amy

Feel free to contradict Amy. Although actually you arent.
I recall now, having asked my husband. A locum GP sent me to a fast track headache thingy at L&D.
She asked for them to give me an MRI. But having had the usual psycho/cognitive tests the neuro decided there was no need to give me a scan. When my husband insisted I was quite anxious about what the Hell was going on, he relented.
I went straight down, but what I got was a CT, not MRI. I was told that an MRI was not as good and a CT was adequate.

Now I am just the patient and was so relieved to get "something" that told me my head was "normal"
To be honest I havent thought about that possibility since....
Incidentally his diagnosis...."You have migraines". But he was at least nice. Not like the other twat I saw there several years later.

I don't think the fancy machines pick up everything though. I remember after the horse accident at 17, I had a scan (couldn't tell you what it was - my head was killing me and my mother was flipping out) but there was no evidence of a concussion according to the machine, but I had all the other signs of a concussion.

It's also possible I had an MRA back in October. The neuro ordered an MRI but I remember they injected contrast for part of it. Straight MRI I don't recall them doing that (had a few of those over the years - slightly accident prone). I remember reading the report from the radiologist on the head scan - part that stuck out "unremarkably normal". I have it in writing - I am normal.

Thanks Marc, that was very helpful