I had surgery 3 months ago. Things were starting to get better. I was able to walk around a bit better and it seemed like my migraines disappeared. I do have a pinched nerve as well as degenerative disc in my upper neck. I’ve been going to physical therapy and been really trying hard to get back to a semi normal life. But all of a sudden I started getting my migraines again and they are becoming daily as well as extreme fatigue. Is this normal? Or should I call my neurosurgeon or neurologist. I don’t know what to do. I’ve been feeling so down and lost. It almost feels like starting from scratch again.
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Yes, I’d recommend a follow up, even if it’s just to be told it’s all OK, surgically.
Headaches are notoriously difficult to pinpoint a cause and effect. Post neurosurgery I’ve had no end of issues which fluctuate something terrible from a mild headache to an OMG headache. I’ve now got a range of ‘normal headaches’ (as if any of them are normal.) If the headache is outside of my ‘normal’ or the symptoms are new and concerning, it’s better to get it checked.
Why do I say this?
I had a PCP who kept minimising symptoms, so I ignored weird sensations/odd symptoms. Then 2 weeks later I had a follow up with the neurosurgeon and he spat it. There was an issue and I needed surgical intervention. The neuro was not happy. The fact I needed a referral from my PCP who said ‘All ok’ and wouldn’t give the referral didn’t seem to matter. Now, I present at a hospital at let them sort it out.
Now above I say ‘… to be told it’s all OK, surgically.’ and I say this for a good reason. Surgeons are like good mechanics, ‘if there’s nothing wrong to fix, don’t mess with it’.
If they cannot see an issue via a scan or a test often the are less than reluctant to surgically intervene. To do so could cause even greater issues.
I’ve had the ‘joy’ (NOT) of enduring 6 neurosurgeries, none have been what anybody could ever consider fun and although the scans can show the physical differences in a picture, they cannot show the flow on effects each surgery has had. I too had what I called the ‘Honeymoon period’ where things were really good symptom wise, only for my ‘new (and disappointing) normal’ to appear. I have symptoms of some type everyday, some mild, some simply off the scale. But the scans are ‘OK’.
This may sound really rude, but it’s not supposed to.
Three months post neurosurgery? It’s still early days in your recovery. This recovery thing is slowly, slowly. It takes time for the brain to adjust to slight changes, you’ve had major brain surgery and that takes a LONG time to settle, let alone time to adjust.
I’m 8yrs on from my last neurosurgery and still today I’m symptomatic. Some days that’s manageable, some days “Stop the world, I want to get off this ride…”
Merl from the Modsupport Team
Thank you for your response!! I appreciate your advice and help!! 
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I would get checked! I developed hydrocephalus shortly after my surgery. I don’t want to scare you but better off to be safe and check things out.
What were your symptoms? If you don’t mind me asking?