Side effects from gamma knife

[skamper]

Hello all,
I had the gamma knife done last Wed and am wondering if what I'm experiencing the last couple days is side effects or not.  I've called the office twice but they don't seem concerned which is a good thing, I'm just curious.
I missed work yesterday due to a horrible headache that was off the chart.  I slept until 2:00 yesterday which was very unusual for me.  Today I noticed that my face around my cheek bone feels numb or sorta tingly on the AN side.  Then a little while I ago, I went to try find the screw sights in the back of my head, I found I can't feel part of my head in the back.  About the location of the radiation.
Did anyone else have any of these side effects or am I just losing my mind?  It wouldn't be the first time I've gotten worked up
Thanks,
Susan

[PaulW]

I had single session CK and my neurosurgeon told me that I may get a headache, and it could last up to 4 days!
About 4 hours after CK I did get a horrible headache, but only to half my head.
I was thinking OMG this is going to be really crap if I need to put up with this for 4 days.
30 minutes later thankfully it was gone never to return.

While I didn't have GK I gather numbness at the screw sites is not unusual.

[arizonajack]

Some people in another thread have reported scalp numbness that lasted a week.

I haven't experienced that. I had GK this week on Tuesday 1/22. Still have some soreness at the pin sites but no headaches and no ill effects.

No clue as to the facial thing.

[robinb]

I had GK this morning. Numbness all gone, just some soreness at pin sites.

[skamper]

Thanks everyone, I think the numbness on my head is pretty normal.  I tried finding side effects online but got discouraged when I couldn't find anything.
I'll hang in there and hope it doesn't last long
Susan

[GM]

I had scalp numbness around the GK pin sites for about a week and a half.  Kinda like the numbness that you  get at the dentist...just in my scalp.  I was tired, like I just did a whole bunch of yard work outside.  That too went away after two days.  I didn't have any headaches.  Are you on a steroid treatment?  Hang in there, it'll get better!

Gary

[michaela]

hello,

i am a non-headache person, still after the GK-treatment, i had a very foggy head and headaches for about a week. actually, i was unable to work or even to respond to private emails. i never really understood whether the cause was the quite long-lasting radiation (my AN was about 6,7 ccm at the time of the treatment) or the screws and tight frame. but i can assure you, it goes away!

michaela

[arizonajack]

my AN was about 6,7 ccm at the time of the treatment

Every time I look at that it makes me jump for a second until I see the extra "c" that means volume instead of dimensions.

Gonna take me a while to get used to that I guess.

 

[Tumbleweed]

I had CK (similar to GK). For about 24 hours or so after my 3rd and final treatment, my skull (scalp on the back of my head) felt numb. The tingly sensation on your cheek might be due to cranial-nerve V (the trigeminal nerve) irritation caused by the radiation. I wouldn't worry at all about the numbness in the back of your head; it should resolve shortly if it hasn't already. But your doctor should be informed about your tingly cheek. They might recommend a course of steroids if they deem it to be a concern.

Hope you feel better soon,
TW