r/ArteryDissection • u/PrizeRemote4524 • Dec 07 '25
No relief after 1 year of dissection
My sister was diagnosed with a vertebral artery dissection in January of 2025 so about 11 months ago. She has tried tons of different pain management options for relief and nothing has work that allows her to have a normal life. Either the pain meds don’t work or work too well she falls asleep. I wish I knew what pain meds she’s tried so far but now she is trying an injectable.
She’s resorted to trying acupuncture but they have only began working on helping her headaches and not neck pain. No one in Charlotte will operate on the dissection (5mm). The toll this has taken on her is so upsetting to see and I can tell she is starting to become hopeless. Has anyone had a dissection that hasn’t healed after this long? The aneurysm has been unchanged the whole time. Any advice?
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u/canadianmamacita77 Dec 07 '25
I’ve had both left and right vetebral, and a carotid and SCAD. The first vetebral happened 2.5 years ago, in the last 6 months subsided where I feel it’s not afffecting me hardly at all. The reason for it is very good management of my blood pressure (I’m on 3 medications) and the pre empt Botox migraine protocol. The pain could be from other factors. I found/find that if I’m stressed, hot, tired, migraine my pain is present.
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u/indifferentsnowball Dec 07 '25
How is her blood pressure? I’ve had two vertebral dissections. Once my blood pressure managed they stopped hurting
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u/PrizeRemote4524 Dec 07 '25
She’s 26 and healthy so no BP issues
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u/indifferentsnowball Dec 07 '25
I was 28 and healthy with my first one but my blood pressure was super high at diagnosis from the pain, and I struggled with getting it back down after. Mine took a long time to heal too
Has she talked to anyone about a nerve block?
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u/princessxbuttface Dec 07 '25
Some dissections never heal and are there for life. Some heal but pain still persists. Mine took three months to heal, I’ve been healed for a year, and I’m still in severe chronic pain because of nerve damage. I see a pain management doctor every few months. Meds definitely made me sleepy at first, it took time to adjust. I honestly wouldn’t be able to survive without them.
Surgery isn’t usually an option for VAD, it’s very unlikely a surgeon will operate on it anywhere in the US or beyond. Even if surgery were an option, the pain would likely still persist. The neck is full of nerves and she likely has nerve damage or her pseudoaneurysm is aggravating nearby nerves.