For 13 years, 33-year-old Nikita Rathod endured severe right-sided cluster headaches that disrupted her education, career and pregnancy. After years of inconclusive tests, doctors at Raheja Hospital diagnosed a nerve-related pain disorder and treated it with pulse radiofrequency ablation
33-year-old Nikita Rathod. PIC/RITIKA GONDHALEKAR
For almost 13 years, 33-year-old Nikita Rathod endured severe right-sided cluster headaches, widely regarded as one of the most painful forms of headache disorders. The attacks, which she rated as 10 out of 10 in intensity, were accompanied by redness in the eye and debilitating pain episodes that lasted one to two months at a stretch.
"These episodes would recur every few years, severely affecting my daily life and overall well-being. Despite consulting multiple doctors and trying a range of treatments — including conventional medications, strong painkillers and even 100 per cent oxygen therapy — my condition remained largely uncontrolled. The persistent pain took a toll on my physical and emotional health," Rathod told mid-day.
Troubling young years
Rathod was writing her internal exam paper for the third year of her BMM course when she first experienced this unbearable and unusual kind of pain.
"Right in the middle of writing my paper, I felt excruciating pain and it felt like someone was pulling my right eye very harshly. I couldn't even finish my paper and was rushed to the emergency ward of Hinduja Hospital," said Rathod.
While she hoped that it was just a minor, one-off incident, destiny had other plans. Despite undergoing multiple tests, CT scans and MRIs, the cause could not be identified and the problem could not be diagnosed.
"In the last 13 years, I have undergone several tests, at least three CT scans and MRIs each. But the reports always came back normal. While in other cases normal reports meant a good sign, in my case it brought sadness as it meant that we again neither knew the cause nor the diagnosis," said Rathod.
With episodes recurring every two years, she somehow managed to sail through these years.
"My college teachers, followed by my colleagues and bosses at work, have been extremely supportive. My life would go upside down for almost two months every time I had an attack. But making a comeback each time was possible only because I had a strong support system at home and at work," she shared.
Things worsened during pregnancy
While oxygen helped as first aid during her attacks, there was still no lasting solution. She even had to plan her pregnancy accordingly.
"We had observed that the episodes would repeat every two years. So, with the help of our gynaecologist, we planned the pregnancy in a way that I would conceive and the baby would be born in the gap years. But again destiny had other plans. While eight and a half months passed without any hassle, I suddenly got the same headache on December 9, 2025. And I just knew it. Doctors had given December 30 to January 1 as my delivery date. But the pain kept aggravating with each passing day. The doctors requested me to try and hold on until at least December 20 as the baby would have fully developed by then. But a C-section had to be done on December 14 as my pain reached a level that it may have put my baby in distress. Luckily, I had completed 37 weeks of pregnancy and, as per my sonography, the baby was ready to be delivered. Maybe even she sensed that her mother was going through unbearable pain," Rathod recalled.
Post-delivery, as the episode continued, doctors decided on December 17 to perform a trial procedure.
"They gave anaesthesia to my occipital nerves to stop the pain signals from reaching my head. And that worked wonders for me — but only for a few hours. As I felt relieved, I was discharged, only to be readmitted with the same problem. I came back from Raheja Hospital in the evening on December 17 and was again on a hospital bed at 3 am the following morning," she said.
End of patience
On that day, Rathod told the doctors to find any solution possible as she was exhausted by the repetitive episodes. It was then that Dr DK Baheti, senior consultant – Pain Management Specialist at S. L. Raheja Hospital, Mumbai – A Fortis Associate, was approached.
"Looking at her symptoms and the nature of the repetitive episodes, we realised that there was no problem with any part of the brain. To us, it looked more like nerve damage. It was because of our experience that we could figure it out. When we conducted further tests, we identified the root cause as a nerve-related pain transmission disorder."
The medical team decided to perform a highly specialised pain-block procedure using pulsed radiofrequency ablation. The minimally invasive, one-hour intervention involved precisely targeting and disrupting the sensory nerve pathway responsible for transmitting pain signals to the brain. Importantly, the technique was designed to block abnormal pain signals without affecting motor function.
"We did inform her that it was highly risky as we would go very close to her brain and there were chances she could be paralysed if something went wrong. But she was determined. What made this situation difficult for her was the fact that she was going through two excruciating pains simultaneously — one during pregnancy and the other postpartum," said Dr Sreelakshmi N., Consultant – Neurologist and Epileptologist at S. L. Raheja Hospital, Mumbai – A Fortis Associate.
Doctors at the hospital said the case highlights the importance of advanced nerve-based interventions in managing complex pain conditions such as cluster headaches. They emphasised that with accurate diagnosis and specialised treatment, even long-standing and severe cases can be effectively treated.
What are the symptoms?
- Constant unbearable headache
- Feeling of the eye being pulled
- Watery eyes
- Pain in the eyes, nose and jaw
- Eyelid swelling
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