hello all...

it seems that some of you out there might be having the same symptoms as i. here are the details...

34 year old male with no history of "bad" headaches.

2 weeks ago i started to feel a dull pressure 2" over my ear on the right side. occasionally the feeling would move behind the ear, and around my sideburn area. i'd describe the pressue as 5 out of 10. most of the time, it would go away if i lay down. then when i'd stand, i'd feel it tighten around my head again. there is also occasional ringing in my right ear, mind you i have had this before without the headaches.

i also noticed that it was harder to breathe through my right nostril. i ended up getting a sinus x-ray, which revealed light chronic sinusitis on the right side, with a thickening of the mucosa. the doctor prescribed antibiotics (levaquin), and a follow-up x-ray to see if the swelling was being caused by nasal polyps.

i decided not to take the antibiotics, because a 2nd doctor said only acute sinusitus would require them. my nose is not running at all, so i find the diagnosis strange.

in addition, i have seasonal allergies, and am taking flonase for that. at times, my eyes have been itchy.

i visited a neurologist, and he conducted 30mins of tests...whacking various parts of me with a rubber hammer, looking into my eyes, making me smell perfume, tickling my feet, making me walk back & forth, pushing & pulling with my arms & legs, etc. he deemed me "healthy", but suggested a CT scan or MRI. said it was some kind of migrane or atypical tension-headache.

the pain in my head started 15 days ago. this week it has come & gone, whereas the first 10 days it was pretty constant...never awful, just always there. a few days ago it was completely gone, today it's back.

my wife ran into a friend last week, who had a friend with the exact same symptoms. her doctor said it was a virus that was going around. this is the explanation i'd like to believe, although it seems far-fetched.

i know the change of seasons sometimes makes people have head related issues, and here we are in a very rainy spring. wonder if this could be the cause. also wonder if it could be sinus related, even though there is no pain or pressure in the sinus region.

a private MRI will cost $750...there is a 2 month wait for one covered by canadian healthcare. or i could get a healthcare covered CT scan next month. part of me is really frustrated & nervous & looking for answers....part of me feels i should just try to ignore it and see if it get's "better". like most people with pain in their had, i have all the rational & irrational fears associated with such things.

oh...it does not go away with tylenol or advil. there was a little nausea the first 2 days, but that was probably due to fear. i have had a really good appetite. last week i was sensitive to the light from the tv. i was also extremely tired & yawned a lot. this week i feel human again, except for the dull head pain.

anyone feel or felt exactly like i do?

thanks!

Indeed, my symptoms are the same. I went to the doctor with dull pressure headaches that had been lasting a month. I was diagnosed via a sinus x-ray with severe sinusitis. I took one course of antibiotics and disregarded the refill. I went back a few weeks later and the infection had gotten worse. I am now currently on steroids, 1000mg antibiotics 4 pills a day, and prescription headache meds. Take all the meds they give you!

was/is your nose running? i have had very very little nasal discharge. was your pain also not in the "traditional" sinus region, but just in the side of your head like mine? ears ringing?

hope you feel better soon.

i am really skeptical of antibiotics. the levaquin really made me feel horrible. maybe i should try to get a prescription for something else.

My pain moved around all over the top of my head. I had to get prescription headache medicine to have any effect on these type of headaches, the OTC stuff did nothing, except excedrin migraine but I would take that sparingly. MY nose was running a little bit at the beginning but the traditional sinus problems eventually went away but the headache remains. You can have inflammation of your sinuses without having congestion, runny nose etc.

Hi--I have had similar

pain/pressure right temple- burning/pain right eye--burning right nostril--stuffy right nostril--little drainage.


???????--Might check out-----Cluster headaches?????

This sounds quite similar to what I am going thru, which is driving me nuts. I get a pressure/pain that goes all over my head but tends not to last long. It is MOSTLY on the right side. The temple area, then behind my ear, my sinus area, the top of my head, the back of my head...even in my ear which feels like when you insert a swab just a little too far. Well, I have had this episode on and off for like 3 weeks (I've had days where I have no discomfort). I finally went to the doctor. I had something similar a few years ago but they did scans of my head and found no problems. This time he says I have "a few things going on" and said my ears look infected (red I guess). So I am on an antibiotic. The thing is it's just annoying! I would not call it a cluster headache since those are extremely painful whereas this is as if someone is poking me. An offshoot has been the warm feeling...coupled with my right ear getting red...on the right side of my head. Seems like a lot for a virus or infection but that's what my doctor said. So, I plan on staying on the meds.

Does any of this sound familiar to anyone???? I mean the pressure is so quick it teases you. So quick but so bothersome. And yes it still does feel bad. I'd appreciate any thoughts or ideas or anything really.

Thanks!

hbhbhb, :bouncing:
(Sorry 'bout the jumping up and down, and I certainly do not wish you ill, but I am just so glad to have someone to share this with...thought it was only me) For all of you out there.........this is NOT a headache. It is a mostly localized head pain.

Your symptoms are exactly like mine. I cannot believe it. The only difference that I can see, is that mine can get excruciating. When they first started, they came on within about a half hour of waking, and lasted all day. One time it hurt so bad, I layed down in the fetal position in bed. Sometimes I push on the pain area, or hit it with my palm, to try to make it feel better. Now, the headaches seem to be intermittant.......sometimes they last an hour, sometimes, most of the day. And, when they first started about 3 or 4 months ago, I did not have the pain while lying down. Now, since the pain has become intermittant, the pain does occasionally bother me at night.

I had a plain MRI first, back in Feb or March. It showed a possible sinus infection on the LEFT side. My pain is on the right side. Told my doctor that I didn't have any sinus infection symptoms, but, as with you, he gave me some antibiotics, just in case. I took about 3, and decided it was ridiculous to be taking them for something I know I didn't have.

Now, we are at the point of "ruling out". I have been to an eye doctor. That came up with nothing. Then I went to a neurologist, and she ordered an MRI w/contrast, and an MRA. Those were done Thursday. Go back to the doc on June 15th.

I did want to mention that my head pain is about the size of a golf ball - then tennis ball - then softball ---increasing with the length of time of the head pain. Mine is also about 2-3 inches above my right ear. Funny thing is, I used to have regular headaches at least 6 days a week, and since this head pain started, I have only had two regular headaches. And, as with you, since the first couple of weeks, I skip a whole day sometimes without the head pain.

I have not had any ringing in my right ear that I noticed. I'm very sensative to things like that, and am sure I would have noticed. I've had no other symptoms, except occasionally, felt pain/pressure behind my right eye, as this thing continued.........thus the visit to the eye doctor. Do you take any aspirin products?? That can cause ringing in the ear.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ask your friend to contact his/her friend again, and get the name of this virus!!!!!!!! :D We must have this info, as it seems the other tests are going to come up with nothing. As for me, I'm sick of this. My next test will be an arteriogram - which I'd rather skip.... :nono: especially if you can find out about the virus!

So I have been on anitbotics since last Wednesday 5/25 and it's now Monday and I still feel pressure. Sometimes it feels the same as before other times, not as bad. So my question now is, how long does it take antibotics to work? 10 days? Wouldn't it have lessened or am I going to wake up one day and notice it's gone? I've also noticed a very sore, stiff neck that wasn't there as much initially. So how long until I go back and see my doc if these antibotics didn't do it? The weirdest part is I feel totally fine other than the head pressure episodes (since they are not constant nor do they stay in one place). Sorry for the rambling. Any thoughts?

Rob

Rob,
You should start to feel better about 5 or 6 days after you begin antibiotics. Some folks longer. Depends on your body. That is why docs prescribe for 10 days.

I worry about your stiff neck. MAKE sure you see your doctor if that continues. Also, if you have a high fever......get to the emergency room!!!!

Update. I am coming up on my last day of antibiotics (wow spelled it right for a change). I have felt better over the last 2 days but still have had the occaisional episode of a very strong pain in my temple or top of head or the pressure above/behind the ears. The neck is not bad and actually comes and goes as quickly as the other symptoms so I don't think it's much different. It's as if the pressure is moving around to keep it fresh. Otherwise I feel fine. So it comes down to this, one more day of meds and then what? I feel bad complaining when I read all the stuff folks experience on here but it's annoying.


Rob

:yawn: Well, as figured, my MRI, MRI w/contrast, and MRA came up normal.
That is FYI.

Does anyone know how to get in touch with hbhbhb.....the person who posted the original note on this thread? I think we REALLY need the name of this virus he talked about.

My doctor and I are good friends, and I'm sure he will be glad to give me a round of antiviral meds - maybe amantadine or acyclovir, but I would much rather have the name of the virus first.

I am now on nasal spray and another OTC allergy med. My doc seems to think thats where we are now. The headaches are all but gone so I still think it is a virus and the antibiotics were the key. I go back in 2 weeks. I hope I am out of the woods. I've had 4 good days with only minor discomfort once in a great while. I will keep everyone posted. I do think we are talking about a virus as previously mentioned...the unnamed virus.

Rob

hello. sorry for being away for a while. not much news to report, other than the headaches went away after 3 weeks, and have been replaced with a slight ringing in my right ear. also came down with a full-on sinus infection, that spread to my chest, which has come & gone with the help of AVELOX. having said that, my chest still feels a bit weird.

no luck getting the name of the "so -called" virus, but when i mentioned this to my neurologist, he said "oh, that's just what doctors tell people to get them out of their offices, when they are pretty sure the symptoms will vanish in time w/o medicine". i appreciated his candor, but of course felt very helpless.

i am due for an MRI in the coming weeks, and will let everyone know the outcome. of the 7 or so doctors i have seen in the past 2 months, most are coinvinced it is sinus/allergy related, which i hope is true.

more news to follow.

The latest for me is I have had much more pain than before, more like the icepick headaches mentioned on here. Very sudden and no warning. This does not seem like a virus. Called my doc and I am going back to the neurologist I saw 2 years ago for a similiar situation. I don't hold much hope for answers. Something has to be triggering this though...or at the very least elevating it. I mean I felt great over the weekend. By last night I was getting the sharp pains. It really got me down for sure. :( So I have to wait for a call from the neuro to set up an appointment. Last time he had no answers and the issue just went away. I assumed this would have by now and given how I felt over the weekend, I thought it had!

Rob

Hi. Your symptoms sound a lot like cluster headaches to me. It is hard to get a diagnosis of cluster headaches because honestly not a lot of doctors know that much about them. They are just starting to get some good research done on clusters. So many people have been misdiagnosed as having migraines when in actuality it is a cluster. There are some really good websites on clusters now. It probably wouldn't hurt to do a little research and if you think it sounds like your symptoms take it in to your doc. Neurologists are the people to go to for clusters.

I hope you find out what is causing your headaches and can get some relief soon. Take care.

God Bless,
Sherry :wave:

hb.........I am sorry you were sick on top of sick. Glad you're better.
Dick..........sorry your pain came back. I know it's aggrevating. I cannot begin to predict when mine will hit, or how long they will stay.

I have noticed something though. I am sleeping about 12 - 16 hours a day. Thank God I don't work. I have always hated to sleep, and when I finally had to sleep, I couldn't wait to get up. Now, I don't want to get out of bed. Any of you have this?

yes....i honestly can't get enough sleep, and when i wake, i still feel fatigued.

and, the head pressure around my ear has now returned. not as severe as it once was, but with the ringing ear, its frustrating.

2 months of "not feeling right" has been a drag. i to am lucky that i can set my own work hours.

Update: no call from the neurologist but the last 3 days have been very good. A twingy pressure or needle like pain once in a while but no icepicks at all. Thank god. I have stopped taking those meds along with almost cutting out my wine drinking (since alcohol could influence these episodes). Not sure what is making a difference if anything! I know they could return at any moment. At least that seems to be the way. Folks have mentioned fatigue. I don't think I am any more fatigued than before. When I am tired, I am tired. :) So basically I plan on waiting for the neurologist, they will get a few more days unless the icepicks show up. I think it was the antihisthamines(sp?) that aggravated the situation. I mean I was feeling better a week ago, started the allergy meds and it was back to square one! Very weird.

Rob

The pain on the top of my head started over a month ago and it comes and goes but mostly on and off all day. I too can't seem to get enough sleep. I work overnight and i ll get to sleep at 6am and sleep till 4pm or past. I had a ct scan of the sinuses a month ago but still haven't heard the results. I'm going in tommorow to get the results. My next step is a CT scan. The majority of the time these head pains do not even require pain meds. We'll find the answer to this some day!

:wave: Hey all,

Went to my doc on Wednesday. I think I already reported that the neurologist called me, and all of my tests (MRI, MRI w/contrast, and MRA) were okay. My regular doctor on Wednesday focused on my other health problems, because my head pain has dropped to about 2 or 3 times a week, then only lasts a little while. Sometimes I have to take pain meds, other times no.

I guess the good news is that the pain seems to be slowly going away. It has gone from everyday, terrible pain, to almost nothing. It's mostly tolerable now. Thank God. Hopefully this will be the case for everyone. It also makes a good case for the "virus" diagnosis. Unfortunately, viruses can lie dormant, and raise their ugly little heads at any time. IF it comes back, I'm definitely asking for an antiviral medicine immediately.

Good luck and health to all of us!!!!!!

I suffer from chronic Sinusitis and Allergic Rhinitis, I've suffered from headaches, migraines, and pains similar to what you described my whole life. Even when my sinusitis is at its worst, I don't usually have a runny nose (all of the mucous is stuck jammed into my sinuses).
The fact that your nose ISN'T running means that the mucous from your sinusitis has no where to go, thus building up pressure in your head. This pressure can cause many problems, for instance ringing in your ears and the strange pains in your head.
I would definitely recommend that you trust your doctor's thoughts and take your medications, although waiting to take them, may have already make them worse.
I would also recommend to your doctor to prescribe a steroid like Prednizone, and a decongestant like Claritan, or Zyrtec. You antibiotics will only treat the problem itself, so in order to treat the symptoms, these are the best.
I hope all goes well!

For the last few days (4-5), I have felt much better. I am hoping that I am out of the woods. :bouncing: I am taking it day by day of course. I finally got a hold of the neurologist...appointment in AUGUST! Gee thanks. I am hoping not to need it. We shall see. So far so good.

Rob

Very interesting reading on this thread. 3 weeks ago, I felt a sharp pain about 2 inches up from my Left ear when I shook my hair out of my face. It has NOT gone away. Doc says no sinus problems, ear looks good, etc. Am trying to get into a neurologist but it's a 3 week wait. I had brain surgery almost 21 years ago (on the Right side), so needless to say, I'm extremely nervous. Sounds like all of you have had some kind of similar pain for longer than my 3 weeks. So sorry!!!! I hope you all get better soon!

I got the results of the CT scan of the sinuses. Apparently my right maxillary sinus is much smaller then my right. The right maxillary sinus is also completely infected. I've had a migraine headache for about 2 days now. Excedrin migraine helps a bit. Hope you all are doing well.

This might be what i had. You have head ache's that i had come and go. and after awhile i was in class and it wouldnt go away. And i took asprin and everything. Nothing worked. So i went to the doctors and they ran blood test adn stuff and i had Meningitis. I dont no if that's what it could be but it could be.

hi this is my first time on here,but on reading through everyone's symptoms, i feel even worse, reason being:- i've been suffering from really bad headaches for over 2years now, i've taken various painkillers (bought and prescribed), at present i take solphadine (solubles work faster),i now have a different pain to deal with as when i touch the top of my head i get a shooting pain straight down my neck, down my right arm and into my right hand/fingers, this is the third week now, somtimes i cant even hold my cup, it's not affecting my job as yet, this morning i almost passed out as the pain is so damn intense, just don't know what to think anymore (noticed a lot more hair on my brush too), can anyone help?.......

:confused: hi this is my first time on here,but on reading through everyone's symptoms, i feel even worse, reason being:- i've been suffering from really bad headaches for over 2years now, i've taken various painkillers (bought and prescribed), at present i take solphadine (solubles work faster),i now have a different pain to deal with as when i touch the top of my head i get a shooting pain straight down my neck, down my right arm and into my right hand/fingers, this is the third week now, somtimes i cant even hold my cup, it's not affecting my job as yet, this morning i almost passed out as the pain is so damn intense, just don't know what to think anymore (noticed a lot more hair on my brush too), can anyone help?.......

What doctors have you seen about this? I assume a neurologist? This sounds quite different from what some of us on this thread have experienced so I don't know what to tell you other than seek more medical care.

Rob


hi this is my first time on here,but on reading through everyone's symptoms, i feel even worse, reason being:- i've been suffering from really bad headaches for over 2years now, i've taken various painkillers (bought and prescribed), at present i take solphadine (solubles work faster),i now have a different pain to deal with as when i touch the top of my head i get a shooting pain straight down my neck, down my right arm and into my right hand/fingers, this is the third week now, somtimes i cant even hold my cup, it's not affecting my job as yet, this morning i almost passed out as the pain is so damn intense, just don't know what to think anymore (noticed a lot more hair on my brush too), can anyone help?.......

hello all...

happy to report the MRI came back "normal". the ear-ringing is in fact tinnitus due to work related sound exposure. the head pressure is pretty much gone, although when it is around, it does seem to correlate to sinus inflammation. thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. hope you also find some answers & peace of mind.