Hey. I'm new to this board. I'm having some head issues that are really driving me crazy. I've suffered from headaches my whole life, but about 12 years ago they became more intense. I finally was diagnosed with migraines. Anyway, I had a really bizarre experience a few years ago. I had a relatively medium grade headache and while I had it, I sneezed. I felt like I had been hit in the head. For a few days I had general numbness in the right side of my head (where 99% of my headaches are) and couldn't sleep. Within about a week I began to have bad headaches. I went to my doctor and he sent me to a neurologist. He checked me out (thought I was fine) and gave me an MRI, which came back normal. I had dizziness, minor slurred speech and some severe headaches for weeks after. I only found relief after going to an ENT, who gave me some steroids and Flonase. About a year and a half ago, I had another bout of really bad headaches that lasted for days and didn't respond to OTC medication. I went to another neurologist, had another MRI (was normal) and was given Relpax, which really helps with the migraines. The problem now is that I'm having all sorts of bizarre sensations even when I don't have headaches. Tingling in my head, inability to do strenuous things because they lead to headaches, dizziness, eye pain, ear pain, scalp pain, neck pain, pressure sensations in my nose, pains above the roof of my mouth. I've been to my doctor, ENT, neurologist, oral surgeon, eye doctor over last six months, no one can give me a clear answer. Everything seems normal to them. I don't know what to do. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

WOW yes ive expirienced this. i also have had headaches for several years (almost 16) i never had an MRI (no insurance) but i did have a CT Scan to rule out tumor. and if i had an aneurism after all this time i would of definitely known by now.

I started getting slight dizziness about 2 months ago it wasnt really room spinning dizzy just sort of a off balance feeling. but the off balance feeling was never accompanied by a headache. The weird sensations you are talking about im wondering if its like mine. they are hard to explain. sometimes i feel like a cringe..sometimes like my brain falls asleep for about 2 seconds like a spasm or something. this mainly happens when i falling asleep but has happened when im looking at a certain patterned paper ( i do scrapbooking) the first time i noticed dizziness was when i looked at a piece of checkered paper it threw me off and stuck with me for 3 weeks. i went to ER had heart tests, ct scan everything was normal they said something with my inner ear. and even now if i look at something checkered i get off balance for atleast a couple hours.
My headaches are located on my left side. they start in front of my ear then behind my ear then into my temple and into my left eye i also have really bad scalp pain. a heating pad takes them away within 5 or 10 mins (i just found that out by trying) my doctor felt my jaw and said it felt like TMJ but he never related it to headaches but so many people say yes tmj causes the same exact headaches that i explain. i even google searched ear..scalp..temple..eye pain headache and TMJ was the first thing that came up with those exact words. so im now going back to my dr on monday to talk to him more about it then ill be going to a dentist for xrays. im on 25 mgs of topamax right now and ive only been on it for a week and a half and so far im 3 days headache free from normally having severe migraines every single day. They are not fun to have. my neck even gets sharp pains and sometimes into my shoulder all on the same side (left) and just so happens the left side of my jaw is really bad. when i open my mouth the joint pops out about half an inch and the right side doesnt. im wondering if theres some kind of connection here since we both have same kind of pain with no explanation. i figured this out because i started to keep a diary and noticed my headaches started shortly after i ate. ive posted on this board so many times im sure people are sick of me by now! but its nice to relate to others with this awful pain so maybe everyone can help everyone else figure out what the heck is going on and whats causing these things.
Good luck and keep posted!

Thanks for your reply. I also thought this could be TMJ-related and visited an oral surgeon. What I described to him seemed like TMJ, but when he examined me I barely had any symptoms. Still, I do know that I clench my teeth when I sleep (I've woken up doing it) and have also had headaches soon after eating. The real problem is that I'm not sure if TMJ is really what I have, if it's the only thing and if not, then what the heck else is going on with me?

I'm so frustrated. As I type this, I have some slight eye pain and dizziness, along with some pain in my cheeks. That seems like sinuses. However, when all of this really started back in January, I went to an ENT and he examined me and didn't find anything unusual. I also take sinus medicine that doesn't seem to do anything for me. I feel like going back to him again, but I'm tired of going to all these doctors and having them tell me they can't find anything or that there's nothing wrong with me. Again, thank you for your response.

I also thought this could be TMJ-related and visited an oral surgeon. What I described to him seemed like TMJ, but when he examined me I barely had any symptoms.

What do you mean when you say you barely had any symptoms? Not everyone experiences all of their TMJ symptoms all the time. My last TMJ flare up was two years ago. That is, until a week and a half ago... But in between that time, the only "symptoms" I had were a popping jaw and random (very random--averaged about once a month or so) soreness that went away after about an hour.

Just curious as to what you meant, is all. :) Did the doctor say you didn't have any symptoms? Perhaps you meant signs...

mine is really bad on the left side. my dr referred me to a specialist finally!! and now im on LYRICA and wow i feel like a new person. i have no pain after eating...no headaches so far and NO SIDE EFFECTS. topamax was messing me up really bad! and thats why he took me off it. good luck and keep us posted

What do you mean when you say you barely had any symptoms? Not everyone experiences all of their TMJ symptoms all the time. My last TMJ flare up was two years ago. That is, until a week and a half ago... But in between that time, the only "symptoms" I had were a popping jaw and random (very random--averaged about once a month or so) soreness that went away after about an hour.

Just curious as to what you meant, is all. :) Did the doctor say you didn't have any symptoms? Perhaps you meant signs...
I guess I meant that I had no signs when he examined me that day. He saw no tooth filing, and he pressed on my temples, jaw and ears and there was little to no pain.

"I had a really bizarre experience a few years ago. I had a relatively medium grade headache and while I had it, I sneezed. I felt like I had been hit in the head."

hi there, i have no real words-of-wisdom for you, except that the sneeze MAY BE SIGNIFICANT. if sneezing or coughing causes head pain, this can be a red-flag symptom of chiari malformation. most neurologists who read mri's are not looking for a chiari, so they say all is "normal". one must consult a true chiari specialist, or at least get the doctor who reads a brain mri to agree to look hard for any herniation of the back of the brain. SIZE DOES NOT MATTER.

any degree of herniation can be serious, and if the cerebellum is LEVEL with the foramen magnum, this isn't normal, either, and can cause horrendous pain and symptoms. (i know, 'cuz this is what i have....)

here's the best website to look at, imho: www.wacma.org. this is the "world arnold-chiari malformation association". cheers, dianne

Hello to all, glad I'm not alone with my head and neck pain, but must say, wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. I have base of head (left) pain, neck, shoulder pain, and my jaw tenses up, and when this happens, it makes these weird sensations on my face and nose tip. The sensation is not a tingling, more like a tickle or bug crawling sensation, I also get these sensations in the top part of my legs. I too have had a brain MRI done, the only thing found was extensive sinus thickening. My neck and head pain started about 8 years ago, after a minor fender bender, as we speak, I'm in pain. My neck and shoulder feels like someone is stretching and pulling the muscles in my neck, it burns something terrible. Just started PT this week, the only relief I get is when they do gentle cervical traction. Does anyone have these bug crawling sensations on there face also. I have them even when I don't have the "migraine" if that's what you want to call it. My mother and my grandfather both have suffered with migraines all there life. But before 8 years ago, never had a headache. Forgot to mention, I do get sharp ear pain on that side, everything seems to be amplified.

Well jenny i just found out i have TMJ (jaw tightening and cracking) and that was the cause of mine. dr put me on Lyrica and bam after having migraines EVERY single day they quit the first day i started taking that lyrica. and ive been migraine free for 5 days. i feel like a new person. but check into TMJ. thats what causes HORRENDOUS headaches because of the nerves that run down the neck into face and up through temple and in in front of ear or in back of ear. when i would get one.. if someone let out a soft whisper i could of sworn they were screaming!!

My sneezing or coughing doesn't really cause pain. I had the headache before I sneezed and that made it worse. It was just like when I've had other headaches and had to do something quite strenuous that made them worse. This just felt worse because it was a shock.
"I had a really bizarre experience a few years ago. I had a relatively medium grade headache and while I had it, I sneezed. I felt like I had been hit in the head."

hi there, i have no real words-of-wisdom for you, except that the sneeze MAY BE SIGNIFICANT. if sneezing or coughing causes head pain, this can be a red-flag symptom of chiari malformation. most neurologists who read mri's are not looking for a chiari, so they say all is "normal". one must consult a true chiari specialist, or at least get the doctor who reads a brain mri to agree to look hard for any herniation of the back of the brain. SIZE DOES NOT MATTER.

any degree of herniation can be serious, and if the cerebellum is LEVEL with the foramen magnum, this isn't normal, either, and can cause horrendous pain and symptoms. (i know, 'cuz this is what i have....)

here's the best website to look at, imho: www.wacma.org. this is the "world arnold-chiari malformation association". cheers, dianne