Headaches, Lightheadedness, Odd Sensations - Brain & Nervous System Disorders Message Board

dwillsey · 01-07-2009, 10:17 PM

Hey all,

I am a 21-year-old male attending university at CU. The day after Christmas I came down with a bad spell of head pain, lightheadedness, dizziness, and soreness in the neck and around the eyes. It felt very much like how your head feels in the midst of a very bad cold. I had chalked it up to the fact that I had been up visiting friends for a few days sleeping in a sleeping bag and dismissed it.

Three days later I still felt the same. I had no fever, sore throat, or other sign of infection. Five days later I got worried and decided to go the school clinic to get its professional opinion. I had a neuro test performed, complete with reflex test, and that was all normal. The doctor there told me that I probably had some sort of inner ear virus, and that it would go away soon. I felt better and left.

Days kept going by and I still didn't feel any better. I spoke with a friend's father who is a doctor, and he informed me that from my symptoms, it seemed most likely to him as well that I had some sort of virus or mild viral meningitis, and that I should give it two - three weeks to feel completely better.

I got scared on Thursday when nothing seemed to be changing and visited the ER. At the ER they did a CAT scan on my head, and a finding of "no acute intracranial abnormality" was returned. The doc confirmed suspicions of a virus and sent me home with Nasonex (an anti-inflammatory), a course of antibiotics, and some pain pills.

A few more days went by, and although I believe that the headache and sore neck/eyes went substantially away, the general lightheadedness/dizziness/out of sorts feeling had not. This was still the case 10 days later.

It was at this time I noticed a slightly odd sensation in my left leg and a slightly odd sensation in my right pinky. Both are sensations I have had on and off since far before my head problems; I had chalked up the pinky thing to the fact that I always sleep on my right side with my arm under my pillow.

It has now reliably been two full weeks, and I still don't feel any better. I keep feeling that if I go to sleep and wake up, I will feel slightly better, and I never do. I got scared again and visited the ER for a second time.

This time they did blood work. Results came back good: normal blood sugar levels, normal white blood cell count (indicating no prior infection), etc. I had a slight potassium deficiency. They gave me a potassium shake and injected me with some serious anti-anxiety medication.

I woke up this morning believing I was feeling slightly better, but I don't believe I do. I went out today and purchased some potassium pills, some B12 pills, and some Aleve (naxoprozen). As of this writing I have yet to feel any improvement.

The headache is not painful, nor is it constant. However, the lightheadedness/dizziness has been fairly constant. I feel out of sorts, have little energy, and am tired. I am growing anxious, and I am growing worried.

The ER doctor the second time told me that I likely have had an onset of migraine headaches. I have an appointment with a neurologist at the end of the month, and until then I plan on visiting the clinic and hopefully getting some more bloodwork done and getting some migraine medicine.

I have browsed this forum, and I have seen that many of you have had similar feelings that have gone on for months on end without explanation. I have compiled a list of all the things discussed that everyone has recommended, but I am still scared and worried.

I am going to start sleeping on my left side to see if that makes any discernible difference.

I can barely function like this, though I can still drive and I am not seeing double or anything like that. I want it to end.

Has anyone else felt this way, and if so, has there been any new answers in the last year?

I do not have a history of headaches of any sort, and I believe I am otherwise healthy, though I spend considerable time in front of a computer

Please help.

Drew

dwillsey · 01-08-2009, 08:43 PM

So update:

Last night I made an effort to not sleep on the side that I believed was troublesome, and I barely got any sleep trying to sleep on my back and/or left side. I started a course of vitamin B12 and Aleve last night. I thought I felt slightly better than I have been today when I woke up.

I saw my PCP today. After an hour, she told me that it's likely that I have some problems with a pinched nerve in the neck or spine. She prescribed a physical therapist that I am going to go see tomorrow. In the mean time, she had the nurse give me an injection of Toradol, a potent anti-inflammatory. Within an hour I seemed like I felt 80% better; the Toradol seemed to relieve me of most of the detached and "wooziness" I had been feeling all this time.

As of this writing I still feel about 80% better. I hope that I continue to feel better after sleep. I also was prescribed some muscle relaxers, which I have also taken.

I still have numbness/odd sensation in my right pinky and left leg.

She said it's still possible that the culprit was meningitis; she told me that it sometimes takes upwards of 3 - 4 weeks for such symptoms to alleviate completely with it or other odd viruses that cause similar symptoms.

To all you who have been having similar problems: did you ever get some Toradol injections???

itburns2004 · 01-15-2009, 06:39 AM

First, you do need to see a doctors..just make sure all is ok. Next, I would guess its stress or allergy related. Make sure you drink a lot of water! Can't hurt, but it can help. I get headaches all the time..all different types and it sucks. If you are downing a lot of caffiene, slow it down,. You can actually be dehydrating yourself and not even realize it.

dwillsey · 01-16-2009, 01:32 AM

Heyy, thanks for the response.

I finally got a diagnosis the third time I went to the ER: I have a bad case of acute infectious mono!

In retrospect I guess it explains my symptoms... I just got off on the wrong interpretative foot since I did not ever really have a bad fever or sore throat. I still feel miserable, and I can look forward to feeling miserable for a few weeks longer.

One thing though: I received a spinal tap on Monday morning, and... it seemed to go over pretty well.... but my back is still sore from it. It has been getting much better, but I can still feel it four days later, especially when I breathe in hard or try to jump in place.

Is this normal?