What could this be? - Headaches & Migraines Message Board

wmjsease · 10-19-2007, 08:25 AM

I have been having a headaches for over two years now. It NEVER goes away. It lessons and increases in severity, but it's always there. It's like a pressure, squeezing pain, sick feeling. Along with severe lightheadedness and dizziness. Not vertigo. I've brain mri's, spinal tap, brain angiogram, blood tests, heart tests, etc. NOONE can figure out what it is. I've got many deadend diagnosises. The reason I say dead end, is that they will diagnose it, then will find out that's not what it is. I've gotten migraine variant diagnosis, tmj, sinus, depression, possible lyme, etc. No meds that I have tried has ever helped and I've tried many. I do have a blocked frontal sinus, that hopefully will be being cleared soon, but the ENT doc says that's not going to help all of this. The only thing that even remotely helps is vicodin, but I try not to take it, and just live with the pain, if that's what you call what I do. I can't go anywhere, do very much. I just mostly stay in the bed because sleeping is the only way to escape any of them pain. However, when I lay down, my head feels even more pressurized until I go to sleep. Does anyone have any suggestions, or insight on this. My three kids and husband need me, but this is keeping me from them. The pain is so bad, that I can't take it anymore. Please help!

1sunny1 · 10-19-2007, 08:43 AM

Hi, I feel very bad for you, I know what this is like. Has anyone taken x-rays oif the neck, shoulders, spine area? I have had headaches for years without a diagnoses, until the x-ray of the cervical spine. I have arthritis in the neck. It used to be when I lay down it was worse, now is is while just sitting, causes the neck area to compress together and causes a headache. I am now going to pain management, although I go for a couple of reasons, I have fibromyalgia and the arthritis in the neck. I have been taking tons of ibuprofen 800 mg, although I take no more than 4 in a day, and still suffer. I know that the ibuprofen is going to mess my stomach up, I take it with a glass of milk. I am trying to cut down on the ibuprofen and am now on Lyrica for the fibromyalgia, and either flexeril or baclofen, which ever helps the most, tghey are muscle relaxers and so help a lot. My next option is injectio9n, either cortisone or nova caine.

Not sure if any of this is of any help but just wanted to give you some options, hope you are feeling better soon. By the way, ask your doc to send you to pain management, they usually come up with some good things.

Sunny

wmjsease · 10-19-2007, 09:24 AM

1Sunny thanks for replying. Yep, I forgot to mention that I had an mri of the cspine, and lumbar spine. The only thing found on the cspine was a little stenosis, narrowing of something, and a few small osteophytes, which the doctor says is nothing to be concerned about. Unfortunately I don't have any type of insurance, so medical care is very costly for me. I'm sure pain management would be to , but I will check into it to see if they can help financially or something. I was taking 3-800 mg ibuprofens a day, but they didn't budge the pain at all. The only thing that helps is either a vicodin, or a lortab. I half them, and it dulls the pain, but the pressure is still there. I just want to give up, but can't because I love my kids and husband too much. I just wish I could eventually get a firm diagnosis for once.

1sunny1 · 10-20-2007, 09:24 AM

wmjsease, No rule out the neck, even though they said it was nothing to be concerned about. Mine was very clearly arthritis, and the spine compressing together, but my GP Doc said that it might be causing headaches, but maybe not. go figure! I can feel it now more than ever, it used to be mild, that was years ago, it increasingly got worse. My pain management doc is actually a RN nurse. I sometimes think that they are more in tune to the things we go thru than the doctors are. I know that things are expensive without insurance, I don't know if I would be going if I didn't have insurance, but I know that a lot of places will work with you on payments, it is worth a try. Have you tried any muscle relaxers? The problem in the spine is that it causes the muscles to spasm, so the muscle relaxers really help. If you can't get a prescription for them, go to your health store and ask them for the best natural muscle relaxer.

Sunny