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09-11-2007, 12:44 PM
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#1 | | Newbie (female)
Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Marin County, CA
Posts: 4
| constant headache for days
Hi there, I am an otherwise healthy 29 year old woman. I recently had a head cold; sinus pain, sore throat, post nasal drip, etc. which lasted about 5 days. After most of the cold symptoms had subsided, a headache remained and was joined by waves of nausea and feverish chills and hot flashes. This second set of symptoms has lasted for four days now. I wake up with the headache, which is located mostly in the back of my head and neck area, but tends to creep around to my temples too, and it lasts until I can finally fall asleep. I have stopped taking analgesics because they were doing nothing, and I was concerned about rebound headaches, as I was taking Advil Cold and Sinus for the first 5 days. I use minimal caffeine, maybe a can of coke and one cup of coffee a day. It is definitely worst at night, which is when the nausea and chills usually come in.
Upon trying to massage ny neck and head, I discovered some tender spots around the corner of my jaw bone and behind my temples...is this sinus related?
Does anyone have any ideas about whether this is related to my previous sinus cold, or something new? Any ideas on how to treat it?
Many thanks for any advice offered.
Karen
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09-11-2007, 05:43 PM
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#2 | | Junior Member (female)
Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Europe
Posts: 16
| Re: constant headache for days
Could be sinusitis, and then you could need antibiotics. If you hang your head low, is there pain in your face/forehead/sinuses? What if you rap very lightly on your cheeks just below your eyes - is there any extra tenderness or pain?
Could also just be tension neck.
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09-12-2007, 12:19 PM
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#3 | | Newbie (female)
Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Marin County, CA
Posts: 4
| Re: constant headache for days
Thanks for the response. Yeah, I am tending to agree that its sinusitus. I feel pressure and tenderness right behind my nose and cheeks as well, and general painful pressure within my head. Made an appt. to see a Dr. tomorrow, hopefully she'll have some answers!
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09-17-2007, 11:26 AM
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#4 | | Newbie (female)
Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Marin County, CA
Posts: 4
| Re: constant headache for days
Well, I saw my Dr. It is not sinusitus. He thinks the cold and headache are unrelated. His guess for the headache is that there is excess fluid around my occipital nerves. He is recommending a proceedure where he'll inject a steroid into a part of my head (dunno the details) to both relieve swelling, and to create holes in this particular sac holding the fluid so it doesn't build up again. He says this could cure me for six months - indefinitely.
Has anyone heard of this? Is there a name for the condition? Has anyone had the treatment?
Meanwhile, my Dr. has gone on vacation for the next 10 days, and I am still in agony. Any suggestions on which type of physician would best be able to address these issues?
Thanks so much!
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09-18-2007, 09:17 AM
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#5 | | Newbie (female)
Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Marin County, CA
Posts: 4
| Re: constant headache for days
Hmmmm, lots of views....Have I stumped everyone?
If someone could just clue me in on what type of Dr. I should be seeing, that would be great. I am thinking neurologist? But I could be off...
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09-18-2007, 09:55 AM
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#6 | | Inactive (male)
Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: US
Posts: 588
| Re: constant headache for days
Do yourself a favor and do whatever you can to get yourself tested out. Even if it does turn out to be nothing, atleast you can relax and not have to worry about if it's anything serious. I used to have bad sinus infections ( i have a deviated septum and i think that makes them worse) haven't had any in years now but i used to get the worse head pressure from them. I could always tell they were sinus caused cause whenever i would bend over i would feel like the pressure "moving" in my head and i would get a smell of bleach.
But since your doc already ruled that out, if i was you i would just go and see a neurologist first before having your doctor start poking steroids into occipital nerves.
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09-18-2007, 06:51 PM
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#7 | | Junior Member (female)
Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Bendigo. Victoria. Australia.
Posts: 12
| Re: constant headache for days
Hi Karen,
I think maybe it all needs more investigation, maybe a CT or MRI. Just looking at the outside isn't really a thorough enough examination. Maybe you need a referral to a Neurologist.
I don't know much about having excess fluid around the occipital nerves, but I do have Occipital Neuralgia which is constant pain in the occipital nerves. Don't know if a nerve block, (injecting steroids into the occipital nerves) will help your problems, I hope it does. But a nerve block has helped me a lot. I had a nerve block last week, for the first time, and it has been worth it so far, (I just wish my Neurologist had done it sooner and not persisted with different meds with bad side-effects!) don't know how long it will last...
~Jaime~ Quote:
Originally Posted by karen13  Well, I saw my Dr. It is not sinusitus. He thinks the cold and headache are unrelated. His guess for the headache is that there is excess fluid around my occipital nerves. He is recommending a proceedure where he'll inject a steroid into a part of my head (dunno the details) to both relieve swelling, and to create holes in this particular sac holding the fluid so it doesn't build up again. He says this could cure me for six months - indefinitely.
Has anyone heard of this? Is there a name for the condition? Has anyone had the treatment?
Meanwhile, my Dr. has gone on vacation for the next 10 days, and I am still in agony. Any suggestions on which type of physician would best be able to address these issues?
Thanks so much! |
Last edited by Jaime_Aus; 09-18-2007 at 06:52 PM.
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