severe neck pain flu like symptoms

[Jessica3210]

First I woke up with a sore throat and severe neck pain on both sides, then throughout the day I developed flu like symptoms (fever, chills, joint and muscle pain with continueing pain in my neck.) Does anybody have any idea? I would say flu but I never experienced a neck pain like this. Thanks.

[JDanMan]

There are certain viral strains that cause neck pain as well. One that we hear alot about these days is West Nile Virus carried by mosquitoes. You may want to research it on the web and see if it applies. At any rate, I would see a doctor and get diagnosed. Sometimes this can be an indication of a serious problem.

[william09]

Hello can someone help me...

I woke up this morning with a sort of jump, and heard a snap or crack or something. And all day I have had this severe pain whenever I move my neck, should I be worried? Does anyone know any treatment that may decrease pain and provide ease? I have tried some master plaster spray for sprains but it didn't help. I have tried moving my head around it circles ect to exercise any muscle problems, at first I thought it was a ric in my neck but now I am not sure. I don't want to go to the doctors just yet in case it is something silly, as that would make someone who needs them more than I do, wait.

William

[kdoc]

I am terming it the Neck Flu.  I had an off and on headache that began this past Saturday evening, October 28,2006.  Just Yesterday, the 31st, I began experiencing  a little neck and shoulder pain on the right.  My headaches pain seemed to be localized behind my right eye and right ear, very sharp and half nauseating.  My face hurt like when you have a bad sinus infection, but I had no runny nose or stuffiness.  I made an appointment with my chiropractor, and she made several adjustments.  Yet, just today, it all seemed to be getting worse.  I went back to my chiropractor, and when I began sharing with her some of my symptoms, she said that there was a virus going around that were giving people severe neck pain and swelling.  It lasts usually 2 days, and does not seem to have a fever.  It was difficult to even answer the phone when my sister-in-law called when I arrived home.  When I explained what I was going through, she told me she had the same thing happen to her just a week or so ago.  She was ready to make an emergency call to her chiropractor after the second day when she awoke on the third morning feeling completely fine.  She said she had the mild sore throat, her feet hurt (Like I had experienced) and terrible headache and neck pain.  I think it is important to note this seems to have a short life to it, and does not appear to be a serious threat to the healthy, even children.  Her 6 year old daughter also had it, and my 4 year old has just tonight begun to complain of her arm hurting, and having a headache.  Tylenol seems to relieve the pain, but it is worthy to note that this does seem to be seemingly what I would consider highly contagious.  Hitting shortly before Halloween, I would not be surprised if this makes a large sweep in communities nationwide in the next several weeks.

[lpof3]

Wow;

I just happened to come upon this article on "neck virus" while trying to figure out what the heck is going on in my necl.  I had a headache this week, it lasted about 2 days.  I was very fatigued for about 2 days afterward and today I have really bad neck pain.  It's not so much in my vertabrae but in the muscles at the base of my neck and my right shoulder.  My feet have also been really sore.  I am in good shape and excersize daily so it's not that I'm out of shape.  I have been wondering if I'm fighting something and have taken a homeopathic remedy for symptoms of the flu...Tylenol takes the edge off but not all the way.
It helps to know I'm not crazy by seeing your story posted...

momof3

[Tracii]

I had the same thing happen:  I sat up in the night, there was a LOUD pop, and the pain made it hard for me to even breathe because even the slightest movt. felt like being stabbed.  Or worse.  Everyday I have to pop my neck many times.  I don't twist it w/ my hands, but I just tilt my head back and it pops.  This relieves the tension for a few minutes.  It's been this way since I was 16; I'm now 23.  I also have hard lymph nodes at the base of my skull.  The neck pain is worse when I'm having allergies and my sinuses are swollen.  I'd like to know what's going on.

[HealthLover]

Agh! You should go to a chiropractor (a good one) and get your neck adjusted. In some cases, other problems relate to spinal misalignment. The spine can often be the root of pain in other areas of the body. I shudder to think of popping your neck all the time: so bad! Think: a good chiropractor may be able to relieve headaches and shoulder and neck pain. I would suggest asking someone you know for a reference. It's important to find a GOOD chiropractor.

[perryc]

I'm so glad I came across this forum.  Here it is just a few days before Halloween (kdoc) a year later.  I am suffering from the exact same symptoms; however, I did not think my foot pain was even related.  I can barely move my neck, can't walk on my right foot,  and feel like I have the flu or mono, but no fever.  I was considering going to the hospital to test for meningitis I hurt so bad.  After, seeing that this is a fairly common virus, I'll hold out a few days to see if it passes.  Aleve only helped a little this afternoon.  Any other suggestions to ease the pain and discomfort?  What about the fatigue?

[anom12]

hi- have you been tested for menengitis? the first symptoms is stiff neck and flu-like symptoms...

[KittyPresouz]

I too have EAR / glands and TERRIBLE neck pain and lower skull pain and I was on antibiotics for 3 weeks to no  avail. Neck pain so bad I could touch my neck vein and it was so sore and I had pain shoot to my temples.. OMG!!!!  ICE PACK helped thanks God but... next I spent hundreds of dollars at an ENT and Swallow study and CT scan of sinus and neck only for the ENT to say he has no answers and keep taking the Naproxen he gave me and check back in 2 months!? OMG yes my sinus are a little swollen but not enough for any more antibiotics. I feel slow swoozing in my head / ears at times in the morning  I am broke and still in pain!! Any one have this too?

[julie360]

I also have the muscular neck pain that is now the third day of it.  I went to my chiropracture whom is very good and my atlas was in need of adustment but...this morning I still have the very sore muscular issues and am wondering if it could be a virus.  Really sore when turning my head to either side and looking down with my chin to chest my muscles seem highly shortened.  No headache or sore throat...Anyone else with these symptoms.   Don't like to use drugs but wow this is pretty miserable.....

[mellb1971]

I have been suffering for almost two weeks with neck and shoulder pain.   It started after/during a cold a few weeks ago.  It began as a sharp pain going up my left shoulder up to my neck.  The pain was really intense.  Then after about 5 days it got better but then it started on my right side and it is even more intense than the left side was.  I am living on advil and icyhot strips.  I end up waking at about 1am in severe pain every night.  I then have to wait for the advil to kick in again so that I can go back to sleep.  I am seeing a doctor on Monday...so hopefully I will get an answer to what it is.  When I went into the pharmacy yesterday to get more icyhot strips the pharmicist asked me if I had a cold recently because neck pain is associated with a cold virus that is going around.  I can't believe that it has lasted for almost two weeks now though!  Hopefully yours won't last as long.  Have you seen a dr yet?

[presouzz]

I have a whole story it took me about 3 months and hunderds of dollars to find out NOTHING WAS WRONG.. ??? I lived on anti inflammantories and musinx D GOOD LUCK email me at presouz at rocketmail ******* and let me know how the dr went GOOD LUCK

[achybreaky1]

About 3 weeks ago, I felt really sick for 3 days.  I couldn't get out of bed I felt so sick with fever, cough, and achy.  After that, the cough got worse and I developed a sinus infection and ear pressure.  After a week of that, I finally went to the Dr. when my neck got stiff and the back of my head started to ache.  I was put on antibiotics that helped with the sinus infection but still a cough, aches, stiff neck, and pain at the back of my head.  Also, incredibly tired.  I have tried to switch to a new pillow which hasn't helped.  The neck stiffness and pain at the back of my head sometimes make it difficult to sleep or stay asleep.  When will I feel better?  I drag myself to work, and  crash as soon as I get home.

[achybreaky2]

My 1st day started with a chill I could not shake,day 2 add some flu symptoms like achey (achy) and tired with whole body joint pain, light and noise sensitivity.day 3 I thought I was through the worst of it, then @ around noon, pain! at the base of my skull down both sides of my neck around both shoulders and down both biceps.The pain was constant and like the pain felt when stretching muscles prior to an athletic event.After about 6-8 hrs.my hips and hamstrings started the same thing.over the  next 5 hrs I started taking every otc pain killer I had, they did almost nothing.Finally with 2000mg acetaminophen w/152mg diphenhydramine I slept for a few hrs. awoke the next morning feeling better but definitly not well,achy and fearful that those symptoms could come back.In 47 yrs I`ve never needed hospital treatment for an illness this is the 1st time I considered it.This is one bad bug.

[melanie369]

I live in Ohio. I am a female age 50. I too have had this severe pain that started in the neck. I began to have trouble swallowing with what felt like a sore throat with no fever. On Wednesday I went to the hospital and they attributed it to a recent exercise program I had started even though I had stopped it a week earlier. They prescribed percocet and muscle relaxers and ibuprofen. This didn't even ease the pain, By Friday I could not move without excruciating pain going up my head. I went to the doctor and he said the same, must be your recent exercise. He said take more of the percocet, gave me an anti-inflamitory shot and sent me for X-rays. The x-rays showed nothing. I spent a miserable Friday day and night, by Saturday I started to feel a little less sore compared to Friday. It is Sunday and I still get what I call "Zingers" when I turn my head but nothing like the Friday pain. I start physical therapy Monday.  I have felt all along that this was flu related and I am grateful to have found this sight with others complaining of this same horrible pain. I am hoping I have seen the worst of this. Good luck to all of you! Let me know if any of you live in Ohio.

[Nonsanity]

On Friday morning, my 4 year old daughter passed out without warning. She had fully recovered within 10-20 seconds, and seemed perfectly fine, but we took her to the emergency room for good measure. They tested for causes that would require immediate medical treatment and found nothing. The following Thursday she came down with a mild cold.

Over the weekend, my wife started having symptoms of headache, neck ache, nausea, dizziness, and blurred vision. On Monday night she passed out, also recovering within 10-20 seconds. Spent all night at the emergency room testing for causes that would require immediate medical treatment, and again found nothing.

Now I had had a week of head and neck pain followed be the onset of cold symptoms later in the day the Friday my daughter passed out. It is the following Friday and I'm feeling considerably better, through with still some lingering stiffness in the neck and some sniffles.

It looks like - and at least one doctor made the same suggestion - that all three of us are suffering from a viral cold that starts out with a week of head and neck pain that trails off into a week more typical cold symptoms. If my wife's starts running like crazy on Sunday, we can call this hypothesis valid. (At least enough to stop worrying about other things... Schwarzenegger: "It's NOT a tumor!")

*WARNING* Be aware that both patients and medical practitioners fall prey to medical scams every day and never shake themselves loose. There are many still commonly used treatments that have been shown to do nothing (or actually harm) when given the most rigorous testing. Don't lose your money (or your health/life) because you couldn't be bothered to check. Ask your general practitioner and read any pertinent articles on QuackWatch.org for your own safety. Your health is SO important - Don't trust it to mere anecdotes and testimonials. There are people and organizations that test all this stuff HARD and WELL. Please don't ignore or dismiss them in favor of flashy advertising and word-of-mouth rumors of efficacy to the detriment of your health.

[roulomickey]

I started with a slight pinch in my neck when I tried to turn my head to the left.  I had slept funny on the couch, without a pillow - not very smart.  Then it was spring and I was hitting a bunch of golf balls as hard as I could - This was Thursday.  Friday I was experiencing a lot of pain in the left side of my neck.  I mostly had to lay down, having chills, being so exhausted from waking up every 1/2 hour in excruciating pain.  I ended up like literally not being able to turn my neck left but about 1/2 an inch.  It was the most painful sick feeling I had ever felt.  I called the chiropractor and begged for an adjustment.  When I got in the room I told him he had better shut the door because when he tried to adjust my neck I'd end up screaming and I'd have no control over it!  He did'nt shut the door and I screamed like hell.  People in the waiting room were seriously freaked.  I came in the next day and it was worse, he was not even able to really adjust my neck it was so bad, now I was also starting to feel like I had this lump or abcess (abscess) growing in my throat, becuase I had had one once before and could remember the feeling.  I was thinking that perhaps I should wait if that was the case a chiropractic adjustment might not be the best thing...  I ended up goin in anyway and he was not able to adjust the neck really except for one time that really never moved much.  It hurt so bad I could'nt relax enough for the spine to move.  LIFE WAS HELL - I've never felt so sick, but not really flu like, no sinus problems, upset stomach, hard chills, etc.  The next day the lump in my throat was gone and I really felt about 90% better - I belive even though it hurt like @#$@ the adjustment really, really helped.  I went in on the 3rd day and suggested he try the full neck adjustment and still the left side would not really crack - and it hurt like **** - almost makes me dizzy for a couple of seconds.  He suggested a day off so now its the fourth day and I still feel a little pinch when I look to the left behind me but otherwise last night I slept the entire night through and I worked all day with no problem.  I'm not quite ready to play golf damn it!  Good luck and hope this helps you.