Long-lasting pressure in front of head??

[katkingston88]

I’ll start from the beginning. I’m a 14 year old girl, 5’7ft/171 cm, 135 pounds. Around September of 2016, I started becoming extremely fatigued and had occasional headaches (though not often and not bad enough so I never really thought much about it). The fatigue was the worst part. It would cause me to become extremely tired throughout the day and I would be ready to fall asleep at 7pm every night. Waves of fatigue would come and go. I went to the doctor about this on two occasions for blood tests: no mono (I had it two years ago), nothing out of the ordinary.

In early November 2016, I developed a pressure headache in the front of my head one night. It didn't feel like a migraine, just a terrible pressure mostly centered in my forehead. The feeling was a tightness or like something was pushing on my head. It was frustrating and aggravating. The pressure did not go away for two weeks. It was almost constant, sometimes the pressure would lessen, but never fully go away. It would get to the point where I would cry every night because it felt like my head was going to burst open. Later in the month I went to a neurologist who recommended getting my ferritin levels tested. Turns out I was at a 7, and I was prescribed with Ferrous Sulfate and a vitamin C supplement.

Over the next 6 weeks, the fatigue disappeared almost completely. The headaches seemed to be improving, not constant and not as bad. In late December, the pressure in my forehead began to return. Over the course of a couple weeks, it became more constant and with higher intensity. I can feel the pressure even as I write this. After a couple weeks (now early January), the pressure became just like it was in November. Maybe not 24/7 constant, but the majority of the time. I first notice the pressure anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour after I wake up. The pressure is often around for so long that it makes me frustrated and moody. (My parents think that my headaches have to do with the hormones. In fact, the reason I am so upset is BECAUSE the headaches have been plaguing me. If the pressure disappeared, I would not be so upset.)

I’m now starting to think that the fatigue and headaches were not related, and that the Ferrous Sulfate only fixed my fatigue. I went back to the neurologist on January 18th and she was very unhelpful, only speaking with me for less than 10 minutes and asking me what we should do next. She believes that my problem can be fixed with different kinds of medicine and isn’t looking anywhere else. As of two weeks ago, my ferritin is at a 22 and I’m continuing to take it.

I tried Topamax for a couple days back in November, but I stopped because the side effects made me feel 5x worse. Two weeks ago, I tried Amitriptyline but stopped that because of the strange side effects. As of four days ago, I have been taking Propranolol, but nothing has changed.

The neurologist seems to believe (and even though I have strongly told her otherwise) that I have anxiety and this is what is causing my headaches. I “have my head screwed on tight” as my dad says, and I truly don’t have any depression or anxiety. I am not abnormally stressed, and I do well in school. I go back to the neurologist on March 1st but I really don’t think I want to continue seeing her.

I am looking for answers. I don’t know what else to do, my parents are underestimating me and chalking it up to hormones. These pressure headaches have been plaguing me ever since early November, and it is starting to affect my social life and attitude. I can’t live like this anymore and I really, truly just need help. Any advice is appreciated.

[rumpled]

Well, hormones are significant so... if they are chalking it up to hormones, then have them back it up with some testing and or send you on to an endocrinologist.

Just saying "hormones" is a disservice to the system that impacts every other system in your body. So either find a new pcp who will listen more, test more and do more.

At 14 you have to bring you mom, and hope she is supportive of the changes. Some hormonal changes are normal but some are not. Raging headaches are outside the norm. It may be a form of migraine or not, so any imaging?

I would speak frankly to your mom when you are not having a headache about how you feel and try to win her over to your side. It can be difficult as some people think a doctor's word is set in stone and no way can you question it. It is then up to you to show that it is not anxiety and that you really need to be taken seriously as you are suffering.