Stabbing pain in eyesockets

[Jennyfoo]

I've had intermittent stabbing-type pain in my eye sockets and around my eyebrow area accompanying the chiari HAs for months. It's always been sharp, stabbing pain, like a knife was stabbed in me, then removed. Its always hurt badly, but was manageable because it was off and on, quickly resolving. 

Last night, after going Christmas shopping for about an hour, I got a terrible HA, after feeling better most of the day. I watched TV with my Hubby after getting kids in bed and wrapped some presents. Then, we decided to game together until bedtime; got new expansion for World of Warcraft last night while Xmas shopping. My head was hurting pretty bad, but i was excited to play. After about an hour on the computer, the stabbing pain started in my upper eye sockets, below my eyebrows. However, this time, it wasn't like usual. This time, the pain was constant; like a knife was stabbed and left there, and moved around; not the usual stab and release pain I normally get. Does that make sense? It was so awful I couldn't play, I just had to lie down, which didn't help much. I took a mega dose of painkillers. It didn't help. I was about ready to call a cab to go go to the ER, after 2 hours of unrelenting severe pain. I tried icing my forehead, which made it worse. Then, I decided to ice the back of my head and neck. Finally, the pain let up enough that I could sleep. 

The pain woke me up a few times during the night. This morning it's not quite as bad, but it's still constant and unrelenting. I can't stand to move my eyes, I can't focus my vision, have to close one eye to read & type due to double vision. 

Has anyone had this kind of pain? Can you think of anything that might help? It's horrible! I doubt a trip to the ER would do much more than take Christmas $ away from me, that I need. Anyone have any suggestions? I'm feeling ultra dizzy and nauseated too. Typing this out on my iPhone has been a huge undertaking for me this morning. 

I finally see Dr Barbaro at UCSF for my 1st NS consult in 2 weeks. 

Thanks for any suggestions.
-Jenn

[burdzmom]

this "sharp pain" that you speak of......could it be compared to being a shock therapy patient only in your eyeballs?!?!? (not that i would know what being a shock therapy patient feels like) or maybe a tens unit being hooked up to the back of your eyeballs and when it zaps you, your entire body tenses up?!?!? or the spontaneous "twitching" you get throughout your body that varies in intensity randomly......... thats what i feel. cant figure out why, when it happens but it super duper is no fun......and that is the G version .....just for you slema ;)

talk among'st yourselves. . . . .

[lritchey]

I had that kind of pain 3 years ago in my left eye, my cheek and a tooth. It also affected other parts of my face and tongue and included numbness. I believe it was related to the flu I got soon after. A neurologist had me tested for MS, BC that is sometime the first indication for it. I was Neg.....all they found was pinched ulnar in both arms and a buging disc in my neck on th eother side.

They decided it may have been trigeminal neuralgia brought on by the virus or some kind of vasculitis. I still have some loss of sensation, especially when I feel virusy.

[hdavids]

I get this sharp pain too.. note I do not have a dx Chiari but I have a syrinx.. but I think it is the position I am in or have been in,  I usually get it on top of my head and in my eye sockets and it shoots down to my neck my dr. calls it ice pick headache bcuz the pain never last more than a few sec at a time. I can get them all day long few sec apart or longer and almost every time I have a severe headache at the back of my head they are there.
The only thing that works for me is rest, pain meds usually never do their job so try to rest as much as possible.. I know easier said than done during the holidays ;)
Hope you are feeling a lot better

[Shane99]

Try and rest your eyes. There is a strong connection between Eye issues and Chiari/syringomyelia. Some of it is due to the intense pressure from our CSF. Try to keep your eyes closed and rest in a dark room for a while whenever it starts to flair up.

[selmaS]

Sometimes we do not have to do much to get pain...I had it yesterday..low back and left hip. hurt like heck to move, so I stayed put....it is still a tad sore today, hurts to sit...I didn't go shopping or wrap gifts...so who knows...we did get rain yesterday, and weather does play a role.

I hope u r feeling better : )

"selma"

[Jennyfoo]

Thankfully it was better today. I don't think it was postural, because I played WoW with Hubby again tonight, for 2 hours and was ok. It could have been brought on from leaning over the coffee table wrapping presents though, or just having overdone it with shopping, wrapping, kids, etc.

Thanks for the support Selma. Those stabbing pains are the most intense pain I get. Thankfully they're usually fleeting.

[selmaS]

Hi Jenn...I think what may have happened is a combo of shopping and position...I am not sure how u were sitting to play the game , but after a day shopping with the pain already, I think u r in a flare up....weather also plays a part.

Look to the weather, and how much r u doing...try to relax for a few days to see how u feel and try to hang in until ur visit with the dr....u r right about the ER visit, it will just take ur money from u....not much more.

Hope u feel better soon

"selma"