Read up on cluster headaches, some of the symptoms you described may be consistent with that. I have migraines and find the visual disturbances are more tunnel like and double vision and last for about 1/2 hour. I have that 1/2 hour to take ibuprofen (I know, I've been told I'm lucky) or the pain will rain down on me like a jackhammer! What about increased spinal fluid? I was diagnosed with that and that can cause weird head pain too. Also flashing snow like visuals someone mentioned they were high blood pressure related, not sure if that's true. I'm hoping that it will give you avenues to go down so you can get a proper diagnoses. Good luck to you. Make sure you have a great neuro doc, head pain is tricky.
Hi. :) Thank you for replying. I've read a little about those, but I'll do some more looking.
I've also had an LP and my pressures were normal and my blood pressure is always normal whenever it's taken.
My visual disturbances are pretty much constant, they haven't gone away since they started several months ago, so I don't know if they could be migraine aura or not.
Has anyone had auras that lasted for a very long time?
Hi Invida, migraine aura should not be constant, I have not heard of anyone having the visual disturbances for long periods of time, and yet people present with migraines differently. Your swollen optic nerves may be the reason for the auras, my concern would be why are they swollen?
I think I have had a migraine aura for the last ten years.. It's unusual but not unheard of.
With the MRI and MRA coming back normal and the LP too I think you can rule out any disease from your head basically, except migraine.
For sure you don't have a tumor or similar.
Migraines can be serious too though.
Thank you both for replying. I appreciate it. The neurologist wants me to see a headache specialist. I keep hearing and feeling strange popping sensations in my head. It's very scary, but I don't tell the doctors about it. It's even happened from pressing on my head. I can't find anything to explain this.
Invida, the doctors need all of the symptoms you experience in order to make an accurate diagnoses. Popping sounds do not equal insanity. Also, neuro docs are headache specialists. Some treat other ailments as well but you may need to find a neurologist that specializes in migraines as well as other types of headaches. As the other poster said, the fact that you do not have any mass/tumor is a good sign. If I could make a suggestion, keep a journal of the symptoms, pain, what you did just before and after may also help with a diagnosis. The symptoms appear to be migraine or cluster in nature which can present with many seemingly strange symptoms. If they feel it is one of those, now the real work begins in an attempt to find relief for you. Migraines and or headaches can also be a reaction to weather, hormones, foods, etc. Have you introduced any new things in your life prior to the headaches coming on? Also have you had extensive blood work recently? That may give your doctor a bigger picture. You also said you had a lumbar puncture, was the fluid analyzed for bacteria/white blood cells, etc. Hoping to give you some starting points, sometimes we are our own best advocates! good luck again
Also, in my next to last post I mentioned the swollen optic nerves you spoke about. That may be indicative of increased intercranial pressure, but from what? That may be the key to everything, and cannot be ignored. This also could be two separate things, herniation of the cervical discs may cause the pins and needles pain and popping sounds, whereas the visual disturbances and headache pain may be caused by whatever is elevating your intercranial pressure. LP pressure can go up and down but the optic nerve swelling is an indicator that your spinal fluid pressure has been up. I hope you find answers soon, but try and not focus on something because you may miss what is actually going on, take care
Hi. :) Thank you for your replies. I'm sorry I'm just now writing back. I didn't have internet and I'm getting back on today.
The neuro ophthalmologist told me that since my pressures were normal that he can't give me any answers and that's probably just how my nerves are. That seems wrong to me, but both he and his staff didn't leave good impressions. They never gave me the results for my LP. The neurologist's office contacted them three times to get the results and no one has sent anything to either of us. I'm thinking maybe something was done wrong with my LP and that the pressure reading might not have been accurate, but I don't know how to convince a doctor about that.
The neurologist says my EMGs came out fine and can't tell me why I'm having the sensations I'm having.
There were some new things prior to all of this. There was a field mouse in our house and I sometimes wonder if I might have been bitten by a tick. I got Swine Flu in December and I found that my room had a bad infestation of mold. I don't know if these things could be the cause.