SEVERE PERSISTENT Eye Pain, Headache, Neck Pain

[Mmaldonado24]

Hello. I'm female, age 24. Experiencing CONSTANT and PERSISTENT  eye pain ALWAYS in my LEFT eye. I wake up with intense headaches. Whether I'm sleeping at night or day. Whether I'm sleeping for 30 minutes or three hours. Its not every time I wake up, but half of the time. The pain in my left eye is almost behind my left eye. The bone even hurts. It comes in goes in constant waves of pain EXACTLY like my headaches. This has been going on 3 to 4 days of the week at minimal basically from the time I wake up until I go to bed. Pills do NOT work. And when they do its for merely 1 hour the most, and half the symptoms do not go away. My headaches are almost always on the left side. This has been going on for about 2 1/2 months. Although I've always had problems with mediocre headaches all over my head at different times and places. These are far worse.i do not have blurred vision per say. My nose is not runny, or stuffed. This didn't happen after a sickness, and I am not sick now. I honestly feel like it started after I was having horrible tooth pain. I had the worst toothache on my left side which became jaw pain on the left side. After taking antibiotics the tooth and jaw pain slowly slightly faded with just a small toothache 1 or 2 times per week. However the eye and head pain and waking up with headaches and the horrible constant pain on my left side started maybe a few weeks after ky toothache went away. So its probably unrelated but just throwing that out there. Please help me.

[Ball123]

Migraine in itself is not considered a serious disease by most doctors but chronic migraines is. So if your headaches are starting to turn chronic you should seek help. The faster you can stop them the better, or they might be very hard to treat and leave you disabled for years.

[extremeash]

From personal experience, It sounds like TMJ. It could be a migraine but I am not seeing you mention visual problems.
It does not sound like Ocular Migraines. Those are typically painless. They are certainly not associated with horrible headaches.

Your severe jaw and behind the eye pain remind me of what I suffered through about half a year ago. May I ask if you have your wisdom teeth? If so, what condition are they in? Few years ago I had severe TMJ symptoms suddenly. These continued for over a year. Last year (age 25) I learned that all my wisdom teeth were cavities and rotten. They also did not have room. After having them all removed (two separate procedures) my jaw pain, headaches, and eye pain have disappeared COMPLETELY.
Not saying you definitely have this. But as someone who suffered from TMJ with little relief (couldn't stop the clenching as I slept), please look into what could be causing your TMJ symptoms. While my pain was primarily my jaw, there are so many tendons and nerves in the entire area that it wouldn't surprise me if the pain is being sent to your eye. Most importantly, you should be able to determine if this is being caused by your jaw or your eye. I'm assuming you've seen an eye doctor and your eye was said to be fine....

[AKC_75]

Yes, you are not alone. I, personally, have experienced what you are talking about. They are called Ocular Migraines. There are several different types and you can experience them all or just a few.

What I have learned from talking to Home Health nurses is that you really don't want to let your pain level get above a 4. When it reaches 4, take something....as I said, my opinion is Excedrin is best OTC med. If you let it get above 4, then it takes longer for the medication to kick in...if it kicks in at all. And my PCP told me to not let a migraine go on for more than 7 days straight without seeking medical attention. It's not good for your general health to have constant chronic pain...it will start to wear down your immune system. Now, I am not saying to jump and run to doctor for every ache and pain...but, don't be stubborn either. If you need help, seek it.

[Mmaldonado24]

Thank you so much for the help! I seriously need it! I'm not a person into doctors, hospitals, emergency rooms etc. See, my dad has had migraines his whole life. Since I was a kid. One of his biggest triggers is MSGs. And what I remember of him going through as a kid, doesn't seem the same. Granted I haven't ever seen anyone else deal with a migraine. I do not chew gum or hard candies, ever. I do not chew ice, or anything hard at all. I dont believe I grind my teeth at night, but I do think I maybe clench my jaw very tight. My headache literally is horrible dull waving pain behind my eye. On the eyebrow bone, and behind the left side of my forehead ALWAYS. Although I do have regular headaches at times in the back of my head, all over, only right side, basically any random spot. But, These head and eye pains im experiencing are very very distinctive. They are always the same pain, usually the same level of pain (1-10 scale, 6). Always in the exact same location. The pain last for hours and hours and hours. Sometimes I even wake up with the pain and it is horrible! IT FEELS LIKE MY EYE IS GOING TO POP OUT AT TIMES! The aching pain is so constant and persistent and no medication helps. This issue has only been going on for about 2 1/2 months like I said. I can't see what has changed. Or what I've done differently. I dont think anything's changed..could it be serious? If it was like a rupture or tumor or something dramatic, wouldn't I be in the hospital or dead by now? I'm thinking I agree and it is just migraines. Does anyone else experience migraines like this, or as long as this? The longest its lasted was about 4 straight SOLID days.

[AKC_75]

Hi and welcome to the Migraines & Headaches Community.

It sounds like it could be a couple of different things. First, it does sound like classic symptoms for migraines. Migraines are most often in one area of the head and in the same area each time. However, that does not mean it can't be somewhere else at times as well. And since you already have a history of chronic headaches that makes you more prone to migraines. As for OTC meds the best I have found so far is Excedrin. It is a combo of Tylenol, Aspirin and Caffeine which is an excellent combo for migraines. You can also, put a bandanna or cloth headband around your head. See, a migraine is made up of several different symptoms but what causes the pain is the blood vessels in your brain become dilated so, putting a bit of pressure on them gives a little relief. You can also rub Mentholatum across your forehead and on your temples and you can use that with or without the headband, depending on if you like the heat or not. Now, if you have the same migraine for more than 7 days straight, then it is time to seek medical attention.

The other possibility since you mentioned it happened right after a tooth ache could be TMJ. Which is arthritis in your jaw bone, usually due to grinding your teeth at night so, you will need to get a mouth guard to sleep in. Other causes are excessive gum chewing and eating hard things like ice or candy.

So, there is a place for you to start at, at least. Good luck and please keep us updated.