chronic headache/neck/ear pain

Hello,
For the past seven months i have had major problems with headaches. The pain started in one of my molar teeth, goes up to my ear, then to my temple. All on my right side. I have been to the dentist (who says it may be due to griding my teeth)  And i also suffer from chronic sinusitus (and thats where my P.A. says my headaches frequently may come from). Well in the past month or so i have started getting a really bad pain only on the right back side of my neck right where my skull and neck meet.  I have had one ct scan done in 06' with just minor sinusitus and another done about 4 months ago and all they found was chronic sinusitus, that was not big enough to go in and do surgery on. I was on steroids and antibiotics for what seems like forever and at one point this year i was taking 8 meds an pain meds a day until my stomache couldn't handle them anymore... Right now  my doctor doesnt know what to do about the pain so i am taking tylenol about every 3/4 hours a day in hopes that the pain in my ear/head/ and mostly neck now will go away.  Any pointers?
I have found that once i started actually watching my self this weekend with the teeth grinding from stress my headache in my temple has gone down significantly. But the huge pressure in my ear and neck pain have worsend and barely go away with tylenol. What do you think i should do now?

[Jenny Wren]

I have the same problem.  Did you ever have a c-spine MRI.  I waited 7 years and finally coldn't stand the ear and neck pain anymore.  I have a herniated disk at C-3, muscle spasms causing a loss of curvature in my neck.  I have tried PT, it helped some.  But trigger point injections helped the most.  Try getting a script of Xanax,. its an anti-anxiety med, but it has mild muscle relaxants in it, it helps me alot. I use a heating pad also under the base of my skull, roll it like a jelly roll. I went to 3 ENT doctors, all of them said there is nothing wrong with your ear, finally I had the MRI done and there it was.  The ear pain is caused by my neck problem.  I even get facial tingling on the left side, which is the side that my neck and ear hurts.  

Take care, hope you find a solution, I know the feeling!
Jen

[danie12904]

Thanks for the advice. I went to my primary doctor yesterday, the only thing she said was that i was having spasms in my neck that were making my neck shape straight and not curved like normal. She gave me some muscle relaxers and told me to come back if it doesn't go away in a few days. I have been contemplating since then to go to a chiropractor because my ent also always tells me there is nothing wrong with my ear or sinus cavity in my temple for the time being. Its all so frusterating. They only took at x-ray of my neck though, should i try and get them to look a little lower or just try the chiropractor first? Thanks for your help. Im sure you know the stress that comes with always taking tylenol or pain killers in your purse at all times. I just hate always being in pain especially with a 2 year old running around.

[lionslair77]

I agree with the other lady, but check for AMC. Its where a bag of fluid fills your spine. I started with the headachs, and snezzing made it worse. We caught it late and now I have 95 % nerve damage. good luck.

[lionslair77]

I fibbed. lol It is ACM, not AMC

[foreverinpain]

I am having all the same pain, it started almost 3 years ago and the neck pain has only been for the last 7 months. I'm still going to many doctors trying to find out if there is somthing more they can do for the pain. It's begining to interfear with work. So far I've been on two anti-depressents, two different mussle relaxers, one kind of pain killer and told to STOP taking any kind of over the counter meds(tylenol,advil). I will keep you posted if they come up with any answers, and could you please do the same for me. I will be getting an MRI next week maybe?, and my seventh different doctor the week after.

[Doreen1972]

I have the same issue going on too.  A friend who is a neurologist said it quite possible is migraines.  My docs were saying I have neck, jaw & ear pressure/pain because I clench my jaw.  Well that makes since, but sometimes I have this pain when I haven't been clenching and it's been constant for a good month or so.  Anyway, the neurologist said that migraines can cause you to clench your jaw.  That it's rather the opposite, the migraine causes the jaw clenching and pain, not the jaw clenching causes the migraine.  He gave me some recommendations for preventative and pain relief meds.  I'm taking those to my PF tomorrow to see if it gets me anywhere.  He couldn't prescribe them since he lives out of the state that I am in.

[nicreed]

I have had the same problems...very bad ear, jaw and neck pain and pressue on top of my head now I am having head aches and the left side of my lip is starting to droop. I did have an MRI, head CT, and MRI of my spine all came back normal. Neuro thinks its complex migraines however not so sure. My lip was drooping before the head aches started. Lip drooped everyday for 6 weeks with no headache now it just dropped here and there one day its fine the next its back. It is very agervating and I completely understand where you are coming from.
Your poblems could be migraines or possible irritated nerves in your neck. Have you tried cervical traction, seems to help a bit for me.

[Jen2905]

I am glad I went on this site,I thought I was going crazy...Same thing,left ear hurts,pain goes to the left side of my head and my back teeth hurt..Then pain got so bad I made my dentist pull my 2back teeth out,pain still there..Got a ct scan/mri and all they found was a small cyst on my maxillary sinus and said it was really small but I was in so much pain I had the surgery,didnt help.I have been to 3 ent and they say nothing is wrong.I have had 3back surgerys but that was over 7yrs ago so not sure if that is related,I also have Lupus,Fibromyalgia and connective tissue disease but they say none of this is related..Hope all of you get some answers and feel better..Its been 4yrs and im still trying different doctors to see if they can give me an answer.. :)