All over pain

[aussie99]

Hello,this past march 5th I was doing errands, got hot during the day and I noticed I was sweating alot, more than normal. That night I had a sudden onset of burning,tingling & prickling pain in my face,head,lips with burning eyes. That lasted 4 days and then I had severe burning scalp for another 3 or 4 days, with continuous burning eyes and electric shocks all over head and face. This eventually spread to extremities. Also made worse by smoking. Went to hospital and MRI came back normal, no autoimmune illnesses,no toxicities,no allergies,normal bloods, no weakness,and normal clinical neuro exam.Symtoms were less severe around March and managed to increase in intensity, but have plateaued in a way. I am taking neurontin now. Best neuro in Sydney completely stumped. No diagnosis. Another neuro said these are migraine symptoms, without the actual migraine. Although I do have headaches, triggered by stress,lack of sleep,wine,etc. They are usually not everyday,& non-debilitating, no visual symptoms. My symtoms are a bit more cranial as I have a very sensetive scalp with a dull pain in back of head.Sometimes I have 5-20 second headaches too. I have stopped smoking,as not to agrivate problem. I was a moderate drinker, around 2 or 3 glasses of wine 3-4 times a week.stopped that too because of meds I take. Symptoms are much worse at night. Seems to be mostly sensory, with painful tinging feeling. Can migraine really cause all this? Will it stop? Neuro said menapause will improve symptoms(I am just 32, very scary) My symptoms are constant with varying intensity.Any ideas please?

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW]

Several possiblities come to mind, although my opinion is tempered by not having seen you or your test results

While not typical of migraine, there may be another primary headache disorder such as hemicrania continua (if on one side of the head, not apparant in your note), or cluster headache. Both headache forms have autonomic features such as sweating, prickly feeling, burning or red eyes. Avoiding smoking  and alcohol is a good idea as they can classically exacerbate these headaches. Treatments are different though and your doctors should decide on a diagnosis - cluster headache is treated with oxygen, steroids, and triptans, hemicrania is treated with indomethacin.

Considering the sensory component of the symptoms, a viral infection triggering an immune attack on peripheral nerves could also be a possibilty (a variant of Guillan barre syndrome), and should recover eventually.

Once headaches become frequent, and if not controlled with medication or lifestyle measure, they can produce central 'sensitivity' to pain resulting in increaed sensitivity to stimuli as you describe. The treatment is to control the underlying headache syndrome with preventative and abortive headache medications - your doctors should be able to help you with this

Good luck

[aussie99]

I am also wondering what can be expected going forward, a decline will things improve? Do you see any sort of pattern to anything here? Also symptoms are in trunk,and back. Thank you very much!!

[Twirley]

Hi aussi

I am on Neurontin also, for damaged and dead nerves in my arm and hand caused by Zona, after shingles. I have some of the same symptons as you do. My arm burns badly deep inside, and the prickling feeling hurts so bad at times that I cannot touch my arm or hand for hrs. I am on 1200 mg of neurontin a day, 45 mg of morphine and 5 mg of Statex and I still hurt. If i don't take the neurontin, I get electrical feeling shocks real bad and knife stabbing pains real bad also and the burning sensation is unbearable.

The reason I responded to your post is that I asked my neurologist if a damaged nerve was left, would it damage more. He replied "yes". If I were you, I would be heading to your doctor.

just concerned

[aussie99]

Hi Twirley,

I appreciate your comment and concern. But the question ultimately lies as to how can one fix a nerve, or even a neuron, or the CNS? Do these things seem fixable? A bone breaks, and we can set it and it mends, we can even mend a baby in the mothers womb. But how do you mend something that is virtually invisible, since doctors claim my problem stems from CNS? Next time you see your doctor, please ask him and see what he says. I would be very curious to hear. Have you been able to do anything for your arm? Sounds very painful. What has the doctor told you to do?

[catwoman64]

A related discussion, pain from head to toe was started.