Headache / confusion and dizziness all summer, feel so bad

[headache boy]

Hi Doc, I am 33/male. I have had perplexing symptoms for all summer. The only way I can describe it is "it feels like the blood doesn't flow right in my head".  This statement has made people think I am crazy but it is in fact very real. Please help me make suggestions to my doctor. Would a PET scan be beneficial?  I have had an MRI / MRA of the brain and neck (only thing found is moderate spondylosis in just one spot C3-C4 right); otherwise negative:

Primarily it is a frontal / top of the head dull boring pressure like headache (constant) with the following features (please read carefully detailed:

**a "squishing" sound in the lower back of the head or the upper neck when I move my head around
**sometimes my heart will pump hard several times and the same pressure in my head will pulsate with intense throbs like my head may "explode" (fully negative EKG)
**the muscles in my forehead (raise eyebrows) feel very stiff or full, or weakened
**feelings of depersonalization, moderate nausea, and confusion (mental blur, cannot focus on finer visual details)
**very serious dizziness non stop, only when laying down with my eyes open.   but the dizziness isn't felt when eyes are closed, only when open... the room appears to be violently out of control like the "plane is about to crash" I would estimate this is present about 1 out of 5 days on average.
**severly swolen nasal turbinates that shrink when i work out (get the blood flowing)
**occasional vibrating eardrum or ear ringing (rare but happens suddenly)
**barely noticeable numbness in 1 leg(occasional

Thankyou

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

I cannot give you a clinical diagnosis over the internet unfortunately. While nothing you describe leaps out as being a sign of a serious neurological disorder, a normal brain and neck scan would suggest that this is a primary headache disorder such as tension type headache - the stiffness in the forehead muscle s, nausea support this. A throbbing sensation with your heartbeat is usually within normal limits, although persistent pulsatile ear ringing in one ear coul dwarrant a further workup for a narrow blood vessel or increased pressure in the cerebrospinal fluid. The neck is intimately connected to the vestibular system that controls dizziness, balance etc so if you have any muscle spasm etc in the neck this could cause the dizzuness - a good physical therapist coul didentify any poor neck posture or muscle spasm and treat it. A general neurologist could help with your headache as far as medications, and things to avoid ie stress, caffeine, excess alcohol.

Good luck

[headache boy]

PS-   It has come to my attention that the MRA cannot detect calcium blockage in viens.  And can also not see smaller blood vessels.   It has also come to my attention that this "squishing sound" in my neck could be turbelent bloodflow---if this is the case, is this dangerous, and what can be done to confirm this and help cure?

Could this theoretically be a concern?  my MRA was without contrast, but the MRI was with and without.   Thank you again.

[prm]

Uh, I don't want to sound alarmist, but with the positional vertigo, nausea, brain fog, numbness, and headaches; I would print out the description and symptoms you have here and get to the ER of a good teaching hospital (or at least one with several neurologists), just to make sure you are not having mini strokes or leakage that is applying pressure on the brain.

Don't worry about what test should be run - let the doc's do their job.  You can follow up with your own research later.  

Make sure you BRING WITH YOU all the meds (Rx, over the counter, supplements and vitamins) you could have taken during the summer and any you are currently taking.

And it may sound extreme, but you may want to have some one drive you, just in case.  Because if this is a "brain attack" of some kind you wouldn't want to be driving, because (forgive my sense of humor) that could cause a much bigger mess to clean up.

[prm]

Uh, I don't want to sound alarmist, but with the positional vertigo, nausea, brain fog, numbness, and headaches; I would print out the description and symptoms you have here and get to the ER of a good teaching hospital (or at least one with several neurologists), just to make sure you are not having mini strokes or leakage that is applying pressure on the brain.

Don't worry about what test should be run - let the doc's do their job.  You can follow up with your own research later.  

Make sure you BRING WITH YOU all the meds (Rx, over the counter, supplements and vitamins) you could have taken during the summer and any you are currently taking.

And it may sound extreme, but you may want to have some one drive you, just in case.  Because if this is a "brain attack" of some kind you wouldn't want to be driving, because (forgive my sense of humor) that could cause a much bigger mess to clean up.

[headache boy]

Previous poster:  Thanks for your concern, but I have been under the care of a doc. and have had an MRI and MRA negative, and since i have had these symtpoms for along time I am quite positive i'm not having a stroke or hemmorage.

DOCTOR,  I ALSO FORGOT TO MENTION THAT MY EEG SAID THAT I HAVE "PRESENCE OF PYLYMORPHIC DELTA SLOWING"     THANK YOU

[prm]

Yeah, I uh, missed that part about MRI and MRA HAD been done.  Oh well, guess I ended up being alarmist anyway.  : )

Good luck, with your health thing.

[headache boy]

Sorry to keep on adding posts, but I also remember about a week or 2 before this began I pulled my back in a strange way when I was lifting weights -  I had taken a month long break from working out and my whole thorasic spine and to a less degree my c-spine became extremely tense and i had to keep cracking my back to get relief...it was a very odd feeling unlike any every before almost like it would take my breath away if i did not pop my spine.   Reason I tell you this is because some one mention vertabral artery injury?   I did had that MRA done 2 months after my syptoms (symptoms) began how ever.. it was without contrast only..negative...and the "polymorphic delta slowing" on my EEG most recently..

[Citizen T]

Your symptoms are eerily similar to mine, I too all summer but longer since March or so.. and several other people I responded to on previous dates.   I encouage you to scroll down to my Sept. 25th post and other posts with "constant headaceh" problems:  except  with mine they found this lovely structural change known as fibrous dysplasia a bone tumor of sorts:    (these are fair quality photos of my MRI:


http://www.angelfire.com/ab9/mriphotopage/mri/MRI_brain.JPG

(do not worry  safe link no pop up)

[headache boy]

Citizin T,  yes our problems are very similar.  I think what is wrong with you is obvious, you have a mass, isn't your doctor acting on this?

UPDATE:   LAST NIGHT I WOKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND MY RIGHT LEG AND FORE-ARM WERE NUMB.   I COULD NOT EXTEND MY RIGHT LEG (THE QUADRACEP MUSCLE WAS DEAD) - HOWEVER THE WEAKNESS AND NUMBNESS QUICKLY RESOLVED AFTER I STOOD UP.    Was I just sleeping wrong on that side of my body or...do I need the Emergency care?

[no_hands]

Headache boy. I think you and I are in this together mate. Have a look at this:
http://www.medhelp.org/perl6/Neuro/messages/33876.html

As it says, I did pushups three months ago and am still suffering from it. My headaches have subsided but my heart often pulpatates after any exertion. I even find that sometimes I stretch and my heart races... like I'm pressing on something in my spine. Also, squishing sounds was a big problem for me. I kept my head upright for a few days and found they subsided however I still get pressure in the back of my head. 2 nights ago as I lay asleep I felt a lot of pressure in the back of my neck/head area. I ignored it as I'm pretty frustrated with it. After an hour of tossing and turning I felt something pop and squirt inside my neck. 2 days later, I still feel the same... whatever is broken will not fix itself... it just keeps rupturing I think. I also feel pressure in my head as if blood goes in fine, but won't go out the back properly.

I also wake up every 4th day average with numbness/pins and needles in right hand.

Have had an MRI neck and brain, both look fine. Also had x ray of neck and CT of head. all good. Seen two neurologists - first one dismissed me as having anxiety. Second is clever but can't figure it out.

My mail is no_hands***@**** - We should continue to discuss this problem so that we can hopefully resolve it.

Joel.

[lazydog]

Sorry to be a bore and get off the beaten track - but I have recently been diagnosed with Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism and all the symptoms you've mentioned - I've experienced over the past 7 years.  

Headaches so bad that only 3 codeine will fix;
Heart palpitations along with feeling your head will explode - one night I had to sit upright as laying down I thought my head would actually explode - this is a very distressing symptom;
Nausea that you can cope with;
And dizziness!!!  Sometimes so bad that I feel the supermarket shelves are going to fall on me.  When it's really bad I can't go into rooms with stripes - like bathrooms with tiles or offices with wall pannelling;
sinus problems;
numbness was one of the latter symptoms - may arms would go numb during the night.

My apologies if I'm way off - but your symptoms sound so familiar - but worth having a quick look at the thyroid sites?

I even think I get the squishing - I thought it felt like cartlidge or something - 11 years ago I had a physio tell me that it was just age - but I knew that wasn't the case.

[mtchina]

I'm having really strange symptoms, and very similar to yours. I'll post the following. Sorry it's so long, with the strange symbols due to the cutting and pasting. I've been posting this everywhere trying to get some help. Am scheduled for an MRA next week. Condition getting worse:-(

Please help! 30 year old male, US born, currently living in China. It has been almost two months since these strange, almost unbearable, symptoms suddenly appeared. They are testing my career, my marriage, and my sanity.

In early October I woke up one day (regular nightˇ¦s sleep) with a really stiff neck. Didnˇ¦t think much of it, except that maybe I slept on it wrong. Tried to shake it off and get through the day. Following morning woke up with a mild headache (over the eyes and into the right side above the ear), and even worse neck pain. The pain was more pressure than throbbing. This continued, non-stop! A few days later, sick of feeling, wellˇKsick, I decided to go out with friends. Had a few beers, nothing out of the ordinary, and woke up the next morning with a horrible migraine. I began vomiting for the next few hours, finally could take took a short nap and awoke with that same mild pressure headache and neck pain, but no more vomiting. Went to the doctor the following day and explained everything. Told him I have bad sinuses and he prescribed an antibiotic for a sinus infection?? This didnˇ¦t help at all! Then, the lightheadedness began!! Ugh, this was even worse than the damn headache. Kind of like a floating, on a ship, foggy head feelingˇKreally weird. Once again, let me stress, this never subsided! Woke up with the headache, lightheadedness and neck pain and went to sleep with it. Funny thing though, didnˇ¦t usually wake up in the middle of the night with pain (only when my eyes first open in the morning). Was really tender at base of skull, mostly left side. Pressing on this region made symptoms worse, I thought. Most recent neurologist said it could be occipital neurologia. He gave me a nerve block. Didnˇ¦t seem to help at all. Next day I was on a plane back to China, so it was tough to tell, really a mess knowing that things were not getting better and that I was returning to work in China without a true diagnosis.

Flash forward to today, almost two months later and the same symptoms continue, except that the headaches are always in the morning and now usually go away after a little while, only to be replaced by horrible lightheadedness, stiff neck (tenderness has subsided) and nausea. A definite decline as the worsening symptoms are really scaring the hell out of me! About a month ago I began having shooting, nerve-like pain up to the top of my head where it literally feels hot to the touch. This usually happens after an hour or two into the day, after the headache has gone down. Then this crazy shooting, tingling pain on the scalp, then the lightheadedness comes on with, of course, nausea. Thatˇ¦s the order and itˇ¦s unrelenting until I go to bed. Laying down or standing up does NOT make anything particularly better. Moving at work constantly, though, does increase the lightheadedness and nausea. Docs said it could be a ˇ§stuck migraine,ˇ¨ which I highly doubt, seeing that the headache seems to be only a small part of the problem. Never a fever since all this began. Take a few meds., listed at the end of this rambling, desperate letter.

Iˇ¦ve left out lots of information with doctors, neurologists and others. Iˇ¦ll list the tests and results at the end. Iˇ¦ve ruled out environmental factors (I think) because I lived in China for two months before this all started. Also flew back to the States for a couple of weeks for tests and no let up while home. Iˇ¦m a fourth grade teacher and am really struggling here. Any help, advice or possible diagnosis would really help. I feel like this will never end. I canˇ¦t believe pain like this can be constant, never letting up, and doctors canˇ¦t seem to find whatˇ¦s wrong?! Can something last two months non-stop, and not be serious?? Getting worried that the doctors will never figure it out.

Doctors Seen
*Family Physician here in China (from California)
*Five Neurologists (most in the States)
*Four Neurosurgeons (two here in China, two in States)
*Chiropractor

Tests Done
*Brain MRI w/contrast in China revealed a possible brain lesion
*Brain MRI w/ contrast in States (much higher quality) revealed no brain lesion, but normal abnormality (what is that?), doctors not worried
*Chest X-Ray - normal
*Neck X-Ray - Chiropractor thought top vertebrae might be a little close to base of skull, no relief during adjustments, stretching. He ruled out a pinched nerve.
*Neck MRI - normal (received info. over the phone, they said I was moving a bit, some parts a bad scan)
*audio testing - normal
*vestibular testing - normal
testing - normal
*CBC - said blood tests were normal (amazing how I have nothing to bring with me to the next doc. appts.)
*doctors did not see evidence of intercranial pressure, but the location of my "strange abnormal abnormality" is where the docs said my spinal fluid is "formed."

Medication Taken
*over the counter pain meds - don't even touch this pain - discontinued
*muscle relaxers - no relief - discontinued
*prescription pain meds - very little relief - discontinued - except..
*Oxycondin - this is the ONLY pain med that helps a little ˇV still taking, but only a half dose of 5mg with 325mg of aceptimophen (sp.?) - I know, I know...addictive..Ktrying not to abuse but the only thing that works
*Nortriptyline - anti-depressant doc said is used for chronic pain - lasted five days but stopped taking after insomnia (reverse from danger of making drowsy?) and sores suddenly appearing in my mouth
*Valium - taken only a couple of times when I was flying -discontinued
**Only taking the Oxycontin now (half dose, I think very small compared to what I've read) and my usual Lipitor for mildly high cholesterol, 10mg

[Helpless111111]

Headache boy what was your final diagnosis.......because my symptoms are exactly......exactly like yours

[no_hands]

Helpless, would be interested in talking to you about your symptoms if you read this. I'm having similiar issues to headache boy but I think he has disappeared. My mail is no_hands***@****

[Tones87]

A related discussion, Nasal Problems w/headache! was started.