Headache, Sore Neck and Extreme Lethargy 2 months after pushups

[no_hands]

Hi guys,

2 Months ago I was doing some intensive pushups and as I stood my Right Eye felt like it blanked out and I felt dizzy. This feeling lasted about 3 seconds.
A couple of days later a headache that felt like a hangover came on and has remained, if not changed slightly to tightness around the temples and rear/right of head. My neck also became stiff at this time however after 2 months, it only seems to make squishing sounds now.
The first two weeks I also couldn't lay flat without my head feeling like it would explode. One night I fell asleep flat and woke up to a continuous popping sound in the rear/right of my head, likely caused by the huge pressure. The pops were 1 per second for about 7 seconds. They faded as I sat up.
I also began to feel exhausted after 5 days and was rushed to hospital at one stage with a heart rate that reached 170. My heart rate now races whenever I exert myself in any way however all blood tests are fine.

A CT scan and an MRI were completed recently but no problem was found. No Ear infection apparent either. I also had a neck and chest X ray.

My main concern is the lethargy which is always there. When I woke this morning it was so bad I had to stop eating breakfast to catch my breath. The weird heated feeling around the rear/right of my head also bothers me. I slept upright again last night and realised my neck didn't squish as much as it tends to after a night of sleeping flat.

Is it possible I have a small bleed which is causing the exhaustion? My neurologist diagnosed me with Post Exertional migraine but why am I still so tired?

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

Its possible that you had a small subarachnoid hemorrhage - I annot tell for sure or make a diagnosis over the internet though. The initial symptoms are suggestive of that, and even a CT scan can be normal if small in about 3-5 % of cases - in that setting a lumbar puncture is usually done to examine the cerebrospinal closely for bleeding. If the CT and lumbar puncture are negative, it can be confidently exlcluded and termed perhaps 'migraine'. I'm not sure if you had this test done or not? It would be too late to tell at this stage by examining the CSF, the only other test to exclude a small aneurysm would be an MRI angiogram or a dye angiogram which you might bring up with your doctors. The neck vessels would also be useful to look at by MRI if not done already to evaluate for any teaars in teh blood vessels that could be causing a narrowing (turbulent blood flow around narrowings can cause a repetitive whooshing or popping sensation in teh ear)

Goo dluck

[Citizen T]

Hello

What really caught my eye is your comment about the squishy sound in your neck... same thing happened to me, i woke up one day with a hangover like headache that hasnt gone away in 6 months...and bad confusion and lethargy....  do you also have a 'heavy headed' feeling, or feeling of stiff/full muscles in yoru forehead or top of  your head?

my doctors think im crazy  but  i am actually quite sane just desperate because i have felt so bad,   almost like the blood just doesn't flow right in my head!

[no_hands]

Concerned mother - My neurologist only advised that post exterional migraines "were a bugger" and that they lasted about 5 weeks. He didn't mention them reoccurring but I'm sure it all depends on the severity of the situation. I guess it's possible that I have them as I tend to hold my breath during the last 20 pushups - which isn't very clever. Doesn't really explain the lathargy though. I also don't think one of my glands have a problem because no one mentioned excess calcium after my blood test. My gulcose was a little high but that's all. I'll make sure I ask my GP though. Thanks.

Citizen T - Don't have a heavy headed feeling so much as a light headed feeling, almost slight dizziness. Some muscles around my head feel tight or hot though, expecially the rear/right as I mentioned. This comes and goes. I know what you mean about doctors thinking you're crazy. When I told a couple of Doctors I heard popping sounds they just raised their eyebrows as if I was having them on. Quite frustrating as it was very real and didn't originate from my ear. One GP told me to start going for Runs again if I wanted but I'm extremely scared of doing that as my heart races and my head pounds... So much so that the front of my throat becomes quite tender.

[no_hands]

Sorry guys, didn't mention:

I'm a 27, white male and otherwise healthy.

Oh, and due to the pressure I had in my head while lying down, the lady that did my MRI said she "sped up the process" because she knew I was in pain. Regardless, apparently everything was fine but I do have the MRI images on file if anyone qualified wants a look.

Thanks.

[concerenedmother]

My son also has been diagnosed with post exertional migraines and things are similar to you.  My son is only 16 and is very active in sports.  Did the doctor tell you that these headaches would reoccur with activity.  He is on Imitrex now and doing a little better.  He has missed many days of school.  In some of my readings I found there are connections with some of your symptons with the parathryoid glands.  Hope you get to the bottom of this soon as I do with my son.

[ozark]

you may want to try massage therapy on your neck/shoulder muscles...... do you have painful trigger points at the base of your skull on those two boney areas just right at the top of your neck/base of skull? some times you can cause micro tears and pulled muscles in your neck that go deep inside causing such symptoms..good luck

[warriorspot]

Hi all...

I have been having similar symptoms:

1. Headache that feels like a hangover.
2. Extreme fatigue
3. Feeling like pressure on my temples (Like someon is pushing on both temples)
4. Dizziness, light-headedness (just feeling kind of "off balance")

I do have days where Im almost totally a-symptomatic, but then I will get another hangover like headache, fatigue and dizziness spell.

I have had some problems with anxiety as well, and it may be related in some way.

I had a spinal X-ray at my chiropractor, and found a slightly bulging disc in the C-8 area.  According to my chiropractor, most of the symptoms I am experiencing can be attributed to compression of the C-8 nerve root.  I have noticed marked improvement in symptoms in the few days following an adjustment.  I have very lax joints in general and a sit all day job, which requires me to get adjustments quite frequently.

You might do well to see a chiropractor for another opinion.

Finally, it makes me feel better to see that my symptoms are shared by a few others.. makes me worry less about MS or brain tumors!

Brennan

[warriorspot]

Oh yeah... I also have the "heavy headed" feeling.  Feels like there is a 20 pound weight inside my skull.

Brennan

[turboj]

You may all want to research Thoracic Outlet syndrome{TOS}

Hypertrophy in the neck and shoulder muscles can be a cause as well as reptitive work or work postures.
some links about it.
TOS info:
http://www.nismat.org/ptcor/thoracic_outlet/
http://tos-syndrome.com/newpage12.htm
http://tos-syndrome.com
http://www.doctorellis.com
http://www.tellmeabouttos.com
http://www.causeof.org/posture_tos.htm
http://intraspec.ca/tos.php

[In2Film1]

No_hands

When you had your neck MRI done, was it open or closed (also known as High-field)?

Although most people prefer open ones (due to feeling claustrophobic), closed MRI's take a little less time to complete and have a higher resolution imaging, which leads to more acurate results.

I myself am dealing with loss of cervical lordosis curve that has left me with back pain. I've been going through a series of recent MRI's and have had better luck with the high-field kind.

It might be worth thinking about. Good luck to you!