Occipital Neuralgia

[Leila113]

I have no clue what is happening to my body. I went from working full-time and attending school part time as well as taking care of my 3 year old. Now I cannot work, I cannot go to school, nor take care of my child. I have been in chronic pain for the past 5 months. I have had several diagnoses, first I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I do not hurt all over, my pain is associated with my nerves in the occipital region as well as my neck. This became onset. I had to prior injuries. Second, I am 22 years old and I have been diagnosed with degenerative disc disease. My neck has given me some problems the past 2 years, but nothing significant. The pain was completely bearable. After a month of having neck and head pain, also now I am experiencing more migraines, I started developing severe nerve pain. When I move my neck and head the nerve pain shoots down the sides of my neck, back of my neck, back of my head, radiating through my shoulders and down my arms. The less I move the less nerve pain I experience. This is why I cannot work. When i do, my arms lock up in my chest and I cannot move them. When I try it's as if I am pulling my veins or nerves in the sides of my neck. It is very excruciating and debilitating. With this, the symptoms I am experiencing pain behind my ears and sometimes ringing in the ears. I also have chronic fatigue and forgetfullness. Eating has also been a problem for a month or so during this. The muscles in my neck were so tight it was hard for me to swallow food. I am now also developing scoliosis. I have severe muscle spasms in the trapezius region as well as down my spinal cord. My lower left back muscle is pushing my spine into an S. The x-ray I had also indicated my spine in my neck is curving in the opposite direction. I have had several trigger point injections, steroidal which made is worse so i demanded non-steroidal anti-inflammatory injections which gave me some relief for a day or so. I also have had Botox A injections in my trapezius muscle which didn't touch it. The nerves in my muscles are constantly pulsating. No muscle relaxant has helped. I work in a pharmacy so I know the muscle relaxants work on the nerve root, not directly on the muscle, so that's why i'm not receiving any relief. The last neurologist I saw indicated Chiari malformation I on an MRI. I had a cine MRI after to test the CSF flow and according to the test I do have some flow in the occipital area. So it's basically a 50/50 chance wether that is causing all my symptoms. I read more information on the internet and I came accross Occipital Neuralgia. I looked at my MRI discs and I cannot locate any nerves, nor the occipital nerve which may be causing the problem. I have seen 11 doctors and have given diagnoses which do not pertain to the amount of pain I am experiencing. I am going to the Mayo clinic in Jacksonville FL at the end of February but I was wondering if this could possibly be the Occipital Neuralgia? and are there any other tests besides a MRI that can indicate this? My pain is so intense and agonizing that the lortabs I have been taking for the past 2 weeks have not even touched my pain. If anyone has any other explanation for this it would be extremely helpful. Thank you.