Re: Possible infection?

Posted By Phil B on March 24, 1998 at 09:31:56:

In Reply to: Possible infection? posted by Phil B on March 14, 1998 at 11:19:15:









:   I am a 62 year old male.  I have been suffering from sinus pain for about 15 years.  At first occasionally but increased in intensity and frequency with the years.  I still have almost constant face pain and ringing in my ears.  I was treated by allergists for sinus problems with injections for several years.  I finally had to retire last year because of problems.  
:  I finally went to a neurologist last year and he diagoned my problems as migrane (migraine) of the brain stem.  He started me on Inderal.  The symptoms have reduced but still have not disappeared.  
:   I also went to a urologist about an increase in my PSA about 3 months ago.  He did a biopsy and found only precancerous cells.  Because of constant BPH and pain he put me on Flomax and a 6 weeks course of Bactrim.  During the time I was taking the Bactrim almost all symptoms disappeared.  Three days after I ran out of bactrim all symptoms returnrd with a vengence. These symptoms include Flu like feeling with pain across the back of my neck and shoulders with generalized muscle and joint pain.  Dizziness< Pressure in my temples and eyes.  These symptoms usually start around 9AM increase in intensity until mid afternoon and gradually disappear by evening.  After I feel as though I have just got over a fever except my temperature does not increase. Sometime my temp is sub normal
: I now feel like I have a raging bladder infection with pain across my lower stomach and burning when I urinate.  A tender spot when I press midline about 6 inches above the pubis.  Sorry this is so long but there is still a lot I havn't said yet.  My question is could this be an infection?
=
Your symptoms are complex.
The chronic sinus pain may have been chronic sinusitis, and it is possible the bactrim used for the urinary tract infection might have helped. The symptoms you described don't exactly fit those of brainstem ("basilar") migraine, but I suspect your neurologist had information not available to me. If you continue to have sinus pain, evaluation by either a headache specialist or an ENT specialist may be appropriate. You can call 800 CCF CARE and ask for neurology appointments (headache clinic) if you desire.
Some of the other pain symptoms are hard to put together, and don't necessarily sound like they are related to infection.
However, your sensation of a "raging bladder infection" is a real issue of concern, and it is not clear that a neurologist can help with this. I suggest you call your primary physician right away if you haven't already done so. He/she can do appropriate tests to see if there is an infection in your bladder.
Good luck. CCF MD mdf.
What are typical Basilar migrane (migraine) symptoms?  I have experienced in the past symptoms like visual "lightning bolts", the odor of burning wood, usually the right side of my head turned numb although sometimes it was left.  The flu like symptoms I mentioned before could last for weeks at a time.  I forgot to mention that the only relief from the flu like symptoms was sleep.  I had the feeling that I was going to die if I didn't sleep.  When symptoms continued for a long time my family Doctor would give me a shot of steroids.  The relief was dramatic.  Usually before I got home sinus pain and flu feeling would disappear.  This would last for a week or so.
I have always had a problem convincing Doctors that the prostate and bladder symptoms always accompanied the sinus problems.  I have had cat scans of sinus (no problems) , I went to anENT when I had severe sinus pain.  He looked into my ethmoid sinus and pronounced them normal.  When I asked why they hurt so bad "beyond my field of expertise" was his reply.
I have recently had 2 EEG's about 6 months apart.  Can't think of name but I also had the eyeball pressure test beacaue of arteritis of the Carotids  and MRI of brainstem.  All normal.  Thank you for your response
WHY DIDN'T I GET AN ANSWER TO MY SECOND QUESTION