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cervogenic headache or brain tumor
Non stop headache and nausea for months. Have suffered with headaches all my life but these are different and don't respond to treatment. I almost threw up this morning, but didn't, but just might still. Doctors (Neuro, Chiropractor, and Ortho) are saying cervogenic pain, I am having a brain MRI in about a week and a half to rule out tumor. I am having panic attacks and am depressed as well. Only symptoms are massive headache that responds to nothing, nausea and possible vomiting. Do you think tumor?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi there. These headaches could be migraines or tension headaches, sinus headaches radiating to the ear, headache usually front of head, on one or both the sides of temples along with nausea, vomiting, irritability, low blood pressure, sensitivity to lights, sound, etc. aura associated with migraines could include blind spots, blindness in half of your visual field, paresthesia, weakness or visual hallucinations. Your vision needs detailed testing by an ophthalmologist. Hypertension and hypotension need to be checked. An MRI brain is warranted to rule out any intracranial lesion and since MRI spine for ruling out cervical spondylosis and degenerative disc disease. Temporal tendinitis mimics migraines including TMJ pain temporal headaches, tooth sensitivity, neck and shoulder pain. Treatment includes injecting local anesthetics and other medicines, moist heat muscle relaxants and NSAIDs along with physiotherapy. Multiple sclerosis would also need to be excluded. Treatment for migraines include drugs that prevent the attack like anti convulsants and drugs which treat an attack like triptans, ergots etc your queries should pertain to all these possible differential diagnoses. Hope this helps. Take care.
And if it's migrainous in nature and you're like me, crying makes the pain worse! I'm so sorry you are in such distress right now. Plan to pray for you tonight. I know what it's like to be desperate for pain to stop.
Good day most of yesterday, today is awful. I have medicated myself to the hilt and very little response. I can't wait to see if it's a clot causing this so I can get the heprin to get rid of it. The Neuro says once the clot is dissolved, the pain in gone. If it's not that, I have decided to have the neck surgery to repair my disc. I owe it to myself and my family to get this resolved as soon as possible. I just had to sit and watch my husband take my two babies to dinner for their grandmother's birthday without me. I am devastated and can't stop crying. This pain has to end soon.
Hope you will get the help you need about this vicious non-stop cycle of headache and nausea! If the shot was steroidal in nature, cortisone shots for my shoulder in the past gave me a headache! Hope the worse headache effect has worn off?
The shot itself was fine, but I am definitely having worse headache pain now than before. I guess it has to get worse before it gets better? I took two doses of Maxalt today and the pain is tolerable now. I am now wondering if a clot isn't the culprit of it all. I wish I didn't have to wait two weeks for the test. At least I know that some kind of answer is in my near future. THank you so much for talking to me.
Glad he is being careful and ordering the MRV. Did you get your shot and if so, how are you feeling? Glad Maxalt helped.
Spot didn't enhance. Neuro is ordering an MRV just to be sure it's not a clot, but he thinks it's nothing. Having that in two weeks, shot tomorrow and just tried Malaxt for the first time and it cut my pain in half so that's a start.
Where was the small white area located that didn't enhance? What size was it? I hope you get some relief with those injections. Let me know?
Well, MRI revealed no mass of any kind so that's a relief. There was a small white area they saw but the report said is was of unknown clinical significance and did not inhance so may be artifact. I am having a cervical epidural on Friday and he is injecting the facet joints too. He feels this is mostly cervical in nature and maybe a little of my regular migraines too.
As for the thyroid they are watching it every 6 months and so far no change. Its a Hashimoto's thyroid so there is no one mass to FNA, it's a giant mess.
Oh, no torn dura, this new doctor has no idea why the other doctor told me that. Nice.
As for the thyroid they are watching it every 6 months and so far no change. Its a Hashimoto's thyroid so there is no one mass to FNA, it's a giant mess.
Oh, no torn dura, this new doctor has no idea why the other doctor told me that. Nice.
Have they told you if they are hot or cold thyroid nodules? Have they ever talked about FNA on any of the largest of the nodules?
If your disc herniation is between the 5th cervical vertebrae and the 6th cervical vertebrae, on one website, it says it affects the C6 nerve root and this can make your bicep muscles in your arms and the extensor muscles in your wrists weak. You can get pain, numbness and tingling radiating to the hand on the thumb side.
But in addition, you say you have a torn dura. Do they feel then that you are leaking cerebrospinal fluid as a result of this? Are they taking measures to reduce the strain and stress in the area of the tear to try to promote healing of the dura, such as activity restrictions? It looks to me like they should have done a f/up to your MRI in 2008 on your neck to see if the dural tear had healed. They need to do that, given your symptoms on an URGENT basis. If it hasn't healed, it looks to me like you may need surgery. See PM for what I'm basing my info on.
If your disc herniation is between the 5th cervical vertebrae and the 6th cervical vertebrae, on one website, it says it affects the C6 nerve root and this can make your bicep muscles in your arms and the extensor muscles in your wrists weak. You can get pain, numbness and tingling radiating to the hand on the thumb side.
But in addition, you say you have a torn dura. Do they feel then that you are leaking cerebrospinal fluid as a result of this? Are they taking measures to reduce the strain and stress in the area of the tear to try to promote healing of the dura, such as activity restrictions? It looks to me like they should have done a f/up to your MRI in 2008 on your neck to see if the dural tear had healed. They need to do that, given your symptoms on an URGENT basis. If it hasn't healed, it looks to me like you may need surgery. See PM for what I'm basing my info on.
C5 or 6 I think. My endo did test for pititutary and other things I think about 8 months ago. He was sure that there was something wrong with my hormones. All hormone tests were normal. I take synthroid and they are watching some nodules in my thyroid.
Couldn't find your post on another board. Just some interesting info.- see PM, where you can cycle back and forth with Hashimoto's between hyper and hypo thyroidism. Hyper thyroidism can cause anxiety. And hypo thyroidism can cause depression. How well are they monitoring and managing your Hashimoto's?
It will be good to get your brain MRI with and without contrast to try to rule out tumor, blood vessel abnormalities (MRA/MRV), etc., and hopefully alleviate fears about that. Stress can lead to panic and anxiety can lead to depression.
Are you getting any kind of medicine (aside from hopefully thyroid medicine) to help out with these troubling panics and depression, while also addressing any spiritual matters of the heart? So glad you have the Lord to pour out your heart to and His Word! There are pills for depression and at least one I know of for anxiety that can be bought OTC at many stores, then there are ones a psychiatrist prescribes (but you have to take care not to take any more or longer than necessary).
There's one kind of tumor that doesn't always show up on general brain MRI that I know about, and that's a pituitary tumor, which takes a dynamic MRI, with and without contrast specially dedicated to the pituitary gland in your head. But they would need some kind of hormonal abnormality that would lead them to suspect a growth there to warrant a look see. One symptom that's possible with some pituitary adenomas is migraines. You might want to double check your records (or get a copy from the endo) to make sure on what all they tested, make sure all bases are covered there.
Have you ever tried acupuncture? I had an acupuncturist who felt her best success was with patients who didn't have the occasional migraine, but daily headaches.
Re: the cervical disc- is it the c4, c5 level or the c5, c6 level?
It will be good to get your brain MRI with and without contrast to try to rule out tumor, blood vessel abnormalities (MRA/MRV), etc., and hopefully alleviate fears about that. Stress can lead to panic and anxiety can lead to depression.
Are you getting any kind of medicine (aside from hopefully thyroid medicine) to help out with these troubling panics and depression, while also addressing any spiritual matters of the heart? So glad you have the Lord to pour out your heart to and His Word! There are pills for depression and at least one I know of for anxiety that can be bought OTC at many stores, then there are ones a psychiatrist prescribes (but you have to take care not to take any more or longer than necessary).
There's one kind of tumor that doesn't always show up on general brain MRI that I know about, and that's a pituitary tumor, which takes a dynamic MRI, with and without contrast specially dedicated to the pituitary gland in your head. But they would need some kind of hormonal abnormality that would lead them to suspect a growth there to warrant a look see. One symptom that's possible with some pituitary adenomas is migraines. You might want to double check your records (or get a copy from the endo) to make sure on what all they tested, make sure all bases are covered there.
Have you ever tried acupuncture? I had an acupuncturist who felt her best success was with patients who didn't have the occasional migraine, but daily headaches.
Re: the cervical disc- is it the c4, c5 level or the c5, c6 level?
I;m not exactly sure where the herniation is, maybe c 5? My husband is NOT supportive unfortunately and all I have other than him is my mom. Not sure what will fix me, if anything. I am Christian and pray constantly. I am a panicky person so I am convinced I have a brain tumor.....probably not helping the headache. You should read my other post. It's a little more detailed on another board. Thanks for taking the time for me.
Wow! I can understand why they think it's stemming from the neck then, with your spinal cord being pressed on. Which disc is herniated? If its at the top, a lot of things can happen, including headaches and panic attacks when the cord is pressed up there, if I recall correctly from when a chiropractor thought mine was being pinched up there.
Are they saying surgery to relieve the spinal cord compression is too dangerous?
I saw a video on here a while back about robotic back surgery using a scanning machine or something that was supposed to be with a lot less down time after surgery than traditional surgery, but I don't know if it is good for necks.
I have a brother that has had a number of back surgeries for lower back (herniated disc L4-L5, nerve damage from disc dripping like acid on nerve, affecting leg). Surgeries included one for a fusion using cadaver bone. He still has a lot of pain. So surgery is not always the answer.
I can understand being scared. Do you have people praying for you and a supportive husband through this nightmare? If you are a Christian, this is got to be one where you daily are casting this huge burden on the Lord, knowing He cares for you.
People in my family tend to be sensitive to medicines as well. And experimenting in itself trying to find something that might help can be a trial. It seems they really need to treat what they feel the main source is, doesn't it? But if it's too dangerous, I guess the best they can do is palliative measures to try to make you feel as little pain as possible, using modalities like medicine. We tend to start out in our family on a lot of things with very low doses, not the usual starting dose of something. Are they doing that for you?
Are they saying surgery to relieve the spinal cord compression is too dangerous?
I saw a video on here a while back about robotic back surgery using a scanning machine or something that was supposed to be with a lot less down time after surgery than traditional surgery, but I don't know if it is good for necks.
I have a brother that has had a number of back surgeries for lower back (herniated disc L4-L5, nerve damage from disc dripping like acid on nerve, affecting leg). Surgeries included one for a fusion using cadaver bone. He still has a lot of pain. So surgery is not always the answer.
I can understand being scared. Do you have people praying for you and a supportive husband through this nightmare? If you are a Christian, this is got to be one where you daily are casting this huge burden on the Lord, knowing He cares for you.
People in my family tend to be sensitive to medicines as well. And experimenting in itself trying to find something that might help can be a trial. It seems they really need to treat what they feel the main source is, doesn't it? But if it's too dangerous, I guess the best they can do is palliative measures to try to make you feel as little pain as possible, using modalities like medicine. We tend to start out in our family on a lot of things with very low doses, not the usual starting dose of something. Are they doing that for you?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi there. These headaches could be secondary to various etiologies like fatigue, stress, lack of sleep, dehydration, hypo or hypertension etc. these could be migraines, tension headaches or cluster headaches. Errors of refraction, sinus congestion or ear infection are other possibilities for a referred headache. Cervical degenerative disc disease causing disc herniation or damage, cervical spondylosis etc need to be investigated especially since these are severe headaches not responding to routine NSAIDs. intracranial neoplasms, cysts or aneurysm can also cause severe headaches due to the stretching of Dura mater. It is encouraging that you are undergoing MRI brain to check for intracranial pathologies. I suggest that you include an MRI spine also along with for the cervical lesions. Therapy would depend on the diagnosis. If this is cervicogenic, you could be prescribed NSAIDs, epidural steroid injections offered, physiotherapy, and lastly surgical decompression. Hope this helps. Take care.
Yes to all the tests i believe, about 9 months ago I think. I do have hashimotos disease so the endo did all those tests, I even did a 24 hour urine. No hormonal problems, although he was sure I had them. I had a neck MRI in Sept 2008 after my car accident and it showed the disc herniation pressing on my cord with a torn dura. I wear a guard for TMJ and no sleep apnea. I'm about to take some neurontin, but maybe not. I have bad side effect to meds. I'm so desperate, and very scared. I have little boys to raise.
So they think it's stemming from your neck then? Did you start out with a neck issue?
So you don't also have high blood pressure with the headache? If you did, have they tested your plasma free metanephrines to try to rule out a rare tumor (most often found on adrenal gland) called pheochromocytoma?
Have they checked endocrine hormones, like thyroid function, cortisol, and female hormonal levels?
Have they made sure with ferritin (iron stores & my dr. says best indicator of what iron is doing in the body) that you aren't iron deficient, (as that can cause headache)?
It's a shame they've taken this long to schedule a brain MRI! Have they taken an MRI of your neck, since they feel it's cervogenic pain? Have they checked your TMJ for dysfunction? Have they checked you for sleep apnea?
So you don't also have high blood pressure with the headache? If you did, have they tested your plasma free metanephrines to try to rule out a rare tumor (most often found on adrenal gland) called pheochromocytoma?
Have they checked endocrine hormones, like thyroid function, cortisol, and female hormonal levels?
Have they made sure with ferritin (iron stores & my dr. says best indicator of what iron is doing in the body) that you aren't iron deficient, (as that can cause headache)?
It's a shame they've taken this long to schedule a brain MRI! Have they taken an MRI of your neck, since they feel it's cervogenic pain? Have they checked your TMJ for dysfunction? Have they checked you for sleep apnea?
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