headache lower right base of skull

[worrryingmom]

I am 37yr old female with menstrual migraines. Intollerant to nsaid's due to meniere's (brings on an attack) sensitive to many medications. Have been taking tylenol for the pain of headaches and fibromyalgia. Recently the tylenol makes me drowsy. It is just otc extra strength tylenol. It makes me so tired that i cannot keep my eyes open. I can find nothing about this online and my dr says it is not possible. Any ideas?
Also my huband massages my neck when i have a migraine or headache. Two days ago he rubbed deeply at the base of my skull. I awoke this morning at 2 am with pain in the lower right base of my skull. It is aggravated by movement or touching the area. This is not a migraine. Can it be caused by the massage? How should I treat it if it is? I also use ice packs for muscle pain and headaches. Several times though while applying ice to my neck in the past months, it can make me feel dizzy or lightheaded. Is it possible to freeze that area too much?
Thanks for your help.
1. Would like to take tylenol for pain but am afraid to, not sure why it causes drowsiness.
2. Can deep tissue massage cause inflammation in muscle at base of skull, especially in someone with fibro?
3. Is it possible to apply too much ice to neck area?
Thank you!

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

I am not aware of why you would have that side effect from Tylenol. I suppose it is possible that a deep massage could aggravate a fibromyalgia trigger point, but I have no personal experience with this. Also, I am not aware how ice therapy to your neck could cause dizziness. The neck does contribute to our sense of stability, but how the ice would affect your balance I can not explain. I wish I could be of more help. If you have not seen a headache specialist at a large academic center, it may benefit you. They may have other options regarding therapy for you. Good luck.

[SqueakToy]

Have you seen a chiropractor for your condition?

[worrryingmom]

Well I havent seen a chiropractor as I have read alot about stroke being caused by chiropractic adjustments to the neck. Not something that I want to worry about.
Strange thing is.. the pain DID turn into a migraine I think. Sometimes its so hard to tell. But light avoidance, nausea, dizziness...all indicates to me that I have a migraine.
I am so tired of them.

[abcsoup]

I have menstrual migraines too and my dr. has recently put me on Imitrex for when I get them.  Works like a charm..as soon as I feel one coming on, I pop an Imitrex pill, and voila!  The headache is gone!  Talk to you dr. about this.

[SqueakToy]

I never heard that statement about the chiro adjustments causing  strokes. Maybe you should give it a try though. My neck has been adjusted and I feel alot better when I go and stay consistent with my visits. You probably have a subluxation in your vertabrae. That's when one of your vertabra pinches a nerve or pulles on a muscle and causes the discomfort. If you don't feel comfortable with a chiropractor who does the manual adjustment try to find a doctor in your area that has what's called the pro-adjuster. You can find more information about this machine on the web somewhere, but there's no popping or twisting when you get adjusted. Anyway best of luck!

[ozark]

it's probably due to the massage...if your muscle is in spasm and you do some pressure  pointing to that area it can cause pain and even with mild touching of that area

[CAM]

Try the chiropractor - really.  I get headaches that run the base of my neck and I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a few years ago.  My chiropractor is my first stop when I get pain of just about any kind.  He has done more to help stop my pain by manipulating my neck than all my doctors combined.  I too do not like to have my neck "cracked" but the relief afterwards is worth it.  Most of my doctors mask the symptoms of whatever is bothering me by giving me some medication that does little or nothing or they send me for more "tests" that only serves to pay their mortgage and I'm still left with pain (and empty pockets).  Seriously - try a good chiropractor.

[Quantum1]

I have fibro, and from my experience, massage is a BIG aggravator of the pain! It sounds crazy that massaging the painful areas of fibro would hurt, not help, but it's true. Your muscles and other sore areas are NOT like they are on healthy people.

Massage seems not to be good treatment for fibro-- I have heard this from other people who have it also.

[yeyekari]

Please take it serious and get some medical treatment this could be very serious, I used to have a headache and it was on my right side and I could never get rid of it a times, on the weekend of bike week in daytona 2002 i felt a pain that felt like something was being pulled apart in my neck and I didn't have it checked until 3-4 weeks later when I couldn't read my telephone without my glasses, I went to the doctor and learned that I had a stroke on my right optical nerve. Just be careful.

[Phy]

I am 33 yearsold mother of 3 preschoolers. Recently I was diagnose of Fibromyalgia. I had this ache at the base of my head. I can't tell if this is migraine cos I didn't have one before. I have gone to a neurologist and he gave me Efexor Xr cap 75mg for the day and Amitriptyline 10mg for the nite. I felt nauseating badly in the day and still sleepnessless in the night. Guess what? I fainted the next morning. I didn't dare to take the pills again. I have gone to massage and foot reflexology and all these don't seems to help. I am feeling as terrible. I think my mood is getting into the way and I get irritated easily now. Please help.

[designer4theking]

A related discussion, base of the neck pain was started.