MRI seeing headaches

[CtResident]

Does an MRI pick up on any/all types of headaches? I've had them for ages and my report doesn't even mention punctate lesions........instead mentions that I have chronic or acute sinusitis.

WRONG as wrong can be! (does primal scream therapy work?)

This is the machine info from last week:

"Sagittal T1 weighted: axial T1 non-enhanced and enhanced, T2, and fat suppressed FLAIR; and coronal T1 enhanced sequences were performed. Axial diffusion weighted with ADC map were obtained."

I was thinking of going in to my followup next Thursday (with neuro who is part of an MS group, but I don't think he is THE MS guy specifically) and asking about this punctate lesions not showing up since I've had 100+ headaches in my life. I had an MRI/MRA in 2003, all was normal. Had MRI last week, am not showing any lesions whatsoever.

Can I request a stronger machine? (and where would I find one??)

Suzanne

[monotreme]

HI Suzanne.  Yes, my husband has 20 lesions.  4 of them are greater than 3mm and 16 are smaller than 3mm.  But he had a normal LP.  He has severe spine osteoporosis with some bad discs but no spinal cord compression.  He has no sinus infection and we are ignoring the mention of mucosal thickening on the MRI films.  

We are hoping the 3T MRI of his spine will show something to tell us why he has the spasms in his feet and the leg weakness, and now a numb right hand..

Hopefully the neuro appt you have for next week will shed some light on your situation.  I hope so.  Limboland is not fun at all.

Elaine

[CtResident]

Thanks for the support ~ yup, I'm getting kind of frustrated. Just kind of, LOL.

Elaine, does your husband have any lesions on his MRI's? Because I have NONE.

Yes, I had the c-spine MRI last week; just some minor bulging disc/spur issues that don't seem to raise a flag on the Impressions section. (Then again, I haven't had my followup visit yet, so perhaps I am speaking prematurely and unknowledgably.)

I got my 2003 films today. I forgot that I had a CT scan in 2/2003 due to the "squeezy" headache (all fine). Then in the fall of 2003 I had an MRI/MRA due to the same type of headache (all fine). The other disappointing news was that I weighed 10 pounds less back then, LOL.

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Sonaya, I have had zero sinus infections. I think my last one was over 20 years ago. NO facial pain related to the sinus area of the cheekbones, zero, zip, nada. That's why this has me totally blown over. If I were to take sinus meds, I don't know how it would help with left thigh pressure, electrical shocks to left arm, foot numbness, etc. Know what I mean?

Thanks for the support! Trying to realize that I am not suffering like so many here, trying not to complain, but also trying to solve a mystery. My husband reads philosophy and we kid him about asking "WHYYY?" Now that's become my word. :-)

Suzanne

[Sonaya]

Hi , I too have had headaches, which Ive learned are apparently migraines.....there are so many types of migraines out there.  IF you google types of migraines it really is amazing as they all have different areas of the brain affected, different types of symptoms etc etc.  I apparently fit into the box of Familial Hemiplegic Migraine although it doesnt explain ALL my symptoms.  NOthing has shown up on my MRI but mind you its only been 5 months for me.

Interestingly eneough I do have some ENT, nose, ears stuff happening that thought could be sinus related or inner ear infection related but both those have been ruled out as normal, and nothing to worry about although my left nostril did show something up on the scan some sort of opacification measuring 5mm perhaps representing a small mucous retention cyst? Either way something did show up on the sinus CT but doctors are not worried about it so I havnt pushed it.

Nobody has ever said to me about having lesions show up for migraine on an MRI although I do know that can happen as Ive been researching everything I can about migraines.

If they want to say you have chronic or acute sinisitus they would give you some meds for that to see if it clears up.  I guess if things improve with taking the meds with regards to your symptoms you might have an answer, if they dont and you still having all your symptoms, then you have more evidence to back you up when you see the neuro, to say look ive tried to clear t his so called sinus infection, and it hasnt worked, what next?

I can hear your frustration also.  Wishing you good luck with your appt next week.

[monotreme]

Hi Suzanne,
  A vascular headache is a type of headache that affects the blood vessels of the brain and is mainly referred to as a migraine headache.  

  On the report of the brain MRI, it will say what the Tesla magnet is (1.5 Tesla (1.5 T) or a 3.0 T.   3T machines are hard to find on the East Coast.  Have you had any spine MRI's done recently??

   I am sorry to hear of your troubles.  For what it is worth, Craig has sinusitis show up on his brain MRI's too.  

Elaine

[CtResident]

I have two types of headaches.

The one I call a migraine is withOUT aura or nausea. I get left eyesocket pain (want to put a small smooth stone in there), have photosensitivity (sunglasses while driving at night), and it lasts about 2.5 days on OTC meds. Comes whenever it wants, not related to weather or periods (and I had a hysterectomy in '99, still get the headaches).

Next type is the one I had an MRI for back in 2003. I get a squeezy feeling on the top of the left side of my head. Can't figure that one out, but it's like wearing your hair too tight? OTC meds here too. Oh yes, you know the results to that test: "FINE".

What is a vascular headache?

Suzanne

[Momzilla]

Do you get migraine type headaches?  These are a very specific type of vascular headache.  They are not measured by intensity, but rather categorized by type.  I believe that migraines are the only type of headache that MAY leave the image of very tiny, or 'punctate' lesions.

Zilla*