I am writing as I stumbled upon this site while trying to figure out what could cause me to have stiff necks for weeks on end...........
Of course that is not the only symptoms that I suffer with alot, but it was prompted my search for answers TODAY!
Since the birth of my daughter in 11/2008, I have sufferred a multitude of symptoms. It all started with "stiff necks" though. I attributed this to breast feeding and the fact that I had a very large baby to hold (she was 9 lbs 9oz at birth). I would get these awful stiff necks that would last 1-2 weeks at a time. I cant move my neck in any direction besides looking up without being in agonizing pain. Then I started in with some right shoulder discomfort every once in a while. Then it seemed liked for 2 months straight, I woke with a "migraine" headache every single morning. So bad, I didnt even want to open my eyes, and the only thing that would feel remotely good, would be to bury my head under my pillow and not move at all.
My doctors of course felt that it was stress and depression/anxiety. (I was going through alot at the time, so I believed it)
Then all of a sudden one day, I had a random pop in my left shoulder and instant pain throughout the arm. This started a series of tests, as I was having really bad numbness/tingling and hot/cold sensations along with weakness. I had a cervical MRI, that said my neck was pristine other than some straightening of the spine. I also had an MRI of the left shoulder that was completely normal too. My symptoms seemed to progress more and more. My Dr thought I was "NUTS" when I walked in the office one day and suggested that my new symptoms of: headaches, left sided facial numbness, slurred speech and ringing in my left ear only, where part of my so-called left shoulder injury. She suggested an CT of the brain. Which the radiologist and her read as normal. She then questioned if i could have had any ticks on me to contract Lyme Disease. She did ALL the Lyme testing and it was normal. I saw a Neuro, who was convinced that I suffered from Chronic shoulder pain, alongside with migraine headaches and put me on Gabapentin. This medication did nothing for me and all my "weird" symptoms continued for about another year or so, then slowly started to subside.
Then I started having a tight/sharp pain right over my zyphoid process (rib area). Thought I must have bad posture or something and tried to be more aware to sit properly while at work. Then I started noticing a squeezing type pain in my chest. Now , i was only 32 at the time, so chances it was my heart was slim. Nonetheless, i went to the Emergency Room, and was reassurred that it wasnt my heart. From there, I was in the ER at least 2 x a week for the next month. Finally they did an Upper Endoscopy, and tried to say that I suffered from GERD. I told them, that this feels nothing like "heartburn". It felt like someone was squeezing my entire ribcage/chest and it hurt. So I treated with the medications that they gave me, and it seemed to work somewhat.
Then all of sudden I got hit with a bunch of symptoms as once, migrain, shoulder pain, low back pain, stiff neck, sweating in middle of night, cant stay warm enough during the day. Ringing in my ears, vertigo, dizzy feeling, chest pain, shortness of breath feeling.
After a series of more tests, it was believed that I had Chronic Inflammation of my Gallbladder. I proceeded with surgery and had it removed. Only thing is, none of my symptoms disappeared and in fact, the shortness of breath and tight chest feeling bought me 2 additional trips to the ER post surgery in an ambulance, cause this time, I thought I was really dying from a heart attack. Of course all the testing was normal, and I was told that I had ANXIETY. I said "no duh, i have anxiety that my Dr's cant figure out what is wrong with me".
From there I was treated like I was a hypochondriac. My Dr office did a complete blood workup, thyroid testing, I was also tested for other hormonal imbalances and even saw my Gyno too. I then finally switched Dr offices because I was so frustrated. The Dr I saw said, "Its one of 2 things, you could have a "rare" thing called a Pheochromcytoma (tumor of the adrenal gland) or I had Somatization Disorder (basically a hyperchondriac). Of course the test for the pheochromocytoma was negative !! So I AM CRAZY then.
Since then, I still suffer from Stiff necks that last 1-2 weeks at a time, headaches (migraine intensity) at least 2-3 times a week, constant ringing in my ears, vertigo, balance issues ( I have fell down my stairs at least 8 times in the last year and I am constantly walking into walls or feeling like I am going to fall over when walking, I only get occassional facial numbness and it is typically when i have a headache, the headaches are intense, from the base of my skull all the way to the top of my head and my eyes ache so bad that they feel like they are going to pop out of my head (now my eye Dr did mention that I had high (normal range) eye pressure for my age but no signs of Glaucoma), numbness/tingling into my hands, left worse than right, numbness/tingling in my legs/feet, left worse than right, weakness in left hand, when gripping things my hand can get stuck that way, insomnia at least 3 times a week, tightness in chest and short of breath. I am also very very forgetful, and its gets a little annoying sometimes !! Whether it is forgetting where I placed something, or not being able to remember a certain word, or what I was about to do. (like right now as I am writing this....urgg)
Basically, I havent talked to my Dr about this Chiari thing yet, cause I just feel that I am being my typical "hyperchondriac" self and not take me seriously. But out of the entire list I presented, the 2 things that I keep coming back on is this.....If it is migraine headaches why doesnt Imitrex help them? And how do you get a stiff neck that lasts 1-2 weeks or more at a time? Also the headaches are ALWAYS at the base of my skull, its like I cant even touch the area, cause it hurts so bad.
Sorry for being so long...... What do you think?