Pain, numbness, 'pins and needles' feeling on left side of head

[Lane1]

For around 12 months now I have suffered with either pain or a 'pins and needles' type niggle or numbness on the left side of my head, sometimes stretching to the top of my left ear and occasionaly shooting down my face. I have the feelings or pain to some extent all day every day, only the intensity differs. When i first wake up in a morning the symptoms are at there lightest but they seem to worsen during the day. sometimes they ease off again in the evening, but not always.

For around two years previous to this I had began to suffer headaches far more often than at any other part in my life, also they were much worse than id previously experienced. I visited my doctor who simply told me to take co-codomol for the headaches as opposed to the paracetomol I had been taking. This worked for the headaches at first, but obviously had less affect the more i had to take it. I visited the doctor again almost a year later as the headaches were becoming more frequent and worse and I now had the niggling sensation too. he reffered me to a specialist who after hearing my symptoms felt I may be suffering from either migrane or stress. At the time i was a manager in a retail store and did find myself getting quite stressed, around 8 months ago i changed my job to one with less responsibility, in general though i probably do feel more tense than i did a few years ago. anyway he sent me for a head scan, blood tests, an excercise test and an echocardiogram (I was also suffering pains in my chest and left arm and occasional heart flurrys at this point, of these symptoms I only get the occasional flurrys now not the chest and arm pains) All the tests came back clear, which was a relief but i was still suffering with the niggling.

Which brings me to pretty much where I am now. I visited the doctor again around three weeks ago. He ludicrously suggested it may be related to me wearing contact lenses?!? (I have my eyes tested once every year and have obviously asked the optician whether it could be related, he said no, other than being short sighted my eyes are healthy) I asked the doctor if i could possibly have a different head scan to put my mind at rest. he said it wasnt neccessary and that the scan id had could see from brain tissue to skin and would of picked anything up. He told me to wear my glasses and that he was prescribing me sum different pills. when i picked up the prescription, it was four boxes of Migraleave. My headpain does not match the symptoms of migrane whatsoever, other than at there worst now they are so bad i lose the ability to function properly and simply have to take myself to bed until i've slept it off. he said to go back and see him if i had any other symptoms, the thing is I have no faith in the man whatsoever, he never appears to be listening and almost makes me feel like im making it up!

Since then I seem to have developed a lot of 'clicking' in the left side of my head and face, and an odd sensation which feels like bubbles popping in the top of my head (again left side, always in same place) The rather worryingly I had a very odd turn whilst at work this last week where i suddenly felt like I was about to lose control. I have thankfully never suffered any kind of seizure or passing out but it felt like one of the two were going to happen and i had to snap myself back round. the feelings persisted for half an hour or so. this has happened to me again throughout today, accomponied by a feeling of loss of balance. I am also suffering some neck pain, mainly on left side, and left ear pain.

I am starting to get quite scared. i have obviously considered the worst (tumor, cancer) and pray to God that isnt the case. I am hopeful that from what i have read if it was tumor i would have suffered other symptoms. I have also read about candida and nerves, but i really don't know. I am about to go through process of changing my G.P and have considered going private for some kind of full check up, but i just really want some answers. i am at my wits end with it and things seem to be getting worse. the only thing i have to admit to in my past is cannabis use, but certainly not to the extent that i know some people have and i have never heard of anyone having this combination of symptoms. people have suggested it may be 'transferred pain'? or that i should try acupuncture or see a cranial orthapedist? the only injury i can remember on that side of my body was a hard wack on the elbow around two years ago, which left me with some shooting numbness right up to my fingers for some months after but dosen't bother me now.

Im not ruling out any of the things I have mentioned by the way, i just really hope someone might be able to advise me and thank you for taking the time to read all this, i just didnt want to leave anything out. my thanks in advance.

[stazlar]

I know I may be  late since you wrote this years ago but I had same feeling and symptoms, pins and needles in head, tightness at temples. eye-site problems. It turned out after going to an eye doctor, I had a rare disease called Giant Cell arthritis or cranial arthritis which affects the arteries in your body particularly the head, scalp. temples and more. It is an autoimmune disorder  in which the arteries get inflamed and shut off blood flow usually to head and eyes mostly. It caused me mini strokes and my head ached *not headache like. but pressure and pain like ) or felt like needles in scalp. Almost made me almost blind from lack of blood flow to eye! A blood sediment rate test can diagnose it and go to am eye surgeon doctor as they can do the testing of an artery in temple of your head to see if has giant cell. A biopsy. Only thing that can help is prednisone type steroid but I had reaction to that!! See a rheumotologist also.

[pained1]

Lyme disease can affect every and any part of your body.  I have been reinfected several times but have been lucky enough to find a doctor in Madison, CT who "gets it", having had lyme herself.   People come to her from all over the state.   The problem is it can lead to rheumatoid arthritis which is crippling.

[Roony19]

Hi I've read your post I've started this week like this !!
Interestingly I'm recovering from a dislocated elbow from feb15 !
Wonder if this is related as I see you banged your elbow too ??

[LostBoyFromAus]

I had the same symptoms as you on the left side of my head, sometimes starting from the top of my head, sometimes from my left temple with a feeling of pressure, spreading down the left side of my face, pins and needles or sometimes like heat, with a strong feeling of panic or that I was going to die  - it turned out to be a mild form of 7th Cranial nerve facial paralysis - Google it and see if the symptoms sound like you. Good luck

[eviltweety]

hi im a female 48 suffer from migraine woke up today the top of my head feeling numb and my face like pins and needles dony understand what is going on,:(

[Konan1247]

To Lori 707 and other bloggers have e a look at Dr Robert Morse's the Detox Miracle sourcebook- (..... Burning pains pins and needles etc are acids  burning the tissues).      , also some of his you tube videos, The Healing Crisis - About 17 mins long, also - Lung Sinus and Mucus part 1 AND Part 2 it covers more than just sinuses etc..... Going by the premise that the body needs to detox before repair and rebuilds that means raw fruits incorporated into the diet, then slowly stopped cooked foods ie 2-3 days a week fruit only then eventually 5- 7 days fruit only and increase slowly the aim is to cleanse the body, then rebuild and repair.....remember in detox there are side affects as the body gets rid of toxic substances, including Mucus which although the body defense mechanism initially if left to fester Mucus turns to Acid which burns and causes pain....think Alkalise Alkalize, Grapes, pineapple, Peaches, Squeezed lemons, Apples, etc....if Detoxing too quickly then add in Vegetable juices + very light cooked foods soup, steamed vegetables..... The detoxified body can repair and rebuild everything

[PIN_HEAD]

LOOK INTO ANTI SEIZURE MEDS - have helped me a lot! mostly caused through old head trauma and the resulting scar tissue.

[robbob81]

I get this tingling above left ear too. Definitely stress related. The episode at work is an anxiety attack. Had loads. Cannibis prob was what triggered it. Nowt serious and can be contolled . Eleviate yourself of prolonged stressful situation s. Sounds easy but takes time. Gud luck.

[Rochellelabrador15]

Nov 1012 start the pain in my left side of the head and back of the ears?

Its all started nov 2012 my left head start to feel the pain,so i go to opta coz they say maybe its vision problem then my opta said i have astigmatism,so i wore glasses after a month the headache still there they check again my eye grade is high now.but still have headache daily then i go to family doctor couz i have pain in my neck he refferred me to a bone specialist ,then he told me to have an xray in my head and neck..the result in the head was nothing but in the neck theres a spasm muscle so they said i need to go to therapy..but the therapy wont get away the pain..i go to neurologist expalain it all then he said it was a migraine..many meds i lv been taking still theres pain 2 doctors again iv seen and they said because of the spasm it affects the head because of the muscle in the head.it been many months still they dont want me to go a test like ct scan..what should i do..i feel the headache sometimes numbness in head and face now i feel so weak..pls help

[MCKINNEY4]

I was reading a blog you put at medhelp.org.  I have a strange question... do you have a cat and/or dog?  Thank you

[MCKINNEY4]

I was reading a blog you put at medhelp.org.  I have a strange question... do you have a cat and/or dog?  Thank you.

[MCKINNEY4]

Off the wall question...?  Do any of you have cats?
Thank you.

[MCKINNEY4]

Off the wall question...?  Do any of you have cats?
Thank you.

[beedee194]

I am also suffering with the same symptoms and have been for 71/2 years and been to specialist, test, different doctors and i am hoping in march they will tell me what it is that i have for i just had and mri with and without contrast on my brain, chest,neck and spine. I can't take this pain anymore or a doctor telling me its in my head for i know my body and i wish i was better. I have taken so many meds., none have worked for long.. I will keep you all informed on my test...   wish everyone well!!!

[Vasuke]

I am also suffering with pin and needles abd tension headaches for the past 6 years. I think it was brought down by stress and anger that I can't change things. I quit my job but still suffering.

From time I wake up till I go to bed I feel the pain and my eye hurts and my ear gets blocked. did MRI, taking neurotin and tegretol no luck. Have another appt with a new neuroglist next week. God help us all.

[Robby36]

DEFINITION CORRECTION!!!

Kindly note i need to correct my statement in that part: "Few weeks ago i talked with one doctor, who also told me, that "needles" in head (or any ware) are always related to nerves problems"

Correct definition of the doctor is:
"Sharp pain - needles, pins - always means skeleton muscle pain"

Apologize for initially wrong translation.

[Robby36]

Dear All,

I'm 36y, male and as many of you, I'm also glad to find this page, able to share understanding of our problems, however hope that many of you are getting better.

I suffer initially from unexplained "pressure" on mainly rights side of the head since last 10 months, however for the last 6 months also strong multiple needles occurred. The feeling i can describe is like getting 10-20 needles in your head (mostly on the right side of the head, just below the scull), repetitive from 1hr up to the whole day, but usually its getting worse true the day.
I went thru CT, MRI, EEG, Neurologist and all showed normal, all doctors stating that the current science knows only about 10% of our brain functions and problems.
However i have to say that for the last 14 days i had completely no pains, pressure or needles, which i cannot say for sure to what i can apply, except that i was alot moving around (sport, outdoor activities etc,..).
I can say that somehow i noticed this needles come when I'm sitting alot (computer, work, TV,..) which means sometimes i seat by 6hrs in a row, not moving and the position of the head-neck is not that it use to be.
I also noticed that usually when i have needled i have dry lips, taking into consideration that i should drink more only water (min 2l per day - coffee, juices don't count as liquid for body).
So to get short on this one, for the last 14 days i was drinking alot of water (min 2l, i didn't use computer, TV and also was free from work, so had lot of social life). And i had no needled and no pressure in my head!!!
However 2 days ago, this came back in huge level, so i had to lie down and ask my girlfriend for some neck massage, massaging neck muscles  and i was also doing exercises for neck (moving head L-R multiple times, doing circles with head). It helped, maybe some of you who didn't try should try.
It is true also that i can say such pains come from some unphisical event (psihological), as doctors found a nevus in the back of my eye, inside the eye, just by chance, by regular optic visit due to my business nature. Pains, as said, mostly pressure at the beginning (like something want to come out of your head, always on different place) and then followed by needles months later. So i cannot rule out psychological reason, as initial doctor words scarred me alot, eventhru later it was found its a benign nevus and i have only regular yearly visit by the oncologist.

Few weeks ago i talked with one doctor, who also told me, that "needles" in head (or any ware) are always related to nerves problems, usually coming from the upper parts of the spine, that couses initial needles in the head, cheeks and corresponding also with other symptoms (nose getting wet, pains in ear, bubbles in ear, dry eyes in the morning,...). Related to this i started to to my neck exercisers, which i can say it helps in some amount.

Secondly, i found out, that when i had that pressure, it was most intense when i was on the sun, with no head covered. Also mush intensified if drinking some energy drinks (RB,...), which gives me a point to find out that for the pressure problems, there could be vegetative reasons.

As I'm writing this, I'm becoming the needles, as its second half of the day coming, so I'm going to do now some neck moving exercisers and later evening some massage of the next muscles.

Hopefully with this i will be able to give some directions to you, maybe even to help somebody.

All the best and wish you all a needless day

[Babs1976]

my mother in law has been feeling this sewing needle pain on her left side of her head and does have fibro it tends to be getting worse. she did have here nerve block needles yesterday Should she be going to the hospital. her blood pressure was 174/102 ?

[AR138]

Hi Everyone,

I had an incident where they prematurely closed a boom gate on my helmet driving out. My helmet has a crack in and did feel a bit stiff on my left side of my neck and severe headaches. I thought that would go away. After 2 weeks it got worse. Couldnt turn my head and headaches doesnt go away. my whole body is full of pins and needles and my ears and vision is suffering. I went for an MRI of my spine and everything was ok except for in between C4 and C5 its a bit moved. So the doctor send me for Physio and that didnt help. Went back to the doc and he is sending me now for a Head scan. My neck feels like ongoing burning sensations that goes into my brain and hurts alot. Then my hands cant hold onto things for long. It feels like i lost strenght in them. The numbness over my back and moving down is also annoying and hope that this can just go away. Well i guess i have to find out what the next scan says. Glad to hear that im not the only one that has this problem. Meant in a Nice Way

[BJ123Yr2012]

Hi - if you've had whiplash or other head trauma you could have ended up with a mis-aligned atlas bone - C1 vertebrae.  I did through a problematic birth and ended up going to see a NUCA practioner who, through x-rays and a number of calculations, manouvered it back into position.  Recovery is one month for every year the atlas bone has been misaligned.  I wouldn't recommend seeing any old chiropractor - see a NUCA specialist, costly but worth it.

My brother also had Lymes and having given up on the doctors has treated himself with cats claw and oregano oil - has taken years for him to feel better and still isn't 100% although a lot better than he was before.  May be worth looking into if you don't want to go on the intravenous anti-biotics.

[1953betty]

i have this ,also trouble with my teeth (had root canel on 3 teeth no better ) pain out my left eye  had scans showed uo something at top of spine payed dr 200e 3weeks ago and he said he would look after me but nothing since fed up!!

[weggs]

I have had at different times neck pain to the point it required an injection to the area. My recent pain is base of skull and neck left side. This pain gets so bad i have to hold it to try and help it. It becomes worse while driving and sitting at the computor. Visiting the Doctor today for some answers.    Kevin

[crawlingalive]

Hi all,
So sorry you are suffering as I am.  I was in a bad car accident 14 years ago, and was whipped again 5 years ago. I suffer from a chronic pain syndrom due to mainly soft tissue damage and facet joint injury to all of my spine...but most
particulary my neck,right side predominantly, and lumber where I have some hot lesions.  Now, after the first 2 years my pain became very manageable as I had nerve blocks and then began to have regular Rhysotomies ,  as in denervations on both my cervical and lumber areas.  I have not had any pain intervention now for over 2 years.  This has been due mainly to the fact that my last time under my chest wall ceased, and I had great difficulty breating  for about 6 weeks.  About 6 months later my system appears to have become distured after getting vaccinations and since that time I have been getting worse and worse. I get pins and needles on the bottom of my feet, which now travels over the whole foot and up to under my knees. It also come on the right side of my face, which was hit during this accident and also all over my head.  It can come all overmy body, as if someone was standing in front of me using me as a pin cushion.  When it goes up into my head I feel dizzy, in fact as if I had no head at all......and at times it can go around my mouth and tongue.  Until I read this site I have not met anyone who is suffeering like this.  I attend a pain management consultant and have had brain MRI Spinal MRI and large nerve conduction studies to date with nothing new from original injuries showing up.  Yes, the name being used for it is Peripheral Neurophathy. Sometimes I find it hard to wark and my feet feel numb out and I am clumsy and on two occassions I could not stand up without help.  I also get a buzzing around my right ear where I got a bang, which is a type of tinnitus and this comes and goes.  I have found the General Practioners to be of little or no help. In fact when it all began I was so worn out and upset that all they could suggest was a Psychiatrist. Now I have no problem seeing a Psychiatrist and had to after this accident, but I do know that what has been happening for the past two years is a very different matter, as it just began literally overnight.  The only other thing I can tie it in with in the fact that I got 5 vaccinations about 3 weeks before it all began.  I do believe that my nerve endings are in overdrive and can feel a point at the base of my neck where what feel like a line of this energy starts and builds from there. I have had problems with both heat and cold,  and now any extreme set the pins and needle feeling off, and also a great big pain in one side of my head with an aura around my eye.  I know it is going to take some time to get sorted..if ever...but do know that it is just not possible to IMAGINE that all of this is happening in ones body..no matter how potty other's think we are.  Just because they know nothing about it, or have not heard of it soes not mean to say it not happening.  I am not diabetic.....this was one of the first tests. All my bloods are normal....which is wonderful....if the rest was under control!  I will see a Neurologist again in 2 weeks time.   Thanks for sharing and I hope this helps someone.

[jodie204]

hi, i have all these symtons also, i just read up about ms and it ticks all the right boxes, look this up and see what you think.