18 month long headache

[julorub]

Hello - For approximately 18 months now I have suffered with an increasingly painful head/neckache. At the 4-6 month point, when ignoring it or advil was no longer taking care of the pain I went to a neurologist. I was sent for an MRI of the neck and one of the brain. The neck MRI showed "changes" above and below a previous fusion and discectomy at C5-6. The neurologist mentioned "gliosis" which despite much googling I still don't understand. The brain MRI showed lesions which the report said could not be ruled out as related to MS, so I went on to a neurologist who specialised in MS, who decided, after a spinal tap, a second set of both MRIs 6 months after the first set and many blood tests, that the lesions were likely not related to MS. This was the last time that I consulted with a neurologist for the headaches and have since been in the care of Pain Management specialists who have speculated that the headaches are caused by the neck. I should mention that I have had classic migraines with aura since the age of 6 and it has been mentioned that the lesions visible on the MRI are likely caused by years of migraines. My question is....have I reached the end of the line in terms of neurological investigations as the cause of my headaches, and are there any diagnostic tools aside from the MRI that might be of help in such a neurological diagnostic setting? I am still in terrible pain - the pain radiates from the back of my neck into my sinuses and jaw/teeth, over the top of my head into one or both eyes. I am so sensitive to light that I must wear heavy glaucoma sunglasses both outside and inside. I avoid the outdoors because of this and can no longer garden, walk my dog, go to the beach or spend time outside with my children. Because my profession often involves bright lights and loud noises I have discontinued it, and although I know these symptoms to some degree are hallmarks of migraine there is never any relief, except for when I sleep, which gives me relief 90% of the time. I do still occasionally have the traditional migraine, whose symptoms I recognize, in addition to the daily head/neckache. I have had to cut back on most of my professional, family and recreational activities and am on the verge of becoming a complete invalid. I hope you can help me decide if there is another step I can take - whether it is to go to a headache, rather than pain, specialist, and if so where. I reside in the state of Florida.

[julorub]

Thank you so much for your suggestions. These are the first new suggestions I have heard in months....I will definitely follow up. So you are saying that light and sound phobias are not just suggestive of migraine but could indicate a blood vessel problem in the brain? Wouldn't 18 months of this agony produce a stroke or some other suggestion of an aneurysm? Could I be having mini strokes without realizing it?

[grantie]

You should request a CT angiogram or Angiogram of blood vessels in the brain. I suffered for years with headache - without relief from medication. I had the same hallmark symptoms for migraine.  You should have the possibility of cerebral aneurysm ruled out. That was my problem - dx with mutiple aneurysms 5 surgeries later I still experience headaches - and avoid sound and light which still can bring me to my knees! Migraine headaches is a blanket dr's jump to and then the pill game begins. I wish you best of luck in your medical endevors - some days you are just left feeling like nothing more than a billable service!!