For fear of waiting...

[lyonadmiral]

For the past several days I've been reading posts and from what I've seen the breadth of compassion, understanding, and love on these forums is truly amazing.  

For the past two months, I've experienced symptoms that have increased in both frequency and intensity.  A feeling of lightheaded-ness, disorientation and almost dizziness that would come and go throughout the day.  Finally the 14th the symptom seemed like an all day thing.  So after 5 years of not seeing a health care professional, I finally decided not to let my stubbornness win, I scheduled an appointment with a new primary caregiver.  I haven't seen them yet, am scheduled to see them the 27th but am hoping I can get into see them tomorrow.

The past week plus have been filled with some scary events.  I've been to the ER 4 times.  Stiffness and pain in my neck along with the disorientation and dizziness combined with a headache are what brought me in the first time.  After a panel of blood-work and a CT scan of my head both of which came back clear, the shrugged it off as a headache and sent me home.  The next day the pain and disorientation returned.  The night was completely sleepless, up and down every 5 to 10 minutes.  Warm milk, hot shower, hot bath, nothing helped me sleep.  The next morning, I asked my wife to bring me back to the ER.

Back at the ER, a different doctor, reviewed the CT from the previous visit, ordered another panel of blood-work and thought it could be vertigo.  I was given an IV of saline along with an injection and some oral meclizine to take.  I did feel better while I was there, but the relief quickly disappeared almost an hour out of the hospital.  I thought it could have been the medicine wearing off so I just went home.  I went through that night and the next day restless and sleepless, no relief even with the meds.  The day after, my wife brought me back to the ER.

This time I had yet another new ER doctor.  She ordered yet another panel of bloodwork and a spinal tap.  Bloodwork came back negative and the spinal tap negative for meningitis.  So she told me to take NSAID's or a hot shower and then sent me home.

By Saturday morning I was in such excruciating pain, I asked my mother who works clerical in another hospital to bring me in to see what they had to say.  I suspect that this pain was spinal tap related and it felt it.  They gave me some Ultram to help manage the pain Ambien to help me sleep, considering I still couldn't get any rest.  I had explained to them why I went to the ER in the first place and that the spinal tap headache was secondary.  So they took another look at my head/neck with x-rays and found nothing out of the ordinary.  They recommended I get in to see a neurologist which with any luck will be this week.

I am back home now and while the pain meds are helping with the pain, the sleep meds are barely touch the sleep.  Now I can sleep for a few hours at a time instead of 5 to 10 minutes.  I feel bad posting here for something which may be mild & benign, but I'm frightened more than anything else right now.

[lyonadmiral]

An update after another doctor's visit and another hospitalization is that all this is caused by atrophied muscles in my neck that need physical therapy.  I'm still in a great deal of pain, also complicated by the sleeplessness and anxiety but at least now I know what they think it is.

[lyonadmiral]

I was able to see my new doctor and anathesiologist yesterday.  The first thing on their agenda was to get the pain from the spinal headache gone.  So they gave me a few liters of IV fluids.  The anathesiologist recommended I wait a few days on the blood patch since I was not asymptomatic lying down.  He suggested I keep up on the fluids at home by sucking down as many caffeinated beverages as possible.  I have been and for the most part the pain has gone.  I haven't taken an Ultram since last night and and I have some of my appetite back.

I'm still having the neckpain, lightheaded feeling, and anxiety that comes with it, but now that the spinal headache is out of the way, that is the next thing on the list for the doctor when we follow up later in the week.

I would appreciate your suggestions, tips, and techniques on how to suppress or at least manage the anxiety.

Thanks,
Dan

[trdofbeingtrd]

Welcome to the site and the community. Although I am not able to help you with your specific question, please give it time. There will be
someone who cares and someone who can give you great advice. If you do not get a reply within two days, please repost your question/concern.
I know personally that this is a great place and it's all about people helping people, but because of every day life, sometimes with so many posts,
it is possible you might need to repost. If this is something that needs attention now, you can call for an appointment with your doctor, if it is not
an emergency go to urgent care (to save money) but if it is an emergency, please go to the ER. If this is something you are having anxiety over,
I have some basic but strong tips/techniques to use until you get help, please just message me and I will send them to you. Thank you and I
hope you are helped soon.