What an angel that guy Kuna is trying to help others with this pain.. anyway, I just wanted to put in my two cents. I have this problem also been dealing with it for a year. I notice when I stop eating carbs, gluten, bread, grains,sugar, anything sweet, even fruits, potatoes for at least 2 weeks I see a huge improvement. But once you cheat, even with a little bit, you have to start the two weeks all over again. I have found that it is associated with candida a fungal infection which is very difficult to get diagnosed by a conventional md. Please if you are desperate enough, try it. I too have struggled with depression and severe suicidal ideations. Even felt like I was psychotic and seriously losing it. My hair felt like it was being pulled and it is painful to the touch. Sometimes it just felt like I had a helmet on my head and my head felt humid. When the time came around before I had my period, it was the worst and really bad mentally. I believe due to higher progesterone levels in the body will flare up the candida. Someone also mentioned they have diabetes and they know when they have high blood sugar levels because it will start hurting and itching.. again, candida feed on sugar and possibly why you get that symptom as well. Thinking of all of you.. youre not alone.. keeping fighting
Just want to share with you all what has worked for me relative to the sever scalp pain, bumps on my head, stabbing as if hot rods were being stuck in my head and a feeling of something crawling on my head. The pain started 2 and a half years ago and I have wanted to take my life over this issue from time to time. I also felt like something was pulling at my hair as if someone was taking little strands and just puling and it hurt so bad. I went to dermatologist and Dr. after Dr. with no help for the longest time. I used Nix on myself and even though the dermatologist told me there was nothing wrong with me, after using it, the pulling sensation went away but the rest of the pain did not! It took me 3 months on a waiting list to see a Lyme Specialist who put me on high doses of antibiotics for a very long time and after that as I had periods of some pain but little time sores on my scalp that no one could see but I could feel, he put me on Diflucan and Nystatin for weeks and I began to feel better and better but with still some intermittent episodes. I tried every shampoo I could get my hands on, herbal oils etc. etc. I am sure most of you get the picture as you have been through it yourselves. It is a long story and I won't go into it at this point but I am a member of another health board of folks who all have the same problem. One of our members investigated and found that over the years he took many vitamins, minerals and supplements. He stopped them all and slowly improved. So I stopped my supplements too as I look back I am a vitamin addict.. Thinking I was helping myself get better and taking even more supplements, I only got worse. I can tell you for me that the worst are mag/cal supplements. I stopped everything I was taking and slowly and it does take a long time, I got better. Then I read about sulfur in shampoo which is a dandruff treatment. Now to tell you I do not have dandruff and never had it in my life but since it has sulfur in it, I used it the first week 3 times and my pain is GONE!! I now use it twice a week as I called the company and asked them their recommendation for use and that is what I was told. I have also been on antidepressants, amatriptyline for the nerve pain n my head and Ativan to help me deal with all this pain, confusion, sleepless nights and as you know all the torments from the pain. The name of the Shampoo I am using is Jason's Dandruff treatment. It has 2% sulfur in it and all I can say is that it is working for me. Blessing to you all and I hope my experience can help at least one of you. oh, I forgot to say that I no longer take antidepressants, amatriptyline and I stay off of all vitamins and get my vitamins from the foods I est. I do take Ativan from time to time, but only because I have a sleeping problem.
My daughter is 17, and she has had scalp pain for 6 years now. It has escalated in the past year. Before she would wash her hair and it would feel better for a day, but now she washes her hair and it is so painful, she can't try it and it has to air dry. It is day in and day out - mostly the entire head, and sometimes certain spots. She is beside herself with pain. She had an MRI and nothing showed up, and she blood work done. She has some immune deficiencies, and she has lyme. She was bitten in 2002, but she never told me. She was only 7, and she found a tick by her groin and pulled it out from what she remembers. She started getting swollen ankles in 2007, and the pediatrician tested for lyme, but she said she didn't have it (I came to find out recently when I requested all her medical files, that she did indeed have it in 2007!). She sent us to orthopedic dr's who put her in a boot; and that did not stop the swelling. On our own, we found a doctor who tested her thyroid antibodies, and he diagnosed hashimoto's disease. He put her on omega 3's, selenium, probiotics, and Vit D3 because her level was 17. He retested her for lyme, and it was positive again, and he told her she was in the fight of her life. He prescribed a lot of meds, and she began herxing (which means the toxins are coming out from lyme), but she could not stay on the meds for more than 3 weeks, because her bp dropped to 70/49 and she couldn't get out of bed.
Since then, she is still fatigued beyond belief. She goes to school, and she sleeps until 2-4pm on Saturdays and Sundays. We are now seeing a lyme literate dr who prescribed new antibiotics, and she still has a low vit D3 level which is commensorate with lyme. The hashimoto's may not be such, since lyme is the great imitator and can present as several different diseases. However, the scalp pain persists and has worsened.
We saw a neurologist who said it was stress, but his PA said it sounds more like a neuropathy of the scalp. She is so depressed between the lyme and the scalp pain and she is just finishing a tough jr year. I don't see how she can begin the college app process, and I want her to take a year off to get well. She doesn't want to, but I'm afraid that if she goes off to college, she will only get worse. I take good care of her, and without my reminders (since lyme makes you forgetful and puts you in a constant brain fog), she will flounder. I don't want her to be on all these meds. Right now, her quality of life is awful, since she can't exercise, and she is in pain and so tired. Her dr had to put her on adderall just so she could stay awake in the mornings for school.
She gets terrible mood swings with lyme, and at times, lyme can make you feel like you are going insane (I had it, but the dr's never tested me for it; they kept saying it was depression and menopause!).
I am desperate to find a cure for this scalp pain. No one should have to have these kind of symptoms for so long. I've checked with a few lyme boards and organizations, but I haven't gotten many responses about scalp pain and lyme.
Any help would be appreciated. She also has not had any damage to her cervical spine, and she doesn't have bumps, itching or inflammation - but does shed a lot of hair in the shower. She used to have long thick hair; and although it is still long, it is not as thick as it once was.
You are not alone! I too have had the worse scalp and hair issue of my life! I have wavy to loose curly hair shoulder length.
Started with tightening of the scalp. Then the awful burning as patchy areas of hair would pull together adding to scalp pain.
When I looked closer it was my underneath hair that was like a net (bizarre) the hair was stuck (close to matting to my scalp pulling my hair and dang close to forming a few like skinny dreadlocks smh I am caucasian?) I have to use a comb to pull it loose. My scalp is clean, no dandruff, no anything that would cause my hair to do this???
I have been seen by my Dermatologist 4 times. He put me on Doxepin at night after ruling out any known reasons. It seems to be contected to my spine injury that includes my neck. A pinched nerve in the neck area is suppose to be the reason?
I have my scheduled appt., coming up with my Spine Specialist Doctor which I have a load of questions. Also to see what all can be done.
(I can add to this after July 18 when I speak to him.)
I have searched online and finally found this page. There is not enough info online to explain why a pinched nerve in the neck can cause all this! 3 months ago I was completely normal! Bam this just started out of no where or reason and have had my spine injury 22 years.. Yes I also lost half my hair and I am more upset over the pain!!!! (Dermatologist told me my hair will grow back and my scalp & hair was very healthy! )
It hurts more at night, it causes my heart to race and wave of nausea especially when Im pulling my hair free from my scalp as to stop it from pulling my own hair out... Then the awful burning tightening. Yes its constant all day this goes on. Tighten, relax, tighten and so on. Yes it burns and pain is unreal!!!!
I did find a little relief using a "all natural" hair mask and shower cap for 2-3 hours either during day or night when I had the chance.. It releases the tightening. I also had dry wirey hair in odd patchy areas and I mean straw dry!??? Mask and good products for hair is bringing that hair back to life. Its so odd how it affected my hair!!! No reason either! Also a leave in conditioner to apply to the area when my hair is near a mat helps release hair... Adding a little cool water to hot areas really helped temporarily. I also bought all natural shampoo & rinse. Leaving out silicone and other chemicals! Sally's had everything.
I hope this will help you a little. Thank you for sharing!!! I read you had a neck injury and wondered if your injury started this too! We all should be able to figure this out! I'll repost after my Appt.
can you please contact me at ***@**** it has been 3 and half years since the initial incident and well my journey is not over. The repercussions of dyeing my hair with clariol natural instincts has changed my life forever. If anyone has brain and nerve damage from hair dye I would love to connect. This is a horrible outcome all because we thought it was safe to do.
Its the hair dye...and no one will believe it...not a dr. not a friend...not anyone because no one wants to face the fact that the chemicals we put on our heads can kill us and/or cause severe irreversible damage to our bodies.
To those of you with pain on only one side of your head...that is herpes on the scalp aka shingles...cicitricial alopecia...scarring alopecia...it burns it hurts and the pain is real...stress triggers and there are some treatments that work over time....
How are you are tracy? Hope things got better.
After reading almost all these posts, I think my problem may be related to a past shingle episode. Does anyone know if shingles, even several years later can cause severe scalp itching, mostly when head is resting on pillow , etc.? The shingles site was located on the temple. I would appreciate anyone piping in and letting me know anything that you may know about this.
And, to everyone else, I certainly hope that you find some answers PDQ !!
Thank you.
My scalp pain started just about 5 years ago after I hit my head I was getting severe stabbing pains in my head which no pain killers would help then my kids father passed away which caused lots of stress and anxiety which made my pain worse then started getting burning pain on my scalp it almost feels like a chemical burn then I started getting bumps mostly all over the right side of my scalp they are so painful they start as a big bump on my head and get massive headaches then they turn into scab they start to heal then get worse again they will go away then I get more they've just recently started going down my neck with swelling down the right side of my neck for the last six months not a day since has the swelling gone down my hearings goes in and out I have one pupil bigger then the other that causes lots of pain in my right eye I also get pressure in my head that is unbareable I'm I so much pain I feel like giving up sometimes but I can't because I got two handsome little boys. I'm been told I have trigeminal neuroliga, Optical neuroliga, Shingles, migraines, fibromyalgia then been treated for all of them but one dr says I have something then the next says no. I've been on so many percriptions at least tried over 100. I've had ct scans blood work testing for everything and anything. Even biopsy on an artery several spinal taps. I do have Crohn's disease, anemia, endometriosis, TMJ, bulging discs in c5-c6 and I'm only 33 years old and feel like I'm dying. I've been told how many times that everything is in my head and just wish for once they would believe the pain I'm going through and help I feel like I'm failing as a mother and wife
I dyed my hair last August and within 5 days after my hair turned to straw and started falling out...then blood started coming out my nose and mouth...than the my head was on fire and my brain felt like it was being electrocuted. It lasted for about 20 straight days and then lessened. I know have lost 50% of my hair and I have constant pain in my scalp. I have been to many doctors who say that the dye can not penetrate (um look at me I look way different) and my sebaceous glands are all gone and I have no sweat coming out my head and my life is awful. I just had an MRi and test was normal except for the "migrain spots" on the brain...um sorry never have I had a migraine. I want to die...my life is so different now and doesn't feel like it will ever be the same. Anyone know any answers. I am most likely going to lose the rest of my hair, but the pain is worse...I can get a wig...any one?
Hey there, it seems that a lot of people are suffering from the same problem. Well, I've found that if you massage the back portion of your neck ,Moving from bottom(Middle of your back) to the top(Scalp Head). 95% of the scalp pain would be relieved within 5-10 min of continuous massage. I've tried this on myself and pretty satisfied. Must try (No side-effects).
You could get it done by any of family member as well, because your hand won't be able reach out there.
Could you please tell me where you looked up or found out what u have ? Thank you
I too have the exact same symptoms and have been very depressed. Mine started after my hair was colored and highlighted. I'm going to get to the bottom of this . This happened a year ago and now reading all your stories I now know this is never going to get better . There are certain areas on my scalp that are the worst . I have to put ice on my scalp to stop the inflammation .. I feel like my hair is being tugged and burns /stings.. I can't go out in the sun and it hurts to wear a hat .. I've broke down several times but trying to be strong . I pray to God often to give me the strength to deal with this and maybe find some sort of help .. I did take this to small claims court and the judge laughed the whole way through.. Humiliating!! People think I'm crazy and get tired of my wining .. Anyway hope let me know if you find anything out and I'll do the same .. Prayers are with everyone
So is the sulfur shampoos helping with the pain and the dandruff ?
I have been reading your comments in hopes of some ideas of what direction to go for my "scalp Pain" and was very impressed and LOVED your encouraging comment you left about "life being precious". :) I have lost four friends to suicide and was very touched by your compassion and kind words to another person asking for help!
Job well done on all levels! Medically.... and for being the person you are.
That's all ~ Have a wonderful year! and thank you fro taking the time to answer people's questions! ~
Hi everyone. first I would like to say that I am not a doctor. I have been reading the posts in general, and i as a male I have gone through all of these symptoms. The burning, hairloss, tightening of the scalp and pain. In my case it began at age 18 and the discomfort nearly disabled me, and i have never been free of it since. My problem began in conjuntion with Male Pattern Baldness.It started with rapid loss of hair at age 18 and my scalp began to tighten along with all the smyptoms I mentioned above. No doctor then was able to help me, and even doctors today get a stupefied look when i complain of it.
From what I've learned from hairloss forums is that when MPB hairloss begins, the follicle begins to shrink and inflammation takes place in the scalp. Along with hairloss something called scalp atrophy takes place where the scalp thins and tightens up, basically losing its elasticity. Along with the process scaring also takes place in the scalp where the hair follicles have miniaturized.
Ask any hairdresser and they can tell you that a bald scalp becomes hard and tight. Ask any doctor and you'll get a dumb look. When hairloss is rapid and sudden, it is called Telogen Effluvium, and this can cause what is described as, "Burning Scalp Syndrome." If the hairloss is temporary, then it may subside, however, in cases of permanent hairloss, it can cause long term discomfort.
I have tried many things to alleviate the symptoms that i suffer from, but in my own case, there is really nothing out there as of yet other than sedatives, massage, and shampoos with salicylic acid (aspirin). I have to say that attempts to improve circulation in the scalp are helpful with pain. Intense sweating in a dry hot sauna may help, and vigorous massage is somewhat helpful too. Anything to help to relax the scalp muscles is helpful.
My belief is that when and if doctors find hair growth treatments that really work, then many people will find that these symptoms will go away.
listen guys. i myself am having scalp discomfort. not nearly as severely as some of you. i dont have any insurance so i will use the knowledge gained through forums like this one. however, what i have learned in my 48 years of existence is that you MUST find the right doctor. their is a doctor out there that knows exactly what your going through. please dont give up. dont limit your search for a cure to your local doctors or to the doctors that have been recommended to you. those docs may have been wonderful for whoever recommended them to you but may not know squat about scalp disorders. i recommend u watch the tv show mystery diagnosis to see just how incompetent doctors are. please use every method that you have available to find the doctor that is most certainly out there, maybe even another state that knows what you are going through to help overcome this. good luck and God bless you.
hello guys, all i can say is that i've got same problem in my scalp and i read a lot in net and library, but i found that it,s strongly depend on our stress and i saw that there is a cure and its work, its call Verbascum use it and trust me its so so good for scalp pain, but main reason is stress and just stress, i lost my control whenever my stress came and i really dont know how can i reduce it but i used Verbascum and its very calm my skin and of course scalp, try to go club and training its very helpful ( i hope ) because i started to do train to distract my self from bad things that happened in my life,
best regard just stay away of stress i know is not easy but do best
Thank you for sharing. I still have the pain almost daily but I think over time I learned to not let it ruin my days. It comes and goes but is the worst in the sun, heat, wind, etc... I still have not found any doctor that knows what to do and to be honest, after 3 years of medical visits to every doctor/specialist and so many medical bills, I gave up. I got sick of going to see a doctor and them telling me they didn't know or that it was all in my head. I think the only solution is to find out if something makes it hurt more and try to avoid those triggers. I don't have any pain except for the burning scalp. I don't know what caused the pain or how to help it. I just hope that we can eventually find something or SOMEONE that knows about this so they can help us!!! Take care and don't give up!
Hi tyke1980,
I have been reading all of your posts my symptoms are th same as yours. I am a 32yr old male. For the part 4 weeks non stop my scalp has been burning and tingling all over it has not stopped. This really gets me down i had to go to the hospitat the other day with the pain. I woke up one day and it has not stopped. I am waiting back from my gp for results from the x raw. The back of my neck is in so much pain i know this s linked to the scalp pain it is my nerves i can feel it. The doctor gave me amiphitalind i stopped this i did not like the side effects. I am taking cascaiscin cream this has numbed the nerves and has helped i really hope this goes away
Thank you for sharing your experience. It seems like we all have different ideas for what may be causing or caused or scalp pain and other skin issues on the scalp. I still don't know what caused mine or why it started my hair loss as well. The pain and hair loss seem to be related. I have not yet found any relief but have learned to live with it and find what triggers it like the sun. It's so difficult to live with this condition and so very disabling. I have been to many doctors but all local. I wish there was a well known doctor that we could all consult with in some way. I don't have the money to do any more research with doctors and it seemed to be a waste of money anyways. I hope everyone continues to share their experience and what has helped them!
If you've got Folliculitis Decalvans, then that's what I had. The ONLY thing which cured it after trying several different products prescribed by my doctor, was Sebco.
If whatever your doctor is prescribing hasn't worked within a week, please keep going back and try something else, (the Sebco worked for me) as it's a horrible condition.
Do wear a hat when you're out in the sun, as the skin will be very sensitive.
Good luck.
Two months ago, I was working around concrete dust which got all over my skin and scalp. I took a shower right afterwards and after getting out of the shower, I broke out with small bumps all over my scalp. The bumps were not pimples but small red bumps, like ant bites. The next morning, my skin got oily. Remind you, I have never had oily, acne or itchy scalp before and I am 40. I went to a derm two days later, he cultured the bumps and they came back Staph positive and I was diagnosed with Folliculitis to the scalp and SD. Presumably, all it took was one interaction with a chemical in the cement dust and my skin is now going through this. I was prescribed antibiotics which I will start tmrw, however, my scalp and eyebrows are itching and burn like crazy. On top of it, my facial hair and scalp hair is falling out like crazy. My scalp feels like little ants are biting my scalp and when I go out in the sun, I get the burning sensation with it. Looking at all the posts here, this scalp burning condition seems to be chronic and complicated. Also, it looks like people have been going from doctor to doctor with no relief or cure. I think it would be a good idea for everyone to post the name(s) of doctors that have helped them. This would help weed out the best doctors for this condition.