Head pains

[Gotagetthroughthis]

Cant really believe im back on here posting about symptoms but that's how it goes. Its not really for anxiety but just to maybe discuss what is causing these pains and if anyone has anything similar and managed to get ride of it.

Of course the symptoms make me a little bit anxious but I have had them for so long now they don't really scare me they just make me feel really unwell and make me feel very odd.

So the pains are random throughout the day. They are hard to describe but they are kind of stabbing pains but more like a pressure stab, that come on very suddenly and usually only last for a few seconds then they go away but they are followed by my head feeling extremely weird and pressured and cotton wool like/empty skull if that makes any sense. They also cause me to feel a little disorientated and my brain function just seems a bit dull. Apart from that they generally just make me feel really groggy. The symptoms usually settle down after a couple of hours until whenever the next random pain comes which is followed by the rest of the symptoms again.

I don't think it is anxiety causing the pain or the after affects unless its a deep subconscious anxiety. I have learnt to control my anxiety over the last few years and I never really panic so these symptoms aren't related to any concious panic/anxiety that im creating IMO. No doubt I still have underlying psychological issues but right now these are not resolved and there's not much I can do about them so im looking to treat these symptoms.

I feel the pains and after symptoms are down to some sort of in-balance, I don't know what it is, an allergy maybe, some sort of hormone issue, lack of blood to the brain. It could be anything but im determined to sort it out as it is unbearable. I have pretty much given up on the NHS and traditional medicine so I am exploring other ideas. Yes I have seen a neuro, had a brain ct scan etc. They didn't find anything wrong or suggest anything, that still doesn't solve the problem of my symptoms.

Anyone experienced anything similar to these pains? Or had any luck treating them?

I may try acupuncture, which I had a session of a couple of years back but couldn't continue as I didn't have the money. Im also debating seeing a homoeopath to see if they have any ideas. I need to find some sort of solution. Any tips or ideas from others would be great.

Thanks for reading.

[Gary A]

It may be ice pick headaches, but to be honest I'd probably wager that it's muscular tension. You say that you can control your anxiety, which is great, but anxiety can lay low in your subconscious also. The fact you've been saw by a neurologist suggests you were in the past, at least, concerned about your brain. It may be that your subconscious mind reacts to these pains by automatically sending you into a raised anxiety state. This would explain the after effects of the pains.

I would stick with your GP, there are a lot of charlatans out there who promise miracle cures and all you get is fluff and nonsense. They may suggest therapy or something of that nature. The fact they have taken you seriously enough in the past to refer you to a neurologist and have subsequent CT scans would suggest they are doing their utmost to help you.

[Gotagetthroughthis]

Thanks, Gary.

Yes the neurologist said he thinks they may be ice pick headaches. Its getting rid of them thats the issue and they didnt suggest anything.

I am currently in therapy and have been for a while, private and through NHS at different times. Currently with the NHS. So I am working on the phycoligcal/emotional issues.

I wouldn't say my GP is doing their utmost to help even if it sounds that way. I was going to the GP every other week for about a year complaining of these pains and various other neurological symptoms before they agreed to refer me. Most of the time its just palmed off with anti depressants and told to come back if you feel no better in a few weeks. I will go back to my GP I just don't really see what else they can do for me now. They wont give me an MRI, wont refer me to any allergy specialist or ENT to check out certain things to possibly find the cause of these headaches which is fair enough as I know they are on a tight budget but it doesn't help me so this is why I am looking elsewhere as well as carry on with my therapy.

[Gary A]

Ice pick headaches are idiopathic, which means there isn't really an explanation for them and they are too short in duration to offer any form of treatment. Your GP didn't refer you right away because they didn't think a neurologic condition was causing your symptoms, and it looks like they were right.

I understand your frustration, but sometimes a GP will refuse to refer you as by doing so, they're not really getting to the bottom of an illness, in fact, they're simply feeding into your anxiety. You were referred to a neurologist, they found nothing untoward, and now you're expecting referral to other specialists. There comes a point when the GP has to act upon treating the real condition, which is anxiety.

They have apparently done so by giving you medication and referring you to a therapist. When the problem isn't physical it really doesn't make any sense to chase a physical finding. Your headaches are annoying but you have to understand that there really isn't much that can be done for them. You'll probably find that if you deal with your anxiety they'll ease off a bit.

It's easy to think you're being palmed off when you're convinced there's something physically wrong, but there really isn't, and I suspect your GP is simply choosing not to confound your anxiety further by keeping you thinking that you do have a physical problem.

[Davit]

There is always the possibility of a pinched nerve.

[Gotagetthroughthis]

Ice pick headaches are idiopathic, which means there isn't really an explanation for them and they are too short in duration to offer any form of treatment. Your GP didn't refer you right away because they didn't think a neurologic condition was causing your symptoms, and it looks like they were right.

I understand your frustration, but sometimes a GP will refuse to refer you as by doing so, they're not really getting to the bottom of an illness, in fact, they're simply feeding into your anxiety. You were referred to a neurologist, they found nothing untoward, and now you're expecting referral to other specialists. There comes a point when the GP has to act upon treating the real condition, which is anxiety.

They have apparently done so by giving you medication and referring you to a therapist. When the problem isn't physical it really doesn't make any sense to chase a physical finding. Your headaches are annoying but you have to understand that there really isn't much that can be done for them. You'll probably find that if you deal with your anxiety they'll ease off a bit.

It's easy to think you're being palmed off when you're convinced there's something physically wrong, but there really isn't, and I suspect your GP is simply choosing not to confound your anxiety further by keeping you thinking that you do have a physical problem.

Gary, Yes I DO KNOW WHY my GP didn't refer me straight away and they may well have been right not to do so. But on many occasions they aren't right which is understandable with the amount of choices they have to make every day. I had a medical problem many years ago in my younger days that the same GP would also not refer me for and years down the line I required surgery for this issue which could have been resolved a lot earlier.

Just because I have seen a neuro and had a brain scan doesn't mean THATS IT and there is nothing physically wrong with me. There are a million other things it could be (Yes that sounds like anxiety talking, hear me out)

First off to make you aware, I haven't even been back to my GP yet and haven't been for a long time now. 1, because I don't feel they can do anything for me. 2, because they wont refer me to anyone. 3, because they make me feel like an idiot for going there about a headache ive had for nearly 3 years now that still wont go away. 4, because im really not that worried about the headache im more frustrated at how it stops me living a normal life and I don't think any GP can help with that.


I know what your saying that my doctor wouldn't want to refer me as it would feed into my anxiety. But I am way past that, im not some health anxiety panic ridden victim that I was 3 years ago when this started. I moved on after those first neurological tests, accepted I was physically well and focused on working through my anxiety. As discussed I have been on various anti-depressants, I am not on them any more, I have had various therapy's and have worked on myself and improved a lot in terms of anxiety but still through this whole period I have experienced these pains and the symptoms that follow them. I am now a further 2 years down the line and there comes a point where you get so fed up and I want to see if there are any other options to help my situation.

These headaches are not "annoying" as you put it, they are incredibly frustrating and you could day debilitating, they affect my ability to function normally when they are severe which is several times a week. I started a new job about 2 years ago after a year out of work with anxiety, I held it down for a year and a half until I had to leave and one of the main reasons for leaving were these head pains and me not being able to function properly once a bout had started.

I am not saying I have some major medical condition, im no more convinced I have a medical condition than I am convinced that I am perfectly healthy. I also have no doubt that anxiety and whatever deep underlying emotional trauma that is within me, is making these symptoms worse and is making my reaction to them worse. Anxiety, PTSD, Depression etc can all affect neurological function as well so who knows what's going on up there. But at the same time if I rid myself of all the anxiety which on a concious level I am very close to doing, do I think the pains would be gone? No I very much doubt it.

I get what your trying to say and why your saying it but you are basically saying, you have had a neurological check, it was fine, so there is nothing physically wrong with you so move on and work on the anxiety. Which I have done, with some success in terms of anxiety but no success in terms of head pains. So while I still work on my anxiety I will try alternatives to see if they improve my symptoms. Rather than doing what you are pretty much suggesting and put up and shut up because ice pick headaches (even if they are this type) are "idiopathic" and the symptoms are too short in duration to treat. I might as well just give up right now then.

What GPs say is not gospel and frankly if you don't have a serious medical condition and are not going to die then I don't think they care. They just want you out the door as quickly and as cheaply as possible so they can stick to their budgets. Obvious rarely you do get a really good GP who actually cares for a patients general health and well being and is willing to work with them to try and find some answer to help them get better. But most of the time, especially with the NHS the way is now, you have to do some investigation yourself rather than rely on your GP to get you well again.

I don't "expect" my GP to refer me to anyone. I was saying I know they wont. This is why I made the post in the first place to see if anyone had any luck treating this type of headache and this is why I am looking at natural/alternative remedies. I am not convinced something is physically or medically wrong with me as you said, I just feel the pain I feel and look for ways to improve that rather that just putting up with it.

Anyway this post ended turning into a rather long rant. Anyway my main and final point is get out of the GPs arse.

[Gary A]

First off, I'd be quite willing to believe what a nuerologist said about icepick headaches being the cause. If not, well that's entirely up to you isn't it? It's not my fault that they can't be treated, it's also not my fault they're idiopathic. I'm only passing on the info so do me a favour and take the gun away from the messengers head for a tick would you?

My personal opinion is that you should be careful with any natural remedies and don't throw money at rubbish out of desperation. Again, take that advice or leave it.

As for my head up being up the GP's arse, I think you'll find that I don't know your GP, I'm basing a post on a very brief description of your experience. You posted saying you'd been referred to a neurologist and had been referred also to a therapist AND had been given medication. That does not sound to me like someone who's being "palmed off", in fact, it sounds like your doctor is trying to treat you.

Now, you may think different, but you have a far better platform to judge that, given that...you know, it's your experience and your life. Have you ever asked your GP why they suspect anxiety is the cause? Have you ever ranted at your GP the way you've just ranted at me?

You may be past anxiety, but again, it's hard for me to make that assumption when you're posting this query in a forum specifically entitled "health anxiety" wouldn't you say?

I will apologise for saying they're "annoying", it was not my intent to downplay them, I just watch what I'm typing to someone who's potentially suggestible, and I think you'd agree that for the most part, that's the type of thing people around here want to here.

I can only suggest you either change your doctor if they're as arsey as you say they are. Not everyone has the experience you've had, some GP's are decent people who do care, just because you may have been landed with an ignoramus doesn't mean we all have.

[Gotagetthroughthis]

Fair points Gary and I apologise for the rant.

As you said you are just being the messenger; to me it felt like you were giving advice that I already felt I new, so somehow it felt patronising? (my issue, not yours) I already know the things you said and have done for a long time, most of the things you said would have made a lot of sense and hit home with someone who was newly in the anxiety - symptom - Health worry - see doctor cycle but im a bit past that I think.

Also as you said, I have a better platform to judge, because its my experience and my life, which also got my back up because I would of been thinking "who is this guy siding with the GP, Telling me that my GP is right and I have been tested so now need to work on the real issue which is anxiety etc when he doesn't even know my situation". Of course you only new what I mentioned on here which showed I had been referred and probably made the GP sound pretty good lol. Thats my fault for the lack of information.

I also get the point about this post being on the Health anxiety forum which would of influenced the way you responded. In hindsight I probably should have posted it on a health forum but as I am a long time member I just posted here as it felt easier. I wasn't looking for reassurance, I never do now, it doesn't do anything for me. I was just looking for a possible treatment idea.

I know not all GPs are bad and I know mine are in a difficult situation because as soon as they see me and read my file they immediately see anxiety which makes in incredibly difficult for me to get past that and be taken seriously. Which may be the right or wrong thing to do on their part.

Seriously though mine are incompetent at times and im not just saying that because of struggling to get referrals. These are the doctors that prescribed me Beta blockers to treat my anxiety, which are known to lower BP and regulate/lower heart rate......my blood pressure is naturally 90/40 or 100/50 (very low) and my resting heart rate is around 40 beats per minute, now does that sound like I should be taking beta blockers? I stated these numbers to my doctor many times but they were insistent I take them. Any other medical professional I have since explained that to has been shocked at how stupid my doctor was to do that. I trusted my doctor and took one of these beta blockers and had one of the worst experiences of my life. In fact thinking back the only reason I ended up getting a referral to the neuro after a year was because I went to an opticians because I had uneven pupil size (docs didn't care) The optician wrote me a letter to give to my GP stating that I needed to be referred to a neuro, then I still wasn't referred until I wrote another letter myself stating all of my symptoms and in the end they referred me. They may have been right not to refer me on this occasion if there is nothing neurological wrong to be fair to them but it just shows how much they really don't listen, even to the optician.

Anyway I guess this as well as a number of other things got my back up and still does about these doctors.

Yes I have asked my doctor why they suspect Anxiety is the cause, its just the same answer, your symptoms match stress and anxiety, nothing more. But at the end of the day symptoms can match anything. To be honest I myself suspect anxiety is the cause, that doesn't mean I don't think anything else can help it or there isn't some sort of imbalance that may be able to be treated in some way.

My reactions to your post are also clearly to do with other issues I have emotionally. I think I know everything and don't like anyone telling me otherwise or explaining to me what I feel I already know, which also ends up helping to keep me trapped in this situation, its a defence mechanism. Haha you have got me explaining my thought processes to you here. Anyway you write far too well for me to get into an argument with you, my brains not on that level just yet, I will lose lol.

Sorry about the rant again.

[Gary A]

There's no need to apologise, nobody likes a good rant more than me. :whistles:

Yeah, your doctor sounds pretty hard headed, so my advice to you is to simply sign up to another practice or ask to be dealt with by another GP in the surgery, if that's an option. There really is no need to tolerate someone making you feel stupid or not taking you seriously. It does annoy me sometimes to hear of some GP's labelling every symptom as anxiety based on the history. That, of course, is part of the diagnostic weaponry, but I happen to think that just because that person may have a habit of thinking they're ill when they're not, it doesn't make them immune to illness.

However, it boils down to trust. Your GP, after all, wouldn't be doing the job they are if they weren't qualified. The neurologist is a specialist, his life's work is dedicated to matters involving the brain and associated symptoms and illnesses. Your symptoms, to me, sound very much like icepick headaches, and unfortunately it is one of those conditions that has no specific treatment.

There will be something you can do, but my advice to you is first and foremost, change your doctor. Start afresh with a new doctor, explain your history, your anxieties and describe in detail your current symptoms. Also, tell them of your experience with your previous GP. You might find that you build up a good rapor with your new GP and maybe you can work with them to find some relief for your symptoms.

Oh, and quit the ranting, you'll give yourself a headache. :shades:

[ClarckMichel]

Headache is common issue with more peoples and if you need to solution from this problem then follow some important things like drink plenty of water and take a rest in dark place where you feel more comfortable, massage your scalp with coconut oil or almond oil.these all are good natural treatment which can sort out the issue of headache fast.

[Gotagetthroughthis]

Really bad head all day yesterday and no relief from sleep, have woken up after a few hours with head just as bad. Its not even really the pains that are the problem, they are rare. Its more the general pressure feeling and feeling so odd and unwell. Really do not to feel right at all.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Your GP sounds like mine, will make a diagnosis but not advise a treatment. I had that with my grinding in my sleep issue and my dentist was far more efficient in both diagnosis and treatment.

Sadly, some GP practices seem to see patients as numbers thesedays and it all about time slots. Years ago mine would spend the time helping you, now they can be seen glancing over at the clock as you are talking.

Sadly, the times we are in.

I agree with both you & Gary on looking for alternatives. Gary is right, there are a lot of charlatans out there and that includes counsellors & therapists in this unregulated sector.

I know research and Googling is a big no-no on the HA board but thats the only place in my experience. Those of us with other anxiety disorders tend to be looking around for other ways and if I hadn't done this, my mood swings would still be as bad as they were 12 months ago on the SNRI I've been on. My mood swings are much more manageable now due to high strength Omega 3.

So, its worth a try. It may cause you to waste some money along the way and be frustrated but it may also help.

Whether therapy will work, I'm not sure. I can only see that working in 2 ways 1) in reducing your reaction, you "secondary pain" response and 2) by reducing overall anxiety to make a symptoms reduce or go away. You can work on 1) but 2) is guesswork as it may not.

I do know that there have been articles about Mindfulness being used to reduce secondary pain response in people with no anxiety disorders experiencing physical pain or trauma. There are also studies about its use in symptom management of physical conditions/diseases such as asthma, cancer, etc. CBT is also used in symptom management was perhaps even therapy can help here but it will require tailoring to do so.

You could give supplementation a try. Things like Omega 3's are useful in brain health and have links to studies of depression so it may be worth a look. Beyond that I have no knowledge of it as I've never looked into it. I do get some myself but my head ache problems have been more related to nutrition and the symptoms differ to yours.