Head and face pain

[countrygirl]

I have bad arthritis in my neck and a collapsed disc and for many years I have had episodes of strange sensations in my face and head with very occasional pain in my temple area.

4 days ago i walked in a very cold wind with my head uncovered and the next day I found that every time I went from sitting to standing I got for a few seconds a sharp stabbing pain on left side of head in time with my heartbeat and on off altered sensations in temple from pain to feeling as if I am being poked. I also get a sharp pain in same are of head if I cough and I have a very tender area of scalp in same area, any movement of my hair hurts. Late afternoon I got stabbing pain at corner of my eyebrow on opposite side but this went away overnight. My neck is very achy and stiff.

This has continued exactly same for past 3 days and I am trying hard not to panic. I am going from early signs of impending burst blood vessel /temporal arteritis to brain tumour as you do.

I will see my Dr on Monday but thats another day away.

The pain on going from sitting to standing in time with heartbeat is whats really frightening me. Any thoughts anyone??

[Carnation]

I don't know if this helps you Countrygirl, but I have had the sensitive scalp and the more you touch it, the worse it feels. It hurts when you cough or move your head too quickly and I noticed that I could not take direct sun and had to wear a hat. Like you said, it even hurt to brush my hair.
I think if I remember right that it happened after I decided to give myself a head massage and it triggered it off; I've never done it since. I must have upset a nerve or something. It disappeared of it's own accord and it was less than a week.

I have also had a pulsating neck, forehead, eye' (top, bottom and side), and stomach.
I've had stabbing, knife like pains all over my head, face and neck that felt like someone was cutting me with a knife. They all went away eventually.

I have actually seen my skin move with the vein pulsating up and down and that was really scary. I think it may be to do with being over sensitized.

I am still here so it's not as dangerous as it feels. :hugs:

[countrygirl]

thanks Carnation much appreciated. It has helped to know that nerve irritation can cause all this pain. I have seen Dr in the past with temple pain and sensations and scalp sensations and been told its my damaged neck but this is worst I have had and combined with the pulsing heartbeat in head has freaked me a little!

[Fishmanpa]

I recall an old joke as a kid about your face hurting :)

But seriously... I have nerve issues due to my cancer treatment. One of the most severe is neck and shoulder pain as well as neuropathy. It's so bad at times it's all I can do just to get through the day (even with prescription pain meds).

Anyway... I spent all day at follow up appointments at Johns Hopkins yesterday. Great news is I'm all clear... no cancer! :yesyes:

I asked about the pain and they examined up, down and sideways and determined that it's neuropathic in nature and unfortunately permanent. All I can do is physical therapy and continue with the Gabapentin. We discussed SNRIs like Lyrica and I have an open script. I'm going to up my dose of Gabapentin and see if it works and if not?... I'll give the Lyrica a shot. Lyrica has the added benefit as a treatment for GAD ("scanxiety") and depression, both of which I've dealt with.

So... cut to the chase. With your physical issues in your neck, could you ask about something like Gabapentin or Lyrica?

Positive thoughts

[countrygirl]

Brilliant news that you are still cancer free:yesyes:

Occipitil neuralgia could be an explanation as a consequence of my neck damage, it has been mentioned in passing in the past when I have had the crawling scalp sensations and hypersenstivity.

I have been offered gabapentin but up to now have been wary of it because of its side effects but thats not to say I won't ever.

[Fishmanpa]

I have been offered gabapentin but up to now have been wary of it because of its side effects but thats not to say I won't ever.

I had very few side effects... dizziness when I upped my dosages but other than that? Nada... I'm on 600-900mg a day and have been for a few years... I'm good and it really has helped with my nerve pain issues.

Positive thoughts

[MyNameIsTerry]

Could it be a muscle spasm?

I was getting a powerful throbbing in the back of my head at the base of the skull a few times over a 2 week period. It was quite painful really and it throbbed with my pulse. It left me with days of neck pain. It was hard to sleep and the throbbing took hours to subside.

Initially it would throb causing my shoulders to shrug and my face to grimace and it radiated from the back to the front. It wasn't very pleasant at all.

Stress made it worse too.

I looked it up and found it to be a neck muscle spasm.

[Carnation]

Countrygirl,

I forgot to mention an important issue when I had all of these symptoms that you are suffering with. It was a result of a car crash and there was some injury to my neck; I even had what you call a 'rice crispie' neck; when you move your neck it sound like a bowl of rice crispies. I saw a head pain specialist and he told me that the neck can cause numerous pains in the head, face, jaw, ears, shoulders; pretty much everywhere in that area. I ended up having sports therapy massage which helped. :)

The heartbeat issue will be the panic and anxiety. I still have that.



Anyway... I spent all day at follow up appointments at Johns Hopkins yesterday. Great news is I'm all clear... no cancer! :yesyes:


:yahoo: Brilliant news Fishmanpa. :)

[countrygirl]

Thanks Terry and Carnation. I have had the rice crispie neck for 20 years sometimes so loud others can hear it when I turn my head.
I know that almost certainly the cause of all this is my neck, my neck is very damaged and has been for alot of years and I find the effects of it vary for long periods of time so i can have awful rib pain say for months and months then that will improve but not resolve and I will get arm/hand pain or I can get bad attacks of vertigo and constant unsteadiness. The altered sensations in my face head scalp and the crawling in the temple have not affected me much in past year so this was a bit of a surprise.

Today my neck is really tight especially where it joins my skull at back and I feel as if I am wearing a very tight hat as well as all the other stuff!

I really appreciate your replies.

[Carnation]

That's interesting, I also get arm and hand pain, but never related it to that.
I just blame anxiety for everything! :D

[Fishmanpa]

I have had the rice crispie neck

~lol~ I never heard that description. I have it too! I bought one of those heating pads that wraps around your neck and upper shoulders/back. I recommend it highly. It's wonderful!

Positive thoughts and don't add milk!

[countrygirl]

Well how weird is this, was just thinking that today my head/face pain had not been as bad although my neck itself was aching more and then once again 3rd day in a row at 5pm precisely I get the stabbing pain in at the inner point of my right eyebrow. This will last all evening and then go away once I am in bed and not come back till tomorrow at 5pm.

I remember 7 years ago I used to wake up every morning with a shooting nerve pain up back of my head and at 4pm every day it went away. I saw my neurosurgeon at the time who was dealing with my neck probem and he said it was a nerve and would calm down itself in 3-4 months. It lasted exactly 3 mnths and followed same pattern every single day.

[Carnation]

Do you do anything in particular at 5pm Countrygirl? Or maybe it is just a time factor.

I understand that there is a stress point in the area you mentioned according to Shiatsu. Which is the point related to stress.:shrug:

After my accident, I was told 6 months. And he was right. I still have twinges and occasional neck problems, but compared with before, it was so bad I wanted to smash my head against a brick wall; which is stupid because it would have made it even worse!

3-4 months is also a healing time span for a 'breakdown'. I know this is madness because we have people on here suffering for years, but it was stressed to me that was the healing process for the nerves IF there were no further stress or trauma to that person. :shrug:
As we live in a stressful society, I wonder how you can avoid this.
So, it's all off to the' Virgin Islands' then. :D

[countrygirl]

I saw my Dr today who did a good exam and said that she was sure the pain was all from irritated neck nerves and nothing else.
I went to my chiropractor who knows me and does not do any manipulation and he did accupuncture ( when he put the needles in my neck where the collapsed disc is I nearly passed out with the pain) and ultrasound and then very gentle neck stretches and what a difference.
I can move my neck more tonight that I have been able to do for years. I am not pain free by any means but much better than I was before .
It might not last, I accept that I could be back to square one tomorrow but it proves that my pain is from my damaged neck which has helped me.
The chiropractor said that the extreme pain from the accupuncture needles at the site of my prolapsed disc proved that there was massive inflammation in that area and this was having the knock on effect of tightening my neck muscles to the point that they were compressing the upper discs and trapping the nerves that affect your head and face.
So a genuine health problem made harder to cope with my my health anxiety:mad:

[Fishmanpa]

I had acupuncture as well and it was amazing! I just wish I could afford to continue the treatments.

Positive thoughts

[Carnation]

Countrygirl, I don't know whether to take that as good news or bad news??

So I think a hug is in order anyway. :bighug1:

[countrygirl]

Thank you Carnation:bighug1:

Fishmanpa - I love and hate acupuncture as I find it incredibly painful when its in the right place but it also seems to help in the short term.
My chiro was saying its very useful to find out exactly where the problem is as someone may feel pain over a large area on manual exam but start sticking the needles in and he soon finds the exact spot that is the problem:wacko:

Just realised you are not in UK. Acupuncture is not overly expensive here.