Scared to death that I have meningitis

[painintolerance]

I'm trying to think positive. I can touch my chest with my chin (I heard that conclusive meningitis prevents that!) but I have literally every other symptom. By the way, while I can touch my chest with my chin, it hurts fairly bad to do so, as the neck pain exists.

I woke up yesterday morning at 7am with a raging headache, a stiff neck and weird nausea. "Huh, allergies/sinuses", I figured. Despite taking two Ibuprofen (hadn't take any in weeks, so no tolerance was built up), the headache and stiff neck persisted! I went about my day, but felt horrible. I also have watery/runny stool, the lower part of my back hurts and my right leg hurts. I'm kinda dizzy but I was just thinking it was from the severe headache.

At about 4:30 I started to feel even worse. At about 6:30 that evening, I took another two Ibuprofen. I went back to bed at about 8:30. Still the same symptoms. It's now 4 in the morning. I can't sleep. My head is pounding all around, like a tension headache/migraine that nothing helps. The nausea persists. The neck pain whenever I move it and especially when I look down hurts like crazy. The neck pain is the back of my neck, especially to the sides, the middle and below it.

I haven't checked for a fever, per se, but my girlfriend has felt of my head and thinks I have one, as it is blistering hot. Also, I kept a blanket on me even though I'm usually hot blooded. I felt like I was freezing! Taking the blanket off gave/gives me shivers.

Please help! Any advice would be much appreciated! I don't have health insurance (U.S. health care is a joke) right now. I just want to feel better! I have a lot to do today but there's no way I can do anything feeling like this. It hurts so badly.

[walkerbull]

Firstly, the more you think about it the more painful your headache will be.
Secondly, your symptoms would rapidly increase in severity and persistence.
These would be pronounced, and would be excessive. If you are having relentless shivering and nausea, extreme aches (may include vomiting), then I'd suggest you seek a medical opinion to exclude other causes other than Meningitis, which by nearly all standards is extremely unlikely. To reassure you, the organic causes I refer to are virus infections, not deadly stuff.
As you have placed emphasis on your symptoms that are relatively unrelated as far as I am concerned you should not worry.
You have also elevated your stress which results in muscles contracting and expanding all over your body, thus aches are almost inevitable.
Basically, if you were unable to walk without the assistance of your spouse then I'd would suggest immediate review by your local GP. Many viruses also cause the symptoms you describe.

[Mrs.Anxiety]

I'm sorry you're going through this. In all honesty, it sounds like you're fighting off a flu or some sort of virus. I went through a meningitis scare back in college because they make you take the vaccine for it if you're going to dorm. I've heard it feels like the worst headache in the world and like @walkerbull said, the symptoms all happen very fast and they progress quickly, meaning you don't feel better and things just get worse in a matter of hours. I just don't think this is the case for you. Maybe have your girlfriend stop by a pharmacy to get you a thermometer so you can track your fever and some cold/flu meds.

[WiredIncorrectly]

Sounds like a flu/cold to me. I second Mrs. Anxiety ... get a thermometer. They are so useful. I caught a dental infection because of a fever I didn't even know I had. Antibiotics can really help :)

[axolotl]

I've had bacterial meningitis when I was a teenager, I woke up one day with the worst headache of my life, covered in a rash*, threw up green slime into the kitchen sink, and was unconscious in an ambulance an hour later before a week in intensive care.

I don't say that to scare you, but to highlight how quickly and seriously it comes on. While I would never ever talk anyone out of seeing medical help if they are worried about this (I'm not a doctor), to me you're describing the flu of some kind. Look after yourself - flu can proper wipe you out, and the fact we call colds "flu" when we phone in sick at work means we downplay the word, when in fact it can make you feel properly crap and take a while to shift.

I know the insurance situation is an issue over your side of the pond, but remember with these things we're Internet randoms and advice from a doctor is always best if you're worried about something.

*Before you fall down a rabbit hole checking for pimples or heat rashes and panicking, meningitis rash is very distinctive in that it doesn't disappear or fade when you press on it with a glass, as it's the symptoms blood poisoning, not a skin rash.