Chronic pain in head with some neck pain. Afraid it's the brain-eating amoeba.

[Uravity]

Okay, so in the middle of July, I had been doing some work outside. Ended up kicking up some dust from a dirt mound with a blower, which I think I might have inhaled. Two days later, I ended up getting really bad headaches, which have been going on for over a month now. The headaches aren't super severe or anything though.

Now, I know what you're thinking: the brain-eating amoeba is usually contracted in lakes. I'm not talking about naegleria fowleri, I'm referring to another amoeba, balamuthia mandrillaris. It's found in soil, dust, and water.

I'm scared because the symptoms that this amoeba causes once it infects you tend to be chronic and the disease itself is almost always fatal, with a fatality rate of about 89%.


According to the CDC's page on the amoeba, there have only been about 200 reported cases worldwide of infection caused by this amoeba. So it's very likely that my symptoms are caused by something else, right? Also, I don't have a fever or sensitivity to light, and I haven't thrown up. So I think I might be okay?

This has been making me really anxious, and I don't know how to cope. :(

[AntsyVee]

According to the CDC's page on the amoeba, there have only been about 200 reported cases worldwide of infection caused by this amoeba. So it's very likely that my symptoms are caused by something else, right? Also, I don't have a fever or sensitivity to light, and I haven't thrown up. So I think I might be okay?

You answered your own question.

As for coping, what do you do when you normally get anxious? If the answer is nothing, it's time to put some tools in your tool box. Exercise, journaling, breathing exercises, yoga, help most people. If this is chronic, it's time to talk to the doc about some therapy.

[Uravity]

You answered your own question.

As for coping, what do you do when you normally get anxious? If the answer is nothing, it's time to put some tools in your tool box. Exercise, journaling, breathing exercises, yoga, help most people. If this is chronic, it's time to talk to the doc about some therapy.


I just try to distract myself. It usually works, until the thoughts come back. I didn't quite mention this in the OP, but I suffer from OCD. Hence why this is so bad to deal with, honestly. I can distract myself for a little bit by writing or playing a video game, but when I'm just out and about during the day...it can hit me pretty hard.

I'm pretty convinced that I'm doomed, since I have been having headaches that are chronic and have been experiencing neck pain. The pain comes and goes, though, which is kind of reassuring since I don't think that would be the case if there was something eating your brain.

Is it possible that the headaches are caused by dehydration? It's really odd, because I'm fine in the morning, but I get the pain as the day progresses. So it's possible that this is a problem caused by dehydration and not this amoeba. That'd be a relief, since this amoeba is pretty much fatal in all the cases it's been responsible for (89% fatality rate, to be exact).

I've never been more terrified in my life. Also, yeah, this has been chronic-- I think it's been going on for about over a month now. I'm going to talk to my therapist about it.


Do you have any additional tips for dealing with this kind of anxiety?

[pulisa]

Sounds like a cervicogenic headache-chronic headache with pain referred from the neck. I've had mine for 6 weeks but neck exercises help.