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View Full Version : Need advice on chronic headaches/neck pain


JohnBate
10-10-17, 18:11
I first went to my GP around August with a very strong "Tense" feeling around the front of my head and a tangible pain in my left neck and shoulder which radiated into my forearm. The neck/forearm pain was aggravated by certain postures and movement, lying down to watch TV would immediately relieve all symptoms. The tension would be there for hours at a time, only relieved when i slept and woke. She prescribed me naproxen, a 500 mg dose of ibuprofen. I took them when i felt at my worst but they had no effect. This continued all the way into september, and then october. By then i had noticed that i occasionally got 'Dizzy' moments that would last shorter than a second and only occured when i got up or changed the position of my head, equally, there was an odd feeling above my palate that could be described as nausea but i did not feel sick in the slightest.

Pretty early this month, I went to a doctor who prescribed me antihistamines, pencillin and a nasal spray. This almost immediately removed the tension, but without the tension there i am noticing occasional, very dull pain around the sides of my head. They are episodic. I also notice they're there when waking, but do not wake me up during the night, and symptoms like the minor dizzy spells are aggravated if i push against the back of my neck. I've excluded a lot of visits to specialists, including;

4 gp visits between the ones i have mentioned,

An optician visit who inspected me for papillodema (I didn't have it.)

a dentist.

Here's my worry: I have a brain stem tumour. What do I do about this worry? Is it founded? I'm so scared that i've been crying for the past few days.
Bigboyuk
14-10-17, 18:07
Hi John so what have these specialists said/done to convince you every thing is ok, have you had a MRI scan? While none of us are dr's on here may I suggest you get your HA looked at as this is most likely the cause and nothing serious. and welcome aboard :) Cheers
suttree63
14-10-17, 18:38
Hi John ... it's stress ... it's stress ... it's stress.
At least I'm pretty sure it's STRESS. You've done the right thing by expressing yourself on this website ... because you'll find yourself in pretty good company. Not wishing to dismiss your painful symptons in any way. They are 'real' ... you feel them ...so they are 'real'. It may reassure you to know that I have diagnosed myself with brain tumours on a fairly regular basis ! I DO get splitting headaches, dizziness, nausea, sweats, tingling limbs, fuzzy eyesight, very very stiff neck ( hence headaches) and I've learn't over the years that it is stress. Just had a bad fortnight as it happens but coming through and feeling better each day. I hope this reassures you. I suggest you pop in this website whenever you feel it's getting too much and there'll be someone around to put things in perspective. Stress is the strangest and most insidious of enemys. It sneaks up on you and puts you in a strangle hold, depresses you, heightens our anxieties (and anxiety is the accelerator pedal for our doomladen imaginings). Try watching some light comedies, the dafter the better for me ... Last of the Summer Wine, Open all Hours and of course Dad's Army (Don't Panic Mr Mannering).There's normally one on the freeview channels most days. All the best.
JohnBate
15-10-17, 14:18
Hi John so what have these specialists said/done to convince you every thing is ok, have you had a MRI scan? While none of us are dr's on here may I suggest you get your HA looked at as this is most likely the cause and nothing serious. and welcome aboard :) Cheers

No, no scans quite yet. The doctor isn't convinced enough to refer me to a neurologist, as the pain is episodic and not very severe. Also, what is HA? Just curious!

Thank you to the other poster. I'm sorry you're experiencing so many symptoms.
Bigboyuk
15-10-17, 14:31
No, no scans quite yet. The doctor isn't convinced enough to refer me to a neurologist, as the pain is episodic and not very severe. Also, what is HA? Just curious!

Thank you to the other poster. I'm sorry you're experiencing so many symptoms. Hi John it's Health Anxiety you do seem anxious about so it does point to this condition in some respects. So perhaps talk to your dr about this condition it can be very crippling in it's effects :) HTH Cheers
JohnBate
16-10-17, 12:27
Thank you for the advice. Some days i wake up with no pain which really re-assures me that it isn't a brain tumour.
JohnBate
18-10-17, 13:06
HELP!!!

I just got done exercising (backstory. I'm very overweight and rarely exercise, my personal trainer came back today) and it was very exerting to the point where i was gasping for breath, but then i was hit with nausea that lasted for a minute! Isn't that a symptom of a brain tumour?

I've also looked up symptoms of increased intercranial pressure and pain that branches from your neck to your shoulder and arm is a rare symptom but is still there, and i have it occasionally! I'm freaking out!
swgrl09
18-10-17, 13:48
Hi John, I have suffered with neck pain on and off for years now. It really can be debilitating at times. Just last night I slept a little off and woke up in a lot of pain. It spreads to my upper back, my shoulders, under my shoulder blades. Sometimes meds help, sometimes they don't.

Here is what has helped me the most:
- Getting a deep tissue massage
- Ice (10-15 minutes on, 45-50 minutes off, repeat)
- If you can't get a massage, use a lacrosse ball or massage ball to massage the area.
- Yoga and stretching
- Accupuncture
- Chiropractor

I really don't think you have a brain tumor although I can't diagnose you. I can just relate from my own experiences. I have felt nauseous after exercising a lot.
budgie1979
19-10-17, 15:28
It definitely sounds like your neck pain/tension and headaches are related. I actually have seen a headache specialist recently because my migraines have increased in frequency and duration over the last few months. She strongly suspects my headaches are due to a bulging disc in my neck, so I have to go in for an MRI to check. I've had neck and shoulder problems for years now, so that would definitely make sense. I was worried it was a brain tumor too, because we always pick the worst possible thing to focus in on. I really doubt you have a tumor--more likely it's a pinched/irritated nerve. I hesitate to recommend going back to your GP just yet, since it sounds like you've been frequently, but also people shouldn't have to suffer with chronic headaches when there are things that can be done. Maybe keep a journal of your headaches and associated symptoms for a few weeks to see just how severe the issue is. If you're having headaches more days than not, having it written down might be enough for the GP to refer you to a neurologist for proper workup. And in the meantime, try some of the things swgrl09 suggested to see if you can reduce the tension in your neck (and many of those are good for anxiety too).