View Full Version : Pressure headache for a week
Hi everyone,
Me again. I always promised myself I'd never fall down the rabbit hole as far as some users I have seen on here over the years but here I am, hurtling headfirst into the abyss...
I've already been worried about tripping up over words and saying the wrong thing to what I meant to say recently but tried to get on. Some days have been better than others but im still doing it and every time I do I get hit by a wave of anxiety that takes ages to shake off.
Anyway since Saturday I've also had what I presume is a tension headache (although I fear far worse.....!). It keeps moving round my head but the main symptom is tightness be it in my forehead, temples, jaw, face and its constant from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed. Ive woken up a few times at night and its been there then too.
I guess my question is can this be normal? Has anybody else experienced this? I had a CT scan in June last year as I was having constant dizziness and messing my words up and that came back clear. I thought I'd shaken the brain tumour demon but its back with a vengeance and I'm so fed up. Just want my life back.
I should add I spoke to my GP yesterday and she didn't want to hear it. She said she isnt going to investigate and is not prepared to buy into my health anxiety so now im naturally worried I've managed to push her away with all of my irrational fears.
Thanks for reading if you got this far!
Midnight-mouse
10-01-20, 13:40
Have you had a cold/sinus issues at all? I’ve had pressure headaches last well over a week even without having had issues before hand but more commonly following or along side a sinus issue - which the pain and tightness you’re describing does sound like.
If not consider your posture and sleeping position and if your been having any dental problems.
The doctor would investigate even if you had been in there every day, if they thought it was necessary. It’s not a case of crying wolf, they just know what’s needed. They will always treat and investigate if it’s needed.
Positive vibes,
Mouse.
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Thanks for your reply mouse....
No, not any sinus issues that I am aware of. Just a weird pressure headache that keeps moving around all over the place. My GP has been brilliant the whole time I've been on one to be fair, I just worry I'm reaching a tipping point where everything is dismissed as being caused by anxiety and/or stress. I'm finding this headache hard though as its literally my number one most feared symptom as I've convinced myself numerous times over the past 9 months I have a brain tumour.
I was doing well after my CT scan but all good things come to an end as they say and lo and behold I'm back again at rock bottom. My CBT therapist said to me this week I'm the most extreme case of HA shes ever had to deal with and even they are considering alternative options.
WorryRaptor
10-01-20, 15:35
Do you have any muscle tension in your upper back or neck? The thoracic and neck area are notorious for creating weird sensations when everything is too tense, or even slightly out in line there. I can get intense pressure in my head and jaw, and my ears even ring when I sit at a bad angle at my desk. There are lots of nerves and ligaments up there that can get easily irritated and create tension, dizziness, headaches and even make you feel off balance. Add anxiety on top of that and you'll likely be tensing your muscles up subconsciously somewhere in your neck.
Its plausible I guess, the base of my neck does also feel tight as well as the areas around my head. I don't have the best posture, I work at a desk all day but I've never had anything like this before from it hence the worry. I'll try some heat pads on my neck later and see if that helps to ease it a bit as its making me thoroughly miserable as well as extremely anxious!
WorryRaptor
10-01-20, 16:09
If you have somebody kind enough to give your shoulders and neck a gentle massage, that can really help too. Posture can create so many weird feelings. It's so unlikely to be something like a brain tumour. I had this fear too. Had CT, MRI and so many neuro tests to check out my strange pressure headaches, yet there was nothing wrong in my brain. Hope the heat pads help, make sure to relax your shoulders too as they can create related tension in the neck :)
Also, new things cropping up when I haven't done anything differently make me anxious too and I usually jump to something sinister. But really, your posture or muscle tension could have been there a long time before your body decided it didn't want to deal with it anymore and decided to complain about it.
Hi Benny-
I just posted something very similar to this. I have had this odd pressure in my head, it started in the back, sometimes it’s on the sides but now it’s moved to the top of my head. It feels like someone has their finger pressed on the crown of my scalp. It doesn’t hurt, per se, but is annoying. My anxiety is out of control right now, because it’s been going on 3 weeks! So here’s what I’ve tried thus far- my neck muscles are very tight, and like you, I work at a PC all day. I have been going to the chiro to get adjusted which does seem to give relief. I also just got a deep tissue massage, and it also helped a bit. I think doing some neck stretches (I don’t have a good place to refer you to, as I need to look this up myself!) would be helpful. Also, I bought one of those heating packs you can stick in the microwave for my neck. I know this is scary, I hate it and my mind goes to worse case scenario. I think that it probably boils down to tight muscles and anxiety. I hope you find relief soon!
Oh, PS.. you mentioned tension in your jaw. It just so happened that I had a dentist appt yesterday and told her I was having some tension in my jaw. She noticed I had some
Wear on my molars - apparently I grind my teeth (literally had no idea!) and I also clench my jaw (this I knew) so she suggested a mouth guard. Maybe that would help- you could be grinding your teeth and not be aware of it?
Thanks for all your replies. I was doing ok I guess today but it's still there and feels so persistent. It's not painful, it's just an uncomfortable pressure sensation now for 9-10 days so I'm now becoming very unsettled.
It doesn't help that I saw the drummer in rush has died from a glioblastoma, the thing I fear the most and am convinced I've got/get. It seems to be popping up everywhere I look lately.
I guess I'll go back to the doctor next week.
I hope you get some answers soon- as mentioned, I’m dealing with the exact same thing (and also heard the news of the Rush drummer.. kicked my anxiety into high gear). A couple questions for you - have you taken any headache meds, and does it help? What about anxiety meds? I have Xanex that I’ve taken from time to time and that takes my mind off it. Does the roof of your mouth feel any pressure at all? Do you have heart palpitations? I do, but That could just be my anxiety causing mine.
Hi Chloe,
Yeah I've tried meds but they don't seem to touch it. I wouldn't say it's painful, just an uncomfortable tightness that keeps moving round my head and face.
No mouth pressure or palpitations. I've had to go back on Lorazepam (Ativan) because of the anxiety it's causing. Yes it helps to calm me down but the worry is still there plus it can cause you to slur a bit which in turn gets me super worried again. Bad vicious circle!
Just a follow up from this.....
Went and saw my doctor this morning. She felt my neck and shoulders and said its a classic tension headache coupled with stress & anxiety. I was expecting it to be honest. I should have left feeling good but HA doesn't allow me to do that. Shes going to try and get me an urgent psychiatry appointment which hopefully helps me get back on the straight and narrow.
She wanted to make it clear I don't have anything growing in my head with these symptoms. It creeps me out just her saying it but I need to be told I guess.
Onwards and upwards...maybe.
Thanks for keeping us posted, Benny. I have to think that if she was concerned in the least bit, she wouldn’t have let you walk out without scheduling more testing. I actually go to my Dr tomorrow, and also had a therapy appointment today. Last night I was up all night with horrible tremors (which I know is anxiety) and a horrible actual headache - oddly this relieved me because it was a headache I’m used to having.
I understand how HA doesn’t allow us to feel relieved and content with what we’re told. Even after my last MRI where they told me all was fine, I questioned the radiologist’s ability to read the report.. sigh.
i hope your psychiatrist appointment goes well, and you find something that helps. My therapist told me today that anxiety isn’t something we can think our way out of- which I knew but for some reason those words resonated with me. I’m always trying to figure out some explanation for this, and what’s the quick fix/magic words? She told me she suffered from health anxiety and doesn’t anymore, so that gave me hope.
Anyway, please continue to keep us posted if you’d like. I hope you find relief soon! HA really sucks
jalapeno1234
14-01-20, 22:13
sounds silly but how is your seating when you feel the headache? Ive just watched a film on the recliner I never use and just 30mins on it and my neck and right side of head are feeling painful and Im freaking but its lessening now Im upstairs, necks are sensitive, remember its the tension in the neck which causes headaches!
I've had week long pressure headaches sometimes, just as you describe...not massively painful, but constant. Sometimes what works (or helps) is a shower as hot as you can manage it directly on the back of your neck for as long as you need. Or, and I know it's probably the last thing you feel like, built really strenuous exercise, like something that takes at least 30 minutes and leaves you panting . I have a local hill handy that I climb for example, and I often find that clears my headaches up.
So just an update, this has now been for 3 weeks straight with no sign of letting up. Has anybody else suffered with tension headache like symptoms for that long straight? I'm obviously becoming increasingly concerned this is something more sinister!
Midnight-mouse
24-01-20, 11:11
So just an update, this has now been for 3 weeks straight with no sign of letting up. Has anybody else suffered with tension headache like symptoms for that long straight? I'm obviously becoming increasingly concerned this is something more sinister!
Yep I have! Especially when I become more tense and anxious.
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Thanks for replying Midnight Mouse, its good to know that its possible. I mean of course it is, 2 doctors have told me that but HA is in full swing lately so it goes in one ear and out the other!
Can totally relate to this. Mine started very strong at the back of my head, then concentrated more on the sides whereas now its more on the sides of my face. Ive been suffering with this for over 6 years and at times its been truly desperate, but no doctor can figure out whats wrong. The only thing that seems to help is to wear a hat or physically touch the pressure area.
The fact this symptom has changed over time (and is a lot less severe now) gives me some comfort but I know how challenging and unbelievable this symptom can be. Mine were triggered by years of cannabis and MDMA use and I regret it everyday.
It's interesting you say that about a hat as I'm doing that as it feels exactly the same so I tend to notice it less!
I'm starting to think it's possibly linked to lorazepam somehow which is scary as I know that's very difficult to withdraw from!
Went for an eye test today on the off chance but everything looked perfect so that's a positive I guess.
gflanagan86
28-10-20, 20:24
Hi Benni. I’ve had this before and right now. In April of 2019 my mother was diagnosed with cancer (lung cancer that spread to her brain). I went into a tail spin. I think what started as a sinus issue because of allergies turned into a 6-7week constant pressure headache. It would move about my head and when I would spin out with anxiety it would get tighter feeling. I had an MRI then and it was absolutely fine. Now recently it’s happening to me again. I saw a neurologist today who found no reason to repeat the MRI but did say tension in the neck will cause this type of feeling, he prescribed a high dose of NSAIDS and a muscle relaxer. I am just as nervous as you right now worrying about the “what if” my anxiety won’t chill until I see a clear answer. Like for me I need the imaging done to know ok it’s just anxiety. Even though I went through this EXACT type of headache before. My mind will still go to the “what if”. You are not alone.
I too have had a lot of head pressure in the past and have had it for about 6 weeks constantly with dizziness, I worry myself as my mother had a brain tumour so I always jump to the worst scenario as we all do with health anxiety. My dr has also put me on a high dose of NSAIDs and muscle relaxers like @gflanagan86 (https://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/member.php?87001-gflanagan86) in case it is to do with my TMJ disorder which I suffer with badly. But I have to call back in a couple of weeks if it continues.
The longer it goes on the more scared I get, I'm no doubt making the symptoms worse, but the dizziness and feeling so unsteady on my feet is hard to ignore along with the head pressure.
This too shall pass
04-11-20, 16:56
I have exactly the same and have done for another a week now. It's driving my anxiety crazy.
jbartram_7
04-11-20, 21:13
The only thing I can say is to be greatful you have a motivating pain. It may be too much for you, but I had this, and when it went away, I became lazy and childishly pouty and obstinant. I miss the tension I had that made me complete tasks.
Try funneling the discomfort into serious activities and be proud of your achievements and endurance.
If you really want to get rid of it, learn about brain sinuses, and lymph flows in your brain and dialate them during chi like meditation.
You'll regret getting rid of it completely. You could even die homeless and starving without it.
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MagicalSprite
08-12-20, 15:51
Hi Benni. I’ve had this before and right now
SAME! Had them a few years ago, pretty much daily, for weeks. I thought they’d never go - read an article about a woman had headaches for years and scared myself (mind you, she had no tumour, just constant headaches) Thought it was sinus at one point - but it was tension headaches. Now I’ve had them a few days in a row and one turned into a terrible migraine with vomiting. Funny thing is, an online pharmacy emailed me yesterday about the changing of the seasons / atmospheric pressure right now triggering people’s headaches and migraines! So that could be a factor, especially as we’re all having them right now by the seems of it. Anxiety and screen time (phone, tv) are also factors for me. I did google brain tumour briefly before telling myself “you’ve had this before, it’s the weather for it, others have it - stop it” lol so I get ya on that too. Hope everyone’s headaches clear up soon!!
My severe headache settled but the pressure didn’t.
Although since then, for a few day’s my pressure did settle a little but it’s back with a vengeance today, it’s making me feel so weird and almost floaty. I feel like it makes it hard for me to focus on anything, even talking. I feel dizzy and horrible.
Hope you’re all ok!
Mrschurchill
16-12-20, 13:02
Another one here! :hugs:
On day 6 now of this episode! Started off with one sided pain on my right side. Now all over my head, particularly at the back/neck and shoulders.
Classic tension headache which I know will pass eventually (looking back at old threads I started, I've been here before) but doesn't stop that pit of the stomach feeling.
I went to the supermarket last night and it was the first time I wasn't thinking about it... and by magic it wasn't there! I am WFH at the moment so 10 hours slouched in front of the computer, then head down looking at my phone for the rest of the night!
Hope everyone is managing ok - it's Christmaaaaaaaaaaaas! :yahoo:
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