View Full Version : Headaches for months (I’m new on here) really upset and need advice….
Hi everyone,
I am hoping for some advice, support, guidance. I’m really not good and feel like a rabbit in headlights at the moment.
I’ve been getting headaches since beginning of the year, so over 3 months of it now. The pain is across my forehead and there are various points on my forehead that are painful to touch, mainly above nose and to right of my right eye above eyebrows. The headache can be extremely bad as it goes behind my eye and throbs intensely.
I visited my GP and she gave me antibiotics and steroids. I didn’t have an infection? But I didn’t question it. She suspected sinus issues and I went off to try that. My neck started to become incredibly stiff and feelings of nausea. I finished the meds and had to go back because I still felt unwell. The headaches were changing in terms of intensity. For example, the forehead tenderness and aching behind my nose, that has remained a constant but the eye pain is when it really hits me and that doesn’t happen every day but it was fairly frequent.
I have awful thoughts it’s something bad (brain tumour) and yep, I’ve been on Dr Google terrifying myself. So I shared this with my GP who said I didn’t have any of the other symptoms of a brain tumour but it doesn’t always seem the case, not when you watch YouTube videos of people discussing their symptoms.
I went for an eye test. I had a terrible headache the day I went and my eye was throbbing. They said all looked fine which was a surprise tbh.
My Dr said “ok let’s do a full brain scan”. I heard those words and went to pieces. She put it through as an urgent and the appointment came through within 2 weeks and I didn’t go because I was so frightened. Please don’t judge me and say I am stupid or wasting time because I was genuinely scared. The idea of a tube with a helmet over my head utterly terrifies me. My mother died of cancer a number of years ago and my friend has just died of it only 2 weeks ago. My friend was diagnosed a year ago and last few months she’s been really poorly and then died. I have been deeply upset and anxious to a point I wasn’t coping and haven’t been.
I kept googling and all the forehead pain kept saying sinus issues so I paid private to see an ENT specialist. He put a camera up my nose and said there was swelling in the turbinates. He prescribed a spray for 4 weeks. I am on week 3 and the headaches are still there. In fact, the last 3 days have been truly awful. It seemed to ease off and I have had days where I didn’t feel as bad. I don’t always wake up with the headache, in fact most days I don’t but when I sit up, start moving around, it’s there. It hurts to move my eyes and the tenderness in my forehead is truly the thing that us freaking me out because even parts of my scalp hurt to press.
My forehead feels swollen. I can’t massage it. My friend said “if it feels tense, try message”. I can’t touch it. It hurts to touch. Literally, it can be pressed or touched as it triggers pain and the headache gets worse.
My head hurts in certain points, to press. A head massage is out of the question as it would be painful.
I went for a back massage last week, thinking it would help and the forehead pain hadn’t been so bad for a couple of weeks but I was lay flat on a massage table face down with my forehead pressing ahead the circle you put your head through and since then, the pain is worse.
I am so frightened because 3 months of headaches feels abnormal. My GP seems angry at me and when I tried to get an appointment (and before this issue at start of the year) I hadn’t been to the docs for years so I’m wasn’t a regular who pesters but yet she wouldn’t see me and I ended up seeing a nurse who said “ok, what do you want to do” so I said a CT of sinuses. The ENT guy said that would be the best thing if the spray doesn’t work so I’m waiting for that. Scared. Anxious. Worried about the radiation my head because at least MRI doesn’t use radiation. I feel at my wits end.
I am scared it’s a tumour. Forehead pain, pain behind my nose, across head at front and feels like I’ve cried a thousand tears sometimes. When your head feels battered, like your blood pressure is up but mine is fine. It’s truly horrid.
I was prescribed Diazapam to help me relax and it does help a bit. I am just so so frightened. I have a full time job, it’s pretty full on and I love it but atm, can’t focus. I am going to pieces. Just so fed up of the headaches. It’s every day, it’s making me worry so much.
I have had tinnitus for years and it’s gotten worse too. Hissing, another humming sound and I was used to the sounds I had but now, I am thinking - is this due to something sinister, that the sound has changed.
I don’t know what to do ��������
I’ve been getting headaches since beginning of the year, so over 3 months of it now.
I've had chronic headaches/migraines since I was 21 (I'm 52)
I visited my GP and she gave me antibiotics and steroids. I didn’t have an infection? But I didn’t question it. She suspected sinus issues and I went off to try that. My neck started to become incredibly stiff and feelings of nausea. I finished the meds and had to go back because I still felt unwell. The headaches were changing in terms of intensity. For example, the forehead tenderness and aching behind my nose, that has remained a constant but the eye pain is when it really hits me and that doesn’t happen every day but it was fairly frequent.
What makes you think there wasn't an infection?
I have awful thoughts it’s something bad (brain tumour)
It's most likely not a brain tumour..
and yep, I’ve been on Dr Google terrifying myself.
We've all been there...
So I shared this with my GP who said I didn’t have any of the other symptoms of a brain tumour but it doesn’t always seem the case, not when you watch YouTube videos of people discussing their symptoms.
I have had most of the symptoms associated with a brain tumour (and I've been fast-tracked for brain scans) but I don't have a brain tumour...
I went for an eye test. I had a terrible headache the day I went and my eye was throbbing. They said all looked fine which was a surprise tbh.
Good news!
My Dr said “ok let’s do a full brain scan”. I heard those words and went to pieces. She put it through as an urgent and the appointment came through within 2 weeks and I didn’t go because I was so frightened. Please don’t judge me and say I am stupid or wasting time because I was genuinely scared. The idea of a tube with a helmet over my head utterly terrifies me. My mother died of cancer a number of years ago and my friend has just died of it only 2 weeks ago. My friend was diagnosed a year ago and last few months she’s been really poorly and then died. I have been deeply upset and anxious to a point I wasn’t coping and haven’t been.
Sorry about your mum and your friend...
Have you spoken to your GP about your anxiety re the brain scan?
My head hurts in certain points, to press. A head massage is out of the question as it would be painful.
My migraine pain can reach 8/9 out of 10 on the pain scale and I do use massage to help alleviate the pain. When I get sinus pain, I use massage then too. (My sinus pain also affects my eye, side of nose and cheek and I find that heat helps)
I am so frightened because 3 months of headaches feels abnormal.
You appear to have an answer though. There's swelling inside your nose and that will cause your symptoms. So, what was happening three months ago? Did you have a cold or the flu? Do you have allergies?
My GP seems angry at me
Angry?
I am scared it’s a tumour. Forehead pain, pain behind my nose, across head at front and feels like I’ve cried a thousand tears sometimes. When your head feels battered, like your blood pressure is up but mine is fine. It’s truly horrid.
You're describing sinus issues..
I have had tinnitus for years and it’s gotten worse too. Hissing, another humming sound and I was used to the sounds I had but now, I am thinking - is this due to something sinister, that the sound has changed.
I have tinnitus. (And deafness) I also have pulsatile tinnitus. (Nothing sinister...)
I don’t know what to do ��������
You need to find the courage to do the scans because they will give you a definitive answer on what this is (And it's highly unlikely to be sinister...)
Also, I'm stating the obvious here, but the more anxious you are, the worse these headaches will be...
Thanks for replying, I really appreciate it.
I do suffer with allergies but I have never had headaches every day like this for weeks on end. My scalp hurts to press in certain parts too which I can’t see how that’s sinus related as your sinuses aren’t located side of head at top…. Certainly there are sphenoid sinuses behind the nose and eyes which I think maybe had inflammation but I had a course of steroids. I’ve been on Dyminsta spray for 3 weeks thus far….
I remember when this all started, my neck was so stiff I couldn’t barely move it side to side. I’m not one for getting super paranoid or imagining symptoms. It was genuinely happening and my neck was stiff…. and it felt like my head was going to explode.
what I can’t understand is, I’ve had medication for sinuses and still I’m getting forehead tenderness. Right now, it’s all tender and it’ll trigger another headache as per because this is what happens.
I also get migraine (with aura) but I know the difference between a migraine and the the forehead frontal headache. They’re very different. Migraine is across my eye. Behind my eye. Throbs like hell and OTC pills don’t tend to help. It can be two days of it.
I was getting lots of muscle twitching for a few weeks but that’s settled a bit. It was random, in various parts of my body. I read seizures can come in this guise. That scared me….
It wasn’t an infection. I had antibiotics and my understanding of infection in terms of sinusitis is green, yellow mucus. I didn’t present with such. The Drs palm you off with random things at times and I’m far too intelligent to accept fob offs so I do question. I do question (not in a confrontational way) but if I’m being given antibiotics, without presentation of infection, one must ask ‘why’?
The reality is, there was never an infection. I stand by that. Hence the aforementioned medication didn’t work.
I’m not a doctor, but it seems unlikely to me that pressing on your head would aggravate a brain tumor, just as pressing on your head can’t hurt your brain itself, since the skull is a hard shield.
I think it’s possible it is a sinus issue, but as you say it started with your neck - could it be that you’ve started sleeping in a bad position? Nearly all of my migraines now are triggered by sleeping funny - the pain starts at my neck and then radiates to my forehead, and sometimes does still hurt when I press in painful areas. It probably doesn’t help that you’re very stressed now, as if you’re anything like me you’ll be tensing up, which can just prolong or worsen the pain.
I’d say for now, follow the advice of the ENT and see what they have to say about next steps. I hope you can find some relief soon!
I'd agree it really does sound to my untrained ears like sinus issues. I've had a lot of trouble with them over the years. Once I was contemplating cutting my head off the pressure/pain was so severe. The neck pain could even point to a pinched nerve or some such but I don't have any medical training so it's not worth much. The only way to be sure is to get the scan though. So unfortunately you're in a bit of limbo until you can address that fear.
Just to add as well I don't think the doctor fobbed you off, I would say she genuinely believed it was sinusitis as they don't generally prescribe a steroid without good reason. It's good to question things but if you genuinely believe your doctor can't be trusted like that it's going to be a big problem in terms of managing your anxiety.
I shouldn’t have said the Dr fobbed me off, it’s just when you’re anxious, you feel like you can’t reason and it can feel like no one understands.
I’ve had this type of headache and tenderness for months and sometimes it’s worse than others. To me, it really can’t be sinus related because I’ve had meds for it. Surely it would have gone? If it was sinusitis.
I’m terrified of tests. Some people go for tests to try and seek answers, I am the opposite. I’m get scared because I feel if I start on that hamster wheel, when does it stop? I’ll just continue worrying. Scans, blood tests, chats with doctors. I mean, it feels so overwhelming.
I wish someone on here knew and understood what I mean when I say my forehead hurts to press. It isn’t always a headache. It’s more tender and when touched, it triggers a headache and the headache can be bad. The other week, it was one that had me in bed most of the day. Behind my eye, throbbing and feeling terrible. I feel I’ve got migraines and something else. I don’t think they are the same thing because one wouldn’t and go. It feels separate.
Even touching certain areas of my scalp even hurts. I mean, that’s mental! I used to get head massages! I couldn’t have that now. It would be too painful.
I understand that, you see a lot of people here that write down their symptoms or any questions they have before they go into the doctor so you can at least be sure you've covered everything you need to on your side.
I have sinus problems for years as I said, allergies, seasonal changes and infections all can make it worse... head pressure, clogged ears, eye pain etc. Sometimes with no mucus or congestion. I never went to an ENT about it because for it's just one of those things. Funny how HA works! I have I've been on Dymista for 2 years and I find it doesn't help much either.
I’m terrified of tests. Some people go for tests to try and seek answers, I am the opposite. I’m get scared because I feel if I start on that hamster wheel, when does it stop? I’ll just continue worrying. Scans, blood tests, chats with doctors. I mean, it feels so overwhelming.
I'm the opposite, I would take any test going!! You really have to ask yourself though is that hamster wheel any worse than the one you're on currently? Is what you are going through now not also overwhelming? It could be as simple as getting the CT scan and the doctor says yep it's 100% your sinuses or neck or whatever. Your doctors really are best placed to answer this, but I agree with the poster above that tenderness to touch wouldn't sound like a brain tumour to me.
I’ve read that with brain tumours, there’s a thing called the dura that is stretched when there’s cranial pressure and it is that what would cause tenderness.
In respect of sinus issues…. I’ve had them for years too. Allergies, headaches summer months, runny nose, sore eyes and so on but this is quite a different thing. For this started with headaches and a very tight neck. But the forehead pain was there too. When I googled it (yes I know, Google is not a good idea) but it said stuff like meningitis and sphenoid sinusitis. So, I waited to see what would happen because meningitis would not just ease off. But the neck pain was stiff and it seems to me that the neck issue is connected somehow to the forehead pain but I can’t correlate the two. Except, Cerviogenic headaches from a car crash I had 2 years ago but why on earth would I have whipmlash, recover and be fine and then 18 months down the line suffer this badly? My own GP said definitely not. She said it wouldn’t delay then start up. But my friend said it would if it was injured then re-pulled. But the ENT specialised saw inflammation so…. Who even knows.
when I have sinus issues I have never head this. Tender forehead so tender it aches and can’t be pressed otherwise it causes a full on headache. Have you? Genuine question. Because I’ve never known this….and I’ve had sinus issues for decades.
I was actually poorly too, when this started. I felt ill. It was so strange, it was like I couldn’t sit upright without feeling sickly and that went on for weeks tbh. I think migraines jumped into the mix. But I’ve not worked out exactly what is happening except I am scared. It’s not good being in this state and I don’t want to be….
I do know that at first, I was unwell. It was like a virus or something and it went on and on. The more paranoid about brain tumours I got, the worse I felt.
Thanks for replying, I really appreciate it.
I do suffer with allergies but I have never had headaches every day like this for weeks on end.
I started with occasional migraines which lasted a few hours when I was 21 and now they're chronic and can last for three days. I do have allergies, but, again, I started with hay fever and now I have about four allergies and numerous sensitivities, but there's nothing sinister going on...(It's crap, but it's not cancer)
My scalp hurts to press in certain parts too which I can’t see how that’s sinus related as your sinuses aren’t located side of head at top….
You can get referred pain, but also, sore scalp is a stress response symptom..
Certainly there are sphenoid sinuses behind the nose and eyes which I think maybe had inflammation but I had a course of steroids. I’ve been on Dyminsta spray for 3 weeks thus far….
Have you actually been tested for allergies?
I’ve had medication for sinuses and still I’m getting forehead tenderness. Right now, it’s all tender and it’ll trigger another headache as per because this is what happens.
The sprays they use for sinus issues are great when used over a week, but when it's longer (in my experience) the medication itself can start to cause issues...
I also get migraine (with aura) but I know the difference between a migraine and the the forehead frontal headache. They’re very different. Migraine is across my eye. Behind my eye. Throbs like hell and OTC pills don’t tend to help. It can be two days of it.
My migraines come in different forms... behind the eyes, forehead, back of my head, one side of my face, and I get ice-pick headaches as well (They're a joy, not). The only medication I can tolerate (because I have chemical sensitivity) is co-codamol. I have a prescription strength, but I do try to manage on the OTC lower strengths because codeine can be problematic in terms of constipation and it can lead to addiction. I'm VERY careful with how I use this medication. Even so, it doesn't always work and I will alternate this and Ibuprofen. Have you tried co-codamol for the migraines? But you do need to check with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure that any meds you take do not clash..(Never take advice on medication off strangers on the internet without doing your homework!)
I was getting lots of muscle twitching for a few weeks but that’s settled a bit. It was random, in various parts of my body. I read seizures can come in this guise. That scared me….
You're highly anxious at the moment and muscle twitching is a stress response symptom (fight or flight)..
IIn respect of sinus issues…. I’ve had them for years too. Allergies, headaches summer months, runny nose, sore eyes and so on but this is quite a different thing. For this started with headaches and a very tight neck. But the forehead pain was there too. When I googled it (yes I know, Google is not a good idea) but it said stuff like meningitis and sphenoid sinusitis. So, I waited to see what would happen because meningitis would not just ease off. But the neck pain was stiff and it seems to me that the neck issue is connected somehow to the forehead pain but I can’t correlate the two. Except, Cerviogenic headaches from a car crash I had 2 years ago but why on earth would I have whipmlash, recover and be fine and then 18 months down the line suffer this badly? My own GP said definitely not. She said it wouldn’t delay then start up. But my friend said it would if it was injured then re-pulled. But the ENT specialised saw inflammation so…. Who even knows.
My understanding is that when any part of the body is damaged, it never goes back to how it was pre-damage. There will be scarring, or a weakness there.. (I had my C-section 14 years ago and the internal scarring is giving me gyp)
I should add at this point that I have cervical spondylosis (damage to two discs in my neck) and I often get neck pain and stiffness. When I get headaches at the back of my head, I know they're coming from my neck issues...
Also, we naturally tense against pain, so that can be a cause of neck pain and stiffness with migraine...
Hello.
Thanks for responding - both of you. Greatly appreciated.
I don’t get migraines lots tbh and the forehead pain is not the same. This is why my GP is baffled as they can’t figure it out and say stress / tension. I’ve had a lot of shit in my life, I have gone through very stressful periods and never experienced forehead pain.
In terms of allergies, I have hay fever. I’ve had it for years and it’s the same every year. I sneeze, my eyes itch, I may get a headache, I take an anti allergy pill and it goes. I do that during those months and it’s always fine. It never gives me forehead tenderness, ever. This is not something I can say is related to what I have experienced before but what I do know is my forehead feels swollen. It’s mostly at the right side too, above eye brow, above nose sometimes but it irony of it.
Dare I speak too soon, yesterday was the best day I’ve had with this for months! I had long periods of time where I didn’t feel the ache and subsequently managed to have a nice evening with friends. The ache didn’t go because I was with friends, it was less bothersome during the day at work, which in turn gave me a little spring in my step and I felt happier and was able to enjoy my evening. I have no idea what was different yesterday, as I didn’t do anything differently but it felt less painful.
Dyminsta spray seems to have done something positive, in the respect I’m not having to take antihistamines every day. I had to before, all through these months. I don’t need to when I use the spray twice a day and if my turbinates were swollen, the spray is meant to reduce the swelling? According to the ENT surgeon hence why he prescribed it. I’ve been on it 3 weeks. I have found less pain behind my eye but of course, the ache remains there and I don’t know what I’m going to get one day to the next.
I have to purposely avoid pressing on my head. I had developed a habit of pressing around to check which parts were sore and tender. This only further exacerbated the issue so I have tried not to do this. I need to keep distracted and wait for my CT appointment but even if the sinuses aren’t the issue what then? Will I be worried I should have gone for the MRI brain scan?
I have got myself in a state of this. I’ve lost my friend who’s funeral is next week and a year ago, she was fine. It is hard not to worry when every time I open the iPad or laptop there are stories of people having heart attacks randomly or illnesses. It is a constant worry so, I try not to read these things.
There is a YouTube channel called Cherelle Thinks and the girl on there is pretty switched on. Have a look, if you get chance. She suffered from H.A and she talks about all her symptoms and she talks about how she felt etc. I found her channel really helpful as I didn’t feel alone with these worries.
The more you say it really does seem like there are a lot of possible causes for these symptoms - and brain tumour is very very far down the list. Like it's even possible it started as a flare up of your neck injury - your doctor thought it was sinuses and using antihistamines as you have been could actually result in drying out the sinuses and exacerbate the problem. I really don't know and it's very unlikely anyone here would have had the same issue - that's why it's so important to go for the scans. As I said that hamster wheel as you called it can't really be much worse than this one!
I have learned not to click on any of those newspaper stories as well. They always follow the same pattern - "I didn't have any symptoms and then one day boom." My own uncle said the same when he was diagnosed with an illness, then we later found out he had been having huge problems for months that he was just ignoring. They tend to be outlier stories as well - like someone really young or a very rare illness - that's why they are newsworthy I suppose!
Dare I speak too soon, yesterday was the best day I’ve had with this for months! I had long periods of time where I didn’t feel the ache and subsequently managed to have a nice evening with friends. The ache didn’t go because I was with friends, it was less bothersome during the day at work, which in turn gave me a little spring in my step and I felt happier and was able to enjoy my evening. I have no idea what was different yesterday, as I didn’t do anything differently but it felt less painful.
Your body is doing its thing. Adults don't bounce back from illnesses like children do, it takes longer.
Glad you're feeling better...
It’s been 4 months nearly.
I think it’s because I don’t know why it’s bothering me more
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.