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Chronic headache for 2 years

Posted , 9 users are following.

JustSuffering
JustSuffering

Hi, i'm 20 years old and i'm experiencing a chronic headache for 2 years now. It sounds ridiciolus, but heres the whole story...

I am having chronic headaches for 2 years now and it took me so long, because i had to wait for a lof ot tests and appointments. This headache never goes away, it's constant, only one-sided. I can't concentrate or think straight because of it. It started 2 years ago when I went for a run and after long distance and was so tired that my hearth was pounding like crazy for an hour. I couldn't breathe and I was on my knees and I panicked. I do not know whether it is ALSO a cause but I used to smoke marijuana heavily for a year and before I went to jog, I felt derealisation, like I was in the movie. I had MRI+contrast of my brain, examined eyes, ears, sinuses, lungs and cervical spine x-ray, electrocardiogram of my hearth(like 5 times, lol), blood tests for everything(couple of times) + i never had cervical spine injury in my life. I've seen so many neurologists and even paid for one, she told me it's not lyme disease or trigeminal neuralgia (i asked about it, because my pain is one sided) and doctor told me that she is not seeing anything like trigeminal neuralgia. My pain is in 2 places only and it goes from the point in the picture to my hearth. Sometimes, especially after exercise I experience stinging in my hearth, like with a needle and sometimes I can't walk because of that feeling. But the worst thing is that headache, 24/7 headache. My GP doctor told me it can be anxiety related but for some reason i can't believe it. Marijuana caused it? My running adventure caused it? I don't know, I know i'm starting to lose it, it's making my life so difficult... i hope someone understand me. I went to psychiatrist recently and she gave me prescription for escitalopram. I'm afraid of taking these meds, because i don't know what to believe. Is it anxietyrelated, really?

0 likes, 30 replies

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  • karen72654
    karen72654 JustSuffering

    Posted

    Do you have any tender points or knots in your muscles around your shoulders or neck? It could be referred pain from somewhere else. That is what I discovered. My headaches were coming from a tight muscle in my neck. Google myofascial muscle pain.

    its a long process but you have to keep researching it until something sticks.

  • alton24867
    alton24867 JustSuffering

    Posted

    My pain is in just one side of my head. Neurologist told me everything look good. He said recovered from my severe TBI very well that what was going on had nothing to do with my brain he said it was anxiety. My family doctor told me it was anxiety. I found it hard to believe its anxiety but my doctor said in all the years he has been doctor he has treated anxiety and he hasn't had one person believe that's what it is. I had a head injury in Nov 2015 Fractured Skull real bad bruises and bleeding of brain contusion and concussion and subdermal hematoma. Subdermal hematoma left a small little spot of my brain dead. Neurologist said all the neurons have rerouted there selves so that wasn't cause problems. My family doctor said I'd have concussion like symptoms rest of my life. They had to med flight me to hospital. My wife tells me what all happen cause she got call from work saying they air lifted me to hospital and they wouldn't let her see me or tell her what was going on for three hours just they had to fly a neurosurgeon from University of Alabama Birmingham. I learned give it to God you'll be OK he will see you through it.

  • JustSuffering
    JustSuffering

    Posted

    I took pills for muscle tension. I took tramadol, ketoprofen, i don't even remember what I took, probably everything, including sertraline for 2 months and quetiapinum (yes, i've seen psychiatrist, because I was willing do to anything to get my life back). Now i'm going to see another neurologist in half of month and i'm gonna repeat the same story again. I haven't tried physiotherapy and acupuncture yet but i'm going to wait a year for both. I'm wasting my life aleady and i just want to kill my self. No one understands me.

    • JustSuffering
      JustSuffering

      Posted

      "including sertraline for 2 months and quetiapinum " - i forgot to mention that nothing changed after taking these regularly and that made me believe it's not anxiety related. I know it.

    • alton24867
      alton24867 JustSuffering

      Posted

      I've seen a psychology to. To get my life back to normal but they told me the way I am now is probably my new normal. I was trying everything to get back to normal my doctor prescribed me Ativan

    • Craiger5000
      Craiger5000 JustSuffering

      Posted

      I understand what you're experiencing.  What you describe is something I've been dealing with for 16 years.  It's truly an awful condition as it dominates your thoughts and affects every facet of your life.  I wish i could say I've found a cure, however after trying virtually everything out there in terms of meds and physical therapy - nothing sustainable yet.  The more I've researched and pursued through trial and error the more I beleive it's an occipital issue.  I suggest to try focusing on that area for at least a month with heat, stretches and strengthening to see if there's even a 5% improvement.  If so - you're onto something.  I'm trying that right now and will keep you posted.  I'd like to hear from you if you discover something that works.  Try and stay positive. 

  • AchyFace
    AchyFace JustSuffering

    Posted

    Hey.

    Google SUBOCCIPITAL TRIANGLE. This region of the neck has a variety of structures tha produce a pain syndrome as you are describing. Not always due to the same reason.

     I know you say you had cervical films, but did they do flexion/extension ones? Even if normal , soft tissues in the neck, such as scar tissue won't show up. You never fell off a bike, a horse, a skateboard, a wall? and you're a stoner? Just kidding. My point is you may not remember.

    Try and look at the good news, that you don't have a tumor, aneurysm etc. Have you tried an Osteopath? because the pain definitely sounds like it's comming from the neck and musculature.

    The antianxiety medications are possibly useful in chronic pain ( Cymbalta) but also when your life has been drastically changed by pain and no one believes you, it is very isolating. Been there. Still there.

    • AchyFace
      AchyFace JustSuffering

      Posted

      Great! Post an update if you get some relief. Good luck, stay strong.
    • JustSuffering
      JustSuffering AchyFace

      Posted

      I went to a very good Osteopath and she told me without any hesitation that I have Occipital Neuralgia of lesser occipital nerve caused by traumatic event. She told me that I need at least 3 treatments to see if anything changes. I don't feel any big relief after one treatment, only "unloaded voltage" feeling. We'll see what happens but i'm afraid that something like Gamma Knife awaits me at the end of the day.

    • karen72654
      karen72654 AchyFace

      Posted

      Thanks for sharing this. I do believe my headaches have to do with these muscles. I'm seeing a specialist in two weeks and hopefully have some answers. Interestingly my pain migrates. If it is not the frontal head then I feel it in my shoulders and neck. It has a mind of its own.

      has anyone experienced the moving around of pain?

    • AchyFace
      AchyFace JustSuffering

      Posted

      Glad to hear she beleives she can help you. About the surgery... You have had the MRI with contrast, stop worrying.
    • JustSuffering
      JustSuffering AchyFace

      Posted

      Yeah, I had MRI with contrast but it doesn't always show neuralgia problem. It can go out clean like in my case and some other people who experience way more painful neuralgia problems. Mine is not that painful like i'm shaking but it is painful enough to make my life very difficult, you know. I want to believe that she can help me but if it won't work then I don't know what will. Honestly, i'm willing to do anything. There are just two things that come into play - time and money.

    • AchyFace
      AchyFace JustSuffering

      Posted

      Oh, you do have neuralgia...meaning nerve pain. I just thought you were alluding to requiring needing a tumour removed. My apologies.
    • JustSuffering
      JustSuffering AchyFace

      Posted

      I can't believe i'm going through this, at the age of 20... What the...

    • JustSuffering
      JustSuffering

      Posted

      And they say sport is healthly 😂😂

    • AchyFace
      AchyFace JustSuffering

      Posted

      Don't dispair. Keep up with the Osteopath. at least she is the first who actually confirms your suspicions of pathology in the neck. If her manipulations or adjustments don't fully work, there are injections of long acting steroids and opioids for pain, or even Botox. ask her if any home exercises could help as well. Sometimes you need to adjust your expectations. I have had chronic neuralgia for 22 yrs. sad

    • JustSuffering
      JustSuffering AchyFace

      Posted

      Yes, but I don't want to live with that thing. I want to get rid of that.

    • JustSuffering
      JustSuffering

      Posted

      Temporary solutions don't convience me either.

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