anyone suffer from headaches? urgent advice needed

[twik]

I'm 39 and for the last year for the first time in my life have been headachey. My dd is 3 1/2. But for the last week I've had the most awful headache of my whole life. It feels as though my brain wants to explode, it's pressure rather than pain. I can't think straight, I'm totally irritable and exhausted (want to close my eyes all the time). I got so worried I went to A&E at the weekend and they checked my bp (normal), blood sugar (ok), did a basic neurological test (i.e. could i touch their fingers etc.) and said it must be a nasty migraine. I've been back to my GP today as it's driving me crazy and he said it was most likely a tension headache. Has anyone anywhere suffered like this from a straightforward tension headache? I'm really feeling very worried. I've got no fever, feel a bit nauseous and my limbs are quite heavy.

Me too! I think tension / muscle contraction headaches can be caused by stress, that's why I mentioned it. They can also be caused by bad posture, misaligned muscles etc. which have got chronic, like a form of repetitive strain injury. That's what I'm hoping mine is because then it's not serious or life-threatening and I will hopefully be able to get a chiropracter or some other muscle / bone cruncher to help sort it out... It's bloody painful. Last night I was awake again for over an hour in the early hours with my neck and head killing me.

I spoke to a doctor earlier who said to me that it sounds like possible Prodromal Flu but may be worth investigating Temporal Artheritis as I previously had a raised ESR. Any ideas?

I've never heard of prodromal flu - wouldn't it come with some kind of fever? I have read a bit (in my endless headache research this last 10 days ) about temporal arteritis though. It's an inflammation of the artery that runs along the temple which can seriously affect the eye and is most collon in people over 50. I don't think it causes neck pain though? It's definitely not what's happening to me because my pain has never been one-sided. What did your GP recommend you do?

What's an ESR by the way?

I went to the walk in nhs centre this evening and saw the doctor who did a few tests including blood pressure and looking behind my eyes etc. He said thinks a possible migraine and prescribed whats looks like "Paramax"? which should also help me feeling nauseous.#

How are you tonight twik>??

ESR shows inflamation within the body, yours would of been tested as standard in your blood tests you have had done

I have had a dreadful dreadful headache for about 6 days now. I know mine is caused by sinusitis though (get this several times a year) however this time I have terrible neck pain with it as well - I'm almost sure this is from major swollen glands (I can remember having glandular fever when I was younger so I know that swollen gland feeling!). Are your glands up in the back of your head? This can make your neck sore.

I'm not trying to belittle what you are suffering with but there are LOADS of bugs doing the rounds that are causing headaches at the mo.

twix,
My Dh suffered a serious head injury which caused him to suffer a massive brain heamorrage.He nearly died and we were told he would never walk, talk again. Due to his mothers sheer determination she pushed and pushed him until she could push no more and he is A1 now.

DH really suggests that you try and see a physio for some tension releiving excercises. You could also ask your GP to refer you to see a neuro psychologist who will be able to get to the root of the cause of your headaches.

I dont really know what else you could try.....just sending you lots of sympathy because I know and understand how worrying it can be.

fox where abouts are your glands at the back?? I possibly think it may be down to a bug to even though the doc thought migraine, I seem to know a few people suffering with headaches at the moment do you??

Jayz would you mind me asking what actually happened to your husband?? my mother died from a brain haemorrage suddenly.

yes, I know a fair few people who have had bad headaches in the last week (people who don't normally get them).

Strangely, my aunt also died from some sort of brain thing but I think it was an aneurysm (she was running with my mum on the beach and just keeled over). She suffered from bad headaches which must have been a pre-cursor I guess but this was decades ago.

I'll try and find a good picture of the glands because my descriptions are not very good.

ok have given up finding a picture that looks real (they all look a bit anatomical!). There are some big ones behind your ears (those ones aren't swollen for me) but the ones that are hurting me are basically if you went back in a straight (horizontal) line from the bottom of your ear towards your spine at the back of your neck sort of just past the big muscle, that's where mine are sore. The ones in the front of my neck are slightly sore and swollen as well.

Here is a reasonable picture.

Janbo25.
My DH was involved in a bad motobike accident whilst he was competing at championship level.He was travelling at 97mph when he hit a rut in the track, which sent him flying 35 ft through the air and his helmet split in two as he hit the ground with his head!
He was unconcious for nearly 3 months, in ITC for 5 months and it took 7 years of intensive therapy along with vast ammounts of TLC to enable him to be finally discharged.
He is now 100%....well as 100% as any man can beHe's a bit miffed that his chance to hit the "big time" was cut short, but hey "thats life and life is more important than a shelf full of trophies".

The tension headaches he suffered where horrific and I would sit and watch him curl up in a ball and cry like a baby. He is 6ft 4 and built like a brick sh*t house.....but the pain he suffered was so intense. As you can imagine we feared the worse but thank goodness he was fast tracked through "the system" and all was proved to be OK.
He was dx with tension headaches and, as I have said before, after trying all pills and potions prescribed by the pro's he decided to go down the alternative route.
Cranial massage has proved to be the most successful and he is now headache free after two years of sheer agony.
The tension he suffered from was a build up of stress, tension and exhaustion. We were, at the time, fighting many battles to get a Dx for our son who has autism.

Twik, no change here. So what was all that prodromal flu stuff about? I googled it but only came up with things like HIV causing 'prodromal flu-like symptoms'.

I'm off to get my blood results tomorrow morning all being well.

Fox I don't feel belittled at the thought this might be a virus, I just don't think it is. For one thing for me it's gone on for such a long time now, 2 weeks on Friday. Plus some of the symptoms like the painful eye movements have been happening on and off for some time. It's like a massive intensification of something I've been feeling in a very minor way for ages.

jayzmummy, did your dh see a neuro psychiatrist then? Who diagnosed that his headaches were tension? And how long did he suffer the pain before getting better?

I meant Janbo, no change. I'm talking to my bloody self now!

What a terrible story Jayzmummy. And your dh suffered 2 years of tension headache pain! AGH!! I know how he felt curling into a ball and crying. It's happened to me a few times over this last 10 days. I've just cried hysterically with dp because I feel I can't bear it any more. And I'm not being a good mother. Today I yelled at dd excessively over something so small ...

Twik, Dh saw a neuro psycholgist after seeing the specialist. He performed loads of tests that and from the results he was able to assertain the cause of the tension and then he devised a programme to help eliviate the tension.
DH was prescribed loads of different drugs, some helped some didnt.
Cranial massage, combined with relaxation excercises and a few changes to his diet have really helped.

when do you get your blood results twik? I'm not surprised you're snappy - I would be too if I had a headache that long.

i don't think my glands are up fox, although i perhaps think this could possibly be a virus. (I would probably feel better if it was knowing it is nothing serious) I will take the tablets prescribed and see what they do for me.

Have you got any idea what other symptoms are going along with these bugs at the moment??

Twik, I'm so sorry you're not feeling any better, I will let you know if these tablets work at all tomorrow. Please let us know how your visit to the docs goes

I had a rather depressing trip to the GP really. My blood results were all fine actually apart from a raised cholesterol level which he said not to worry about at my age (mid-30s). But I am worried because of the tingling in my legs etc. Anyway, any possibility of lots of other things including a viral explanation are for me excluded. So it looks like tension / muscle contraction. Although that doesn't explain to me the dizzyness, nausea, weird vision and bubbling / pins and needles in my legs.

So I'm nowhere really.

He said he'd refer me to a physiotherapist, but wouldn't send me to a neuro psychologist. I can't go on like this forever, not able to concentrate, feeling like I"m literally going to go mad with pain. It's 2 weeks tomorrow now.

Hi Twik... I've read through most of the thread..although not all, so forgive me for asking but re you stressed out at all, or worrying about anything??
I ask because I am worrying about daughter and have had migraines... and this week I have felt... the only way I can discribe it is vague?... just not with it.....

twik, I've been following this thread since the beginning but skimmed a bit so hope this hasn't already been mentioned. Did the GP look in your eyes to see the retina? It can be an indicator of pressure build up in the brain. Don't want to alarm you but it is simple and may just confirm there is nothing more going on other than a serious tention headache.

rummum, I always feel a bit vague. And I am rather an anxious person by nature. I didn't think I was any more than usual of late though. It's felt like this headache's come out of the blue.

sunnyhill, I've had that done a couple of times, plus a brain scan and a load of blood tests so I have to try to stop worrying about something sinister. Although I do find it hard when I'm feeling so rough.

I'm still not convinced that it isn't something thats going round, because it wouldn't necessarily show up in your blood results unless there inflamation etc. A theory I've heard is that becuase the weather as been so humid this year none of the bugs have been killed of instead they have just been left to develop.

I had my eyes tested today and my prescription hasn't changed and my eyes were fine and they also thoroughly checked the back of the eyes etc.

how are you today twik?

janbo, still shite, to be honest. But I am thinking it's most likely a tension / muscle contraction headache. jayzmummy's description of her dh is just so similar to what's happening with me. And it's 2 weeks today, I've never had such a vague viral thing that's never developed into something. I don't have the slightest doubt that I don't have something going round. I don't feel ill in the way I do when I've got a virus. I've just got a dire headache, dizziness, weird vision and pins and needles in my feet.

AGH!!!!!!!!!!!

How are you doing now janbo?

My vision is getting seriously dodgy ... like an intense eye strain. All the time.