Me: sore neck, raging headache, generally feel knackered. What's wrong?

[pooka]

Last weekend had raging headache from Friday until Monday. Took nurofen and it was manageable.

This afternoon was just talking to my step-mother (she and my father were here) and suddenly my neck felt really stiff and have a raging headache at the back/top of my head.

Have been meaning to go to the doctor's as have been waking up for the last month or so just feeling absolutely wrecked. Shattered. Gets better throughout the day, though. Also have been getting wierd pms and just generally feeling rather shitty for way too much time. Cross with children and dh, bad headaches, tiredness and now this really sore neck, as if it's really stiff.

Does this sound hormonal? Of course I'm instantly thinking of really terrible things it could be. Shoudl I go to the doctor? What would she be able to do? Feel like I have too many symptoms to list and am paranoid (having been drummed into me from an early age) about making a fuss. Also it seems not to be a constant. Comes and goes so harder to work out whether there's a particular trigger IYSWIM.

Am querying migrane, but no vomiting. Am pretty fed up, as feel that really since ds was born my hormones seem all over the place and he'llbe 2 next week. Or maybe I'm stressed and that is giving me twinges and the headaches.

This is really long and I'm not expecting anyone to help really. THanks for any responses. Am off to bed so sorry if I don't respond quickly.

can I strongly suggest that you phone nhs direct before you think about going to bed

agree, you sound like you need checking out.

I had the exact symptoms you are describing a few years ago. But add painful jaws too. After seeing various gp's at various times over the space of a few months (with diagnoses ranging from migraines to cluster headaches to muscle spasms, it finally got diagnosed as anxiety/tension. With the help of AD's and counselling to deal with the stuff stressing me out (pretty minor day to day stuff really) it went. Now it is coming back, but I think it is due to dd (who has some sort of anxiety disorder and nervous tics) starting reception next week. I guess I am worried about how she will cope and am subconsciously tensing up about it.

I am NOT saying you are anxious/depressed or anything like that, I am just saying that pain in neck/back of head can be caused by tension.

Forgot to add - constant tiredness was part of the package too.

You may even have put something out in your neck. I did without realising it and it was only when I went to the osteopath that she said my neck was out and it could cause headaches up the back of the head.

constant headaches should always be checked out.

Thanks for all the responses.
The head ache part seems to have shiften now and all I have is this sore neck/shoulders.
While I do tend to think that it is street/tension related, I will go and see the doctor on monday (unless the headache comes back).
Thanks so much.

Good luck for Monday Pooka. I hope you get rid of it soon. I am in the downward spiral at the mo - I am tense so neck/back of head/jaws are sore, so I try to relax, but am worried pain will come back, so I tense up, so pain comes back aaarrrggghh.

The more I tell myself to relax, the more tense I get.
Must try meditation or chanting or something.