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what is this?? Migraine?

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Migraine Headache
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Posted 7/14/2008 6:08 PM (GMT 0)

This is the first time I have ever seriously started to consider migraines as a cause of my issues.  Here is my story, sorry if it’s long....

 

I've had "sinus" problems for months now.  It started with pressure over my eyes, eyebrows, face.  They treated me for sinus allergies and started me on a bunch of fun nasal sprays.  It didn't get better, so they moved on to antibiotics (that made me so sick).  Those didn't help.  Slowly, the pressure has just kind of parked itself more or less above my left eye and eyebrow.  It is sometimes more severe, sometimes less but always there.  Sometimes it’s in my temple; sometimes I feel stuff on the right side.  My new doctor ordered x-rays, no issues apparent with the sinuses so they are finally willing to consider other things. 

 

My new doctor finally referred me to an ENT for more testing; he will then send me to a neurologist if we still can't find anything.  I'm pretty scared, mostly because I start to think it’s a brain tumor or something incredibly serious or life threatening.  I can't help it.  I've been having horrible anxiety because of this, a few panic attacks but those are subsiding thank goodness.  I'm just scared overall.  My doctor hypothesized and said it could a type of neuritis, but that in itself would be linked to something more serious I think.

 

So now I'm moving away from all allergies, sinus related fears and moving right into more neurological scary stuff.  Migraine?  TMJ? Has anyone experienced this?

 

Thanks for any replies.  Karen

Posted 7/14/2008 10:40 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Karen,

Welcome to Healing Well. Sorry to hear that you have been suffering so much. Please try not to worry about it being a tumour as this is unlikely as headache is one of the last symptoms to develop with brain tumours, you know what you have got long before the headache develops!

If it is migraine, which it sounds like it could be, there are plenty of treatments out there for you to try. What suits one person sadly does not suit another. I wish you well with the Neurologist, try not to worry and please let me know how you get on?

take care

Ann
Posted 7/14/2008 10:58 PM (GMT 0)

Thank you so much for the reply.  Ever since this has flared up, my mind has run wild.  Mostly because after months of doctor visits, they still have no answers and it leads me to start thinking the worst. Any other new thing that goes wrong with my body scares me now; I somehow think everything is connected. 

My doctor had mentioned migraines, but said he wasn't sure because as he understands it, migraines usually come and go? For me, the severity of the pressure comes and goes, but it is kind of always there on one side.  At its best, its only apparent if I brush my finger over my brow bone, other times it just kind of throbs, my eyes/lids get heavy and so tired. But who knows.  I need to keep remembering that its probably not serious.

Anyhow, hopefully I'll have an answer soon now that they are sending me off to some specialists finally.  The ENT to finally rule out Sinus/nose stuff once and for all, then the Neurologist if we get no answers there. I will keep you posted.

Thank you again for listening and responding!!!  Karen 

Posted 7/15/2008 1:54 AM (GMT 0)
khf1980...I am kind of in the same situation u r in...but i am getting and MRI and MRA done Wednesday but I have the constant pressure and pain in the same area each and everyday...I too try not to freak out about it but its hard not too...Your mind wonders to the what if's bc of everything we see on tv...someone goes to see Dr. House and comes out with a brain tumor or some bizarre disease...its hard not to let your mind wonder and then everything else gets worse...Hopefully its just sinus for you b/c Migraines arent fun but my migraines and sinus just started out of the blue at the beginning of June...i have searched the web over and over every day trying to find my own diagonsis and anything that i think it is I have to take to my doctor...i may end up finding a new doctor as mine seems to think my pains are all stress related, she cant seem to get past "its just stress"...everyone has stress and i tend to think i handle mine pretty well considering...In my 20's I had tons more stress then I do now and I never got sick but now all the time, each day, headache or sinus pressure & burning....cant be just stress?
Posted 7/15/2008 3:06 AM (GMT 0)
Wow, I think you are the first person that has shared my symptoms almost exactly!! Its amazing, you used Dr, House as an example, that runs through my mind all the time. Logic tells me that its not going to be serious but I can't help but get crazy with worry about what it could be. I had never had these problems in the past either, started all of a sudden in March of this year.

It might be a while before they actually give me an MRI or CT scan. They seem to like to wait until its the last resort. I think at this point my family is convinced my symptoms are stress related as well. The stress and anxiety that I have had only started because of THESE problems!! So who knows. But its nice to know someone else out there knows what I might be talking about. I have obsessively looked on the internet trying to find something but only come up with serious disorders which of course scares me.

Let me know what your MRI shows! I'll be curious. My Dr. suggested that it could still be sinus, or migraines or even Neuritis of a nerve causing swelling. Hopefully everything will turn out well for you, good luck :-)
Posted 7/16/2008 9:41 PM (GMT 0)

Hey guys, Google "Hemicrania Continua".  This is a daily, one sided, headache ranging from slight to moderate with occasional severe migraines mixed in.  This type of headache affects the whole side of the face, not just the forehead area, so you can have pain in your eyebrow area and cheeks, making it feel like it could be sinus related.  There are no triggers with this headache because it is every day, only varying in the severity from day to day. 

Take a look at this and see if it applies to what you are dealing with....

Posted 7/20/2008 3:05 AM (GMT 0)
I looked up the Hemicrania Continua and you know a lot of what they say is what I have almost every day...There are times where I dont have any symptons at all and I feel normal and that starts to worry me b/c I am wondering why I don't feel the pain...Pretty stupid huh?  Still waiting for my MRA and MRI results which I was hoping to get before the weekend so I wouldn't stress about it but none such luck...Hoping the fact that I havent heard means there isnt anything bad...and maybe this is all just stress but still doesnt explain why all of a sudden after 35 years, boom!  I mean in my 20's I stressed tons more than I do now or so I thought and no headaches then...but I guess now I have a 2 year old & a Fiance' who is a State Trooper and were planning our wedding for this October...maybe I am stressing more than I realize and now with headaches I am freaking out which I guess makes it all worse...I will take this Hemicrania Continua to my Neur when I see her again and see what she thinks...It does explain the pain only being on the left side...Thanks for that information!
Posted 7/21/2008 8:47 PM (GMT 0)
Ok well I got the call today from my Neuro nurse with the results of my MRI and MRA I had done last week and she told me everything came back normal...I guess its good to be normal but still doesnt explain the constant head pressure & pain but I guess we can rule out brain tumor!!  I am thrilled that I am normal but still upset that everyday there is this pain...guess I will just try different meds to see which one works for me. 
Posted 7/25/2008 1:37 AM (GMT 0)
Well, when you get to the neurologist, make sure its a neurologist that specializes in headaches so as not to waste anymore of your  precious time and energy worrying.  I spent six years getting test after test after test after stinking test for the Headache specialist to look at my stack of MRI's and CAT scans and say, why did you have all those done?  I told him because the doctors sent me....and he said....Honey, you are too young for all of that, you only have complex migraines.  He got me on a first med which didn't work but the second one seems to be working..took him all of two visits and about four months to get me relief...no tests at all...lol!  tongue    Best of luck to you, I am sure it won't be serious....be your own advocate....go to the headache specialist yourself if you don't want to wait. :-)
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