Severe Neck pain before migraine

I am so sorry to read of your son's chronic migraines.

I have chronic daily headaches too but I am much older - age 60. My headaches began in my late 40s. I, too, had CT scan and then an MRI to see if there was a reason for the headaches. I did the MRI in Buffalo but I am Canadian. Our wait time was too long for me. The report went back to the Neurologist in Canada who I saw one time. He was not my Doctor, was consulting for my Family Physician. The Neurologist requisitioned the MRI. I was told that the MRI found nothing. I never saw the report. A couple years later I was to see a different Doctor who required any medical records. I found out the Neurologist was deceased. I contacted the MRI firm in Buffalo and obtained a copy of the report. There is something in the report that my current Headache and Pain Relief Doctor said, it proves you are telling the truth about your headaches. What I have in my head they refer to as "foci", in white matter. The Technician did not feel it was the same as patients with MS but said they appear in patients with migraines. They were also looking for signs of intercranial hypotension as I got relief when I would lay down and that was ruled out by the Technician. They also said there did not appear to be an inflammatory process. I explained all this in a post recently. Do ask for a copy of the MRI report. Maybe there is something that although Doctor's might find insignificant, it eases your mind a bit to be told everything and anything.

There may not have been inflammation in my head but there was in my neck. For me headaches began first and neck pain followed. I then had an X-ray of my neck and needed an MRI of my neck after. These were done in Canada. I have osteoarthritis in my neck and there was inflammation also. Another Doctor asked inflamed with what - I really did not no. I began NSAIDs, Vioxx was the first and a number of different ones followed.

It is now 12 years since the diagnosis. I see a Headache and Pain Relief Doctor every 4 weeks. I get a massage with an RMT who works in the Pain Clinic and after the Doctor does nerve blocks. The Doctor is very kind and patient. I make notes for him when I see him. It is just for me so I don't forget anything. The nerve blocks do not stop all the pain but they allow me to function somewhat better. I will never be totally pain free.

The other illness that I have there is no test for. I have pain in many places. When things are ruled out Doctors may indicate that you have Fibromyalgia. The third Neurologist, who thought I had more problems with arthritis, said I would hear Fibromyalgia mentioned by Doctors. If you read in the Fibromyalgia posts many people have pain in their neck. We are individual, some people don't get the headaches, I am not one. Any pain in the head is a headache. I read a book about chronic pain after an injury. The best title for my headaches is called a cervicogenic headache. I had 2 migraines with aura many years before. The head pain I have now is not the same.

Has your son tried medications? I had to stop taking arthritis Tylenol due to rebound headaches. I tried 2 narcotics but the response was not good. Tried Tylenol for migraines and some samples given to me by my Nurse Practitioner, but they did nothing for me. Some people can overcome migraines. A Family member was on medication for about 6 months and the migraines stopped. He doesn't know the name of the med.

Has your son had any falls, accidents or injuries that brought on the headaches?

I do hope that you can find a Doctor who can help your son. It is not good to have pain anywhere but head pain is often debilitating.

Loring

Osteoarthritis in Multiple Joints, Fibromyalgia, Neuralgia, Chronic Daily Headaches, I.B., Hard of Hearing...

My son started at about the age of 5 with these. He started getting mayb one per year, then it had progressed to 4 a week with no relief until a trip to the ER. After starting with our new Dr the next state over, he has had some improvment, migraines maybe once every 11 days. However recently they have started again about twice per week. We are believing for his total healing and deliverance from these migrianes. He went thru a deliverance service last night, praying it is time for his miracle!