sharp pains in head--update

Hi Tiphanie,

Before I was ever diagnosed with MS I had very sharp (take me to the ground) pain in and around my temples that only lasted a very brief time (thank goodness)!  My neuro told me they were icepick migraines. That name describes them.....feels like an icepick stabbing me.

 

Maybe this is what you have?  Or maybe not, just thought I'd put my 2 cents in.  Take care!  Sorry you are having it whatever it is!

Hey Tiphanie

Funny u should post this since i just had an eye appointment last thurs that explained some things to me...and may help u as well. I've felt i may be having optic neuritis because i've had several of the same symptoms, but one very strange difference began happening in the last month or so. My eye doc...a new one...examined me and nearly squeezed my eyeball flat and concluded i was having optic migraines. She did find a tiny tear in my retina, but of no real significance. The new and strange symptom i was having was a shooting and SHARP, HARD pain starting in the back of my head and running towards the front on the outside of my head...on the same side of my head as i was having the pain in my eye. Shortly thereafter my eye will begin to hurt unbelievably bad and will hurt for several days...most times about 3-4 days at a time. In fact i'm getting over ( i HOPE) one this morn. I experience blurry vision off and on during that time as well. The thing is tho, i don't always have that pain before the eyeball pain. I mean it only just started to happen a few weeks or so ago, so i dont' have a concrete pattern to rely on yet, but just so u know. that COULD be the prob. My new doc didn't feel i was having optic neuritis at all. She felt it was all due to migraines in my eyeball. Funny, huh? I never knew u could have that. Also, as Michelle said, when they start, i STOP! They completely dictate u'r level of function for the time they are happening. Mine only last a few seconds to a min or so, but i do stop what i'm doing and do experience a level of disorientation. Once they're gone and before the eye pain begins, i'm ok. Another thing to know....when all my funky symptoms began otherwise (balance and other such things we all talk about on here) my neuro thought of basilar migraines. They are migraines that sometimes don't produce pain, but do produce symptoms much like we all have or similar to a stroke. Maybe u could be experiencing some sort of migraine w/o pain? Just throwing this out to offer suggestions. I hope it all helps somehow. I hope u get to the bottom of this and it's NOT more lesions. Know i'm thinking of u Tiphanie and hope u'r feeling much better these days.

rhonda

Hey Tiphanie

I'll be praying for u and hoping u'r appt goes well and with good news. I know u'r worried and scared and with all u've been thru lately who could blame u. Try to relax if possible and make it thru til that time. I'll be looking forward to hearing about it.

rhonda

Hi Tiphanie,

It's wonderful that your friend volunteered to go with you. Please let us know what you find out, my thoughts and best wishes are with you today.

Kimber

I really don't know how to take the news I got today.
My neuro is not sure now that this is MS. He is not willing to take that Dx away at this point but now believes I have something called Paraneoplastic Neurological Disorder. He said that this can cause alot of the same Sx as MS and is assoiciated with cancer somewhere else in the body. I was uaware that a whole body MRI was being done yesterday but he said that they scanned my entire body and I have what appears to be masses in my stomach, breast and and right kidney. He also thinks that at least one but maybe two of the lesions in my brain are tumors.
Okay now where to go from here and am I going to die were the next things I asked. He responded with alot more test need to be done and Bx. He said that he has been in consultation with another doctor and that they needed to get some more blood and send it to a more specialized lab and that he wants me to see a doctor in Minnesota who specializes in Paraneoplastic Neurological disorders but wants to cntact him first and review what they have found. He asked if it would be okay if he gave this doctor copies of all the tests so far and told me to get ready to leave if that is what I choose to do. In answer to my question if I am going to die he said that this is a rare condition but very serious and that if I don't get treatment that yes for sure I will. He also said that even with treatment and if these masses are truely cancer that as far advanced that they are the prognosis does not look good but thay will do all the can.
He is still going to treat me for MS until he without a doubt feels that it is not MS but MS will no longer be the main focus. I hoped that I didn't have MS but I think this is going to be much worse. I cannot even tell you the shock I am in. I am scared to death and now in just a few short hours I have to tell my husband and see if he will even let me go to Minnesota. I don't know if I even want to go. I don't want to die but I have seen what cancer treatment can do to a person and I think it would just be better to live my life until I am called home than to spend the rest of my life getting treatment that may or may not work away from my family and be so sick.
Thank you again for letting me vent and cry on your shoulders. I hope even if this turns out not to be MS that you will still let me post until my time is up.
Tiphanie

Hey Sweet Tiphanie

I'm so sorry to hear of the possibilities. U know without any doubt whatsoever that u are on the top of my prayer list and heavily on my heart. I can't imagine u'r shock or loss as to what to do right now. Take it one minute at a time and fight with all u have friend. Go to Minnesota and get all the help u can get and take u'r family with u. U'll need them and they'll need u. The long term treatment question is a very hard one to address so early on in u'r knowledge of this possibility and certainly one u have to make with u'r family, but u'r right, quality of life can be so valuable even when compared to quantity. I know u'll do great tho and i know u'll come thru all this and be so strong. U hold on and let the doc's do all they can and know for certain that if u have any needs at all we are all here to support and help u. YES...please do continue to post whether it's MS or not...u don't have to have the 'right' disease to have the support everyone here needs. Take care my friend and know u are not alone in this struggle.

rhonda

O Tiphanie. My heart breaks for u as well. U have a very dear husband and i'm so glad for that. Hold on tight friend. U'r gonna make it. This is so devestating to u and i know u'r head is spinning, but we're all holding u'r hand in spirit and we'll stay right here. Please let us all know how everything goes. Stay strong thru prayer and u'r family friend.

rhonda

Oh, Tiphanie, I am so very sorry.

Tiphanie,

I can't imagine what you must be going through and I'm very sorry. I agree with your husband that you should at least hear what the doctor in Minnesota has to say. My heart goes out to you and your family and please keep us updated.

Kimber

Tiphanie,

I'm glad your doc made that call on the MRI, it's good you didn't have to go back!  You will be in my thoughts and prayers next week.  I hope they will tell you everything you need to know.  Take good care!!  HUGS!!