NeuromdFor the past 5 days, I have had strange headaches. One day I had a very mild headache for several hours, the the other days I have had these fleeting headaches that just come and go. They don't hurt necessarily but they are annoying. Today, they came for very brief periods, but around 4 pm, it turned into a mild persistent annoying headache. I just took two Tylenol and its subsiding a bit .i dont have nausea or vomiting, seizures or focal issues. Of course, brain tumor comes to mind. I do know I may be clenching my jaw more than normal and my sleep hasn't been consistent. Would you be concerned as our patient with what I'm describing? I did have a normal neuro test a couple weeks ago. I have a normal gait and balance.I do know I had one relief massaging the Temple area..
Hi. the fleeting nature of the headache or head pain, the comments about possibly grinding your teeth, the lack of vascular symptoms, no nausea, vomiting, suggests that this is a tension headache or a muscular contraction headache. If you have any fioricet that is what I would suggest. This easily could be seen in the context of your attempts to taper the benzodiazepines and sleeping aids, so I would not give up, but see it as an expected consequence.
Is there any way I could get you to focus on just wearing yourself out during the day? exercise, whatever it takes to zap all your energy would be my recommendation
hi are you there? how are you?
can you check your blood pressure?
no tumor
this is the "stress headache" but you aren't showing a stress reaction here
have you been tapering the benzos?
no migraine
they come on without a warning right?
this is the benzo withdrawal effect
great, but some of this can last months
oh
do you have vasculitis now?
do you have tender points on the scalp?
how is your sensations in the legs?
not consistent with tumors
I will go through it again
cns tumors are positional headaches, worse with laying down, gone with standing up
blurred vision, nausea, headache is quesy like
it affects your nausea center
correct
good
I understand what about your B12?
ok keep in touch ok?
no not given your set of circumstances
you were just dx with crohn's you are weaning off benzos what do you expect?
you have been off 12 days?
wow
absolutely
the bruxism tells the story
no
I am basing that on a normal neuro exam
I can't see you
you still are clamping down
hang in there, ok?
hi no headache alone is not a tumor.
like I mentioned before
d
Neuro Med,
In an update to last nights conversation, I wanted to get your input. When you mentioned that headaches when laying down and movement could be a brain tumor, I got VERY sensitive to that. What I did notice was that on my right side of my head, there was a very very very tiny bit of tenderness/odd sensation (but not a headache,hard to explain)) nothing hurt or could have been treated with medication and that through me into a frenzy with tons of anxiety. I just noticed when I was laying on my pillow that area of my head, top of scalp to my right was a bit tender-... no pain however. My heart was going crazy and it was better when I woke up in the AM. No headaches today so far and I feel ok... albeit tired.. Should I be concerned about tumor with what I told you? I just felt like gently massaging this area I am talking about, but I think I really overreacted and lost a night of sleep. Is what I am describing a sign of brain tumor? I do feel like that sensitive area could have been caused by teeth clenching.. because this morning after locking my jaw, I felt it in that area of my head briefly when I was showering this morning.
The sensation you are feeling with tenderness on the temporalis muscle is from the muscular contracture headache and the grinding of your teeth. the superficial temporal muscle is the one that has to contract to close your jaw and it is working overtime. In addition the sensation you feel on the top of you scalp is again related to muscle contraction as it is the distribution of the greater occipital nerve. that nerve runs out of the upper cervical vertebra and through the mastoid foramen to supply musculature and sensation to the back of you scalp up to the vertex, and again you are squeezing that nerve with muscular contraction. this is not a brain tumor, and you really need to focus on getting that obsession out of your mind, as it is the cause for the incessant muscular contraction/stress. Do you think a group therapy session for anxiety and stress would help you. You seem to be the type that is trying hard to work within the situation, trying to understand and cope, but you maybe need some help here.??
Let me know if I can help you further in anyway Dr Frank T get back to me if you need any information
Thanks. Just anyway i turned my head last night on the pillow, I could feel this. It is so hard to describe because it wasnt a headache, it was so mild, yet so debilating because i couldnt get to sleep as my mind was wrapped around it. I couldnt take a valium so at 2AM, I took half a benadryl and finally got a few hours of sleep. My heart was pounding and had such a hard time sleeping. I also think the pain could have been started by the mild headache that I had in the early evening.
I do have a 1 PM appointment today with one of the top Psychiatrists in Canada to discuss this.
That is fantastic. This might all be treatable with some behavioral management, you know? (I am trying to sound like a canadian....) anyway, I think that is great and you need some way to sleep through the night. good luck
Dr Frank Neuromd 2012,
I just want to let you know I had an MRI of the head today which preliminary reports state it was normal.
I do need a neurologist for these frequent headaches that have been progressing and also a CBT specialist!
I am happy to hear that your MRI is normal, but never had a doubt, I hope that helps you. . You should get a neurologist to see you for your headaches, they seem so incapacitating. There are treatments like botox that you could consider (?)
let me know if I can give you any information on treatments for headache,ok? take care Dr Frank T.
You know... Today though I got dizzy again from the lights like I had during benzo withdrawal that occured for 2 weeks. It hasnt happened in two weeks so I am glad I had the MRI. I don't like these odd symptoms that lack explanation.