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        New Message Board Archives >> Jul-Sep 2003 >> Seeking further leads towards diagnosis
        
(Message started by: peteycat on Aug 30^th, 2003, 1:49pm)

Title: Seeking further leads towards diagnosis
Post by peteycat on Aug 30^th, 2003, 1:49pm

Thanks to all who have responded to my first post-

http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=general;action=display;num=1062192024

- they have been very helpful. 8)

I've come to suspect that I don't have actual CHs, based on your replies. I'm trying to ferret out exactly what it is I do have. Responses on this board have led me to possible suspects in:

Chronic paroxysmal hemicrania (CPH)
icepick headache
jabs & jolts headache
TMJ

Some sites kinda lump them together, while others treat them as seperate incidences. However, all describe them in such medical jargon that I nearly trigger a headache trying to make sense of them.

Anyway, does anyone know more about these conditions, or know links to "plain English" descriptions of them? Each seems to have features consistent with my experience, but others that seem to disqualify them.

My specific symptoms are:

deep muscle tension in the shoulders and neck, significantly more pronounced on the right.
general pressure through the skull, radiating from the shoulders and neck. Again, more pronounced on the right.

. . . these would generally lead me to think tension headache, but then there is. . .

dull, slow pulsing, burning stabs in the right shoulder. Feels like a little gremlin is perched on my shoulder, with his claws dug into the muscles, flexing his toes. And. . .
. . . he has an ice-pick, or a live electrified wire held poised just behind my right ear. Randomly, and without warning, he stabs me once or in quick succession, bringing me to a blinding, excruciating halt. I will literally bang my head against the wall at these times.

. . . then it's gone. The reprieve could last a few minutes or a few hours. I haven't been able to discern any particular trigger. Doesn't matter what I'm doing. The whole cycle generally last one to three days. Worst in the mornings and evenings.

It doesn't affect my eye to the extant that most people here describe, I don't tear-up or get red eyes. Usually just a dull pressure behind the eye. My sinuses are generally not affected. My jaw does get tense, but I don't know if this is a cause or an effect of the pain.

Anyway, I'd be greatful if anyone could help me narrow this down. I've only found "half-fits" so far. Particularly, does anyone else get the ice-pick/electric wire pains behind the ear?

Thanks.

Title: Re: Seeking further leads towards diagnosis
Post by peteycat on Aug 30^th, 2003, 2:38pm

Here's another one:
Occipital Neuralgia
There are so many variations of headaches and causes, I don't see how anyone can ever figureout what the problem is!
Anyone ever heard of this one?

Title: Re: Seeking further leads towards diagnosis
Post by cathy on Aug 30^th, 2003, 3:32pm

Sorry I can't help you out further but hopefully some of the others will....whatever it is you have I hope you find some pain free times soon.

Cathy

Title: Re: Seeking further leads towards diagnosis
Post by Donna on Aug 30^th, 2003, 4:45pm

From what I've read, CPH and icepick headaches are one and the same thing. How about it Bob P, am I right on this one?

Indocin almost always relieves this headache.........that's one way we can tell that it isn't ch.

Don't forget to go thru our archives for discussions on this topic..........find it in the menu at the left. There has been a great deal of discussion on this.