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Headache - continuous for 8 months
Hello,
I am searching for help on a headache I have had for 8 months. I don't know what to do, and my ENT doesn't seem to know what either.
The headache began in November 2009. I went to an ENT because I had a deviated septum which was operated on in 2004, but I thought I never really got much airflow, and I wanted to see if there was more we could do. We went ahead with a surgery to reduce the turbinates and the ENT also cut back some of the cartilage that blocked part of my left nostril (it kind of curved out at the bottom).
Since that surgery I have had this headache. It is a single continuous headache, and has not gone away since November last year, and it is now May 30, 2010. The headache is a dull pain deep in my head. I kind of feel a "sore throat" connected to it, by which I mean that the pain is deep enough that it feels like it is in the region of where the back of my nose connects to my throat/mouth. The pain is central, and is in the area I just described, as well as upward a little. When I look at diagrams of the head, I would say it is in the region of the adenoids (pharyngeal tonsil) and/or the sphenoidal sinus. It is drastically affecting my social life as well as my ability to concentrate at my profession.
I went back to the ENT after the November 2009 surgery, a month or so later, and we talked about the headache. At that point we did a CT scan of the sinuses which showed a good amount of gunk inside the sinus. We then used some drugs, steroid and antibiotic (AMOX-CLAV 875MG 1/DAY*4 days, AMOX CLAV 1/DAY*28 days, METHYLPREDNISOLONE 4MG 3/day*7 days, Avelox 400 MG 1/day*10 days, Levaquin 500 MG 1/day*10 days, Medrol dose pack (steroid), Nasonex, Gabapentin 300 MG 1/day*7 days (also 2/day*7days & 3/day*7 days), Hydroxyzine HCL 25 MG every 8 hrs. as needed (the last two from a neurologist)).
Some of the drugs listed above were done after my second sinus CT, which we did a month or so after the first one. This showed stuff still up in the sinus, but reduced some. The person who did the CT also said "chronic sinusitis." I went to another ENT for a second opinion, and he also suggested more drugs (some of which listed above), and then a sinus surgery (with the balloon) if that didn't work. I also went to a third ENT who saw things in a similar way, but also suggested seeing a neurologist, and was not really sure the sinus surgery would fix it.
I went to see a neurologist, but she did not seem to help much. She was thinking about my caffeine intake, which I don't see as being a factor since I have had about 1 - 1 1/2 cups of coffee each morning pretty regularly for the past 4 years or so. She also put me on the Gabapentin and Hydroxyzine for a couple weeks and I saw not changes.
I went back to my ENT who did the surgery in November 2009, and elected to do the sinus surgery. I did the surgery on May 03, 2010, so it is now 4 weeks out, and the headache today is not improved, in fact feeling worse today. I think it might take 8 weeks or so for some people after the surgery, but should I atleast feel a slight improvement? I feel worse if anything at 4 weeks.
My father and two siblings had to have their adenoids taken out, and when I asked the ENT about this last week in a follow up the response was that she would have seen them, and they go away as people become adults. She didn't think it was a brain infection either. She did think a brain tumor might be a possibility, which is scary, and I think part of the reason why she thinks I should see a neurologist after our next follow up in two more weeks from today. I am pessimistic that my headache will improve over the next two weeks, so I already set up an appointment with the neurologist July 12, 2010. Unfortunately I will be out of the country for two weeks prior to the neurologist visit, so I can't see him sooner.
I have not had another CT since the most recent surgery, maybe I should push for one at my visit in 2 weeks? If anyone has thoughts on what might be causing this headache, I would be very pleased to hear them.
It might also be worth mentioning that in June 2007, I fell on my head on some granite. I have pain in my neck, back, arm, upper leg/lower back...all on the right side of my body. This was in 2007 though, and this headache began in 2009. I saw a chiropractor for a couple months, then I went to an orthopedic surgeon who ended up doing a surgery for my torn labrum (right shoulder), which never really solved anything (or maybe it did, but that wasn't the main problem). I am not looking for help on this pain, although it is very uncomfortable, I can make it through my days, but the headache is really impairing me, so it is my main concern.
Thank you if you made it all the way through my essay here! Help would be very appreciated.
Kind regards,
Tyler
I am searching for help on a headache I have had for 8 months. I don't know what to do, and my ENT doesn't seem to know what either.
The headache began in November 2009. I went to an ENT because I had a deviated septum which was operated on in 2004, but I thought I never really got much airflow, and I wanted to see if there was more we could do. We went ahead with a surgery to reduce the turbinates and the ENT also cut back some of the cartilage that blocked part of my left nostril (it kind of curved out at the bottom).
Since that surgery I have had this headache. It is a single continuous headache, and has not gone away since November last year, and it is now May 30, 2010. The headache is a dull pain deep in my head. I kind of feel a "sore throat" connected to it, by which I mean that the pain is deep enough that it feels like it is in the region of where the back of my nose connects to my throat/mouth. The pain is central, and is in the area I just described, as well as upward a little. When I look at diagrams of the head, I would say it is in the region of the adenoids (pharyngeal tonsil) and/or the sphenoidal sinus. It is drastically affecting my social life as well as my ability to concentrate at my profession.
I went back to the ENT after the November 2009 surgery, a month or so later, and we talked about the headache. At that point we did a CT scan of the sinuses which showed a good amount of gunk inside the sinus. We then used some drugs, steroid and antibiotic (AMOX-CLAV 875MG 1/DAY*4 days, AMOX CLAV 1/DAY*28 days, METHYLPREDNISOLONE 4MG 3/day*7 days, Avelox 400 MG 1/day*10 days, Levaquin 500 MG 1/day*10 days, Medrol dose pack (steroid), Nasonex, Gabapentin 300 MG 1/day*7 days (also 2/day*7days & 3/day*7 days), Hydroxyzine HCL 25 MG every 8 hrs. as needed (the last two from a neurologist)).
Some of the drugs listed above were done after my second sinus CT, which we did a month or so after the first one. This showed stuff still up in the sinus, but reduced some. The person who did the CT also said "chronic sinusitis." I went to another ENT for a second opinion, and he also suggested more drugs (some of which listed above), and then a sinus surgery (with the balloon) if that didn't work. I also went to a third ENT who saw things in a similar way, but also suggested seeing a neurologist, and was not really sure the sinus surgery would fix it.
I went to see a neurologist, but she did not seem to help much. She was thinking about my caffeine intake, which I don't see as being a factor since I have had about 1 - 1 1/2 cups of coffee each morning pretty regularly for the past 4 years or so. She also put me on the Gabapentin and Hydroxyzine for a couple weeks and I saw not changes.
I went back to my ENT who did the surgery in November 2009, and elected to do the sinus surgery. I did the surgery on May 03, 2010, so it is now 4 weeks out, and the headache today is not improved, in fact feeling worse today. I think it might take 8 weeks or so for some people after the surgery, but should I atleast feel a slight improvement? I feel worse if anything at 4 weeks.
My father and two siblings had to have their adenoids taken out, and when I asked the ENT about this last week in a follow up the response was that she would have seen them, and they go away as people become adults. She didn't think it was a brain infection either. She did think a brain tumor might be a possibility, which is scary, and I think part of the reason why she thinks I should see a neurologist after our next follow up in two more weeks from today. I am pessimistic that my headache will improve over the next two weeks, so I already set up an appointment with the neurologist July 12, 2010. Unfortunately I will be out of the country for two weeks prior to the neurologist visit, so I can't see him sooner.
I have not had another CT since the most recent surgery, maybe I should push for one at my visit in 2 weeks? If anyone has thoughts on what might be causing this headache, I would be very pleased to hear them.
It might also be worth mentioning that in June 2007, I fell on my head on some granite. I have pain in my neck, back, arm, upper leg/lower back...all on the right side of my body. This was in 2007 though, and this headache began in 2009. I saw a chiropractor for a couple months, then I went to an orthopedic surgeon who ended up doing a surgery for my torn labrum (right shoulder), which never really solved anything (or maybe it did, but that wasn't the main problem). I am not looking for help on this pain, although it is very uncomfortable, I can make it through my days, but the headache is really impairing me, so it is my main concern.
Thank you if you made it all the way through my essay here! Help would be very appreciated.
Kind regards,
Tyler
thanks blobby. sorry to hear about your wife's situation and I wish you all the very best. I hope I don't have ms, but it sounds like I should discuss it with my doctor. Maybe it is just a coincidence that it really started up after the turbinate surgery I had, or maybe that just triggered it or sped it up.
What kind of doctor would I see? My ENT obviously wouldn't be the best person. A neurosurgeon, or neurologist perhaps? I didn't feel very confident in the neurologist I saw a while back, so I might try somebody else.
tyler
What kind of doctor would I see? My ENT obviously wouldn't be the best person. A neurosurgeon, or neurologist perhaps? I didn't feel very confident in the neurologist I saw a while back, so I might try somebody else.
tyler
my wife has suffered a headache pain starting in her sinus it gets so bad it is like migraine, it has been with here for 20 years or more every day. she has had every test, every tablet and like you she is now on gabapentine 2000 mg a day that's right 2000mg after all the years of complaining she was given an MRI which came back as all wright but the doctor was not happy and sent here for a spinal tap she was found to be in the last stages of ms the poor girl takes a fist full of tablets every day and still has the headaches with no improvements i am not saying you've got what she has but get a check have the tap your
symptoms and causes are a carbon copy even down to the blows to the head. dont want to scare you better safe than sorry
mr blobby
symptoms and causes are a carbon copy even down to the blows to the head. dont want to scare you better safe than sorry
mr blobby
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