Severe Pounding Headache During Bowel Movement

[mt_100]

I have had a problem for some time now and am now very worried.

Background:
I have had this on and off for quite some time, over a year.

I'm a 33 man and at the time it started I was 194 pounds and had cholesterol of 216. I admit I was out of shape. One thing to note is my tolerance for pain is very high.

I was tested for everything, CAT scans, bowel X-rays, scoped from one end to the other. Tried fiber, lots of fiber, Nothing. I gave up on answers about the time the symptoms subsided.

Since then, I shaped up. I am now 165 pounds, cholesterol of 136 and can run 4 miles a day. At no time during the workouts or other strenuous activity do I experience this issue or other issue.

Symptoms actually went away for quite a while, several months in fact, but are now back as of this last week and worse. I now can tell when I need to have a BM because it starts very mildly.

During the BM, without straining at all, it starts. It will start on the back of my neck as a small soreness or stiffness and very quickly I will feel my heartbeat in my neck. Within seconds the pounding in my head starts on the left side and goes up to the top and down the bottom. With each heartbeat there is excruciating searing pounding pain. A pain that feel like someone hooked a bicycle pump to the left side of my neck and is pushing pressure very hard into my head. Each heartbeat is torture and afterward it slowly subsides over a few hours until only a stiff sore neck remains. However this last time the dull headache lasted into the next day.

The pain is so severe I have blacked out once however I fight not to. I am not straining, pushing, or doing anything. Most of the time I am trying to relax. This happens with hard or soft movements and diarrhea. I would consider this pain to be a 8-9 out of 10. (A motorcycle accident with broken bones was a 6 to me for comparison sake)

I have tried to identify changes or habits that may have changed or repeated and so far cannot find something. I am truly worried that I will have a stroke or brain aneurysm during a bowel movement to the extent that I call my wife on the phone.

Can someone help? No doctors around here are able to.

[headache81311]

Hi! I googled Bowel Movement Headache and this site came up. I've been suffering this kind of headache for over 15 years. It started when i was 12-13 and never really stopped. My parents never took me to a doctor and I never thought the headache is connected to my bowel movement until a couple of years ago. I think it has to do with intollerance to certain food: am avoiding chocolate for instance. A test will be next. Anyway, I moved from Italy to England and was offered a black tea with milk. Before drinking a mug I felt the stiffness coming up in my neck again. After a second mug the pain left. I have kept drinking black tea with milk ever since and something changed. It's like the pulsing in my head disappeared, even when I feel sick the pain is different, softer and not as strong. Shortly after drinking it I need the toilet and it's like whatever I ate and hurt me comes out. It really helped me! Give it a try... and let me know if this works for others too.

[sralcia]

The bowel will act up just as you describe, will hold for a number of days and then all those symptoms as you describe happen,  The reason is because the allergen you ate can not be digested properly by your intestants and you get blowded, gasy, uncomfortable, I bet belching too.  Once it finally digests the allergen you have your BM as strange as it may be.  But if you eliminate the allergen from your diet.  Believe me you will be "normal" again.  Allergies can cause havoc with your system and a cure is so simple, just stop injesting it.

[sralcia]

I'm glad to hear that you're better, but please find out about your allergies. See if you have any and then stop eating what you're severely allergic to and your headaches will go away.  It worked for me and I had the same symptoms and you.

[sralcia]

Just to follow up on the excruciating headaches, I no longer have them. I have not under any circumstances eaten CHICKEN, to which I  am allergic.
I can go to the bethroom normally again, no discomfort at all.  I no longer fear the fact that I have to have a bowel movement.  People, please believe me find out what your allergy is and STOP EATING THE CAUSE OF YOUR ALLERGY.  You will be pain free.  I was so scared when I experienced those headaches 3 day in a row, that I thought I was going to have a massive stroke.  I thought I would die on the toilette.  So please believe me and take my advice.  Those headaches were unreal, brain explosive.

[sralcia]

As I posted before, I came to the conclusion that in my case it was the fact that I started to eat chicken to which I am allergic.  If you read my posts I explained it in detail.  Now I stopped eating chicken again and no more of these horrible headaches.  Find out what you're allergic to stop eating it and you will be pain free and enjoy the "throne" again.

[sralcia]

The first time I experieced this horrible throbbing painful headache all over my head, I thought my brain would explode inside my skull.  There was not a spot that did not hurt.  I began massaging my head while still on the "throne" the pain started in my sides and throughout the entire top of my head, to the back of my neck.  I really thought I was going to have a strone while taking a movement.  I went and took 3 tylenols, and placed ice pack all over my head and told my husband that if I don't get better in 15 min. we have to call and ambulance.  That is how bad it was.  After 15 min. I felt some relief.  The headache lasted 6 hrs. plus my eyes were thobing too.  I have no health issues other than allergies and asthma.  I started taking ZYRTEC recently, and wonder if this could be the cause.  Yesterday I purposly did not take it and today, even though I was afraid to go to the bethroom, I went had a movement without any painful headache.  But I did take 2 tylenols when I woke up, just in case.  I would appreciate your opinions on this.  Because it really is horrible, you get fear of the toilete, and its no joke.

[kenzieloper]

I'm shaking right now because of how terrifyingly exact my symptoms are to yours and most others on here.
I have another question are you on opiates? I heard prolonged usage can cause some sort of damage maybe even that malformation they're talking about. I've been on opiates for a long time.  

I'm 29 female first time it happened almost 2 years ago I was 150lbs and these last 2 nights that weren't as bad as the first I'm like 160lbs. I suffered from migraines when I was little it was written off as allergies causing me headaches. The first time @ the hospital they kept treating me like I was in opiate withdrawal. Despite me explaining I take methadone something with a half life of 30 hours trust me I'm not sick.
And the migraines I got in middle/high school were no joke I'd have sensitivity to sound & light nausea all I wanted to do was sleep. Now this pain isn't a migraine we all know that.
I don't have this abdominal mass you're talking about but I am across intolerant & the last 2 nights it started with getting woken up ready to go diarhhea and my heads pounding. I know what's coming.
I'm going to try my chin to my chest thing next time.

Here are some possibilities I've researched
Psuedoaneurysm
Actual aneurysm
C something malformation (discussed in earlier replies)

On a Canadian medical website i saw a section about aneurysms going unnoticed or untreated when a persons bearing down for a bowl movement.(not necessarily straining but getting ready to poo) And the headache is referred to as a thunderclap or worst headache of your life.
They say if this happens go to the ER & ask them for a spinal tap to check cerebral spinal fluid levels.

I have my appointment in 4 days and I'll be showing her these posts so she can understand it better.
If I get a definitive answer I'll let y'all know

[kenzieloper]

Its  most painful in the lower back left of my head. And it's still sore.

Idk if any of you have your medical marijuana cards, if you do try some BlackBerry Kush. It got rid of my sore neck pain