- First and foremost, a constant, painful, swelling/achy feeling in my neck. Intense feeling of hanging upside down even when I'm right side up. I often find myself checking the mirror to see if the veins in my neck are popping out, and sometimes they are. This feeling started after I had my thyroid removed when I was 15 years old. Originally it was only once in a while when I was laying down and has progressed to being always present, and unbearable by the evening.
- This feeling is accompanied always by a headache. Again the same headache you would have if you were always hanging upside down. I wake up with it every day and it also is unbearable by the evening.
- I am always tired and physical exertion of any kind leaves me completely exhausted and makes my head and neck absolutely throb in pain. By the end of every day something as simple as walking across the room can be a feat and I need to sit and take a breather.
- Lately I have been nauseated by the feeling. Usually only by the evening but sometimes I wake up already nauseous.
- Mild to severe back and shoulder pain depending on the day.
- After all these years this has taken a mental toll on me as well. I'm often confused, groggy, extremely forgetful, and very depressed.
- Despite being exhausted I am completely incapable of getting to sleep at night.
- Occasionally (2 - 3 times per month) this all accelerates into a full blown migraine episode where I am throwing up and can't do anything but lay in the dark with no noise.
-There are other things that do not bother me at all, but I could mention in case they are somehow a key.. sporadic flushing/burning cheeks, cold fingers and toes, sporadic pain in lymph node areas (around armpits), random extreme breakouts on my face, chest, and back.
There are no over the counter drugs that have even touched this, and most just make it worse. I was prescribed a couple different kinds of narcotics at different points and all they seemed to do was make the feeling worse and make me temporarily not care about it. Even they are not an option anymore because I've tried them too many times and now they immediately make me sick.
Any response is welcome. I am having a hard time living with this and any clues or insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
I have had these symptoms for several years now in varying degrees.
there are alot of symptoms you have that i too have. I have spinal stenosis cervical and lumbar and arthritis My thoracic spine is now getting invoved.. Have 3plates in my neck. 6 screws. Been feeling sick to my stomach and to the point where i am in tears because i cannot stand it any longer. Sometimes the meds help and other times they do not. I am so tired of the torture. I am 60 years old. this has been getting worse in the past 7 years.
Hey everyone i hope youre all feeling better by now but if not i would check out/google prolotherapy and neck pain. It's supposed to be great and i just started my treatment (too soon to report back unfortunately). There is A LOT of promising information on it out there (on forums as well). try googling it with your neck pain symptoms or look up "barre lieou" or "c1 instability" ... instability in the neck can cause so many things that unfortunately many docs dont recognize. i hope this helps and be well!
Thank you so much for posting this! I have already been told I have the instability along with other things but unfortunately battle with major depression and my other worsening symptoms of nausea, fatigue, headaches, ear fullness and ringing, etc. kind of get attributed to the depression, even though MRIs show DDD, neural foraminal stenosis and whiplash. I'd be anxious to find out if this helped you?? Thanks again!
So sorry I just saw this and am replying now. The prolotherapy helped, as did various types of atlas treatments (orthogonal, nucca, the blaire technique). But what I found is that I also had a concussion which was behind the dizziness and balance problems; much of my headaches and so many other symptoms. I got a brain scan with the amen clinic in Southern California and I am using a PoNS device brain stimulator from helius to create new neural pathways from those that have been destroyed. I have so much more to say about this
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Me too, and it's a relief to read I'm not alone. Pain is not understood without having it.
Someone wrote the funniest description re. his/her doctor visit. Brought me from tears to literally LOL. So funny.
Thank you all for the posts.