No Diagnosis but severe head pain

[MJeffrey]

My son has now been discharged from hospital, still with no diagnosis but with Community Rehab. He did not have a head injury but described drastic head and neck pain to the point that he can’t sleep and sits in a chair most of the night. What do you all find helps with this.

[Kirk5w7]

Hi,

Im sorry i cant help because since the bout of encephalitis i had i no longer get headaches like i used to. Before the Encephalitis i used to suffer from migraines.

Now, i get pressure headaches that behave like migraines and can last for days.

I have already posted back to you that i am now prescribed pregabalin which deals with these but that medication was prescribed by a consultant neurologist not my GP.

Sorry im not much help

Janet

[cat3]

Mj, your son's issues remind me of Viral Meningitis symptoms. I'm sure the doctors would have tested for this, but your son has obviously suffered some sort of illness which has attacked his brain and, if it was a virus (an apparently unidentified one) it will take many months for his brain to recover.

I was taken ill very suddenly with a Measles/Shingles virus in the brain and hospitalised for 3 weeks with the worst headache I've ever known (even more so than the SAH) and then re-admitted with a resurgence three months later (milder 2nd time round). There was no treatment apart from steroids and painkillers, and It was around 12 months before the after-effects subsided (fatigue/headaches).

So, if any virus attacks the brain, it will be a long and often uncomfortable recovery and I see that your son's illness is very recent. I had regular check-ups for 12 months afterwards and was always warned to expect a long wait for symptoms to abate. One of the worst problems for me, besides the constant headaches, was a crippling pain in the cervical area at the back of the neck meaning I couldn't support the weight of my head for months, and had to wear a hard collar and attend traction sessions.

Similarities do you think Mj ? If so, I wanted to tell you that (until the SAH) I lived a very active life, albeit with occasional migraines and Spondylitis flare-ups, but an otherwise good quality of life. I had Codeine phosphate for pain.

This isn't an attempt at homespun diagnosis but just my long winded way of saying that distressing illnesses can come and go without diagnosis or medical intervention. I really hope your son gradually improves with time and rehab. All best wishes, Cat x

[MJeffrey in reply to cat3]

Thanks for the response. Yes they tested for everything and didn’t pick anything up, they treated him with antibiotics just in case however. My sons pain is as you have described it and in the same place. Thankfully we got an emergency appointment with the Gp today and he prescribed Nortriptyline which hopefully will also help him to sleep. Yes it is still all very new, this all only started on the 1st May. Thank you.

[cat3 in reply to MJeffrey]

It's good to hear your GP is involved and prescribing a well established drug for your son's pain and stress. I took this drug (then known as Allegron) for many years and found it helpful in relieving depression and pain.

I hope it works equally well for your boy whilst, hopefully, he recovers naturally from his mystery illness..............let's hope it's a passing viral infection which just doesn't happen to have a name yet.

Please let us know how he gets on with the medication. Regards, Cat x

[MJeffrey in reply to cat3]

Thank you.