I had a cold or flu-like infection 6 weeks ago, but after a few days I developed a severe headache with tinnitus. I don't have a history with headaches or tinnitus and I have never experienced a headache like this before - the closest I get to the same strange feeling was when I had a concussion years ago. Light sensitivity, dizziness, feeling "drunk" and out of place and having strange sound hallucinations. Now 6 weeks later the headache has become chronic (as in 24/7) although it is less painful and I still have tinnitus most of the time. I also have many relapses where I feel like I have the flu with sore throat, fatigue, malaise and the headache and tinnitus gets much worse, at which point I can do nothing but lay in my bed with closed eyes - all this means I am still completely unable to work and on sick leave (which is a problem in it self because I have no adequate diagnosis). There seems to be very little or no progression at all with one day feeling relatively ok and the next day feeling totally shitty.
I was referred to a neurologist who believed it was tension headache but I am very skeptical of this diagnosis. I am going to have an MRI scan, but it is not scheduled until a month from now.
Although I felt really bad I never felt extremely sick though, I was not hospitalized at any point and I am pretty sure I never had high fever and I might not have had fever at all. Also I did not throw up and I did not had a stiff neck. Do you think it is possible to have had VM without having severe symptoms? Has anyone who looked into VM come up with other explanations for similar symptoms?
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GhostInTheShell
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I had no symptoms instead of this herrendous headache I was admitted to hopital and from blood test they found out.I am a year on and I am very poorly with headaches and body pain.Be very careful if you can rest is the best medicine for this horrible disease u till you get your scan.I really hope you feel better soon and get back to normal Jean viral meningitis.
If your doctor did not order a spinal tap,you may never know if you have VM. I contracted VM 3 years ago,I was 55 at the time. I worked 65-70 hour work weeks for 38 years and one day a headache tuned into the most severe head pain I've ever experienced.Went to my GP and he sent me home saying it was Viral and I continued to suffer miserably,I checked myself into the local ER and I had a temp of 104.7 and they threw ice blankets on me and filled me with several antibiotics. Never had neck issues or nausea,Ihad balance issues and ear buzzing and tinnitus even to this day. My neurologist suggested a spinal tap and it showed a white blood cell count of 364 and it should only be 4. I went home a week later with pain killers and months of strong antibiotics given by myself through a pic line installed by my hospital,this was not an easy thing to do. As days and months went by and 3 other spinal taps my whit blood cell came down to 68. That still is higher than it should be and I'm a little hesitant in getting another one anytime soon. MRI'S showed swelling in the brain and I was told it takes years for the brain to heal. I had every test imaginable and they cannot tell me what kind of virus I have.They did say it was chronic which means I still get low grade fevers,ear buzzing ,balance issues,headaches when I push myself. These are the cards I've been left to play with and I'm pushing through. When I think about how I felt the day I came home and now, things do get better but my struggles still continue. Don't wait too long to get a spinal tap,the doctors in the ER told me never wait a week with that severe of a headache because if I waited 2 more days they might not of been able to help me. Remember,my GP sent me home with pain killers,he didn't send me to the ER! Meningitis is not something to take lightly.
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