chronic head symptoms

[Smores1973]

Been having feelings of pressure, tightness, numbness, pins and needles, tingling in my head on a daily basis for the past 4 months….it disappeared for 2 weeks at one time only to return again, I really think it’s nerve related as most is on the top of my scalp….when it’s at its worse it feels like what most describe as tension headache but I have no throbbing pain such as with a migraine….anyone else with similar symptoms??

[Hidden]

Hi,

What you are describing is a tension headache, which can feel like a tight band around your head. I get them on top of my head, in my forehead and on the right side of my head.

There are not usually painful (no throbbing) just annoying and distract from being able to enjoy life fully. If you have one in the top of your head just gently brush the top of your hair and you should find it momentarily stops and then starts again. So I think you are right in that they are nerve related.

If I focus on something like going out for a walk or having a chat with a friend, or even driving then they seem to stop until you stop doing whatever it was and they come back. The more you think about them the worse they get.

I had never heard of them until I banged the top of my head 9 months ago and now I get them most of the time. Initially mine eased for a while but recently they have got a lot worse for some reason. I think stress and worry plays a big part. Some days I get one after another all day long. I usually find after a shower in the evening they ease up, why I don’t know, I think maybe I’m less stressed then.

My GP was next to useless when I saw him and just said they are all in the mind.

I saw a neurologist a while back and even had a brain scan which came back as normal. He said he could prescribe a low dose anti depressant which is the way they normally treat them but he said like all medication it can have side effects. As I already take a lot of different medications I decided not to go down that route. So even the experts don’t know what the answer is.

I am going to see a specialist headache consultant some time in the near future just to see if he has any other ideas although I don’t hold much hope.

While concentrating typing this reply I have no headache, when I stop typing they will return. So I wish you all the best and just try to keep your mind occupied on other things as stress makes them worse.

[Smores1973 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you…I have to agree with you that anxiety and stress exacerbates them…they were at their worse thus far when I was extremely anxious about it…my bp hit the roof…after the period where they had stopped altogether, I made a conscious effort not to let my anxiety get the better of me and they haven’t been so bad….I do have neck and shoulder issues which I’m wondering is the root cause…. The worst of them now since they’ve returned is the numbness and pins and needles that comes with it…my doctor automatically assumed it was high bp but I don’t think that’s the cause..I plan to have it investigated further but it’s so hard where I live even to see my family doctor, takes several weeks to get an appointment…in the meantime I’m trying massage therapy, meditation and neck exercises…hopefully they go away on their own but I’m doubtful…thanks for your response

[Bevvy]

Did you post previously about this under a different name? If not it would be worth you doing a search because someone else described similar symptoms as this before. They also didn’t know what was causing them.

[Smores1973 in reply to Bevvy]

no it wasn’t me but I saw that post too…sounds just like my symptoms…hope they get answers too

[cyberbarn]

"While concentrating typing this reply I have no headache, when I stop typing they will return. "

Is it the concentration of typing, or the position that your arms and shoulders are in? There are many nerves that come out of the spine in the neck and shoulder area and can be pinched or irritated due to certain positions. Try taking a note of the position your shoulders and other parts of your body are in when you have the pain, and then when you don't.

We often ascribe emotional causes to pain when it can actually be something very physical. X-rays and scans are often done laying down, but if the pain happens when sitting up, then the imagining might be missing something.