Pain in back of my head.

In some ways this is worse than migraine because nothing helps.
It hits hard and backs off some and then hits again.

It is under the occipital, but goes up to the back of my head and down to my neck.
It feels like something is dragging the back of my head off....immense pressure.

WTF is it.....anyone??? Please and what can I do with it.

I have no actual migraine today, but this is driving me crazy.
Its not new to me, but some time since I have had it this bad.
Only other clue....my ears are ringing.

Really appreciate any advice.

Thanks.

Have you had an MRI of that area? It seems that something is going on that is trapping a nerve or two. That can send radiating pain. I had a big problem with my first rib popping out of place and causing horrible pain in my neck and shoulder. It wasn't until a physical therapist noticed it while massaging my neck that we figured out what was going on. Four years of doctor visits and it's the PT that figured it out!

Now I can pop it back down as soon as I feel any tightness and YEARS of agony are gone. Something like this might be going on with you.

I hope you feel better soon. It just sucks when we hurt all the time.

Hi Alli,

No I havent. Getting MRIs over here is hard work. I guess they must be more expensive.
I am due to see the practice physio soon I hope. I will askher about it, and thank you.

P

Do you also have pain behind your eyes? It might be what my neuro called occipital neuralgia.......for me when this pain hits if I can get someone to massage the back of my head and my neck and shoulders it can really release the pain. I hope the pain backs off soon. Leslie

Hi,

Pain in the back of my head/rt. neck is often my only migraine pain anymore. I used to get this with pain around my right eye, but now all in the back of my head most days. I never thoughts about it, but it is hard to get rid of it. When it's bad I get lightheaded with sucks.

Angel

Pen,

Hope the pain is gone by now. With the ringing ears, you might need to check your blood pressure when this is going on. When it feels as if someone is hitting me in the back of the head with a baseball bat, I have to take a strong pain killer.

Hal

Hi Pen,

I have been getting the same for weeks now, some days worse than others, I have put it down to part of the daily migraines I am now getting.

My neck seems stiff on the side of the head pain but moves to the other-side when the head pain moves, also the dragging stiffness is in the back of my head. Yes I also get tinnitus, but I have had this on and off for years. I also suffer from CFS.

As you may know I have had my fair share of MRI head scans over the years, 6 in all plus 2 CAT scans, they are not easy to get in the UK for some reason, cost I suspect.

I am also looking at my blood pressure since my visit to our local hospital the other week, it is not that high at home, I have read it once a day (while resting) for the last ten days, see below, but it is just possible high blood pressure could cause some problems,

Peter

139/96 PR95


141/98 PR90


137/97 PR92


140/94 PR93


134/92 PR84


131/92 PR92


131/98 PR98


138/98 PR90


138/94 PR94

WOW,

My doctors would be screaming at me if my resting blood pressure were that high. That would mean that your active blood pressure is much higher. You should check it when you have been doing something for awhile. I'll bet you would be very surprised. I would be somewhat concerned about the lower number (Diastolic). In the US if the Systolic goes above 140, you are considered having high blood pressure.

Hal

Another comment,

Your pulse rate is high for resting. You should be looking at around 70. Looks like you should be on some kind of blood pressure medicine, like Amlodapine (if you have that over there).

Hal

Thanks Hal,

Well the doctor at our local hospital was concerned and wanted to start me on meds asap, but at the hospital it was 200/110 so no surprise he was worried. But when I came home it was more like 139/94 so far lower but still on the high side. He did seem to think that some of my head pain was due to high blood pressure, but he was not a specialist just an EAU consultant, AC Doctor.
He gave me Ramipril Capsules 1.25 but I have been reluctant to take them as the side effects are 1 in 10 people get headaches, I could not bear yet more head pain. May be I should see my GP with the figures and see what he says,

Peter

Peter,

I think it's more important to get your blood pressure down as soon as possible. High blood pressure and tachycardia (high resting heart rate) put excessive strain on your heart.

Many migraine preventatives have headache as a side-effect, and you'll never know if you don't try it.

The newest guidelines for high blood pressure (in the U.S. anyway) are to treat when the diastolic number is over 80.

Hope you can get you blood pressure and heart rate under control soon. You may just notice your migraines will improve at least just a bit.

Peter,

My normal bp is 90/60 with a resting hr of 60. I had a medication that jumped up my bp to 130/90 with a resting hr of 100. The neuro didn't seem to concerned however he's a bit of a bonehead.

I took myself off the medication and things returned to normal and I felt 100% better (granted my normal is still pretty crappy but just goes to show how bad it was). I couldn't bend over, go up and down my stairs without serious head pain.

I wouldn't worry about the headache side-effect. Most drugs have that possible side effect and at this point that's not one I'm worried about.

Just my experience and observations.

Becky

For what it's worth, the intense pain up one side of the neck into the back of the head is how my migraines are 100% of the time. I've never experienced pain in my forehead/temples like most people I know. It's also always accompanied by ringing in my ears. Sometimes ringing so intense it feels like I'm cut off from the rest of the world.

My blood pressure is extremely low.

Peter,

I ran your BP/PR numbers past a friend of mine that works at a local hospital. The real concern was with your high resting heart rate along with the high distolic. I sure would take those pills asap. The "headache" side effect is probably caused by decreasing blood pressure in people that don't have migraines. It seems to me that that is not your problem. You should also have your cholesteral checked. It sounds as if you might have some hardening of the arteries or blockage unless you are licking "salt blocks" all day long.

Jwar,

You're just wierd. I'll bet those really hurt. It is interesting that your migraines have only been in the back. Do they ever make you barf?

I'm going on day five and have had some serious pain today, but only for a few seconds at a time and then back down to a level 3 migraine.

Peter, blood pressure has been running around 110/60 and PR around 58.

It could be Basilar M, or it could be hormones among other things.
For me, it's usually hormones causing kinda of Basilar M.

But it could be anything so better have it checked out by your dr...

Risa

Hal,

The pain is incredible. I don't know what a front of the head/eyes migraine feels like, though, so I can't compare. But yeah, when I have a migraine I need to lay down with ice on my head, for hours/days.

They've never made me vomit, but I (rarely) do get intense nausea/dizziness. I have frequent, crazy auras though.

Jayme

Jayme, if you too have the back of head pain, you have my sympathy.
I find it very hard to deal with.

P

Pen,
do you have it all the time or it comes and goes?
I consider that type of pain one of the many variants of my migraine.
I had it on Saturday afternoon and - once again - I confused it for stiffneck or nerve inflammation. Then, yesterday morning I woke up with a raging migraine (throbbing pain at 8/9 - vomit - dizziness - fatigue - depression).

Years ago I drove my dentist nuts because I was sure that I had a bad cavity in my upper teeth, but I had NOTHING. It was only that in that period migraine love to hit in that way

I was just going to suggest what "Jewishmother" did. Let us know!! Sorry this is happending.

sorry, bit erratic at the moment. it comes and goes Ivy. It isnt always in back of my head, and I havent had it this bad for some time. Forgot how much it hurt.

NEVER once have I vomited, and seldom even feel sick.
I think maybe I get upset stomach instead.

Thanks Ivy

Just wanted to say, after a few better hours it is now 8pm. I just ate and was sitting here watching TV.
Then it hit. Right side of my head, under my ear, and in my neck. Feel pressure in my teeth and it is going across the back of my head. It isnt too bad, but that is what happens with me....just like someone threw a switch...

Pen,

Someone has been throwing that switch on and off all day. I have been having these terrible sharp pains as if someone has been hacking on my head with an ice pick. I have been taking my super pain killer pills and it hasn't helped much. They have made me tired, but the pain brings me to full eyes open. It is like a lightning bolt shooting through my head. The pain lasts for a few seconds and then goes away. About ten minutes later, it hits again.

Hal

I get that always with my basilar migraine. the pressure can be intense along with neck ache. I usually have no pain just major neurological issues and the pressure.

NO neurological issues here, just awful pain.

Hi,

Just to follow up on my original comments on the post on head pain and my high blood pressure.

I have to wait till next week to see my Doctor re my blood pressure so I have decided to monitor it, in about a week it has remained at about 125-88 at rest, pulse 85.

Now the thing is NO head pain so far, so is it my BP going down that has caused a reduction in pain, or now I have no pain my BP has dropped?

The only other change is that I have been taking Butterbur for about 12 days, could this be the cause. One thing I am doing is taking time to relax, and if I relax before taking my BP it is as low as 115/80.

I really do not want to start BP meds unless I have to as they would be for life, however if it is the high blood pressure causing the migraines to become daily then the meds would be better.

It could all be coincidence but I do not feel it is. I would appreciate anyones thoughts on this, thank you,

Peter