What on earth is wrong with me?
Discussion
I've had a splitting headache for 8 weeks now.
As a man I have only visited the GP twice in the last 22 years - once for the symptoms of a heart attack (thankfully wasn't one) and this.
I let it drag on for a a couple of weeks before I made an emergency appointment where I was given a whacking great dose of co-codamol. It took the edge off slightly but did little else.
So I went back to see the GP who took some blood tests, tested me for diabetes (negative) and tested my BP (fine). Gave me some strong antiinflamatories and sent me on my way.
Being no better after I returned from holiday i did another blood test (they lost the first ones) and got prescribed some different a-typical painkillers to take at night. They are also utterly inefectual.
By blood tests came back as Ok - other than a slighlty raised serum prolactin level. Trouble is that they took the blood at 7am and early day readings can give anomolous results.
I still have a s
tty horrible headache - but now I also have really acute sinus pain that no amount of pseudoephadrine hydrochloride will shift - it kept me awake until 3am this morning.
My doc has booked me in for a CT scan which is nearly a month away and in the meantime I'm off on holiday with the wife and kids - which will be distinctly sub-optimal if I'm feeling like this.
So - terrible headache for 8 weeks - chronic sinus pain - fatigue and nothing showing up on my blood tests.
Anyone got any suggestions as to what's wrong with me?*
ETA: *Apart from "The Bad AIDS" obviously.
As a man I have only visited the GP twice in the last 22 years - once for the symptoms of a heart attack (thankfully wasn't one) and this.
I let it drag on for a a couple of weeks before I made an emergency appointment where I was given a whacking great dose of co-codamol. It took the edge off slightly but did little else.
So I went back to see the GP who took some blood tests, tested me for diabetes (negative) and tested my BP (fine). Gave me some strong antiinflamatories and sent me on my way.
Being no better after I returned from holiday i did another blood test (they lost the first ones) and got prescribed some different a-typical painkillers to take at night. They are also utterly inefectual.
By blood tests came back as Ok - other than a slighlty raised serum prolactin level. Trouble is that they took the blood at 7am and early day readings can give anomolous results.
I still have a s
tty horrible headache - but now I also have really acute sinus pain that no amount of pseudoephadrine hydrochloride will shift - it kept me awake until 3am this morning.My doc has booked me in for a CT scan which is nearly a month away and in the meantime I'm off on holiday with the wife and kids - which will be distinctly sub-optimal if I'm feeling like this.
So - terrible headache for 8 weeks - chronic sinus pain - fatigue and nothing showing up on my blood tests.
Anyone got any suggestions as to what's wrong with me?*
ETA: *Apart from "The Bad AIDS" obviously.
Mr Gearchange, it could be a pituitary issue. Had similar symptoms years ago, stonking headaches in the sinus area and increased levels of prolactin. Repeat blood tests for prolactin showed elevated levels consistently (they had to rule out the effect of other medication) and an endocrinologist arranged an MRI scan which found a small benign tumour on my pit gland. I had other more obvious symptoms (being a girlie) but it might be worth you asking some more questions about the prolactin levels. How is your peripheral vision?
Have a read at www.pituitary.org.uk, but don't panic. If it is that (and it might well not be!!), it's very fixable.
Happy to answer any questions and hope you get it sorted soon.
Have a read at www.pituitary.org.uk, but don't panic. If it is that (and it might well not be!!), it's very fixable.
Happy to answer any questions and hope you get it sorted soon.
They are apparently very common, but very infrequently diagnosed because many wont have any symptoms at all.
Mine was 1cm square and was peeking over the top of my sinuses - small enough to be missed on a rhinoscopy to investigate the sinus pain but enough to cause the headaches. No painkillers touched them.
As 'brain' tumours go, they are very unscary - officially, not even the brain - in fact the treatment was uneventful.
This may sound odd, but if you can get a female GP with an interest in fertility issues, they sometimes have a better knowledge of what to look for - at the very least, you could eliminate this as an option! Good luck
Mine was 1cm square and was peeking over the top of my sinuses - small enough to be missed on a rhinoscopy to investigate the sinus pain but enough to cause the headaches. No painkillers touched them.
As 'brain' tumours go, they are very unscary - officially, not even the brain - in fact the treatment was uneventful.
This may sound odd, but if you can get a female GP with an interest in fertility issues, they sometimes have a better knowledge of what to look for - at the very least, you could eliminate this as an option! Good luck
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