Neck pain & headache related pain

[Janet]

I read the 2006 posts that I made on this thread.
I am so grateful that I feel so much better now. 
To those of you needing a little encouragement, keep pressing for help and keep hopeful.
Janet

[cin605]

Janet...so glad your felling better...What made you fell better?Time or meds or time and meds?Botox?

[oksandra]

I had Cyberknife 5 months ago and recently I started having ear pain, headaches, fatigue, and a whooshing noise through my ears (among so many other things that were already there).  The headaches aren't so terribly severe, but they did keep me up a couple of nights.  My doctor gave me some methylprednisolone (a high dose steroid) and then Dexamethasone (a corticosteroid).  He actually gave me those because he thought he saw a decline in my facial function.  I think the pain and ear noise symptoms struck him as pretty normal.  However, it is like a magic drug.  It's too bad it has so many potential bad side effects which prevent long term use.

To the person who regrets having the Gamma Knife, I think that surgery also carries many potential side effects.  I had two neurosurgeons out of three tell me that radiation was the better option for me (one was very adamant).  Both are highly respected surgeons.  That is not to say there aren't advantages to both (one respected, but less experienced, neurosurgeon was adamant that I should get surgery).  At any rate, I've read on this site that the cure usually seems worse than the disease, except that not treating is dangerous in the long run.  For me, the side effects probably started at 3 months, and got really bad at 5 months.  I have had some luck with Ibuprofen 400 mg, but it is nothing like these lovely steroids!

If there are any of you out there that have gotten past the headaches, please share!  I'd love to hear how long it takes.

Sandra
AN 2.5x2.5x2.7 diagnosed April 2010, treated with Cyberknife August 2010, Dr. Clinton Medbery III

[Denise S]

Janet...so glad your felling better...What made you fell better?Time or meds or time and meds?Botox?

Janet,
I too am curious after reading this topic what helped you.....BUT I am thinking I've seen your name on some of Mei Mei's posts.  Did you have some kind of surgery after this amount of time?    Any information may still be helpful how things may have ended up overall since many others are still suffering with much of the similar issues.
Thanks for sharing

[Mei Mei]

Yes, Janet posted on my thread.   She had two surgeries with Dr. Ducic at Georgetown and he speaks highly about her.    My next appt with him is on Tuesday afternoon.    I am doing Myofacial release right now and it is difficult to go through.    The first two sessions were great and they released so much that I slept right there and 8 hours when I came home, but now the sessions don't give the results as before, they are trying to release the C2 and Occipital nerves from the adhesions.    They noted that the part around the Occipital and C2 was resected in order to place the Titanium Mesh.    It would be difficult to remove the Mesh at this point because it is grown together with the dura and the brain.

Mei Mei

[heyct]

I am now 2 months + Headache Free! What a difference in my life.

My headaches started almost a year after surgery & always accompanied with neck pain/stiffness. Not nearly as bad as some other members on this site, but still dibilitating & frustrating with a toddler running around. I was at the point where I was afraid to do certain physical activity.

I had gotten sucked into a chiropractor because he also offered massage therapy. He also would talk about my C2 getting stuck, adjustments didn't help my headaches. So, I finally broke down to get some prescription meds for my migraines. The doctor also gave me a prescription for physical therapy.

By george, I think it helped! I was given isometric head exercises, ultrasound therapy & a 6x36 foam roller exercises---which I LOVE. I'm still doing massage therapy, but only every other week. Whenever I feel the stiffness coming, I just on my foam roller & stretch it back out. I have not even tried my prescription yet.

I know everyone is different, but perhaps this can help.

I also found a great iphone app: iHeadaches.
It's a great way to keep a headache log. There is a free version & a paid version.

Hopefully I didn't jinx myself in writing this:)
Take care everyone,
Carolyn

[Mei Mei]

I agree with you...for these kinds of headaches (and they sound a lot like mine), the drugs don't help as much as the PT.   Even the Indomethecin didn't help prevent them but helps me while I'm having a headache.    The Imitrex used to rid my headached within ten minutes, but I took it too long and now it's no use to me.

I take Valerian every night along with Melatonin and don't fall asleep.  I'm now taking Klonopen for sleep, sleep with a C Pap mask, have a Chiro water filled pillow and ice my neck a half hour before bed.

For me, it's been the Myofacial Release Therapy at Georgetown that has made a real difference in my life.   Yesterday I had another session and he worked on my shoulders and neck and came home sleepy.   I hope you'll find someone who's been trained in MRT as I am convinced it will help.   It's incredible, powerful stuff!

Google it and a website comes up with a page to search for trained certified therapists in your state.

[skahn47]

It has been ten days since my last treatment (CK). I have a headache and feel nauseate; I take Meclizine 12.5 mg to help with the nausea but try to endure headache. I hear Ibuprofen and steroid would help. Ibuprofen makes the ringing in the ear worsen; don't want to get steroid because of side effects. Any suggestion on the OTC for relief of headaches. 

[Mei Mei]

My doctor told me to take Alleve because he said it works better.   What had lasting results was the PT on my neck (C1 and C2).   I posted what the therapist said on my Myofacial release post.

Got a sudden headache at the Symposium Sat. Night after sitting long hours taking notes on my laptop.  It must have aggravated the neck to stay in that position too long.  This was how I originally ruptured my herniated disks back in 1988 working 8 hours a day as a writer at NIH.  Now OSHA has recommendations about how long you should sit at a computer.

Imitrex is very tempting but don't use it for too long or you'll build up a resistance to it.

Mei Mei