Headache for three weeks

Ok, I am getting just a LITTLE frustrated with this; the short version of my story is as follows: had a headache which encompassed the entire top half of my head (from top lip up) for a week which did not respond to OTC meds. Also had a severe increase in fatigue and felt like I had a hard time keeping my eyes open, espcially in the light. Went to urgent care, they sent me to the ER for a CT scan, which, I was told, was negative. They diagnosed me with a migraine and sent me home with 2 Tylenol #3. Saw my PCP the next day and told her about the ER, the CT scan, and their diagnosis. She prescribed Zomig for my supposed migraine, which was a little better after the IV Toradol the ER gave me, but I still had the headache. The Zomig did nothing but make me very sleepy. Fast forward another week, still have this headache. I was kind of wondering what the heck was wrong with me, so I called the radiology dept. and got someone to go over my CT results with me. Turns out, the CT scan shows that my sphenoid sinuses are totally opaque! If I had not called, I would not have found this out. I called my PCP who started me on Cipro a week ago. The thing is, I still don't feel any better. How long should it take for the Cipro to take effect? I still have a headache, sleepiness, and my neck is killing me. Tell me I am just making a big deal out of nothing. Thanks in advance :flowersfo

Cipro should have started working by now if it was an infection . Go back to your doctor !

Z

Any fever? Does the "my neck is killing me" translate to a stiff neck or just general pain/discomfort from the tension?

Not a stiff neck, just a lot of tension, I think. I too, thought Cipro should have been working by now, but she did put my on it for 20 days, so I thought maybe it too longer. I know that sinus infections can be tough to treat, but man, I am sick of this.

Not a stiff neck, just a lot of tension, I think. I too, thought Cipro should have been working by now, but she did put my on it for 20 days, so I thought maybe it too longer. I know that sinus infections can be tough to treat, but man, I am sick of this.

20 days? Wow. How are the pain meds working for you? Tension HA can be the worst !

Z

20 days? Wow. How are the pain meds working for you? Tension HA can be the worst !

Z

I had been taking Tylenol #3, which really didn't do anything except make me MORE tired. Motrin 800 did nothing as well. The IV Toradol worked great, but that is, obviously, not practical for everyday use! Oh, and no, I don't have a fever, but I did have one in the ER.

Have you ever tried Imetrex? It's for migraines and works great. It makes you feel a bit weird but I had this same problem. My headache went for 2 wks. before I saw my Dr. He gave me Imetrex and I took only one and it was gone the next morning. If they can't find anything else wrong ask if you can take this one. I can't believe how fast it worked. I'd tried everything I could think of OTC. Nothing worked.

Sandy

I had been taking Tylenol #3, which really didn't do anything except make me MORE tired. Motrin 800 did nothing as well. The IV Toradol worked great, but that is, obviously, not practical for everyday use! Oh, and no, I don't have a fever, but I did have one in the ER.

T3's are the worst ! I don't metabolize codeine so I get no more relief from T3's than I would get from regular Tylenol . I agree...toradol is great. I would ask for something sronger for the pain. Something you can take more regularly and that works. Especially since you're on abx for 20 days...it sounds like the doc doesn't aniticipate you getting better for a little while. I am a firm believer in a pain free world. :chuckle HAs suck ! I get migraines myself so its from that experience I'm talking...Still a NSG student. :)

Z

My heart truly goes out to you because I sooooo know how you feel!! I have been suffering with sinus problems for 2.5 years now!! It started the same as you, only never went away. Pain in the head, extreme fatigue, sometimes pain radiating in my jaw, teeth, neck, etc. Used to take advil and motrin around the clock. Then Naproxen. Nothing helped. Oral toradol didnt either. Only relief I got came from percocet but unfortunately it knocks you out so you can't really function. Ceratinly can't work on it!!

As for antibiotics, cipro is one of the worst for treating sinuses. I recommend going back and starting on another. Clindamycin works well, as does biaxin or zithromax. But definitely you need an extended course. 21 days is the minimum. Once you geta good antibiotic you can expect to feel better within 4-5 days.

The only down side would be if your sinuses are blocked or plugged (which is what I have) in which case no amount of antibiotics will help and surgery to open up the sinuses is the only answer. In any event, I am waaaaaaaaay jumping the gun here but if you don't get some improvement within the next week I would honestly BEG you to ask for a referral to an ENT doc!! Trust me, I have suffered for exactly with what you are feeling for a looooooooong time! And painkillers are not the answer as nothing really helps~!!

Take care hope you feel better!!!:) :)

I had been taking Tylenol #3, which really didn't do anything except make me MORE tired. Motrin 800 did nothing as well. The IV Toradol worked great, but that is, obviously, not practical for everyday use! Oh, and no, I don't have a fever, but I did have one in the ER.

Doesn't Toradol come in PO form? That may help :)

Doesn't Toradol come in PO form? That may help :)

Yeah it does but it costs an arm and a leg.

Z

I am curious if you tried a decongestant? I have terrible sinus problems related to allergies and the only thing that helps my sinus headaches is a decongestant to loosen up my sinuses and release the pressure. Just curious...

Also, I have heard sinus infections can sometimes be fungal. I don't know if they can culture you or not but I would be considering an ENT doc if this course of treatment isn't working.

Wishing you headache-free days :) Let us know how things work out.

Be careful, too, of rebound from a headache perspective. Taking pain meds for more than 2 days a week can lead to rebound headache. This is a complicating and frustrating type of headache that, in result, leaves the sufferer unresponsive to other efforts of prevention, etc.

Sounds harsh to limit pain meds to 2 days per week. In fact, I take up argument on that with my neurologist more often than not, but that's for a different situation.

I had sinus surgery twice this year due to having a tumor 8 years ago on the side of my nose. Never quite realised how MUCH damage that tumor/surgery had done! Sinus congestion can be a symptom of many headache types, as well as sinus congestion can trigger many headaches.

There's some odd statistic out there (would have to go look it up) which states that the vast majority of sinus headaches are really migraine with sinus symptoms. I found that interesting, yet perplexing. When I knew I was having a sinus problem in the hospital, the RN called the resident for some sort of treatment for it. He told her to tell me it was just a side effect of the migraine. I laughed. No, it really wasn't in that case. I had 99% blockage in one nasal passage, and the other side wasn't much better.

Finding out what, exactly, is causing the headache and sinus trouble is important, and can be a lot of work. It's a sort of chicken-egg phenomenon with headaches and sinus issues.

Best of luck!

carrie :)