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What Causes Dull Pain In Lower Right Side Of Head?
Question: I have had a dull pain on the lower side of head (right side) and now it's on both sides. It started in May. It started out dull and then it quit. It stopped around mid July for 10 days. I had a CT scan and it came back clear and my sinuses were good. When the pain came back i started to get headaches and sharp pains in my head and a burning sensation. Now it's more pressure, headache and neck ache.My family doctor said it was muscle tension migraines and gave me nortriptyline. Last Tuesday i saw a neurologist and he diagonosed me with occipital nueraliga or something with my nerve and muscles. He gave me cyclobenzaprine. now I feel pressure on both sides of my lower head (where the skull and neck meet) Last night the back of my head both sides) hurt so badly that I took an imitrex. Am I dying? I'm back to work now because I'm a school teacher and it gets so tight back there. What can I do? I've last 15 pounds over the summer and I know its do to anxiety.
Brief Answer:
You are not dying.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thanks for using HCM.
I have read your question and understand your concerns.
Occipital neuralgia is a bothersome condition, difficult to be treated, but is not a condition that may jeopardize the life.
It is a condition where the upper cervical nerves that supply back of the neck and head are damaged by compression at their exits or during their pathway.
Another possibility is peripheral neuropathy.
Treatment consists on antineuralgic drugs (Gabapentin, Pregabalin, Hydrocodone ), NSAID drugs ( Diclofenac, Ibprofen, Piroxicam ), antidepressive drugs (Amytriptiline ), physical therapy (stretching exercises ), nerve injections, epidural injections and in prolonged severe cases nerve ablation, or even surgery.
You can discuss with your Neurologist about changing the drugs to one of possibilities mentioned above, if no control of symptoms.
Treating anxiety also is of paramount importanceso, in my opinion, you should try Amytriptiline first.
Since these are prescription drugs and procedures you need to discuss with your Doctor about their use.
Hope you found the answer helpful.
Take care.
You are not dying.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thanks for using HCM.
I have read your question and understand your concerns.
Occipital neuralgia is a bothersome condition, difficult to be treated, but is not a condition that may jeopardize the life.
It is a condition where the upper cervical nerves that supply back of the neck and head are damaged by compression at their exits or during their pathway.
Another possibility is peripheral neuropathy.
Treatment consists on antineuralgic drugs (Gabapentin, Pregabalin, Hydrocodone ), NSAID drugs ( Diclofenac, Ibprofen, Piroxicam ), antidepressive drugs (Amytriptiline ), physical therapy (stretching exercises ), nerve injections, epidural injections and in prolonged severe cases nerve ablation, or even surgery.
You can discuss with your Neurologist about changing the drugs to one of possibilities mentioned above, if no control of symptoms.
Treating anxiety also is of paramount importanceso, in my opinion, you should try Amytriptiline first.
Since these are prescription drugs and procedures you need to discuss with your Doctor about their use.
Hope you found the answer helpful.
Take care.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Will I ever get over this. What can I do for the muscle tightness? I use biofreeze and a heating pad. What can I do for headaches? I take ibuprofen 600 mg. I go the pain doctor on Thursday. What is the other diagnosis you talked about? Could you explain it?
Brief Answer:
Your condition is treatable.
Detailed Answer:
Welcome back.
Your condition could improve with the proper treatment.
Headaches are most probably related to your neck nerves dysfunction and anxiety disorder.
Rest and a soft cervical collar at least for few days should help.
About your neck muscles tightness you can use miorelaxant drugs (Tiocolchicoside eg.), heating pad helps also.
Against nerve pain and headaches you can use Amytriptiline as I said before, or you can use Pregabalin ( Lyrica ).
I mentioned before peripheral neuropathy which is a condition related to nerves damaged by different factors such Low vitamin B12, diabetes, drugs side effects, nerve trauma, compression etc.
In my opinion, most probably yours is the case of nerves compression.
Since CT scan resulted negative, another more sensitive imaging study that could help in a correct diagnosis is neck MRI.
I suggest you to discuss with your treating Doctor about above mentioned possibilities regarding to treatment and imaging studies.
Hope I helped you. Best regards.
Your condition is treatable.
Detailed Answer:
Welcome back.
Your condition could improve with the proper treatment.
Headaches are most probably related to your neck nerves dysfunction and anxiety disorder.
Rest and a soft cervical collar at least for few days should help.
About your neck muscles tightness you can use miorelaxant drugs (Tiocolchicoside eg.), heating pad helps also.
Against nerve pain and headaches you can use Amytriptiline as I said before, or you can use Pregabalin ( Lyrica ).
I mentioned before peripheral neuropathy which is a condition related to nerves damaged by different factors such Low vitamin B12, diabetes, drugs side effects, nerve trauma, compression etc.
In my opinion, most probably yours is the case of nerves compression.
Since CT scan resulted negative, another more sensitive imaging study that could help in a correct diagnosis is neck MRI.
I suggest you to discuss with your treating Doctor about above mentioned possibilities regarding to treatment and imaging studies.
Hope I helped you. Best regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Neel Kudchadkar
Why is the pain worse when it's evening?
Brief Answer:
Because the fatigue during the day.
Detailed Answer:
Hi again.
Pain is worse in the evenings because the fatigue of the neck muscles during the day and because the stress accumulated during the day.
Hope this helps. Take care.
Because the fatigue during the day.
Detailed Answer:
Hi again.
Pain is worse in the evenings because the fatigue of the neck muscles during the day and because the stress accumulated during the day.
Hope this helps. Take care.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
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