?? Pain in the neck!

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char2mar

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 21, 2005
Messages
94
Location
Alberta, Canada
Hi

I haven't posted for a long time. I have been fairly stable over the past year but two days ago I got this wicked headache while at work. It was so bad that I got sick to my stomache. The headache lasted all day and night. No amount of over the counter pain meds helped. The next day the headache pain demished some what but then out of the blue I experienced this pulsating stabbing pain on the right side of my neck in the carotid artery area. I pressed my fingers onto the artery and the pain ripping through my neck happened with every heart beat. This lasted for about 30 minutes then it settled down. Later on that evening I had another episode. Then again today. I also had a few dizzy spells and some ringing in my ear (right side). At the moment I feel another killer headache coming on and my neck pain has come back (still pulsating). I have a BAV with a dialated acsending aorta. Could it be related? Could I be having a dissection of the internal carotid artery? Could it be some freaky wacked out form of migraine??? This happened once before (2005) and it resolved itself and I never did find out what it was. Just wondering if ayone out there experienced this before. Could it be heart related...I don't want to go to the ER...they will probably think I'm crazy....but damn does it hurt....Any suggestions on what it could be....


Char
 
I have a BAV with a dialated acsending aorta.
Click to expand...

char2mar,

As someone who is not a medical professional my suggestion would be to get to the ER as soon as possible to get your symptoms checked out. I think you would agree with me that whether it's related to your heart or not there is still something wrong going on...true? Whether it's your BAV/aorta, a migraine, or something else it sounds like it's causing you to have pain, nausea, as well as disrupting your life and making you worry about what could be causing these symptoms. It's always better to feel foolish for going to the ER for something minor than to not go to the ER and regret it...assuming you are still around to regret it.
 
char2mar2ER - now, please. Please get it checked as it sounds like something that could be very serious.
 
Thanks for the advise....the thought of sitting in the ER for hours makes me feel more sick. If my symptoms persist and I can't get to sleep I will probably go...if I fall asleep and I wake up tomorrow with the same pain I will check it out with my GP. At anyrate I'm still here.....still in pain and debating if I should take a T3 or better yet, a percocet. I was hoping that someone might actually know what the hell is going on. Could be a thousand different things...



Char:(
 
Char,

The only problem with pain meds is that you may not get a feel for whether the pain is getting worse. You are right - it could be many things. The ones that immediately come to mind is a bad migraine, a brain bleed, meningitis, etc., etc., etc. It would all be speculation and you know very well that the only way to find out is to have it checked.

Since this has gone on for 2 days, why would you wait until morning? If it truly is something serious, delaying further can be deadly.

I also hate the ER but I would already be there with symptoms as you described.
 
Yikes!!! I was so hoping that I wouldn't have to make that trip. I guess I will take your advice and get it checked out tonight.....did I tell you how much I hate the ER.....but I wll go....my head is pounding....neck vein is pulsating and now my frigging ear and jaw hurts too! Thanks again for the advice and the concern......


Char:eek:
 
Char,

Get to the ER right away--anyway! Unless Canadian medicine is totally warped in its priorities, anything related to the heart gets 'rush' treatment ahead of anyone else in the ER. Mention your heart surgery (show the scar if you have to), the aorta problem the last time you had these symptoms and the carotid artery symptoms with the bizarre headaches, and you should be seen in no time--even ahead of people with broken bones and other non-immediately life-threatening problems.

Don't go to sleep, you may not wake up. I do intend to scare you--this is serious! Get help--perhaps call an ambulance--I'm not sure you're safe to drive--or at least get someone else to drive you if ambulance service is slow, expensive, or both. I want your next post to describe your visit to the ER when you've been properly diagnosed and treated in a day or two--unless of course you're in recovery from some sort of life-saving emergency surgery. Then I guess we can wait a little bit longer--but we want to see you post here again and tell us what happened--even if it's in the Post Surgical area.

You'll be in my prayers,

Chris
 
CALL YOUR MD AND GO TO THE ER YOU ARE ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO SHOULD BE THERE! YOU DON'T WaNT TO WAKE UP DEAD.
Lettitia
 
Char, I know er waits are stressful but im hoping
you've already checked into this........praying for you



zipper2
 
Char,

Just catching up with this. Hope you did get to Er last night or doctor first thing this morning, and they are getting to the cause of the pain, and helping you out. Sending my best wishes and prayers....
 
Just got back from the ER.

Just got back from the ER.

Thanks for all of your concerns. I did go and I didn't have to wait, they took me in right away. They did the usual cardiac work up. No heart attack, no blood clots and no stroke. Ekg showed LVH. Blood pressure was low. CT scan was negative for dissection. They said if the pain persists and or gets worse to come staight back. Apparently dissections are hard to detect unless it is a critical situation. I have all the symptoms of aortic dissection. (Center chest pain, neck pain and pain in the center of my back.) They are pretty confident that I am not dissecting however they are unable to say what is really going on. SO they sent me home with a fist full of percocet and instructions to see my GP if the pain doesn't resolve its self. Here's hoping its not the start of worse things to come. So now I am groggy from moraphine, still in moderate pain and clueless as to what the heck is up with me.

I will keep you posted on my mystery illness. AT least they didn't treat me a crazy depressed woman. :D


Char
 
Thanks for the update Char. Try to stay on top of the concern about dissection. Can't an ultrasound check that or am I thinking of something else?

Enjoy that Percocet - not a bad thing to have to take. ;):D;) Praying that things improve for you.
 
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