Base Of Head/upper Neck Discomfort

[Broken_Shell]

Hello,

I have noticed that several people on the forum have made comments about discomfort in the region at the base of the head and upper neck junction. I experience a lot of pressure and tightness in this area, as well as a sensation like there is something "quivering" in the base of my head where my neck begins. For years, I saw many doctors for this problem, telling them that there was something wrong with the area where my neck joins to my head. I had x-rays, mris, evaluations, etc. that didn't show anything structurally abnormal in the area. I am just wondering if anyone else can relate? Have you found anything to relieve these symptoms?

Thank you, Broken_Shell

[mjan]

HI Sweetie.. YES.. just today!! But mostly I feel in the carotid arteries on right side but sometimes both sides. Its a PRESSURE.. also felt in my chest..often mistaken for a heart attack if I would see an MD and be sent to the ER.. and often get admitted. I DO have lesions on my brain and on the brain stem area. So they panic (a good thing) and admit me.

I am discouraged as that autonomic doc at Froedtert clinic has not gottten back to my PCP. He knows my insurance does not cover all of the amt when seeing him but now I feel he dropped the ball. The poor PCP is trying to help..but needs his consulation.

How are you doing otherwise?

Warmly, Jan

[all4family]

Hi Broken_shell,

Yes I get this too. Especially if I have to hold my head up for too long. I feel like I am holding up 1000 pounds up there sometimes! I don't get the quivering thing like you were describing, but I do get a lot of popping and cracking. Also I get swelling there. It will look like a big goose egg. The only thing that was found wrong is I have a pinched nerve farther down on my neck.

What I have found to be helpful is to lay my head down, and relive the pressure of holding my head up, and even better is a neck massage to relax my neck. Also a warm heating pad, or Ice pack is nice depending on if I am hot or cold.

Sorry your experiencing this. I know how painful it can be.

Suzy

[bizbiz]

Yes, I have had this from day one since getting POTS. My specialist actually said that it is very common with POTS because of lack of blood flow / blood being 'stolen' from the neck area to get to more important areas i.e the brain.

I have it every day, although some days are worse than others. It is NEVER there first thing in the morning, it only comes on once I have been up and about for the day.

I remember when I first got POTS I would try to go for a walk, and by the time I got home my neck/head would be pounding so badly I would have to lye down and take pain killers. Sometimes I feel like there is so much pressure my head will explode, other times I feel like there is something in my neck that shouldnt be there (like a tumour or growth or something!!)It is also worse when I drive.

Unfortunantly I have not found anything to relieve it

[HoudiniCat]

Yes, I suffer with this too. I got a small hand-held massager and apply it to my neck/back of me head and this seems to help a lot of the time. It almost feels like the quivering/buzzing in my neck gets cancelled out by the vibration of the massager. If it's really bad then only laying down seems to help.

[janiedelite]

I've had upper cervical/occipital pain since my early 20's after a bad car accident, but the pain was pretty manageable with advil and chiropractic. After POTS set it, I noticed that every day at 2-3pm I was needing advil and still having neck pain and muscle tiredness up there. I also have crepitus there (where you can hear the bones grinding). Now I spend a good part of my day reclining so the pain and fatigue isn't so distracting. Advil and heat help, too.

Since my more recent car accident (which resulted in 2 hip surgeries) my lower and mid-back has become more of a problem than my neck. By the way, I was a passenger in both of these accidents and in the first one we were rear-ended and pushed 20 feet into the car ahead, and in the recent one we were T-boned by an old lady who ran a stop sign. I now drive a Buick.

[mancmm19]

Ughh...I hate to add another "me too" to a symptoms forum but...ME TOO!! I have experienced severe neck "crackling" and popping as I call it, although I NEVER crack my neck. Some days are worse than others, and it happens a lot when I turn my head. This was one of the major symptoms that aided the "Lyme" diagnosis...but besides my positive Lyme test, the more I read about the common symptoms between POTS and Lyme, I wonder if it has been the POTS all along? If anyone knows of a trick to make the cracking lessen, pleaseee post. It is very annoying although, it is not the worst out of all of the symptoms we have...

[BelieverEM]

YES. For me, it is due to Chiari/ cranial-cervical instability/ cranial settling. The last two could not be seen on my films BEAUSE THE FILMS ARE TAKEN LYING DOWN. This was explained to me at The Chiari Institute. Here is an article about it:

http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/neurosurger...yndrome%203.pdf

[Lgamez3]

I was just diagnosed with POTS. It is a relief to know that I am not CRAZY and that there are other people that have the exact same symptoms and aches that I have been having. I have had so many tests and seen so many Dr's and no one has found anything until this one tilt table test. Then reading this website and the symptoms was like reading a journal from myself! haha

Well, I have had that base of the head/upper neck ache and was told I had migraines from my neurologist (ok????) and he put me on Topamax. I still take it cause it seems to work, I dont have that pain. It does nothing for my dizziness, but it does work for that pain.

Im on Metoprolol (?) for my POTS, seems to make me worse ..... any suggestions anyone?

Laura

[kjdube]

Yes I have chiari malformation.