Can a few of you describe to me what type of headaches you have, what they feel like? What does a tension headache feel like. I've been experiencing something and not too sure what it is.

Also, has anyone ever had "burning scalp?"

My tension headaches usually start with neck pain. Then the pain lands in one of my temples and kind of behind one eye. Sometimes my scalp even hurts. I also have TMJ headaches (coming from my jaw joint) which are very similar. With the classic tension headache, I can press the base of my skull behind my head and find a knot or two that hurts so good to push and hold on for a time. Pushing on the knot generally relieves some of the headache pain. The only thing that relieves these headaches is Fioricet, a prescription drug. Works like magic.

I've had these strange headaches for almost 1.5 years now. My 2 neurologists have diagnosed them as muscular contraction or tension headaches. They make me feel giddy sometimes. They also feel like pressure behind the head or on top of the head. Sometimes I get these electrical zap like spasms and other times they feel like something is pulling behind my nose down my throat. I know this sounds crazy but I get these feelings on and off everyday chronically. I've been on antidepressants which made them worse. Sometimes all I think of is whether I have a brain tumour or not.
I've tried cranial sacral therapy and it worked for about a month but now these strange sensations are back because I am moving to our new house next week ( which has been renovating for almost 8 months and still not quite finished). I am getting really tired and stressed out.

I've had a tension type of headache since April 14, 2006...daily. It feel like I'm wearing a tight cap....I have pressure around my entire head above my ears and also on the top of my head. The pressure varies from day to day. I've been to 2 neurologists when it started and neither of them helped me. I have tried 5 different medications from one of the neuros and the other tried physical therapy, 10 days of steriods and occipital nerve block shots. They told me I could try something more invasive but I would not. I've also tried various over the counter meds as well as acupuncture. Nothing has helped so I've been living with it and taking xanax to help me cope with it. I also get a regular headache too from time to time but ibuprofen helps that.

You are my match! Especially the part about the pulling sensation; feels like someone trying to pull my nose out thru the top of my head. It's so weird. I also get what you describe as electrical zap; to me it's more like a stinging sensation; like a jelly fish just wrapped itself around a section of my head. My GP said the burning scalp I also get could be from the surgery I had to fix my cerebral spinal fluid leak. The doctor removed tissue from behind my left ear and went up thru the left nostril and patched the leak. So she said this is result of that; could take 12-16 months to go away. It just makes me nervous because signs of low cerebral spinal fluid are headaches, stiff neck and lower back pain which i've experienced all three. All symptoms of menengitis as well. So I'm constantly wondering if my leak is fixed or am I leaking where they did the spinal taps?? But my doctor assures me I'm fixed; and I'm just going to chalk it up to I went thru a stressful year with this surgery and this is it's aftermath.

When I had my first signs of peri in october with the adrenline surge that woke me up; several days after that; every area of my face and throat (general anethesia tube) tingled and burned for a few days. It was so weird. Like it woke up all the nerves. Then it went away.

Do you find the stress increased your sensations? I've been working so hard to keep my stress down. I think it's making my manager a little mad. I used to take on every task that she gave me, no matter how long I would have to stay over time or how stressed it would make me. Now ever since I went back to work I've started to push back and say no. I take some tasks; but simple ones.

Hi Nancy,
What were your symptoms of cerebral spinal leak? It sounds so terrible. Yes stress definitely aggravates these weird head sensations. The more I think about them the worse they get. Last year these weird sensations stopped for a few months because I was having stomach problems. It seem when I focused on the stomach the head stuff disappeared. Now they are back. Lately I've been feeling really anxious and stressed because of the move that I literally want to go to the ER and have them exam my head again.

Last year I also had these weird burning sensations in my arms and legs which the neurologist said was due to anxiety and stress. I thought I had spinal tumour or something. Sometimes the head sensation would cause my ears to sting also.

Do you also get lightheaded or giddy with your headaches? Today I felt like I was going to have a seizure or something. Suddenly I felt this off balance sensation or buzzing sensation inside my head and it made me feel really off balance. I was really scared.

Glor

Early February our office experienced a cold epidemic. Seemed like everyone called out at the same time with whatever it was that was going around, including me. I was out for 4 days; longest I ever called out since I was there. My cough started out wet or phlegmy; and then turned to dry cough; everytime I coughed my whole head hurt which wasn't normal for me in my past history. Then a week or so later i developed a runny nose, but only on the left side. Noticed it happened when I tilted my head forward; and if i leaned back it drained down my throat. Eventually it got worse. I saw my regular doctor 2x in one week who kept treating me for allergies/cold. I knew it wasn't that. They gave me antibiotics and steriods and allergy medicine; nothing worked. It was embarrassing because if I was in store or something and had to bend down or look down, my nose would drip. And i always didn't have tissues with me. so i would have to leave. When I would get ready for work in the morning, I would cut tampons in half and stick the tampon up my nose until i was done. Sometimes i would do thru more than 1 tampon in the morning. Finally I went and saw ENT who told me what he thought it was and he was right. I had surgery in April. So from Feb to April I suffered. You asked about off balance/giddy; never felt "giddy" but sometimes (when I was sick) if I got up out of bed I would get dizzy; but then it would go away. Haven't experienced anything like that since surgery. January 2007 I went to doctor for dizzy spells and was told I had vertigo and they were treating me for ear infection that I knew I just did not have. My nose wasn't leaking at that time; so I don't know if it was peri, CSF or what. It lasted for a while and in August 2007 my mother treated me to massage for my birthday. Shortly after that I noticed Vertigo went away. Haven't seen it since.

CSF leaks are usually a result of head trauma which I've experienced in my past with car accidents where I've been hit from behind. The worst one was in the early 1990's and I never went to ER or anything; but threw up every morning for next 3 days. I was either pregnant or had concussion; pregnancy test came back negative so I had concussion. Just rode it out. In 2004 I got my new Toyota Rav4 that I wanted to bad. 6 months later driving to work some kid hit me from behind; i was so upset. but no concussion; it wasn't that bad of impact. 2006 was hit 2 more times; once in Aug and once again in October. The august one wasn't bad, but the October one little bit harder. Usually CSF leak would start right away, but didn't start until 2008. Doctor says tear could've started slightly and got progressively worse. Who knows.

I do have buzzing/ringing in my ears/head. Started when I had my first adreneline rush this October. And it's been here since. Seems to get louder when I get stressed or I guess it's that time of month. I don't even know when that time of month is anymore because my periods have been lasting a month at a time.

I told my mother the day of surgery I didn't want to see another tampon or box of tissues; and now with these extended periods, I just can't seem to get away from the tampons....