Could this be Migraine?

I have been having awful headaches for months now and I'm beginning to wonder if they are migraines. I used to think they were sinus-related and the doctor gave me 2 rounds of antibiotics, steroid spray, nasal irrigation and when those things didn't give me any relief they did a sinus CT scan which came back negative. She then referred me to an allergist, which I have not seen yet. I starting to doubt that it's purely sinus. There was never any real sign of an infection (no fever or green/yellow mucus) and I read that many sinus headaches are really misdiagnosed migraines.

Here are my symptoms:

- Constant pressure behind my eyes and forehead. Gets worse when I lean forward. If I press on my forehead or eyes, I can feel a change in pressure inside and sometimes will feel congestion drain down my throat when I do this

- Tender face

- Tender head, especially the top and sides. These spots feel like bruises and aren't always in the same place. If I push on areas of my head, I can feel pressure in my sinuses

- Deep "Itchy" sensation in various areas of my head and in my eyes and in my sinuses

- Head and face pain that changes location and intensity. It can be anywhere from the back of my head, the top, the side, my face. It ranges from dull ache to sharp stabbing pain. It does happen on both sides, but the right side is definitely more affected than the left.

- Right side of my face feels slightly numb and tingly, almost like I've had Novocaine and my right eye feels like it vibrates sometimes. The sharp stabbing pain tends to happen in the right temple

- If I push on my nose, I get a sharp pain up into my forehead

- Pain sometimes radiates down into my front teeth and into my jaw

- Sometimes I feel lightheaded, dizzy and just "out of it.' When I walk sometimes it almost feels like I'm floating and not perceiving things clearly.

- I can still function, but sometimes feel like I'm tripping over words more frequently and have more typos. I feel like I'm in a bit of a mental fog

- I feel clumsy and sometimes feel like my hands and legs aren't working quite right

- I don't know if this is related to the headaches, but I've also had pain in my left shoulder off and on for a few years that radiates into my back and chest sometimes. It's not heart-related, I've already been checked. I feel like it's nerve-related somehow. It often surfaces when I'm having this "sinus" stuff.

- My anxiety has been really bad as well... and I'm not sure if my anxiety is causing these symptoms or if the symptoms are causing my anxiety.

Do any of you migraine sufferers experience these symptoms? I'm trying to figure out what my next steps are. I just want to start feeling better and am not sure where to go from here.

Thanks!

Hi Anne,

Thank you so much for your reply. I think I will make an appointment with a new doctor and ask for a referral to a neurologist. I know I have allergies (although I have never been tested) and already take a nasal steroid and Clairitn. I also have a hard time believing they could cause the type of headaches that I've been having, especially if my sinuses are clear. The pain I've been having in my shoulder always leads me to believe it's something else.

Other info on me...

I had a ectopic atrial rhythm a few years ago which was fixed via a cardiac ablation. I still get random weird beats every now and then, but the cardiologist says that is something different from what was treated and is nothing to worry about.

I was having stomach pain, nausea, heart burn and chest pressure a few months ago and they did an abdominal ultrasound, which came back totally normal. Doctor said it could be an ulcer and just told me to take tums. I ended up drinking aloe vera juice and that seemed to help. I still get it from time to time though, but I do think that is probably tied to my anxiety.

I'm in my early 30's and have a 6 year old and a 6 month old. The head stuff kicked in during my most recent pregnancy and for awhile I thought it was because of the pregnancy. But 6 months later, it's still an issue.

Other than an anxiety disorder and the nerve/sinus/head stuff, I'm relatively healthy. I'm definitely out of shape and am exhausted from being a full-time working mom, but I don't have any other chronic health issues. I'm nursing my baby still, so am careful about not taking un-needed medications. Right now I'm on Zoloft for my anxiety, nasal steroid and Clairitn.. all of which are said to be safe while nursing. I'm not so sure the Zoloft is working though. I normally take Paxil, but it is not recommended for pregnancy or for nursing mothers, so I have been off of it for long time. I didn't take any anxiety medication while pregnant and started taking Zoloft at 2 months post-partum.

I really hope to get this all sorted out soon. I'm tried of worrying about it and want to feel good again.

Thanks for listening!