Question
Hello,
     I'm a 22 yr old healthy male.  I woke up tuesday morning at 6 am, which was 4 days ago. I was sleeping on the couch and I woke up and moved my head and I felt something like pop on the back of my head, immediately after that I just had a bad headache. I tried to go back to sleep but couldn't so I got up and then I started feeling nausau's and then I got worried and looked up what it could be and found anuerysms, so this made me really worried so i went to the ER, and told them about it they just talked to me and I told them what happen so they gave me some pain medicine and it worked a little so i went home, then later it started hurting again.  It's been like that since, it will come on gradually as the day goes on and sometimes with sharp shooting pains in that same spot in the back of my head. It won't go away and I havent had much of an appetite since this started. Everytime I try to eat I feel like I'm going to throw up.  I went back to the walk in clinic wednesday and they just listened to me and gave me some more medicine and sent me on my way, I guess the only thing that would put me at peace of mind would be a ct scan of the head to look for anything serious.  what do you think this could be? today is the 4th day and its still hurting bad in the same area it started, back right side of my head, but it seems that every now and then it will just hurt my whole head in general, then that will go away and just go back to the spot it started. its like a constant dull pressure, with occasional sharp stabbing pains.

Answer
Hi Michael

Sorry to hear about this.

As I always remind people, I'm not a medical doctor, so my answers are based on my own research and the experiences I've had with my clients.

There are a couple of issues here. One is of course what might be causing the pain. Do you have any other symptoms besides the headache and nausea? Any numbness or tingling on one side of the body or both? Any pain radiating down into one of both arms? Vision problems? These are all important questions that might help differentiate between something inside the brain, like an aneurysm, or a problem with a disk in your neck. Could even be a pinched nerve.

The second issues is the one I'm most concerned about, and that is whether you are getting a sufficient medical workup to determine the cause of the pain. ER's are notorious for sending people home with pain pills. Do you have a regular doctor? If so, see if he or she can run some interference for you so you can get a more thorough workup. I don't know that a CT scan has to be done, but you are entitled to an understandable explanation about what tests are and aren't going to be run, and what thinking went into that decision.

I'm not trying to worry you, the most likely explanation is a pinched nerve or muscle spasm in the muscles sheath along the back of the head and top of the neck. However, unexplained sudden onset headache that does not resolve quickly could be something serious.

So, bottom line. Keep pressing ahead to get checked by someone who will actually take the time to see what the problem is.

Good luck. If you have a follow-up question or more information, let me know.

Barry Hughes

http://www.chronic-pain-alternatives.com