Headaches, BPPV, sinuses or tumour?

[angrry 55]

Hello everyone....my first post in a very long time. Over the past month and a half I've been suffering from some vertigo....always when I lay on my back and also when i turn onto my left side in bed.  Over the past few days I've had a pressure type headache in my forehead and sometimes in the top left part of my head. My dr has referred me for a ct scan. Since I'm in Canada this will be a wait of several weeks. I'm seeing a physiotherapist on Wednesday who specializes in positional vertigo. With luck he can confirm I have BPPV and not a brain tumour which is my fear right now. I guess it's also possible my sinuses are giving  me the symptoms, but claritin and tylenol haven't been effective at all. Has anyone had any experience with BPPV and tension/sinus headache issues. Sorry for rambling a bit, just pretty worried and hoping someone has had similar issues and can ease my mind a bit. Thanks!!

[sTeaLth 237]

I’ve had a lot of sinus issues and many times with dizziness. They can cause a lot. Often ears are involved too. 

[angrry 55]

ty Stealth....i'm really hoping it's something as simple as that....but my mind is telling me different....i hate that i'll have to wait so long for the ct scan. Hopefully the physiotherapist can help me feel better. It's be nice if the headache would go away tho

[Ironman 193]

38 minutes ago, angrry said:

ty Stealth....i'm really hoping it's something as simple as that....but my mind is telling me different....i hate that i'll have to wait so long for the ct scan. Hopefully the physiotherapist can help me feel better. It's be nice if the headache would go away tho

This sounds a bit similar to what my stepmother has occasionally.  It is related to the inner ear, which is where we get our balance from.

Do you have a humidifier?  If you are in Canada - the first thing that is popping into my head is - wildfires.  The Land of the Maple Leaf has been sending smoke down all summer.  I ended up having a week long sore throat, pre-bronchitis episode that failed a Corona and a strep throat test.    The air is wreaking havoc on air quality. 

I stayed in the air conditioning as much as possible and used a humidifier for breathing.  That and some sinus headache medication could help.  

[angrry 55]

ty Ironman...i'm hoping its a combination of sinus, inner ear and tension....the smoke in this part of Canada hasnt been too bad overall...i've been using nasonex, singulair and claritin for the past couple of days...not much change yet tho

[DeannaW 18]

I’ve been diagnosed with vestibular migraines. I also have episodes of dizziness/imbalance and headaches, and today has my first aural migraine I think. Since you say it mainly affects you when lying on your back or your left side, my guess is that it’s inner-ear related. There are crystals in your inner ear that work with your ears and eyes to balance the world out, and sometimes those crystals fall out of place, and you get dizziness until your head readjusts and those crystals absorb. If it’s BPPV, there are exercises you can do for it to help those crystals fall back in place, and there are physical tests doctors can do to tell pretty quickly if that’s what it is. Sinuses can also wreak havoc on your vestibular system too though. And stress of course. 
 

I’m going though something pretty similar right now. Several years ago, my neuro-otologist ordered an MRI when I first started seeing him about my dizziness. MRI was clear, so it’s definitely possible for these symptoms not to be a brain tumor. I get it though, I feel like I’m always worrying I have one, including right now. 

[angrry 55]

13 hours ago, DeannaW said:

I’ve been diagnosed with vestibular migraines. I also have episodes of dizziness/imbalance and headaches, and today has my first aural migraine I think. Since you say it mainly affects you when lying on your back or your left side, my guess is that it’s inner-ear related. There are crystals in your inner ear that work with your ears and eyes to balance the world out, and sometimes those crystals fall out of place, and you get dizziness until your head readjusts and those crystals absorb. If it’s BPPV, there are exercises you can do for it to help those crystals fall back in place, and there are physical tests doctors can do to tell pretty quickly if that’s what it is. Sinuses can also wreak havoc on your vestibular system too though. And stress of course. 
 

I’m going though something pretty similar right now. Several years ago, my neuro-otologist ordered an MRI when I first started seeing him about my dizziness. MRI was clear, so it’s definitely possible for these symptoms not to be a brain tumor. I get it though, I feel like I’m always worrying I have one, including right now. 

ty Deanna....trying to think positively...i hope you feel better soon too!!

[angrry 55]

well...here is a brief update...I saw the physiotherapist yesterday. He did a number of tests and his conclusion is that I had BPPV that resolved on its own. The dizziness/vertigo is gone. I am still left with the mild headache in my forehead area and top of my head. Neck is pretty stiff. I'm still waiting for a date for my CT scan. Still pretty worried I have a brain tumour. 

[Ironman 193]

4 hours ago, angrry said:

well...here is a brief update...I saw the physiotherapist yesterday. He did a number of tests and his conclusion is that I had BPPV that resolved on its own. The dizziness/vertigo is gone. I am still left with the mild headache in my forehead area and top of my head. Neck is pretty stiff. I'm still waiting for a date for my CT scan. Still pretty worried I have a brain tumour. 

I would bet you would have heard something by now if there was something wrong with the CT scan.

[angrry 55]

7 hours ago, Ironman said:

I would bet you would have heard something by now if there was something wrong with the CT scan.

Hi Ironman. Haven’t had the scan yet. Waiting to hear when I get to go for it. 

[angrry 55]

Hi everyone.....quick update...still having daily headaches. Still waiting for a letter telling me when i am going for my CT. Headaches are mostly across my forehead or over my right eye. I go to the gym and the workouts don't make the headache worse. Tylenol, excedrin etc dont really help. My sinuses do feel a bit irritated, maybe that's it, who knows. I'm going for a massage on my neck and upper back this morning, hopefully that will help a bit. Still pretty worried this is something serious like a brain tumour.

[sTeaLth 237]

If you haven’t yet, maybe try a chiropractor. They do wonders. 

[angrry 55]

6 hours ago, sTeaLth said:

If you haven’t yet, maybe try a chiropractor. They do wonders. 

ty Stealth...haven't been to one.....don't really trust them....just gotta wait for the ct and continue with the sinus treatments and massage and hope they work...also gotta hope the ct is clear too

+

[angrry 55]

3 weeks now since my dr requested the ct scan. Still no word when it will be done. Headaches continue along with neck pain and tinnitus.  Getting very very worried.  The longer this goes on the more I fear a brain tumour. 

[sTeaLth 237]

No harm in trying a chiro while you wait.  Having your neck or back out can absolutely cause this kind of stuff.  I would suggest a gentle adjustment chiro rather than a snap, crackle, and pop.  I went to one today for neck and back pain.  It really helps a lot.

[angrry 55]

18 hours ago, sTeaLth said:

No harm in trying a chiro while you wait.  Having your neck or back out can absolutely cause this kind of stuff.  I would suggest a gentle adjustment chiro rather than a snap, crackle, and pop.  I went to one today for neck and back pain.  It really helps a lot.

thx Stealth....I just dont think I can go to one...been to one once for several weeks, he was a complete scam artist....i just dont trust them....

[angrry 55]

hi...hope everyone is doing ok....my issues are still there....headaches and neck pain continue....it's now been 5 weeks since my dr requested the ct scan....still no word....i bought a cervical pillow and have been going for massages on my neck and upper back....slight relief...but not much....in fact after the massage the neck pain is worse for a few hours....apparently this is normal...but I have no idea...anyway....hopefully i'll get my letter this week with the appt date for the ct scan....take care everyone

[Ironman 193]

2 hours ago, angrry said:

hi...hope everyone is doing ok....my issues are still there....headaches and neck pain continue....it's now been 5 weeks since my dr requested the ct scan....still no word....i bought a cervical pillow and have been going for massages on my neck and upper back....slight relief...but not much....in fact after the massage the neck pain is worse for a few hours....apparently this is normal...but I have no idea...anyway....hopefully i'll get my letter this week with the appt date for the ct scan....take care everyone

Are you able to take Ibuprofen, or perhaps the Doan's backpain products.  I was actually looking into that last night.  I have an area on my upper right back that has actually had muscle cramps.  The first night was last week and it was so bad, I couldn't stand up, I was on all fours and could not take a deep breath.  I went for a run, the next day, and the pain was gone.   It came back the day after my next run, but not nearly as severe - I need to stretch to cool down.  I don't know if I cramped or tore a muscle, but I was looking into Doan's medications - a different chemical than other pain relievers.  

[angrry 55]

30 minutes ago, Ironman said:

Are you able to take Ibuprofen, or perhaps the Doan's backpain products.  I was actually looking into that last night.  I have an area on my upper right back that has actually had muscle cramps.  The first night was last week and it was so bad, I couldn't stand up, I was on all fours and could not take a deep breath.  I went for a run, the next day, and the pain was gone.   It came back the day after my next run, but not nearly as severe - I need to stretch to cool down.  I don't know if I cramped or tore a muscle, but I was looking into Doan's medications - a different chemical than other pain relievers.  

Ty Ironman. I’ll take a look for that. I’ve been using Tylenol, Advil and excedrin. None of them seem to help much. I bought voltaren today. Ill see if that does anything. 

[angrry 55]

Finally 2 months after my dr requested it I got my ct date. Next Wednesday at 6:55am. Trying to think positively and keeping my fingers crossed.

[Ironman 193]

7 hours ago, angrry said:

Finally 2 months after my dr requested it I got my ct date. Next Wednesday at 6:55am. Trying to think positively and keeping my fingers crossed.

CT scans aren't that bad.  I felt like being slid into a machine "line by line" like a 1980s dot matrix printer.  

My head really got scanned lol.  They didn't find the stroke a doctor thought I had.

[MARC 429]

I have had CT scans with contrast of my abdomen, pelvis and chest and they are a piece of cake and are over pretty quickly. I have also had an MRI of my brain and neck and they take longer to do but are still easy. Years ago I was getting tingling and crawling sensations on my head and was sent for a brain MRI which was negative. I was told later that tension and disorders of the back, neck and shoulders can cause headaches and odd head sensations. In my case, if my neck hurts, I also get head pain sometimes.