Question: Painful burning in neck and head... Pseudotumor Cerebri?
Answer:
Full Question:
I have been experiencing painful burning that
starts in the base of my neck and goes all the way over my head. This generally
comes on after I have been in bed for about an hour. If I stay in bed it
radiates to my back, chest and arms. As soon as I get up it starts to go away. I
also have been waking up with headaches and feel like pressure in my head. I had
an MRI of my brain (Normal Thank God) and of my c-spine (slight bulging at C5-6
& T1-2) but Doctor does not feel that is the problem. I am seeing a Neurologist
on May 10th. Could Pseudotumor Cerebri cause these symptoms. If so can anything
be done about it. Thank You! Karen.
Answer:
Dear Karen;
This certainly could be related to altered intracranial fluid pressure, as one of many possibilities. There are medication that can specifically lower the pressure (i.e., acetazolamide, methazolamide) and possibly help the headaches. Although some patients exhibit papilledema as a symptom of PTC, not all do. The only truly definitive test for it is a lumbar puncture. Here's some additional information:
What
Is Pseudotumor Cerebri, aka Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension?
Simply speaking, Pseudotumor Cerebri is a condition in which the body
either produces too much cerebrospinal fluid pressure or doesn't absorb it
well, resulting in increased cerebrospinal fluid pressure. Pseudotumor
cerebri literally means "false brain tumor" because it's symptoms mimic
those of brain tumors.
Good luck,
Teri Robert and John Claude Krusz
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