Topic: Neck hurts when put chin down, dizzy...herx or more serious?
Hoosiers51
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15759
posted
The past few mornings, I have woken up with a HORRIBLE headache. Close to the worst headaches of my life. Like all over the brain...feels like my brain is inflamed. Hurts on top, in the back, etc. So bad that I don't want to get out of bed from the pain.
But not so bad that I can't force myself to get out of bed after about 30 minutes of procrastinating, then heading straight for the ibuprofen. Ibuprofen (3 of them) DOES help it though, surprisingly (considering how bad the pain is).
Then I also have this thing where the back of my neck hurts pretty badly when I tilt my chin down. One night it was so bad, that the pain was hitting all the muscles in my back, when I moved my head like that. Seemed very unusual, and I don't complain about aches and pains often.
Today my neck was also hurting really badly when I moved my head to either side.
Then today, I had what is probably the worst bout of dizziness/vertigo I've ever had in my life. And I've had it before from Lyme, but this was on another level.
It lasted for hours and hours. I didn't want to move around at all. It was really bothering me big time.
I am a little worried about the possiblity of enchephalitis or meningitis, whether from Lyme, or even possibly picking up a bacterial or viral meningitis, unrelated to Lyme.
But I'm thinking if it was the serious kind of encephalitis/meningitis that people get hospitalized for, I would have some kind of fever, and also, the pain in my neck would be a lot more severe, like completely unbearable?
Because as it is now, it is tolerable.....yet moderately bad. Bad enough that I can't brush it off, but not so bad that I'm in intense, unrelenting pain and saying, "get me to the ER NOW." Does that make sense?
So is this something I should be concerned about? I might call my LLMD, to see if this is in some way dangerous (the idea of that much inflammation scares me) but I keep hoping it will just get better.
I just thought I'd see if anyone has gotten these symptoms as part of a herx. I am on my 12th day of Quinine/Clindamycin. Is the 10 day mark (when it started) some kind of important point in babesia treatment?
I'm also increasing an herbal tincture for Bart/Lyme.
Posts: 4590 | From Midwest | Registered: Jun 2008
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posted
Hoosiers- I think your hunch was correct. I believe that Lyme can cause an "aseptic" meningitis-this means you will probably have neck pain, though not necessarily a fever.One of the hallmarks is pain when trying to touch your chin to your chest.
Chickenpox (varicella-zoster); coxsackievirus, echovirus, and poliovirus infections; West Nile virus infection; eastern and western equine encephalitis; herpes simplex virus infection; HIV infection, cytomegalovirus infections; infectious hepatitis; infectious mononucleosis; lymphocytic choriomeningitis; mumps; St. Louis encephalitis
Unfortunately, the only "reliable" test/procedure is a lumbar puncture,which would probably be done at a hospital by an infectious diseases Dr.(The kind we all know and love)....
If I were you,I'd call my LLMD, and see what he/she suggests,especially if OTC pain relief is not "cutting it"..
Joe
Posts: 249 | From Northern NJ | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
I think its a herx, neck stiffness is one of my lyme symptoms and it flares up when I start new ABX, sometimes accompanied by a back-of-the-head, base-of-skull type headache.
That it gets worse when you try to put your chin down is evidence that the meninges is inflamed -- I get the same thing.
Posts: 195 | From Manchester, CT | Registered: Jun 2008
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posted
I'm no doctor, so don't take this as medical advice, but I had a stiff neck and terrrible neck pain for the first two months that I was using Samento(Cowden).
It was like no other neck pain I'd ever had. My head felt full and heavy. The headaches made migraines seem like a party by comparisons.
A good friend, and fellow lymie, suggested that I was very toxic because of all of the die-off. He said to push fluids and make very sure that I never got constipated. WHen I took him seriously and started making sure bad things were leaving my body, I started feeling better.
The neck aches I had were really strange. I kept feeling like I just wanted my neck to be loose so I could move freely. If I turned my neck too fast I'd see stars. I'm glad those days are over!
Wishing you improvements with your neck. PB
Posts: 78 | From Maryland | Registered: Jun 2009
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posted
I had an incident such as this a few days after my last dose of IV Rocephin. It was horrible-could hardly move my neck. It got better after a few days, and then after that, a milder form happened on and off....still happens at times, but I have noticed recently that when it occurs, the lymph glands at the back of my neck are swollen! Now I am wondering if that was the cause all along....especially since the first time was after I had just completed 28 days of the very antibiotic they use for baterial meningitis, which also acts as a neuroprotector!
Any one else notice swollen glands when this happens?
Posts: 283 | From where the ticks are! | Registered: Oct 2009
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Sammi
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 110
posted
Hoosiers51, I am sorry things are so intense. I have all the symptoms you describe from Babesiosis. The horrendous headaches I get from Babs can be a 9 out of 10. I am glad Ibuprofen helps you, it does not help mine.
I also have the neck pain. I am currently doing PT for it. This kind of PT includes hands-on therapy, and it is helping. At home I use a heated Bed Buddy on my neck, and it gives some relief.
I also have intermittent dizziness from Babs.
I hope things let up for you soon and that this is a herx. It may be a good idea to let your doctor know what you are experiencing.
Posts: 4682 | Registered: Oct 2000
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Sorry I don't have any answers but just wanted to say that I had the same thing when I first got sick.
I had a really stiff neck that hurt to bend forward, and such bad headaches that I felt like I was going to pass out. I got so dizzy I had to hang on to things or I felt like I'd tip over.
It got some better over time without any treatment.
Hope it doesn't last long for you!!
Kathy
-------------------- You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have. Posts: 807 | From South Dakota | Registered: Jul 2005
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