Question: I have had head pressure (like a balloon being blown up) on the left side of my head for almost a year. MRIs and blood tests have been normal. Doctor thought it was migraine but Sumatriptan nasal spray doesn’t work and it has become daily and constant. Naproxen doesn’t help. C2 through C7 have some bulging and arthritis but from what I understand normal for my age (39). I completed a 6 day course of Medrol thinking my cervicogenic headaches are caused by my neck issues. Medrol didn’t help at all, symptoms are actually worse especially increasing parasthesia, with numbness, burning and tightness of my face and neck and twitching and blind spots in left eye a regular occurrence. Sometimes nerve pain in face/ear/jaw but nothing severe like trigeminal neuralgia. My eye doctor commented that my optic nerves look “different from each other” but I couldn’t ask further since my kids were there and I didn’t want to worry them. Nerve pain in left arm/armpit and occasionally leg. Left leg has been cramping badly. Was thinking MS as autoimmune diseases run heavily in my family but MRI would show that, and the medrol should have helped? I’m at a loss. I restored an old house and my lead levels were at high end of normal a year ago. Should I have lead checked again? I can’t live with this head pressure and parasthesia worsening with no answer as to why!

Thank you Dr. Spaho.

As a follow up, is there anything that can be ruled out diagnostically by the fact that the methylprednisone worsened my symptoms? Ie does that point away from anything autoimmune? I’m seeing a rheumatologist next week and I’m not sure that’s necessary sine I’ve only gotten worse with the methylprednisone.

Is peripheral neuropathy possible if I don’t have any pain? So far just pins and needles/burning/tightness.