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Should I Be Worried About Meningitis Even Though All Illness Symptoms Are Gone Apart From This Neck Pain?
Question: Good day,
I began feeling weak and tired three days ago. That night I had a temperature of 100, with stomach cramps, nausea and diarrhea, and a horrible headache and also backache. I vomited in the middle of the night. I was very weak and could barely walk to the bathroom and in fact crawled part of the way. The next day, the nausea and fever were gone, but the headache and diarrhea remained for the day,. Yesterday I felt great. Today I woke up with a horrible pain in my neck. I can hold my head up, but by tilting my head back or forward, I feel pain. Should I be worried about menegitis even though all illness symptoms are gone apart from this neck pain?
I began feeling weak and tired three days ago. That night I had a temperature of 100, with stomach cramps, nausea and diarrhea, and a horrible headache and also backache. I vomited in the middle of the night. I was very weak and could barely walk to the bathroom and in fact crawled part of the way. The next day, the nausea and fever were gone, but the headache and diarrhea remained for the day,. Yesterday I felt great. Today I woke up with a horrible pain in my neck. I can hold my head up, but by tilting my head back or forward, I feel pain. Should I be worried about menegitis even though all illness symptoms are gone apart from this neck pain?
Brief Answer:
there are some concerns
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
you've described a common presentation of the usual viral infections of the summer period. This is probably a virus that caused gastroenteritis. Severe headache that won't go away during the day raises concerns about meningitis. Some of these viruses may cause mixed symptoms that is symptoms of gastroenteritis and symptoms of meningitis. Although there are no fail-safe clinical features to detect or exclude meningitis, headache - even intense - that comes and goes is against meningitis. Intense headache that remains stable raises concerns for meningitis (even without fever) particularly if it's accompanied by a strong aversion to light and noises. Mild or moderate symptoms are against meningitis particularly when there is no fever.
Viral meningitis by such viruses is not considered as dangerous as bacterial meningitis or viral meningitis by herpes virus, so don't be very alarmed but do visit your primary care physician for proper assessment and clinical examination.
I hope you find my comments helpful!
Kind Regards!
there are some concerns
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
you've described a common presentation of the usual viral infections of the summer period. This is probably a virus that caused gastroenteritis. Severe headache that won't go away during the day raises concerns about meningitis. Some of these viruses may cause mixed symptoms that is symptoms of gastroenteritis and symptoms of meningitis. Although there are no fail-safe clinical features to detect or exclude meningitis, headache - even intense - that comes and goes is against meningitis. Intense headache that remains stable raises concerns for meningitis (even without fever) particularly if it's accompanied by a strong aversion to light and noises. Mild or moderate symptoms are against meningitis particularly when there is no fever.
Viral meningitis by such viruses is not considered as dangerous as bacterial meningitis or viral meningitis by herpes virus, so don't be very alarmed but do visit your primary care physician for proper assessment and clinical examination.
I hope you find my comments helpful!
Kind Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hello,
Thanks for your response. I guess my real question is this. If a person has meningitis, could they have symptoms of nausea, diarrhea, headache, backache and fever that completely go away, then have a neck ache that appears days later with NO other symptoms?
This is my current situation. I am assuming I happen to sleep the wrong way and the neck pain is just a coincidence. Thanks for your input.
Thanks for your response. I guess my real question is this. If a person has meningitis, could they have symptoms of nausea, diarrhea, headache, backache and fever that completely go away, then have a neck ache that appears days later with NO other symptoms?
This is my current situation. I am assuming I happen to sleep the wrong way and the neck pain is just a coincidence. Thanks for your input.
Brief Answer:
if it was days later then it's much less likely
Detailed Answer:
You're welcome.
After reading your first question I thought that you've only felt an improvement for 24 hours and then the headache got much worse. If it was days before the headache appeared then the meningitis scenario sounds unlikely, particularly without fever.
Despite that, since meningitis is a serious infection which may indeed occur after an initial presentation with seemingly unrelated symptoms like diarrhea, my suggestion to you is to visit your primary care physician for assessment. In any case, intense headache requires prompt medical attention.
Best wishes for a fast recovery!
if it was days later then it's much less likely
Detailed Answer:
You're welcome.
After reading your first question I thought that you've only felt an improvement for 24 hours and then the headache got much worse. If it was days before the headache appeared then the meningitis scenario sounds unlikely, particularly without fever.
Despite that, since meningitis is a serious infection which may indeed occur after an initial presentation with seemingly unrelated symptoms like diarrhea, my suggestion to you is to visit your primary care physician for assessment. In any case, intense headache requires prompt medical attention.
Best wishes for a fast recovery!
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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