What Causes Pain In The Neck And Head While Lying Down?

Question: Can I ask a question on behalf of my fiancé who currently lives in Kazakhstan please? Public health there is very poor and doctors usually unhelpful and uncommunicative. She has had pain in her neck and head for several months, especially when she lies down. I at last persuaded her to visit a doctor. It took several visits to get anywhere. She has had a neck x-ray but the doctor has not explained what she saw on it so my fiancé is none the wiser. However she has put on a 10 day course, each day receiving 3 injections in her bottom of Artoxane, Benevron B and Diclofenac plus intravenously through her arm Actovegin. On checking online I note that of the injections two are anti inflammatory and one for nerves, whilst I believe Actovegin is a performance enhancing drug. I am very concerned because there does not seem to have been proper process and analysis leading to this prescription and I am particularly worried about the length of the course of so many simultaneous medicines. I regret I do not know the dosage being administered and the nurse doing it bites ones head off if a question is asked. If something was seen on the x-ray nothing has been explained to my fiancé. Can you firstly advise me please about the safety of the medicines and secondly whether the action taken seems normal for someone with the complaint of long term neck and head pain. I am not medically trained but I looked online for symptoms of brain tumour and my fiancé is not nauseous, is not having vision or hearing problems or any kind of fit.

Further to the above, do you think an MRI scan of her head should be requested as there appears to have been nothing done to actually address the problem of the constant headache, especially when she lies down. Could it be stress related as she looks after her daughter's extremely active, demanding and noisy son and finds this very difficult?

Hello Dr XXXXXXX Aly,

Very many thanks for your helpful advice and I am reassured to know that the cocktail of 3 injections and intravenous Actovegin daily for 10 days is all right.

My fiancé has mentioned some other matters now. She says the pain in her head is constant but general; she cannot identify a particular place in her head where she feels it most. She also says that over the last few months she feels that she is not remembering things so well. It is not people she forgets but more things like where she has put something. And thirdly she has now said that about a week ago she did have one standing black out. She had NOT stood up quickly but was standing talking when she says her vision went black for a few seconds. However she remained conscious and did not fall and just held on to a table.

Finally I have some copies of the neck x-ray she had about two weeks ago. I mentioned above that the doctor had not made any comment on this x-ray so she has no idea what it showed. It would be really useful if you could take a look. Whilst I know photographed x-rays might not be as clear as the real thing the quality of the photos seems quite good and you might be able to spot something out of the ordinary. Unfortunately there is no way of attaching the jpegs to this reply so could you advise me how I can do this?

Thank you so much for your help so far.

Regards, XXXXXXX

Hello Dr XXXXXXX aly,

I was unable to send the x-rays as attachments because they were forwarded to me via a XXXXXXX phone. So I have sent two emails to: YYYY@YYYY which I hope they can still forward to you as emails. The emails are named "Attn: Reports for Dr XXXXXXX Aly XXXXXXX - x-ray 1" and a second named x-ray 2.

Thank you for your help.

Best wishes, XXXXXXX