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What Causes Pain In Top Of The Head And Soreness In Neck While On Imitrex?
Question: i recently had a migraine headache that was suppressed, but not fully with Imitrex, which lasted a full week,where i took one Imitrex a day for 5 days, now 7days since it first started, there is still pain, almost like the top of my head and upper part of my neck is sore. Is this still the migraine or maybe it wasnt a migraine and its something else altogther
Brief Answer:
Several possibilities....
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
It might be useful to add some detail about the onset of the headache, whether it was very abrupt, reaching maximal intensity in less than a minute, or did it increase gradually in a matter of hours. Also some details about the characteristics of the pain whether throbbing, pulsating, pressing etc might be useful as well as information on accompanying signs (nausea vomiting, increased sensitivity to light and sound etc)....any detail you can provide.
Now migraine attacks typically last for up to 72 hours so anything more than that is not simple migraine. Looking at that description of headache in the upper part of the neck and top of the head there could be other explanations.
One possibility could be high blood pressure which can cause that type of headache. So if not already done some measurements are advised.
Tension type headache is also a possibility. It is the most common primary headache (primary meaning with no identifiable cause), even more frequent than migraine and in many patients both can happen. It can be triggered often by stress and anxiety. Treatment is with over the counter antiinflammatory painkillers like Ibuprofen or Naproxen.
Another possibility is also cervicogenic headache, pain due to arthritis of the neck, such pain may often radiate in the neck. Treatment remains with Ibuprofen or Naproxen to alleviate the symptoms and if confirmed by imaging results some physical therapy sessions may be scheduled as well.
Regarding other conditions related to brain lesions I would say that in the absence of other symptoms they are less likely. If there are any other symptoms you forgot to mention I would be happy to discuss them with you.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Several possibilities....
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
It might be useful to add some detail about the onset of the headache, whether it was very abrupt, reaching maximal intensity in less than a minute, or did it increase gradually in a matter of hours. Also some details about the characteristics of the pain whether throbbing, pulsating, pressing etc might be useful as well as information on accompanying signs (nausea vomiting, increased sensitivity to light and sound etc)....any detail you can provide.
Now migraine attacks typically last for up to 72 hours so anything more than that is not simple migraine. Looking at that description of headache in the upper part of the neck and top of the head there could be other explanations.
One possibility could be high blood pressure which can cause that type of headache. So if not already done some measurements are advised.
Tension type headache is also a possibility. It is the most common primary headache (primary meaning with no identifiable cause), even more frequent than migraine and in many patients both can happen. It can be triggered often by stress and anxiety. Treatment is with over the counter antiinflammatory painkillers like Ibuprofen or Naproxen.
Another possibility is also cervicogenic headache, pain due to arthritis of the neck, such pain may often radiate in the neck. Treatment remains with Ibuprofen or Naproxen to alleviate the symptoms and if confirmed by imaging results some physical therapy sessions may be scheduled as well.
Regarding other conditions related to brain lesions I would say that in the absence of other symptoms they are less likely. If there are any other symptoms you forgot to mention I would be happy to discuss them with you.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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