Neurologist doubts neck pain from migraine

@roseann4z
It is good to get a 2nd and 3rd opinion, if needed.

I went to my neurologist and he kept testing me and only offered medication (amitriptyline and muscle relaxer) that I couldn’t take as it made me too sleepy. I couldn't function. It was a waste of time and money. He had me get MRIs but missed the spinal cord flattening in my cervical spine which was causing central nervous system neurological symptoms and injury. You would think a neurologist would see this and refer me to an orthopedic spine specialist/surgeon. He didn’t. He is the reason I was not properly or diagnosed sooner with degenerative cervical myelopathy spinal cord injury.

It took me seeing my 4th surgeon to finally get a correct diagnosis and surgery. Don’t give up advocating for yourself to get properly diagnosed and treated.

@roseann4z
It is good to get a 2nd and 3rd opinion, if needed.

I went to my neurologist and he kept testing me and only offered medication (amitriptyline and muscle relaxer) that I couldn’t take as it made me too sleepy. I couldn't function. It was a waste of time and money. He had me get MRIs but missed the spinal cord flattening in my cervical spine which was causing central nervous system neurological symptoms and injury. You would think a neurologist would see this and refer me to an orthopedic spine specialist/surgeon. He didn’t. He is the reason I was not properly or diagnosed sooner with degenerative cervical myelopathy spinal cord injury.

It took me seeing my 4th surgeon to finally get a correct diagnosis and surgery. Don’t give up advocating for yourself to get properly diagnosed and treated.

I have had chronic migraines for over 30 years that trigger autonomic issues such as numbness and discoloration in toes, severe muscle tightness head to toe, as well as vertigo and aura. I have a few different types of migraines but the one consistent thing is my neck and traps are always in pain. I've read many lectures on MigraineWorldSummit and it prompted to me to get a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and have functionhealth run their full annual blood work. There are a few things that came out of that blood work that doctors have never tested for, not even Mayo: I have low Leptin, low Insulin, and extremely low Omega 3 levels. Because I am lean, I apparently do not have enough 'fat' and subsequent fat hormones (Leptin and Insulin) to effectively manage by blood sugar. The low Omega 3 was significant as a deficiency cause both headaches/migraines, as well as muscle tension and pain. My CGM showed that during the night by blood sugar drops to 52-54 for extended periods of time - I am no where near a diabetic, but rather would be considered hypoglycemic. Doctors only appear to screen for diabetes and have never looked into whether I have blood sugar issues. Not maintaining a consistent blood sugar (minimal spikes and lows) combined with low Omega 3 is a key contributing factor for me. I wish doctors and Mayo would put some extra focus into these key biomarkers that are linked to migraines - I have been complaining that my muscles are constantly tight and painful and I see a Neurosomatic Therapist for muscle stripping that gently realigns my c-spine (through releasing knotted muscles) yet these basic biomarkers that contribute to muscle health have not been tested for by doctors (only inflammatory markers).

Wow a lot of really helpful information. Thank you for sharing your experiences. I believe my migraines are related to my breast cancer medication that keeps my estrogen level at 0 but no one seems to see the connection except other migraine suffers. It Dan be so frustrating.

low estrogen levels (i'm on HRT so have researched this) does impact both leptin and omega 3 levels. Estrogen promotes insulin and leptin secretion which can help regulate blood sugar. Omega-3 index will often falls in menopause due to less estrogen and that can trigger more inflammation, vasospasm, and give you a lower migraine threshold.

To help my situation, I take Carlsons Elite Omega-3, one capsule 2x day (I do 2x a day as more than 1,000mg at one time can cause heart rhythm blips). I also have a small snack before bed of 1/2 cup greek yogurt with 1TBSP of Flax seed stirred in and 3 sliced strawberries mixed in. I eat the snack about 15-30 mins before bed, and I have seen from my CGM that it is helping prevent the severe low dips in blood sugar throughout the night.

I absolutely agree with you that low levels of estrogen are a key contributor to migraines, and I say this because I always know when my levels are low as my headaches and migraines increase. Some additional supplements you may want to discuss with your doctor that can help are: Magnesium glycinate, Riboflavin (B2), CoQ10, increase omega-3 but limit omega 6 (it promotes inflammation and can increase pain sensitivity), and increase your protein intake.

Hey roseann4z, I’ve been dealing with tough headaches too, and I actually found a lot of useful info on headachesurgery.com. They helped me understand that sometimes headaches from the base of the skull can be related to nerve irritation, like occipital neuralgia, which feels different from classic migraines.

After learning about this, I tried Botox treatment through a specialist recommended there, and it really helped reduce my pain and neck tightness over time. It wasn’t an overnight fix, but definitely better than just popping more pills.

I also found that physical therapy focused on my neck made a big difference alongside the treatment. If you haven’t checked out that site, it might be worth a look or mentioning it to your neurologist.

Hope you find something that works for you!

I just had my second cranial nerve block. I chose to do this before trying Botox. Along with the nerve block I am going to be receiving injections into my neck muscles to relieve the tense caused by the nerve spasms later this week. Fingers crossed this helps with my headaches.