Cervical spondylosis and migraine?

Megrose489

I was diagnosed with cervical spondylosis about a year ago and my neck is achy, creaky and a bit tender. I last had a silent migraine six years ago - now I've had two since Thursday of last week and yesterday's wasn't good. I don't get a headache, but the aura and feeling nauseous lasted longer than usual. I still feel spaced out today and am seeing the GP this afternoon, mainly because of the length of time of the aura which normally goes with 30 minutes.

Just wondered if others with CS also get migraines. My shoulders and neck feel tender this morning and my head feels heavy. Probably a migraine hangover but I'd be interested to know if others get this.

frogmorton

Hi Meg

Don't know if this helps but I spent most of my life having 'proper' migraines (classical??) aura, headache nausea vomiting.

Since hitting the menopause (well peri to start with) I have had years and years of almost just the aura and nausea sometimes several auras a day/for a few days running.

So if you are the right (wrong🙄) age maybe this could be relevant.

Yes i do also have cervical spond, but genuinely think for me it's hormonal as mine worsened at puberty, after childbirth and now😕

Take care

Toni x

Megrose489

Thanks Toni. That's awful to have the aura for days - I thought it was bad enough lasting over an hour! I saw the GP who didn't seem concerned and told me to go to have the back of my eyes checked if the long aura happened again. I have found in the past that my migraine is kicked off with tiredness and I've been having problems with restless legs recently - there's always something isn't there? Now on Pregabalin for the restless legs, but feeling a bit dizzy with this - only on my second day though. Hope it will improve in a week or so.

I have been getting dizziness and a dull headache for weeks, which I've put down to cervical spondylosis. It spreads from the back of my neck up to the top of my head - thought it was my sinuses at first. My neck muscles and top of my spine feel tender. Do you get this? Wondered if the physiotherapist (we have one attached to the surgery) might help. Sorry to moan, but it does just seem as though it's one thing after another lately.

Meg x

frogmorton

Hi Meg

The first one of these weird auras started a fair few years ago. That one was almost 4 days solid the Dr sent me to the optician who was horrified as I couldn't read anything.

I went straight to the eye hospital under his instructions and they did a colour blindness test of all things. This confirmed that it was migraine nothing more sinister.

When I went back a week later without aura I was back to normal not colour blind. Have a go when you get one next you can get online colour blindness tests. Dead interesting I think.

I do get headaches with my neck (husband does too with his) and I think @Keef actually gets migraines with his.

If it's the peri-menopause it will gradually ease off as you go through it.

Take care

Toni x

Skinny Keef

Hi Meg, i have spondo neck and at the moment I am getting about 3 or 4 bad headaches/migraines a week. It varies between a dull ache and can’t even move from laying down or i will vomit.

I have enthesitis as well and my bad heads always co-incide with an inflammation episode. The enthesitis affects soft tissue connections to my pelvis and my thyoid bone in my throat and probably some points in my neck as well as muscle connections to back of skull. When these points are sore then my head is bad.

I have acupuncture once a week with very gentle massage as my osteo is very cautious about doing nerve damage due to the osteophites in my neck. I think this helps, I have certainly gone for a session with somewhat of a bad head and 2 hours after treatment the headache has gone completely. Sadly these days it never really goes completely and is very depressing.

my doc says what do u expect u are taking opiates, but even when I take a low dose the head can still be excruciating the next day and my osteo says it is ALL to do with mechanical stuff in my neck.

hopefully some of this garbled stuff will help.

Skinny Keef

Should add that on a really bad day i am also extremely hot.

Megrose489

Thanks Toni, Frogmorton and Keef for your replies. Sorry it's taken me a while to respond as I only just realised there were new posts. My notifications didn't include emails, so I've updated that now.

Since I stopped using my laptop on my knees and looking down the migraines have stopped. So, it's obviously connected with my position and posture (I'm trying not to slouch!). How awful, Keef, that you get so many migraines and bad headaches in a week - I feel for you.

I saw the GP this week and he confirmed it was 'severe cervical spondylosis'. Again, I asked about some sort of scan, but he said they would only do scans if I wanted surgery - which I don't! I am finding the constant dull headache quite debilitating, though not as bad as yours, Keef, thank goodness. As far as pain killers go, I'm on a low dose of Pregabalin (50mg) for restless legs - just started that - and am now taking the full dosage of paracetamol a day, so will see how that goes. I'm also wearing a silk scarf round my neck, which keeps it warm and also looks rather stylish!

However, I've also booked an appointment with the physio so, hopefully, she will be able to help further. One thing I am finding difficult is the vertigo I'm getting. I'm hoping the physio will also be able to help with that.

By the way, Toni, I'm way, way, way past the peri-menopause, but thank you for making me smile!

Thanks again for your replies and look after yourselves.

Meg x