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I did keep a food diary for a few weeks. During that period I tried cutting out dairy for a while, then sugar, and I ate a wide variety of foods. My primary doctor agreed it was baffling. No rhyme or reason, it happens for hours after every meal and gets worse with every meal throughout the day. This will persist for weeks and then I'll get a few days or even a week where it is not as bad or almost gone. Then it comes back. All of this has only been going on for the past 3 months and I've never experienced it before in my life.
I've always had a mental block against swallowing large pills but nothing that prevents me from taking pills when needed. Small pills have never been a problem. I have had headaches (migraines) my entire life but they've decreased as I've gotten older and learned tricks to prevent them.
I did keep a food diary for a few weeks. During that period I tried cutting out dairy for a while, then sugar, and I ate a wide variety of foods. My primary doctor agreed it was baffling. No rhyme or reason, it happens for hours after every meal and gets worse with every meal throughout the day. This will persist for weeks and then I'll get a few days or even a week where it is not as bad or almost gone. Then it comes back. All of this has only been going on for the past 3 months and I've never experienced it before in my life.
I've always had a mental block against swallowing large pills but nothing that prevents me from taking pills when needed. Small pills have never been a problem. I have had headaches (migraines) my entire life but they've decreased as I've gotten older and learned tricks to prevent them.
What do your headaches feel like?
Do any start in your cervical area? Have you noticed any of your issues; headaches & swallowing happen during certain weather? Do you have any joint; teeth or GI issues?
I'm asking for a reason because I think you may need a cervical & brain MRI to rule out a deformity that not many doctors know about. Some radiologists don't even write about it unless there is a herniation over 5mm; so if you have an MRI I can tell you where to post it if your symptoms fit what I'm thinking.
I am particularly bad at describing pain, but I'll explain what I can about my headaches. If I skip breakfast or if I expose my eyes to sunlight or other bright light without sunglasses, or if I have a high-stress day - I will get a headache so bad that it sometimes results in nausea and vomiting. Any light or sound hurts. The veins on my temples throb. Excedrin helps tremendously if I catch the headache in time, but once it progresses past a certain point, only a long sleep can alleviate the pain. My headaches seem centered around my eye / forehead / temple area but often I also have pain low on the back of my head / top of my neck. I am admittedly not very familiar with where the exact cervical region is located within the spine.
I am a mess all winter, every winter. Cold weather does not agree with my body. And yet I live in Buffalo, NY like an idiot! My nose runs from October to April and it is not an environmental allergy - it is a reaction to cold temperatures. I go through tissues like you wouldn't believe and have to blow my nose so often that the skin around my nose and upper lip gets terribly dry and irritated all winter. I was prescribed a nasal spray for this condition and it did not help at all.
I don't think I have any major joint issues, but I have very weak wrists - I can't even lift a casserole out of the oven with one hand despite the fact that I work out and have reasonably strong arms. I have an old ankle sprain that still bothers me (1200 lb horse fell on top of my foot and leg) and other than that just the usual knee cracks and knee pain now and then from exercise.
My teeth have always been great. I just got my first cavity at age 31.
I have been diagnosed with GERD and I do think it is an accurate diagnosis. I have had bouts of gastritis in the past. Not sure if this counts as a GI issue but I have had hemorrhoids a few times (and never been pregnant!) and blood in my stool is not super out of the ordinary for me (ever since I was a child). I am supposed to have a colonoscopy to investigate this further.
I'm basing this on the dermatomes image you DM'd me - the headache pain in addition to being around my eyes and temples is also typically in the C3 region. Can't thank you enough for all of the resources you provided. Am saving all of it!
You're very welcome. It can be hard to find decent images to figure out whats going on.
The swallowing & headaches could be related since you're having the cervical headache. You should see a GI to have an upper endoscope done. I'm having one done Friday for swallowing issues. There are times when I go to swallow & I just can't. I mainly have low back issues; but for the last year; have been having neck/shoulder pain as well as mild headaches. They are not bad enough that I've gotten an MRI.
My daughter (19) has the headaches & swallow issues. I posted her cervical MRI which showed a Chiari Malformation that was not written in the report most likely because it's under 5mm; could also be because it was a cervical MRI; not brain MRI. I'm waiting on her "father" to decide if we're having it done here or if he's taking her where he gets them free. The best MRI to have for this is the open MRI because you are sitting up.
It's thought CM was "rare" but they're finding that with better imaging they're seeing it in more people. There are people diagnosed with migraines when it's actually a CM headache. Once you get the MRI's; best place to go would be Chiari Institute in NY. Dr R there is wonderful at what he does. I've been doing a lot of research since last May. There is also another Dr in Maryland.
I have Gerd, and have the same problem with swallowing food. Sometimes I have no problems for a while, and sometimes I do, even with cutting my food up into small pieces. I was in Costco the other day, and ate some samples of potato salad and chicken wings. The potato salad and one chicken wing went down fine, but the second chicken wing stuck in my throat. I had to go the restroom to get it up.
I'll be 65 in October, and eligible for Medicare. Then I'm going to see the doctor to have something done about it. I have a friend that that had it, and he had surgery for it.
In the meantime, I think I'll stock up on protein powder in case it gets really bad, so I'll be able to eat.
My husband is experiencing the exact same symptoms as you described. The only difference is that we live in Southern California and he really suffers in the heat of summer. He can't wait for winter although our winters aren't really winters. He has post nasal drip that never seems to let up. We thought the closing up of his throat was due to eating because that seems to be when it happens most, especially after his first meal of the day. But there are times he hasn't eaten since the night before and he will get an "attack" as he just did this morning. It seems to be getting worse. Our GP ran a bunch of blood tests but came up with nothing. She prescribed a spray but it hasn't helped at all. It's very frustrating.
I have had symptoms of my throat closing since I was 20. It only happened a few times the first year but every year since it got worse. I have always been able to breath when my throat shuts but I've had it last over 25hrs before it opened again. I had to have a cup beside my bed at night to spit the saliva as nothing would pass until my throat opened again. After 15 years and many doctors and specialists later I was told they had no idea why this was happening. For other reasons I consulted a Natural Path and she discovered I had a food sensitivity to Dairy. After cutting dairy my throat problem went away. Its been 5 years and as long as I only have trace amounts of Dairy I'm ok. My throat will close a few times a year now but it is always because I've had dairy. Its good to know I can control it better but I carry an epi pen just in case. On a side note, the dairy also caused me after an fatigue and my nose was always stuffed, I woke up every day having to empty it. All those sympoms are gone and my quality of life is so much better. Allergy tests showed I'm not allergic to Dairy but my voice changes, my throat closes and I get so congested when I eat it. Don't trust what the tests say go with the results.
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