henrik51
11-12-2008, 03:12 AM
I have had a headache since June of this year. I say 'a headache' because while there have been moments that are relatively free of pain, there has almost always been some level of pressure on my temples, if not true pain.
Headache started two days before a planned vacation, and seemed to be fading, so I went anyway. It didn't get worse, but it didn't get better. Fluctuated between pressure on the temples and top of head (sometimes severe, crushing pressure with no pain), and a tension headache wrapped all the way around my head. A migraine-like line of pain would sometimes form about 1/3 the way up my head, from forehead to the back of the head.
Immediately upon returning from vacation, I saw my GP. She seemed to feel it probably was tension (I have a very bad clenching habit, sometimes clench till it hurts my jaw), and prescribed Indocin 50mg 3 times a day, and Elavil 10mg once a day at bedtime. Saw her again in a week. Pain was dampened, but not gone. I said, "Let's get the MRI out of the way with. I'm just dwelling over possibilities." Raised Elavil to 25mg once a day in the meantime. Went for MRI. It was done without contrast. Came back with no issues except for mild sinusitis. While waiting for MRI appointment had eyes checked by optometrist per GPs recomendation. Near and far prescription determined, eye exam was clean. Bought the near glasses, found the reading area to be too small for my computer monitors, never ended up wearing them. Referred to ENT based on sinusitis from MRI. He said, "MRIs always overread, but I'll check anyway." Looked up into sinuses, said, "No problems here, this HAS to be TMJ." Went to dentist. Tried a night guard. Symptoms went down considerably. Tried stopping Elavil clean, just quitting, no lower doses. Pain returned with a vengance. Resumed Elavil. Dentist referred me to a TMJ specialist. Started noticing flashes of imagery at night as I was falling asleep. If I could think of it, I could see it, quite clearly, for a few seconds.
TMJ specialist did quite a number of tests involving a computer and monitoring the movement of the jaw, muscle activity and the like. Discussed nighttime imagery. Determined that TMJ dysfunction existed and manufactured bite splits to be worn 24 hours a day. Took some weeks for the first set to arrive. They were made incorrectly, so a second set of bite splints was ordered.
Around the arrival of the second set, things changed again. I woke up to pronounced flashing in my vision, which settled into 'visual snow' later in the day, then seemed to go away. A couple of days later, this repeated in the morning, and then settled into visual snow all the time. With my eyes closed in the daytime, I could see very fine staticy snow, as well as a rougher grained flashing. Sometimes I could see an effect like watching stars come out at night, vision would start out with bluish clouds, which would then clear into very stable, blue-white points of light. Only with my eyes closed. With my eyes open, paying CLOSE attention, I could sometimes see the visual snow. Other than that, nothing. TMJ doctor says to see an opthalmologist, and refers me. Opthalmologist says eyes are not even marginal. Perfect health, no damage to optic nerve, no retinal detatchment. Suggested might be a reaction to Elavil. At my TMJ appointment later that day I reported this to the doctor who was surprised, but suggested that 25mg of Elavil wasn't mattering much to any pain, and to try getting off of it again.
Bought pill cutter this Saturday, cut 25mg dose in half. Went to bed at 1am. Woke up at 3am. Wild, flashing patterns in my vision with my eyes closed, some of them persisting with my eyes open. Waited for a few minutes, and flashing subsided. Went back to sleep. Intense dreams. Checked around on the net, and found some people reported flashing colors type hallucinations going on or off Elavil, so didn't worry too much. Sunday night again took half a pill, the flashes of images before going to sleep were noticably reduced. Also, the daytime observable flashing was much reduced. Slept normally. Reported this Monday to the TMJ doctor, and he said, "Hmm, odd... I've just never heard of this type of thing with Elavil before, and I use more like 100mg with other patients." Cut another pill that night, took half. Woke up in the middle of the night. Wild flashing with my eyes closed covering my full field of view, not so much with them open this time. Reported that to TMJ doctor today, he didn't know what to make of it.
Initially, this seemed simple. Clean MRI, clean eye exam, clean sinuses, and a provable TMJ problem. Fix TMJ problem, everything cleans up. However, now I'm feeling like I'm going crazy, visual snow which I haven't noticed before, flashing hallucinations in the middle of the night. Is this just a reaction to the Elavil? Do I need to find a doctor to specifically treat this? What sort of doctor would even begin to tackle the vision problems? Neurologist? Psychatrist?
Headache started two days before a planned vacation, and seemed to be fading, so I went anyway. It didn't get worse, but it didn't get better. Fluctuated between pressure on the temples and top of head (sometimes severe, crushing pressure with no pain), and a tension headache wrapped all the way around my head. A migraine-like line of pain would sometimes form about 1/3 the way up my head, from forehead to the back of the head.
Immediately upon returning from vacation, I saw my GP. She seemed to feel it probably was tension (I have a very bad clenching habit, sometimes clench till it hurts my jaw), and prescribed Indocin 50mg 3 times a day, and Elavil 10mg once a day at bedtime. Saw her again in a week. Pain was dampened, but not gone. I said, "Let's get the MRI out of the way with. I'm just dwelling over possibilities." Raised Elavil to 25mg once a day in the meantime. Went for MRI. It was done without contrast. Came back with no issues except for mild sinusitis. While waiting for MRI appointment had eyes checked by optometrist per GPs recomendation. Near and far prescription determined, eye exam was clean. Bought the near glasses, found the reading area to be too small for my computer monitors, never ended up wearing them. Referred to ENT based on sinusitis from MRI. He said, "MRIs always overread, but I'll check anyway." Looked up into sinuses, said, "No problems here, this HAS to be TMJ." Went to dentist. Tried a night guard. Symptoms went down considerably. Tried stopping Elavil clean, just quitting, no lower doses. Pain returned with a vengance. Resumed Elavil. Dentist referred me to a TMJ specialist. Started noticing flashes of imagery at night as I was falling asleep. If I could think of it, I could see it, quite clearly, for a few seconds.
TMJ specialist did quite a number of tests involving a computer and monitoring the movement of the jaw, muscle activity and the like. Discussed nighttime imagery. Determined that TMJ dysfunction existed and manufactured bite splits to be worn 24 hours a day. Took some weeks for the first set to arrive. They were made incorrectly, so a second set of bite splints was ordered.
Around the arrival of the second set, things changed again. I woke up to pronounced flashing in my vision, which settled into 'visual snow' later in the day, then seemed to go away. A couple of days later, this repeated in the morning, and then settled into visual snow all the time. With my eyes closed in the daytime, I could see very fine staticy snow, as well as a rougher grained flashing. Sometimes I could see an effect like watching stars come out at night, vision would start out with bluish clouds, which would then clear into very stable, blue-white points of light. Only with my eyes closed. With my eyes open, paying CLOSE attention, I could sometimes see the visual snow. Other than that, nothing. TMJ doctor says to see an opthalmologist, and refers me. Opthalmologist says eyes are not even marginal. Perfect health, no damage to optic nerve, no retinal detatchment. Suggested might be a reaction to Elavil. At my TMJ appointment later that day I reported this to the doctor who was surprised, but suggested that 25mg of Elavil wasn't mattering much to any pain, and to try getting off of it again.
Bought pill cutter this Saturday, cut 25mg dose in half. Went to bed at 1am. Woke up at 3am. Wild, flashing patterns in my vision with my eyes closed, some of them persisting with my eyes open. Waited for a few minutes, and flashing subsided. Went back to sleep. Intense dreams. Checked around on the net, and found some people reported flashing colors type hallucinations going on or off Elavil, so didn't worry too much. Sunday night again took half a pill, the flashes of images before going to sleep were noticably reduced. Also, the daytime observable flashing was much reduced. Slept normally. Reported this Monday to the TMJ doctor, and he said, "Hmm, odd... I've just never heard of this type of thing with Elavil before, and I use more like 100mg with other patients." Cut another pill that night, took half. Woke up in the middle of the night. Wild flashing with my eyes closed covering my full field of view, not so much with them open this time. Reported that to TMJ doctor today, he didn't know what to make of it.
Initially, this seemed simple. Clean MRI, clean eye exam, clean sinuses, and a provable TMJ problem. Fix TMJ problem, everything cleans up. However, now I'm feeling like I'm going crazy, visual snow which I haven't noticed before, flashing hallucinations in the middle of the night. Is this just a reaction to the Elavil? Do I need to find a doctor to specifically treat this? What sort of doctor would even begin to tackle the vision problems? Neurologist? Psychatrist?