Posted by Anne Thomas (208.250.110.77) on July 29, 1999 at 11:03:30:
In Reply to: MRI's--what's it all about? posted by TP on July 29, 1999 at 05:11:57:
About 5 yrs ago I had never heard of cluster headaches. Began to get horrible headaches when I first got up in the am, would have attacks during the day, rt sided, watering eye, stuffy nose, felt like my teeth being pulled out pof my head, I went to the dentist to rule out oral problems, everything was fine there. Got so bad one pm I went to the ER, MD examined me and got concerned when I told him it hurt the worst when I first woke up in the AM. MRI was ordered and while wrapping xmas presents at home alone, I got the call, you have a brain tumor. The MD saw me that pm at 11pm when my husband got home, already had spoken to a neurosurgeon in nyc who called me in the am. The tumor was located along the trigiminal nerve and the optic nerve, I underwent surgery the tumor was benign and since I have had what has been called cluster headaches. It has never been know what came first the clusters or the tumor. This tumor in this location mimicked every symptom of cluster headaches. I don't mean to frightned you but I do urge you to get either cat scans or a MRI and at least start with a reputable neurosurgeon. If the er md never ordered an MRI I would have continued to go around in circles, the tumor would have caused blindness and eventual death left undetected.