I have been having
headaches for some time and they seem to be getting worse with time. Now the doc has me on Inderal 3X a day and then midrin for the breakthrough as well I am on Oxycontin 40mg X2 and Oxycodone as needed for breakthrough for the back. Round that out with Lidoderm patches for 12 hours a day (night time) & robaxin for the muscle spasms.
There is no warning for the headaches and I am not light sensitive when they hit. If they are not caught in time I become disoriented and vomit in addition to the pain which is a 10.
I have had several CT scans (no MRI's) through the years but none of them have shown anything wrong with the noodle but none of them have been done with contrast. I am growing concerned with the frequency/intensity and their lack of diagnoses. I understand doctors are not miracle workers and sometimes there is no explanation.
I want to ask my doctor to do a CT Scan with contrast but I am curious as to how much better the scan might be with contrast then without it. My concern with contrast material is that my readings suggest that they use an iodine based dye and that they inject it intrathecally. For me this is a concern as I have arachnoiditis which may have been caused by a similar dye used during a myelogram.
In fact the doctors do believe that perhaps the arachnoiditis itself might be the culprit for the headaches. Our last conversation on this was along the lines of the scar tissue displacing CSF and causing the headaches. However I was curious as if that were true would I not experience the headaches constantly as the pressure building up from the scar tissue is constant.
Is the contrast done intrathecally or by IV? Should I ask the doctor for a CT with contrast to see what is there or should we go for the MRI? If we do an MRI wouldn't they still need to do the contrast?
I appreciate any info you folks might have and I look forward to not spending more nights in the ER not knowing who or where I am.