Hi everyone,

I was diagnosed with chronic viral meningitis last April of 07, and
battled it for over six months. I had every lab imaginable done, and
they never could figure out what caused it. I had 3 lumbar punctures
done- and I had even worse headaches after the first one.

I've suffered from persistent headaches ever since. They are always
there, just the severity changes. There are no patterns in them.
I've gone in twice for different DHE infusion treatments with no
results. I've had 5 MRI's done, and everything has come back normal.
I've also had nerve blocks in the base of the head. Nothing has worked.

I'm fortunate to have a neurologist that only specializes in
headaches-28 years under his belt. His office also runs the Headache
Institute. It's only 1 of 5 in the country I'm told.

I've been on all the meds- heart meds, migraine meds,
anti-convulsants, anti-depressants, muscle relaxants, steroids- you
name it, I've probably been on it. So far nothing has responded and
the doctor is always making new cocktails for me when I see him. I've
also done the headache diet and took out trigger foods that are common
with people who suffer from migraines.

There is some advise I can share with you. Do not take pain meds
(narcotics) for your headaches. While it offers short term relief,
they will lead to rebound headaches. Also, stay away from
Acetaminophen (Tylenol). It is also proven to lead to rebound
headaches. You should take naproxen or IBU.

When it comes to post-meningitis, there is nothing by the book. Some
meds will work for some, but not for others. My doctor told me there
is no science in treating headaches, as all the meds that seem to help
with headaches are pretty much discovered accidentally.

He also told me that I could have this the rest of my life, or I may
wake up one day and it will be gone. I'm hoping for it to be gone,
and soon. This has taken over my entire life. I can no longer work,
and I am moody and depressed all the time. My family is very
supportive, but it is still hard on them, my young daughter
especially. I've also had confusion, balance issues, and joint
problems, all which can be side effects of meningitis.

For anyone with chronic meningitis, find a neurologist that has some
knowledge of headache disorders. And be taken seriously. My family
doctor kept sending me home telling me to rid some stress and stop
working so much. I didn't have the common symptoms of meningitis, so
he didn't do much about it. Once I saw the neurologist, he began the
LP and all the labs to find out what was wrong.

Amy



--- In PostmeningitisHeadache@yahoogroups.com, "fionagreenlees"
<fionagreenlees@...> wrote:
>
> Hiya,
> I had viral meningitis 11 months ago now, and I still suffer crippling
> headaches if I do not take Imipramine (10mg) every day. It does work
> really well for me, if taken reguarly anyway.
> Hope you find something that works for you and feel better soon.
> Fi
>