Meningitis/ back and neck pain question! i need your help!

Question

ok so i went to the doctor 2 days ago and i talked to a nurse on the phone yesterday about meningitis but im still getting worse....they said i dont have it.....i feel a tiny pull when i touch my chin to my chest (like when stretching out a hamstring, that pulling feeling) but no discomfort....i have a sore neck on my left side not center or full neck just left......no fever no sensitivity to light, nothing else.....except i do get tiny stress knot head aches but i always have them......recently today (about an hour or 2 ago) i started to get back pain too.....i dont know what to do because i was told 2 times i dont have meningitis.....i was exposed to a kid who had it 4 or 5 months ago and i hung out with him about 3 or 4 days ago......i have been sleeping on a couch because i had my cousin over for the last 3 nights but i sleep on couches all the time and my neck is fine.....is this meningitis? is the doctor and nurse wrong? or is this just neck and back pain because of somehting else?

p.s.- right before i started getting pains in my back/spine i layed down proped up for a couple hours then layed in my tub with the shower on for about half an hour....but i always lay down in the shower...i dunno if that helps or not but after lying down in the shower my neck got worse too.....please help me!

Answer 1

I don't think you have meningitis, you need to trust your doctors. You're not running a fever are you? Those pains you are having are probably from sleeping on the couch and laying in the shower. You probably just slept wrong and now have some muscle issues because of it. It is normal. If you have a heating pad, put that on your neck and take a couple of Advil (if you have some). Sleep in your own bed tonight and take a long hot shower in the a.m. but don't lay down.

Answer 2

You might have them check your for it...it is done by a spinal tap.

Answer 3

I say it doesn't sound like meningitis for lack of any symptoms, especially a fever -- which may then indicate an infection.  However, keep a close eye out for any other "flu-like" symptoms to pop up.  If you are still feeling unsure despite no other symptoms you may want to go to your local ER and insist on having this checked out.. and if they won't listen, i mean REALLY INSISIT!  You are the patient and will know better if anything is wrong with you.  However, be warned that if there are no outward symptoms of meningitis and it does test negative the insurance company will probably deny the claim for coverage for it -- it is a sad world here..

If this continues and you do not become deathly ill with meningitis I may suggest to you visiting a DO for your neck pain.  DO's are your typical doctors with an extra qualification in treating the musculoskeletal system -- as you may not know if your physician is an MD or DO check his or her credentials before making the appointment -- you want to see a DO for this problem.  Neck pain is something they can commonly and easily treat without medications.

Answer 4

If you had meninigitis-dude, you'd KNOW.

I've had it and it feels like you've been hit AND run over by a semitruck.

The worst headache you can imagine-severe pain when moving your neck. HIGH fever in almost all cases. Lights bother your eyes so much you don't want to open them at all.

Seriously-it isn't just sore neck or nagging back pain. It is being horribly sick-so sick you'd not be on the yahoo.answers site....you'd be at the emergency room.

It sounds like you are just worrying yourself 'sick'..you probably have a small 'crick' in your neck and your back probably does hurt from laying in the tub.

Hope you feel better...