[QUOTE=mrsD;1029311]Dear Glyde:

Welcome to NeuroTalk...

I'd like to do some sleuthing if you don't mind...I have some questions for you.

What kind of shampoo do you use? One with selenium in it, or zinc? Or Coal tar?

Do you know what antibiotics you used? Some cause nerve damage. (neuropathy).

Do these attacks follow bicycle days? Is your helmet tight, which may be compressing nerves in the scalp?

Have you had tests for B12 and Vit D? If not get your numbers, and see if either or both are low. Don't accept "normal" from your doctor because labs still report levels below 400pg/ml as normal and they are really LOW.

There are nutrients that help nerves heal. Major ones like Omega-3s are typically low in US diets, so increasing salmon, and other foods that provide these or taking fish oil (or Krill oil) will help with nerve repair. B12, folate and B6 are the other cofactors for this.

My first impression is that something you do or are exposed to is the culprit. Keeping a log/journal with food entries, activities and matching that up with when the pain attacks come may be helpful.

Your work/hobbies? Exposure to solvents, chemicals or pesticides?

Heat also can trigger nerves, esp when they are compressed or damaged. So don't stand for long periods under the hot shower.
Use luke warm water or keep your head and neck out of the stream of water if hot. Don't lie on a heating pad either. (this is tempting, but in the long run it flares nerve firing). A wise chiropractor educated me about heat and pain.

Have you tried ice compresses at the back of your neck? Do they help or make things worse?[/QUOt

Thanks for the reply - I haven't bicycled in a long time, I have spinal stenosis and am waiting for surgery in April of 2014. I have had a occipital nerve block a year ago and the symptoms went away for about 6 months - i had another in April of this year and no luck, symptoms remained, like needles being shoved into my scalp.
The antibiotic that the dermatologists put me on was Doryx- essentially for it's anti-inflammatory properties.
I have had the same sense that you have, that this condition is due to something in my environment, but I have had patch tests to check sensitivity to cosmetics, dyes etc in shampoo.
I've used every shampoo known to man and Amazon.com - I don't use any with the ingredients you mentioned.
I am concerned about sodium laural sulfate though and try to stay away from sulfates in general. I'm wondering if it is related to my using hair gel (alcohol free and hair spray - with alcohol, even though the patch tests were supposed to show sensitivity to these as well)
Last night i woke up scratching/clawing my scalp....this time was so bad that I left red, raw marks at the top of my forehead.....
the dermatologist says it's not dermatological, and the neurologists can't figure it out except to increase the dosage of Tegretrol to 900 mg a day.
Thank you so much for your response and concern