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Faint spells/ head pressure/ dizziness/ feeling very off PLEASE HELP

Posted , 8 users are following.

micaela1996
micaela1996

I feel extremely hopeless and would appreciate any type of help I could get with my current situation.

So I guess I should start by saying I’m a 22 year old Caucasian female and am fairly healthy aside from living with anxiety/panic attacks and GERD.

This started 2 weeks ago on a Saturday when I was hungover I was out for dinner and as I was walking out of the restaurant I had this feeling in my head and felt a faint spell come on and was convinced I was going to the ground (felt like I was being pulled to the floor, lightheaded yet heavy squeezing feeling) but I didn’t faint, I just went home and slept it off .. felt fine the next day until I dinner time again when I was walking around making dinner and the exact same faint attack came on so I went and laid down for the rest of the night. 

Went to the doctors on Monday she said she believed it could be related to my GERD and also did bloodwork and some other basic tests. For the rest of the week I was fine until Friday noon time, I was sitting on the computer at work and it suddenly came on again and caused a panic attack as well. I had to get picked up from work and was super dizzy, short of breath, nauseas and sweaty. Laying down seems to make it better, so I was doing that till I got up and grabbed a shower was getting dressed then had another faint feeling in the same day (same Friday I left work) so I went to the Emergency Room. Doctor said my bloodwork, vitals and ECG was fine so I just got sent to a general internal medicine clinic for the next week. 

But things have only got worse from here sad 

The next morning I woke up with skull crushing head pressure (all over head, base of skull, top of head, temples etc.) that makes my brain feel like it’s floating around in my head and pushing into my skull.. may I add my appetite has been completely off since Friday (31st of August) so I feel weak too. The head pressure was so bad that I felt like my head was being lifted up off of my neck then being pushed from the top/back (really such an uncomfortable feeling). When I stand or sit up right/eat for too long my head starts to have the faint feelings again and I got warm flushes, my hands and feet go cold and I’m legit wet with sweat.. it feels like I’m about to drop to the floor and die (BUT I never actually end up fainting).

I started noticing other symptoms come on that are just disabling.. the pressure started going into my forehead, nose, face and really hard on my jaw and teeth (truly feels like they’re being pushed and squeezed) I just felt so disoriented like my head was going to pop and wasn’t a part of the rest of my body, the dizziness was bad, I truly have been laying down for over a week now. The worst I noticed was sometimes when I’m eating I notice my whole head face and mouth and like down to my neck would go numb and feel like I was floating and then the panick and faint would come back followed by the hot flush and sweating (so so scary).

I don’t have confusion or loss of vision or double/blurry vision.. the dizziness doesn’t necessarily feel like vertigo it feels more internal as opposed to things around me spinning. Not extremely sensitive to light.. only a little bit to noise.

I went back to the ER again and got more done (CT scan, more bloodwork and vitals) all came back perfect. 

I also saw the specialist at the GIM clinic and again didn’t know what was wrong with me but reckoned it was migraine related vertigo. So I tried Advil and the vertigo medication (neither worked) and I actually ended up really sick (dry heaving, closed my eyes and felt like I had the spins from booze) wasn’t sure if this was the medication or added symptoms to what was already going on but either way I went to see my family doctor the next day who said it could be an inner ear infection so she prescribed me a nose spray and amoxicillin (antibiotics) but it’s been like 4 days and nothing has improved which worries me!!!

I have no idea what’s going on I am crying and having anxiety everyday

Does anyone have any idea what this could be I am losing hope and worrying this won’t go away PLEASE help sad 

(Some additional symptoms- tingling in lips and face and ears. Warm sensations, dizziness, ringing in the ears)

1 like, 18 replies

18 Replies

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  • Smitty89
    Smitty89 micaela1996

    Posted

    Hello I've had dizzy/swaying symptoms since march. Was told it was from a vital infection I had. Still have bouts of it. I've been trying to keep my anxiety at bay because it does increase symptoms. I know, easier said than done forsure. At my worst, I had a hard time driving, grocery stores were rough, loud noises and crowded places. Was very tired, felt like I was floating when walking, ringing in ears etc. I've had lots of tests which came clear too. Currently going to a dizzy clinic where they specialize In these things. Get a refferal to and ENT and dizzy clinic if yoy have in your area. Drinking makes it wayyyy worse. I had a few drinks 3 maybe in juky cuz I was feeling a bit better, amd it brought it all bavk. Try to watch which meds they are prescribing you. Sometimes they make it worse. Do your research on them first. Especially if they don't know what's happening with you.

    • Lauren_P.
      Lauren_P. Smitty89

      Posted

      Definitely easier said than done. I also have to avoid going certain places. Loud places, busy places, makes everything worse ): it really sucks because it just causes me to be a hermit ): 

      I can’t enjoy even a glass of wine anymore. It just brings on the symptoms so bad ):

      Best wishes to everyone!

  • Lauren_P.
    Lauren_P. micaela1996

    Posted

    do you always experience anxiety? i know when I first stared having panic attacks (still recently) I would get that whole body flush feeling. I would start sweating but be shaking like I was cold cold at the same time.  It would come out of no where too. It happens to me currently. I cut hair, and sometimes while I’m working on a clients hair, out of no where my whole body feels like a wave is crashing through it. I feel like I have to sit down but I can’t. I start sweating ugh. My employees hate me because I always have the cold air blasting !

    When my anxiety was at it’s worse I felt like I had a weight on me twice my body weight. It was unreal. 

    I do have vertigo and take medicine for it. But it HAS made me feel worse, only one time. My anxiety makes me 500x worse ): 

    Especially if all your tests are coming back negative, maybe try something to ease your anxiety. I believe panic attacks come from just deep inside your subconscious. I’ll be minding my own business and it’ll come out of no where ): they really are the scariest things. I usually feel like I can not breathe & I feel like my chest is being crushed !

    I hope you find some relief !

    • micaela1996
      micaela1996 Lauren_P.

      Posted

      I’ve had anxiety since I was 11 (panic attacks included) and there is for sure times it comes on (what feels like) out of the blue and you are for sure right about it being your subconscious mind because that is what specialists have told me time and time again when I tell them I wasn’t in a situation where I felt anxious. 

      I do however feel that this is a bit different from anxiety, my anxiety is definitely present throughout all that is happening to me right now but I don’t feel it is the cause for the faint spells/dizziness and nausea etc. 

      I do know exactly how you are feeling though.. anxiety and trying to live with it can be more debilitating than people can even imagine. Especially when you’re getting those attacks in a place where you feel there’s no easy way out of it. sad 

      I hope things get better for you as well. 

      Will keep posting results and specialists advice on here.

  • jack11633
    jack11633 micaela1996

    Posted

    Micaela,

    Your story sounds very familiar to mine..I was told it was a virus, then Labyrinths, then Vestibular Neuritis...I do believe it starts with a virus..but now I have been diagnosed with Vestibular Migrane or MAV.. Your doctor was right in saying this is what it sounds like...just so you know medication for Vestibular Migraine takes alot of figuring...the best things you can do are Vestibular Rehab..either with a professional or free off of you tube, then look at your life, reduce stress immediately, go on an anti inflammatory diet ASAP...SUPPLEMENTS are the number one thing...you need to find out your B12 number in your blood work, if it is under 300 it can cause the migranes, you need to know your vitamin D numbers...supplements that work are magnesium, B12, Vitamin D. B6..Coq10, TUMERIC to reduce inflamation...LOTS of it...Ginger.  Your symptoms sound just like mine in the beginning, POTS is co-morbid with VM...I have it as well and it causes all the blood stuff.  Also, do you have any neck issues or back issues?  I think mine come from them as well.  You have a lot of research to do, look on facebook, vestibular migrane groups, mav goups, there are three major ones.  Heal my headache is a book.  it will probably be awhile until you get better, make changes and it will start.

     

    • micaela1996
      micaela1996 jack11633

      Posted

      I constantly have upper back knots and my neck has knots and pain too.. I find myself waking up with stiff neck most mornings and believe I have suffered bouts of tension headaches before this.

      I appreciate this post, it really does make me feel a bit better knowing I’m not the only one experiencing this cause my doctor keeps calling me “a mystery” which makes me way more anxious.

      I will definitely do more research on this but I hope it doesn’t take me much longer to recover as I would like to keep my job and go back to work.

    • jack11633
      jack11633 micaela1996

      Posted

      Me too..my neck is horrid..some days I cant turn it left.  Spine issues or back issues I think are big part of it...so weird how a virus can take over like this..there are lots of people all claiming the same thing..they got sick and bam..now have MAV..some people have MAV from hormones, some think its from the gut..or developed gut issues after.  I think it all comes a big horrible storm.  Also I wanted to mention the jaw thing you are talking about..at one point I couldn't even chew my jaw went completely out of line I think the illness can bring on TMJ...I do exercises for it and it seems to help, still going to bring this up to the doctor.

       

  • jack11633
    jack11633 micaela1996

    Posted

    Also, this "virus" causes alot of Anxiety..and potential for panic attacks..it does something to the vesibular system that causes you to be in flight or fight mode. I have watched many groups online fight about what comes first the illness or anxiety...doesnt matter, the other poster is right..you have to get it under control. I dont know where you live but if real CDB oil is legal it will help you alot, not the fake hemp oil

     

    • Lauren_P.
      Lauren_P. jack11633

      Posted

      I agree. I take 25MG of CBD for my anxiety everyday and it helps a lot! Sometimes I have to take more, but whatever works !
    • jack11633
      jack11633 Lauren_P.

      Posted

      totally, I have so much pain with my MAV - maybe fibromyalga??  it is the ONLY thing that gets me out of bed and moving for pain..and completely chills me out with the anxiety caused by illness.  At first I took mega doses for two weeks..it is then that I finally started healing somewhat..I SWEAR by CDB!!!!!!

       

  • james_47376
    james_47376 micaela1996

    Posted

    Hi 

    I follow many posts on patient but iv not yet managed to find anyone that suffered gerd plus this spacey head plus chest pains . I have found many that have gerd plus chest but not also the head 

    so I have same head situation as you , plus gerd , plus chest pain 

    I was trying cbt but not sure it made a difference 

     

  • james_47376
    james_47376 micaela1996

    Posted

    I'm going to Chinese doctor on Wednesday to get acupuncture for the vertigo - brain fog and some medicin for reflux 

    Il let you know how I get on .... 

    • jack11633
      jack11633 james_47376

      Posted

      James,

      If you MAV - IBS is connected or gut issues too.  Suddenly I went from a healthy functioning person..to someone with MAV suffering from gut issues/ pain issues....many speculations on where MAV comes from...I feel like its neck/back/ and gut.  My chest pains come from stomach issues - I think....I get rapid heart beats too...stomach related, standing up I loose all blood pressure and feel faint, when I do something strenuous I get rapid heart beats until my body warms up I think this is POTS. Two years into this I am still in the early diagnoses stage.....I have done the ENT - many doctors. Finally have one who doesn't think its a mystery,

    • kelly_74341
      kelly_74341 james_47376

      Posted

      Hi James will you let me know how your acupuncture goes please I’ve been reading up on this and I’m willing to try anything now!! Thanks 
    • james_47376
      james_47376 kelly_74341

      Posted

      The exoerience was amazing and you should def try it 

      it's a very different approach than our standard doctors and I felt like this doctor really understand the body as an organism as it is rather than other doctors treating me as a machine , as I am not 

      I had the acupunture and specific massage and Medicin for the reflux 

      he said five days it should be gone 

      il let u know 

      I feel a bit blown away by it and feel really surprised just how hands on and knowledgable he was . Clearly you must get a good one wgivh I def did 

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