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Feeling dizzy, head pressure and off balance for a week now, docs can't figure it out.

Posted , 4 users are following.

scott76057
scott76057

Hey guys, lately I've been experiencing some really uncomfortable feelings. A week ago I was shopping with a friend when I started to feel as if I was walking down a slope, the ground felt really uneven and I began to feel like each step was a comcious challenge. Within minutes my legs had literally seized up and I could only drag them.

I have a generalized anxiety disorder and so assumed I was just having a panic attack. But when my dizziness from this "anxiety" episode failed to reside even after finding relaxation I began to wander what was wrong. The dizziness is moderate and accompanied by occasional head pressure and facial pressure especially in my sinuses and ears.

I went to have a neurological exam done and docs couldn't find much wrong with me except a bizarrely significantly weaker leg than right leg as well as slightly less sensation on my left side when doing the pin prick test. I got blood work everything was perfect. A middle ear and vision test was performed and nothing out of the ordinary. Docs have ordered an MRI on a "just to make sure" basis but as much as I fear this being a brain tumour I just don't think it is comserdering how quickly symptoms started.

Does anyone else here have these or similar symptoms? If so could you give me an incling as to what this could be. I had a psychiatrist tell me this is a chronic stress response related to anxiety but I don't see how that would create dizziness and loss of balance.

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • scott76057
    scott76057

    Posted

    Sorry for the bad grammar btw I didn't look over this before I posted it.

  • Lolasmom
    Lolasmom scott76057

    Posted

    Hi there,

    Not sure if this is the same, but i will explain what I go through. This has been going on for several years but has gotten worse in the last 2 years.

    I start with a quick dizzy. Then my face from my eyebrows down past my cheeks fill with pressure. My left nose plugs and my left ears plugs. I have to constantly pinch my nose and blow out to unplug my ear.

    This causes a very off balance feeling. When I walk I feel like I am on a boat, and feel very unsteady.

    About 2/3 years ago, I had a cat scan and MRi but nothing showed.

    I saw an ENT about 2 months ago and was completelu useless. Most are.

    July 31 I am seeing another neuroologist.

    Sometimes it is all day, and other days for some reason it starts about 3pm.

    I also have anxiety,  This certainly makes it worse.  I just feel like my face is going to explode with pressure....not pain.

    The neurologist from a couple of years ago thought it was some sort of migraine.

    I do get ocular migraines seasonally....but nop headache. just the crazy eye stuff.

    Somethimes I connect all of this to weather,  When clouds are moving or when the clouds move to blue skies, it is bad, and the other way around.

    It just consumes my life.

    I sneeze alot daily. usually 6 times in a row  many times a day.  Had allergy tests but nothing came up.

    I am so done with this

    • scott76057
      scott76057 Lolasmom

      Posted

      Yeah I get a lot of those same symptoms and feel you, it's not fun. I couldn't imagine dealing with this as long as you have.

      I'm no doctor but it sounds like you might just have chronic sinus problems. I don't know what would cause that but it really sounds sinus related. Maybe anti histamine would help.

  • matt45001
    matt45001 scott76057

    Posted

    Not sure if your symptoms have gone away by now, but I’m experiencing something very similar.  Had a severe dizzy spell out of nowhere one day.  ENT said my ears looked fine.  Had some balance issues for the week and then had an episode of head fullness, dizziness, and left side weakness.  Also had blurry vision and the opthomologist saw swollen optic nerves in my eyes.  They immediately sent me for an MRI of the brain which came back normal except for the swelling of the optic nerves.  Not sure if that’s related at all, but I’m worried there may be intracranial pressure buildup in my head.

    I had a similar feeling as well 2 years ago with the head pressure (around the same time in the summer as now) and doctors eventually said it was somatization (an anxiety issue that turns anxiety into physical symptoms).  Are you feeling any better and if so, what happened and what treatment were you on?

    Thanks

    • Lolasmom
      Lolasmom matt45001

      Posted

      Hi Matt,    I replied to Scott, but after the first reply, I guess he does not come on here anymore.  I have similar as you, and been going on for more years than I want to admit.   Nuero thought it was silent migraines.   I am just not sure about that though.   It is a daily thing for me.  Hope you can get some relief
    • matt45001
      matt45001 Lolasmom

      Posted

      Hi!  Coincidentally, I actually was talking to someone today who had the exact same symptoms.  Doctor ordered a lumbar puncture for them after the MRI was normal and diagnosed them with Idiopathic Intracranal Hypertension.  I spoke again to a doctor and they don’t seem too concerned but I’m curious as to why they didn’t order a lumbar puncture for me even though my mri shows prominence of the optic nerve
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