Head pressure, Brain fog, odd head sensation, feeling detached
Posted , 724 users are following.
Hi all,
I decided to become a member and make a post here after reading the forums for quite a while, great site by the way.
I am currently suffering with various symptoms and am in a bad way and just don't know where to turn any more so thought I would post here and see if anyone has any similar experiences or advice.
So first of I am male and 26 years old. I have been suffering with the symptoms in the title pretty consistently for about 2 and a half years now. I used to have some relief from the symptoms for a day or 2 here and there or maybe a bit of relief for a few hours in the day but recently the symptoms are pretty much constant and I cannot shake them.
I have an overall mild pressure feeling in the head, its not painful but is just very aggravating and feels really strange. I also have extreme brain fog with this and like a fuzzy head, there is a constant cloud over my brain and I never have any mental clarity or a clear head. My cognitive function is extremely poor now, my short term memory is non existent, its scarily bad. I often feel, detached from reality when the symptoms are bad and suffer from de-realisation, although I think this may be down to some anxiety and depression I experience when the symptoms run me down. I also get random sharp cramping pains in the head, they are quite painful but do not bother me so much as they only usually last a second or 2, it varies on how many I get of these each day but its usually less than 5. It often feels as though my brain is malfunctioning somehow and my cognitive function and senses are all out of whack, its hard to explain. There can sometimes be a build up of these symptoms throughout the day and by the night I can feel like I somehow how the flu without a fever? Like I have the head pressure, completely foggy headed, I feel super unwell, weak, sometimes even start feeling cold. Also have night sweats usually for about 4 or 5 days each month, there doesnt seem to be any sort of pattern to them that I can notice, so not sure if they are relevant. Another thing I have is ringing in ears which is mild but seems to have gotten worse recently if that sounds relevant at all. The main thing that gets me is the odd head pressure/sensation and the utterly life hindering brain fog, my brain feels like it is coated in a dark blanket constantly.
I do suffer from anxiety, I know many of these symptoms can be caused or made worse by these symptoms. I dont doubt that anxiety is a contributing factor and the way I think about they symptoms probably makes them worse but I have come a long long way with my anxiety, I have good control over it, I haven't had a panic attack in a couple of years, I manage to control most of my concious anxiety and stay in a positive mindset. No doubt I still have some subconscious anxiety underlying and I am working on that but I am not convinced this is the route cause of my symptoms. I am in therapy for my anxiety. I do not feel I will ever fully recover while I have these symptoms hanging over me though.
I have been to the doctor about these symptoms, although I do think I struggle to explain them or put them across very well in the doctors office. I have have blood tests which are all normal. I saw a neurologist couple of years back when this started, had a CT scan which was normal, they put the stabbing pains down to icepick headaches and thought the other symptoms were probably made worse by my anx/depression. Since then I went away and have been on anti depressants etc with no improvement of symptoms. I have also had a few ECGs and a 24hr ECG as I have slow heart rate and low bp so thought maybe the symptoms could be down to low bp and lack of blood to the brain, doctors do not think think this is the case and all my results came back normal. I have recently been back to the neurologist who is referring me for an MRI although he said he is sure there is nothing sinister and thinks the symptoms are probably tension type headaches and made worse by and previous drug use, he only put it down to the drug use when i told him about it though so it seemed like a convenient diagnosis. I forgot to mention I used to take drugs on the weekends socially, cocaine, ketamine and ecstasy on different occasions for a couple of years, I have had periods where I have felt ok since taking these drugs and do not really think they are the cause, I was not an addict this was just one or 2 nights a month at the weekends. So I have an MRI coming up but the neuro thinks it will be clear and obviously I hope it is and I am looking for other answers.
What could be causing these symptoms? Other than anxiety which i no can be a factor, but I have periods where my anxiety is pretty much non existent but these symptoms still build up out of nowhere and persist. I was thinking maybe some sort of allergy could be a possibility, I have tried cutting out gluten and lactose, this didn't seem to make much difference although I didn't stick to this for very long. I actually did a juice fast for 2 weeks with eating nothing other than fruit and veg juice put through a juicer to see if that would help but it didn't really give me any relief. Are there any other stomach issues that could cause this? I never have diarrhoea or constipation, my stools always float recently though, to the point of not being able to flush them, also whenever I have seen chance medicine doctors they check me out and say they think i have issues with digestion, i don't feel i have these issues but do wonder if there might be something in it.
Could there be something going on with the blood vessels in my head? Could it be a spine/posture issue? Some sort of epilepsy or electrical activity in my brain? I just have no idea now and am desperate for some relief. If anyone has any ideas or advice I would really appreciate it.
Oh just to add I am reasonably fit, I try go to the gym a few times a week and I do some weight lifting. I am a normal weight. I have been losing some weight recently which is a concern but I am still in a normal weight range for height and age.
Thanks for reading
56 likes, 1496 replies
joshua60012 Recoverandheal
Posted
I have been dealing with this same issue. I'm super relieved that I found this and see someone else knows what I'm going through. I've tried to explain this to people and it's extremely difficult. Have you had any success at finding the cause or maybe getting rid of this?
bbzg224 Recoverandheal
Posted
this is a time machine here I'm just reading your post after 3 years you explain my symptoms identically thank you I wasn't able to put it in words I have yet to read through all the comments but I hope you're feeling better thank you I wasn't
ChimpLegs Recoverandheal
Posted
To be honest with you all, I just want to give up and die. I have had enough of all this turmoil.
Good luck.
sonia08058 ChimpLegs
Posted
Don't give up please. 2 years later, and I'm still the same. I went to almost every specialist. Don't know what else to do.
thierry40000 sonia08058
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Yes I know don't give up. I have foggy brain and pressure 24/7 for now 17 years everyday none stop, never had any kind of clarity and I also seen a lot of doctors. one day at the time. I am trying cream made with Marijuana and do apply it at night and will let every one know if it helps.
brainfogking Recoverandheal
Posted
Let's have some fun. Tell me if this sounds like you.
-Chronic brain fog
-heart palpitations. They aren't as bad as they were, but they still get bad when l lay down for bed or if I eat a large meal.
-Eyes feel weird. Sometimes the TV feels really bright like I'm looking at the sun. I don't see things clearly and it's like I'm looking through a filter. I used to not be able to watch movies in the theater because they would be too bright.
-Head pressure. It feels like I'm underwater a lot of the time and it blends in with the brain fog.
-Neck started sizzling when I'm hungry. This is an odd one, but it started happening around the same time all the other stuff started. A search reveals thousands of posts from people with this same issue and no one really knows what it is.
-Anxiety. For the first few years of having these issues I had daily panic attacks. Eventually they went away for the most part and now I'm completely desensitized. I do still have a random one every few months or so that make me completely dizzy and I nearly fall over with a complete realization that I am without a doubt going to die.
-When I wake up from sleeping I am still exhausted. Always and constantly exhausted. By the end of a work day it feels like it would if I had stayed up until 7am, but with brain fog it feels worse.
-Strange nerve issues. I get random nerve pains in my legs and sometimes in my chest. Sometimes they can be mild but sometimes they are sharp. I usually massage the area in an attempt to fix it, but it only gets better when I stand or walk around.
-It feels like I'm "almost" normal. Like if I focus hard enough sometimes at 1am I can feel somewhat like I used to feel for about 30 seconds, then I slip back into whatever state I'm in.
-Caffeine doesn't work! Caffeine makes me extremely tired and amplifies the brain fog to a level where I can not get anything done. All I can think about is how I can't think about anything and then I start having palpitations. We are talking about even just a cup of tea will do this to me. The amplified brain fog lasts for about 3 hours if I drink a lot of water, otherwise it lasts for about 6 hours. Also Ritalin doesn't work. I'm ADD and Ritalin stopped working completely. So it's not just caffeine, it's everything that stimulates my nervous system.
-can't have alcohol. I get crippling hangovers that make me useless for an entire week. I can drink beer for beer with people twice my age and they are fine in the morning. If I have 3 beers I am done the next day. I wake up with spots of nerve pain in my legs that come and go throughout the day. Sometimes my leg will feel like it's vibrating in a spot. I have another spot in my back that feels like it vibrates like my phone is sitting on it and I get a message.
I have had these issues since 2014. So I'm 4 years into this and let me tell you that it still is not fun. Sure, the anxiety isn't as bad, the palpitations are only 25% what they were, but I am stuck with this constant inability to be my normal self and that does not get easier. Every day is a struggle.
As with most of you, no one can figure it out, so let's get into some things I've tried over the years.
Things I've tried:
EKG then ECG with stress test. Heart was completely normal even though it was having palpitations every 3rd beat! They couldn't find anything wrong!
Anti-anxieties : did nothing. I actually had a higher concentration of anxiety attacks when I started taking these.
Anti-depressants: My palpitations started when I started these. It was painful to lay down because my chest hurt so bad.
Blood tests - Everything is A-Ok. My testosterone has almost halved though since 2012.
Gluten free diet - I'm on week 2 of gluten free right now and I don't feel any better. Everything still sucks. I started this because bread causes gas which somehow is giving me palpitations. It's 100%. Anytime I eat something with gluten I will start getting palpitations
Oregano oil - This helped a TON initially. I went from what I considered 5% normal, to 80% normal in about 3 months. I stopped oregano oil a year ago and now I'm back to 50% and slowly decreasing still. I'm starting it back up and hoping.
Theories: Some sort of nervous issue; optical or other. Possible chronic infection affecting the nerves or producing some kind of toxin that messes with nerves. Leading theories from my research are overactive yeast and Lyme's. This is why I tried oregano oil.
Adrenal issue. I believe this less and less now that my anxiety attacks have calmed down. I do still see my extreme fatigue after caffeine as related to an issue with the adrenals. I could see this as an issue in combination with some of the others.
Hormonal imbalance: Not sure which, but I think my halved testosterone could be linked to an insufficient amount of a certain precursor that the lack of which can cause many of these symptoms. I could see this as an issue in combination with one of the others.
Gluten intolerance and related Vagus nerve issues: Palpitations after eating bread are what triggered this suspicion. I know gluten in intolerant people can cause brainfog and a whole bunch of other issues.
Sinusitis: Head pressure and feeling like I'm underwater. Can also cause palpitations. Sometimes breathing in my nose rapidly causes an intense but shortlived head pain.
Spine issue: I used to lift a lot of weights and it's possible that something in my spine got messed up. I always lifted carefully though with proper form and never experienced any nerve pain while lifting. It's still a possibility though.
c52622 jeesan91506
Posted
thierry40000 jeesan91506
Posted
Is_it_Lyme brainfogking
Posted
shawn2002 brainfogking
Posted
Did you find anything new regarding cure. Please share.
Thanks
fernando02907 shawn2002
Posted
Same think Shawn, I even had the same surgery. It's been 4 years with these feeling.
ann82027 Recoverandheal
Posted
siraj89072 Recoverandheal
Posted
Hi! riding in this life. I'm one person who has a pretty much similar issue as you. I went to a 10 days vipassana meditation practice. During that period I began to feel a mild block in my right ear. Due to meditation I was really aware of my sensations in my body. So I thought its just a sensation so it will pass by. After couple of days I could feel a head pressure in my head. I had a really balanced mindset at that time so it didn't bother me much. When I left meditation center I could hear little voices inside my head. I literally people talking inside my head. I had already became emotionally numb and I thought it can be some issues with anxiety and depression. So I shared with my parents about my condition and began talking pills. Pills did no benefit for me. I still have a mild pressure in my left head and sometimes sensation of air can be heard in my left air like ; woos..............in and out. I don't have any idea about it and just I live with it in a daily basis. I'm in the states right now and sometimes I feel only if I didn't had this.
siraj89072 Recoverandheal
Posted
And just like you said it even exist when I don't have any anxious situation around me. forgot to mention
lisa32889 Recoverandheal
Posted
Was wondering if anyone has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
I came across this site a week or so ago and was amazed at the number of people with the exact same symptoms as me. I had felt very alone and like I was crazy. But seeing that others are dealing with this too tells me it's not just me. I'm not nuts. And there has to be some kind of answer. I was researching lupus, and came across a link for fibromyalgia. I did not think that was my problem but decided to read the article anyway. Lo and behold it fits every single one of my symptoms. Every. Single. One.
I am already scheduled to see my neurologist next week but I also plan on making one with my PCP and discussing the possibility of it being fibromyalgia.
Gussysmom lisa32889
Posted
I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2004. My pressure, fuzzy feeling, chronic headaches, etc, didn’t start until 2015; about a year after a severe car accident. I saw a Nuerologist for 6 months; no improvement. Had multiple injections & radio frequency procedures. I don’t even know if he had any clue about the pressure, fuzzy in my head. I’ve had all sorts of medical tests done. No answers. Many people posting on here have been through lots of medical tests with same result: no answers.
I hope your experience with your Nuerologist finds some answers. Please share with us if anything good comes from it. So many people are living with these symptoms; it’s so sad.
jeff73591 Gussysmom
Posted
Gussysmom jeff73591
Posted
My head pressure and fuzzy feeling comes and goes. It happened almost everyday for a longtime; currently happens several times a week. I have to sit down and don’t do much after symptoms start (for remainder of the day). If I don’t stop, I will start having problems with my balance and fall. I have headaches about 5 times a week.
I don’t have the detached feeling that some people are experiencing.
I used to get alot of pressure in my ears (this happened for more than a year) when head pressure came on. That doesn’t happen as much now. I also had noise sensitivity, it was pretty severe (this has improved some). I couldn’t even go grocery shopping cause of the noise. The noise felt amplified.
About 14 months after my accident, I received 80 Hyperbaric Chamber Oxygen Therapy treatments. I had found a new 10 person hyperbaric chamber in my area. It helped other issues that I was experiencing.
I have other symptoms in addition to those listed above.
I’ve had to adjust my life to manage (tolerate) symptoms. Hope this is helpful.
I deal with this one day at a time and try really hard to stay grateful.
Gussysmom lisa32889
Posted
I just came across some information that I wasn’t aware of, related to fibromyalgia.
Fibro fog can manifest itself in different ways in different people but some of the most common symptoms include:
short term memory loss
misplacing objects
becoming easily distracted
forgetting plans
difficulty carrying on conversations
inability to remember new information
I have all these symptoms but never knew it could be possibly be connected to fibro. I have thought it was related to my brain injury.
(Fibro Dx in 2004).
It may mean nothing but I wanted to share the info with you.
I’m getting discouraged; in addition to that list of symptoms, the head pressure, brain fog, and almost daily headaches...it’s wearing me down. I’m considering going back to my Nuerologist and also talking to primary doc to see if I can go back on cymbalta. It had helped my fibro several years ago.
If I have any improvements, I will share on the posting.