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
tanya90842 Recoverandheal
Posted
I have recently found out why Ive been having these symptoms. I had a blood clot in my innerjugular vein.
They found it by doing a CatScan with contrast of my head, chest, and left arm, because my left arm was swollen as well!
And they found the blood clot in my IJVein.
That is a rare place to have a bloodclot but they started me on heparin drip in an IV and a few days went by and my arm swelling went down and the pressure, and odd sensations im my head went away.
The pressure was more on the left side of my head behind my left eye, it was my left arm that was swollen and the blood clot was in the left inner jugular vein.
shaun1000 tanya90842
Posted
Many people on here have a similar issue. The reason you felt pressure in your head is because the jugular vein also drains cerebal spinal fluid from around your brain. When it dosent drain it causes a build up which leads to the condition of intracranial hypertension. I myself have this problem but its due to a vein called the venous sinus which eventually then drains into the jugular vein. Its great that you got sorted but this condition often goes undiagnosed and left to suffer with this pressure feeling in their heads that leads to muscle tightness, headaches, dizziness.
thulani02360 Recoverandheal
Posted
Hi. So I am struggling with sinus problems. My nose is always blocked. I spend the whole day trying to force the drainage down my throat by sniffing inwards. There is pain behind my ears , below the jaw close to the ears and behind neck close to the ears. If and when the drainage does come down my throat i spit it out and notice that it is thick and almost glue like; once this has happened, I feel a brief sense of clear headedness, a sensation of being awake and can feel the temperature of the air in my nose. This condition started after I had spent a week sleeping inside a room that had been painted with expired exterior paint in September 2017. Too make it worse i was also smoking inside that room at the time, now I suffer this condition. I have stopped smoking. I am hoping to get better.
scott76968 Recoverandheal
Posted
Hi Recoverandheal,
Not sure if you're still reading your responses, but I wanted to respond as I have had a similar experience.
Over the past year, I've been getting these sensations in my head that feel like pins and needles. I also have what feels like fluid in my head, especially in the back. Sometimes it tightens and feels like a headband inside my head. These symptoms have been causing me extreme anxiety. Likewise, the anxiety seems to make the symptoms worse, so it's a non-stop cycle.
I've has two MRI's and a CT scan of my brain over the past year. They showed some cerebral atrophy, but were otherwise normal.
please feel free to respond, and let me know how you're doing. Likewise, if any of you readers have had similar symptoms, by all means please respond. I'd love to hear from you
Scott
scott76968 Recoverandheal
Posted
I just wanted to add, since these symptoms appeared, I feel like I'm in a total brain fog, almost like a partial amnesia. (see? I forgot to include this in my initial posting)
dona57225 scott76968
Posted
Exactly. I also find my posture just collapsing on itself. Like first resting my head on my hand and legs crossed then my head down writing then my legs curled under me...if sitting on the ground then laying on my back writing, then forgetting what I am writing about and looking at the sky and listening to the birds and thinking about the sun. Watching others try to communicate with TBI's is interesting as there are different levels of dysfunction/ Separation from Self/Thought.
Unsure312 scott76968
Posted
you take any prescription drugs around the time you noticed issues?
Unsure312 Recoverandheal
Posted
have any of you guys used prescription drugs? people who have used propecia, accutane, anti-depressants, and some antibiotics - have identical side effects. Lots of drugs that you wouldnt even suspect can cause long term damage even with short term use.
dee27364 Recoverandheal
Posted
I had all of these symptoms for two years, before recently having them identified and fixed. PLEASE READ
I went through all of the MRI's, eye tests, brain tests, etc. I finally ended up at Stanford medicine where they diagnosed me with two things: MIGRAINES and an issue with OTOLITHS. Otoliths are a crystal in your ear that can come out and cause dizziness, fogginess, and general motion issues. Normally when they come out they cause vertigo (because they get stuck in the vertical chamber of the ear). However, in rare cases they will go into the horizontal chamber which just causes a constant sense of motion. I went to a physical therapist who was trained in this and she provided me with a maneuver that put the crystals back. My motion sickness and dizziness was alleviated! However, my head buzzing, head pressure, and ear ringing was still going strong. I did notice a slight headache, but anything crushing.
Enter the neurologist. He very quickly identified it as migraines. I tried a medicine called Topamax for about 8 months without any help. I had started to think it wasn't migraines and then he put me on a medicine called Ajovy and within minutes I was feeling better. After about 6 days all of my symptoms were gone and I am back to feeling normal after 2 full years of these awful symptoms. I occasionally have the crystals come out and I get the motion sickness and I do a 15 minutes exercise and those are fixed. If I have too much chocolate or another trigger I get small head buzzing/fogginess/dizziness symptoms.
Unsure312 dee27364
Posted
any visual issues or visual processing issues?
pri09647 Recoverandheal
Posted
I DONT KNOW IF YOU STILL FOLLOW THIS THREAD, I to have these identical symptoms. I read through yours, and other similar replys. Through reading then I notice a very dooming commonality. All of us have tried mdma, some replys differ but the ones that were all identical to mine and yours was that one thing. So being the investigator I am because every dr rights me off as depressed and tries to give me anti depressants which only males my symptoms worse, so I started searching mdma and came to long term mdma effects. its pointing to neurotoxicity. It pretty much sums up all the symptoms associated with mdma use. I am making an appoitment to verify and hopefully find a way to reverse the damage. I expect this to be a long hard road to get a dr to understand and will listen to me. I myself have had these symptoms for 10ish years but the last 4 have been the hardest. Not getting better, and scared if I dont do something ill eventually lose my mind all together.
Unsure312 pri09647
Posted
where do you see that everyone took MDMA. thats just silly and of course that stuff does brain damage
overcome Recoverandheal
Posted
i can understand the struggle i have the same symptoms for 3 4 years i has escalated to schizophrenia doctors always say its schizophrenia even if i try to say maybe it isnt this thing have made me become insane this is crazy i cant see brain fog i understand this is really weird i dont understand life anymore wwooow its something for sure i dont know what to think i dont believe completely to be schizo but i feel crazy for sure tho i has been really bad now i used to it but its f*****g with my head i cant feel or see anything my head is broken i dont know if someone can clarify something please do i m disconnected from reality its bad thank you i have a lot to say about this and i dont have the energy to do it and have no support well not the support i truly need ... i hope i can be clear in my vision in soon future.
paula08755 Recoverandheal
Posted
Good morning, or maybe not, my partner is suffering from exactly the same thing for over 2 years now, hes suffered with anxiety and i think he has PTSD from growing up in a violent home, however he swares these systems came from some medication he was prescribed by a psychiatrist in Romania, it was a combination of bromazepam helcor 3mg which is strong anyway, and another pill called piracetam he took these for 4 months and the other doctor seems to think this has caused schizophrenia symptoms. I don't know how to help him anymore. Hes becoming more distant and angry. I've tried to encourage him to go the gym and swim. I tried to buy him a mountain bike to see if the adrenaline rush would help. But he wont try. Why is this happening.
brandon68612 Recoverandheal
Posted
hey I have been having similar symptoms for over a year now, have you had any luck in finding out the cause