Head pressure, pins and needles, chest feels heavy...thyroid?
Posted , 4 users are following.
So it all started in late December/early January. My roommates and I got flu-like symptoms. Fever, cough, mucus etc. Eventually we got over it. Or so I thought.
Fast forward to the tail end of January (27-28th). Started developing slight vertigo. It would come and go throughout the day (I mostly noticed it in closed corridors or whenever I showered).
The vertigo eventually went away however after a few days. Weird.
Fast forward a week later, maybe the 8th of February. I started developing ear fullness, and crackling. It was dull but constant .
Eventually I got slight facial tension on my cheeks as well. No paralysis but almost like a sunburn or my face being pulled back.
I spoke to my mother in law who's a nurse. She checked my ears and noticed they were swollen but no fluid. She suggested Motrin and Sudafed. Maybe it was sinus issue?
I used it for one week straight. Didnt work.
Eventually the vertigo came back. And now it came back even stronger. This was like the 14th of February.
I started freaking out. I would get lightheaded out of nowhere and feel like passing out. My head felt so swollen. Almost as if someone wrapped a belt around my head. So I go to urgent care thinking Im dying. They checked my blood sugar. It was fine. Hemoglobin. Okay. Blood pressure? A little high due to panic attack.
The urgent care doctor runs a basic neuro test on me...my finger following her finger, eyes following her finger etc. She checked my eyes and ears and her conclusion was... Migraine. Migraine...I've had migraines before. This did not feel like it.
She prescribed me Sumatriptan for headaches and Zofran for nausea. It did not help so a few days later I went to the physician (17th of February).
Physician ran the same test as urgent care doctor however he concluded I had middle/inner ear infection due to a virus that stuck around since January.
He prescribed me ear drops, Meclizine for vertigo and Ibropufen.
Now its been a few weeks since my appointment. My facial tension has slightly diminished. My vertigo feels like its gone. My eyes arent spinning anymore however I still have ear fullness and crackling. Also i still have swollen swollen head feeling.
That being said, the odd thing is even though some symptoms are diminishing, I feel like I'm developing new symptoms.
It almost feels like I am drowsy, drunk. I get tired very easily. Like I need to put my head down during the day.
Also my heart rate would spike randomly. I could be resting at 60bpm then all of a sudden it can go to 90bpm as soon I start thinking about it.
The best way to describe the feeling is like I have low blood sugar with high blood pressure.
Secondly, most dramatically I would get a throbbing sensation in hands and feet accompanied by cold sensations in my body with pins and needles. Theyre dull sometimes but painful other times. Almost like peripheral neuropathy or parenthesia.
Also, I feel like I can hear my heartbeat at times and it feels like its pumping harder.
Lastly I do have some slight back pain that comes and goes. So odd.
I'd like to note that all these symptoms come and go throughout the day. Some hrs are better than others but still constant every day.
Doctor likes to say that its my anxiety due to panic attacks. He says it put a lot of pressure on my nerves. But I'm not sure. They 100% feel real.
Its just so odd. I was perfectly fine leading up to the new year (working out 4 out of 7 days a week) then all of a sudden I'm having all these odd symptoms.
Is the doctor right in saying this is an inner ear infection mixed with anxiety?
Vestibular neuritis? Labyrinthitis? Bad thyroid?
Its on my mind everyday. Maybe thats why I feel so fatigued?
5'7 male
29 years old
175 lbs
Filipino Mexican
I'd like to note they did give me a blood test and I got a letter saying abnormal results but I didnt receive a phone call to come in. In the letter they stated to just come in April, which is my follow up appointment. I'm assuming if it was really bad they would have contacted me a while back
Any advice would be amazing. Thank you so much.*
0 likes, 9 replies
MtViewCatherine eliseo71130
Posted
Hypothyroid disease is often accompanied by swelling in the neck that can prevent the ears from draining. Other swelling of the neck- swollen lymph glands, even allergies- as well as fluid from swimming, can cause fluid in ears. When the ears don't drain, the excess fluid can cause inner ear infections, vertigo and other symptoms.
The slight back pain, if it is low to mid back could be kidney pain, which can be caused by not drinking enough fluids, or adrenal pain, which can sometimes happen with advanced hypothyroid disease which can lead to adrenal exhaustion.
Honestly, before worrying too much, try increasing your water intake, cleaning up your diet and including more protein, and get some good quality multivitamins and mineral supplements. Deficiencies can often mimic chronic illnesses. Magnesium deficiency in particular can mimic thyroid disease and even diabetes.
I suggest this because treatment and diagnosis of thyroid disease is a rabbit hole best avoided, as much of it is very subjective and medications are known to worsen thyroid disease and even cause thyroid disease, and other autoimmune diseases.
eliseo71130 MtViewCatherine
Posted
Thanks, I appreciate the reply
Does it sound like my illness is related to Hypothyroid? Its hard to believe that Ive been feeling this way for over a month now.
Can it come out of nowhere like this? My neck doesnt appear to be swollen but I have a heavy head sensation that moves around my face and head.
Its quite annoying. If its not my head acting up, its my hands and feeg. If its not my body, its my head.
MtViewCatherine eliseo71130
Posted
I certainly wouldn't say its in your head. Usually thyroid disease is a long time coming, though it can be triggered to peak to a point of serious problem.
I encourage you to read the many thyroid posts here because you will see the diagnosis and treatment is often futile. I found the treatment with medication actually worsened my thyroid condition. Which is why many thyroid patients find it useful to approach thyroid disease holistically with diet, supplements, cleansing and exercise. There are many things you can do to reverse and curb the advancement of thyroid disease- mainly improving overall health.
If you suspect thyroid disease, I recommend immediately taking holistic action to curb it. Because, if you don't have thyroid disease, you're improving overall health, and if you do have thyroid disease, you're ahead with curbing the progression of the disease.
eliseo71130 MtViewCatherine
Posted
Today I woke up, ate some food and felt immediately tired after that. Like lightheaded. Never happened to me before. Right when my body started to digest it.
Comprehensive blood test turned out fine though, with no signs showing im pre diabetic.
Could these sensations be triggered by an infection? its crazy
mary19068 eliseo71130
Posted
Hi elisio71130
You should call the surgery for your blood results if they were abnormal. Some of your symptoms are likened to low B12 such as pins and needles and coldness in extremities, fatigue, drowsy and drunk feeling. Of course it could be other things but do call surgery asap for your results....
eliseo71130 mary19068
Posted
Although I got a letter stating abnormal results, they didnt tell me to come in until my next follow up appointment which is in mid April.
Surely if my results were more "serious" they would have told me to come in sooner?
mary19068 eliseo71130
Posted
Hi eliseo71130
Maybe, but there is no harm in asking for your results before your appointment. I don't know if your in UK but under 'Freedom Of Information Act' you are entitled to ask for a copy of your blood test results....
eliseo71130
Posted
So I got my blood tests back and the only things that were considered "abnormal" was somewhat high cholesterol and low vitamin D.
Everything else was perfectly fine.
I also noticed something this morning that never happens to me.
I ate some food for breakfast and immediately felt really really tired. Like I could pass out. And my heart was pumping, not necessarily fast but I could hear it and it moved my body.
I took a nap but I found this so odd.
The doctor said my comprehensive blood test did not show any signs of being pre diabetic.
Why, along with my original heavy head, ear fullness, am i feeling like this? that low blood sugar type of feeling?
my blood test showed no cause for alarm...unless its something a full panel would not be able to see?
mel33682 eliseo71130
Posted
Hi there, I just read your post and wondered how you are now and did you find anything more out about why you felt that way? I ask because, I too became ill in January/February same time as you said and I had the flu symptoms etc you mentioned and I also related to lots of the other things you mentioned like the vertigo, ear fullness with crackling, swollen head feeling, sunburn feeling on face, heart spiking randomly...so tired...I felt the same. Now, I have been told long Covid...from having coronavirus back then. I have lots of symptoms now fatigue...still random ear fullness and crackling...some heart spiking...lightheadedness, sinus problems, random eye blurring....brain fog. so I just wondered how you are now and did you find out what it was for you? I hope you are keeping well.