Odd Sensations in both Head and Body...Infection or something else?
Posted , 5 users are following.
Hi everybody, I'm new here. So for the last month or so I've been dealing with some crazy symptoms.
It all started in late December, early January. I, along with my roommates came down with flu-like symptoms. Cough, fever, diarrhea, sore throat. Eventually we got over it. Or so I thought.
A couple weeks later however, in the last week of January I started developing slight vertigo. The feeling would come and go but I would notice it mostly in closed corridors or whenever I was in the bathroom/taking a shower. Scary but I thought it would run its course.
Well, fast forward a week later after that (early February), I started developing ear fullness, crackling and facial tension to join my vertigo. Every morning I could feel the blood from the back of my head rush to the front of my face. My eyes couldnt stay focused and I felt like I was on a boat. My head felt heavy, like someone tied a belt around it.
Mother-in-law is a nurse and she checked my ear drums and noticed they were swollen. She suggested I take Sudafed and Motrin. It didnt help.
I thought this was bizzare. Eventually it got so bad over that week that it made me feel lightheaded, almost like I was going to pass out.
Thats when I went to urgent care thinking i was going to die. They ran some basic tests on me. Blood sugar was fine. Hemoglobin fine. Blood Pressure, tad bit high but probably due to panic attack. The doctor ran a basic neuro test on me where she made me follow her finger to finger, hands to feet, eye to finger etc.She also checked my eyes and ears and concluded that I must have had a migraine.
A migraine...Ive had migraines before. This did not feel like any migraine.
Well she sent me home with Zofrane, and Sumatriptan. It didnt feel like it was working. So a couple days later I saw a physician.
At this point we are two weeks into the odd symptoms (starting with the vertigo). I explained the situation to him and he ran the same tests as the urgent care doctor (although I felt more comfortable around him cause he took his time to explain the situation).
He concluded ear infection. Even though he saw no outer fluid, based on my symptoms ans story he thought middle/inner ear infection from a head cold that stuck around after the flu in December/January.
He prescribed me ear drops with sulfate, Meclizine for nausea and Ibropufen for headpain.
Well, its been two more weeks and I feel like my situation isnt necessarily improving but altering at times. My ear crackling comes and goes. Facial tension not as much.
But I developed cold sensations in my hands and feet. Also, in certain positions my hands start to throb. Maybe its anxiety? Maybe a nerve issue?
Finally my head now feels like a balloon! and when i stand up it feels like a cinderblock right in the front of my face. So much tension yet almost like a vacuum is sucking my head from up above me. Its causing me stomach pains and my bowels to be watery (maybe due to anxiety, nerves?) I can still hear my ears crackling at times. But its freaking me out.
It feels best when Im laying down, but as soon as I stand up, I get that heavy, heavy feeling in my head and front of face. My stomach tenses up and its like I'm going to vomit if I move too fast.And my neck tenses up.
I have a follow up appointment in April with my physician. Its hard to see him because I have Medi-Cal and my clinic has so many patients. And referrals are just as tough.
Anyways, anyone have any idea what this could be? Labyrintitis? Infection after Flu? Cancer? Anxiety?
My physician assured it wasnt serious but the symptoms feel serious..
I was a fairly healthy boy up to this point. I went to the gym 4 out of 7 days a week.
5'7
175 pounds
Male
Filipino/Mexican
On a side note, I took a blood test a week ago but still waiting for a letter back.
These symptoms came on somewhat slow but progressed into something crazy.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
0 likes, 9 replies
melanie92461 eliseo71130
Posted
hi, sorry you haven't been helped with your dilemma, but it sounds very much like very bad vertigo. vertigo can be so bad that some people have to stay in bed for weeks, it happened to somebody who works with my partner. it can be debilitating depending on which type and severity of vertigo you have. she also said she thought her head was going to explode. I hope you get this sorted soon. and yes some of your symptoms sound like your anxious but I am not surprised. good luck xx
eliseo71130 melanie92461
Posted
i appreciate the reply.
Heres the thing. I dont necessarily have vertigo from the eyes anymore. It started that way, then made its way to my right eye. But now for the last week, I'd say it feels more like spinning from inside my head, not from my eyes. Thats the best way I can describe it. Like i can focus on something but if I concentrate too hard I feel sick and need to sit down.
Is that still vertigo?
Also, the ear fullness/vertigo used to be the main symptoms. While its still there from time to time, its now heavy heavy swollen tight head, and tension in my neck and stomach.
Can that really stem from an ear infection?
I appreciate any response
melanie92461 eliseo71130
Posted
an inner ear infection can knock your system scatty in more ways than one. dizziness, feeling that the ground is coming up to meet you, nausea, walking sideways and bumping into things and excruciating pains in the head in different places. our body is connected by certain nerve endings and if your nerves are being triggered then you will have pain in places that you don't usually have trouble with. I really hope you get sorted at your follow up appointment. don't let the doctor fob you off, mine is good at that. 👍
Sgt.lindalee eliseo71130
Posted
Hi Eliseo, Since you had a viral infection not too long ago with inner ear issues, has your Dr ever mentioned BPPV? It is called Begnign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, This is something to ask your Dr about esp. if none of the other things help!! Your inner ear has calcium carbonate crystals floating in gel in the part of your ear called the utricle, various things like ear infections, trauma and etc.. can cause the crystals to move to another part of the ear causing vertigo, ear and facial fullness, range of other sensations and feelings that can trigger anxiety(which can cause too many symptoms to list) the test and solution are done in the Dr office, the Epley maneuver....Dr lays you back and quickly moves your head into certain positions, it can helps diagnose & fix it by returning the crystals where they belong or making it so they stop the sensation, it can take a few tries, if THAT isn't it or doesnt work, they have some good anti-vertigo meds e.g. Betahistine by RX if your Dr thinks it is the cause and will help...If none of that works or is the cause, I would go back to Migraines, or maybe they need to look further at your ears, &etcc...there are usually SPECIFIC things that cause vertigo...just because this lasted long, meds didnt work though...both can cause some prolonged mild to severe issues. If it continues there should be a cause for it, or they should have an idea WHY?? Make a list of things you want to ask your Dr (conditions, symptoms, meds, tests, etc..)as they are busy & you'll have limited time, you don't forget anything that way!!I think you'll get some kind of answer or it can still go away on its own, maybe Dr can treat your symptoms at least...Good Luck, hope you get a quick fix & get back to livin' life, you can expect a Dr. to tell you what the cause is, as long as it effects your life...keep seeking answers!!BEST WISHES💒♾💞☮🐾🌈🎶🍀
eliseo71130 Sgt.lindalee
Posted
i have yet to bring up BPPV with my physician. Yeah, its been 4-5 weeks of feeling like this. Some days are better than others but at least once or twice a day where I feel like passing out if I move too fast.
The thing is I dont necessarily feel nauseous anymore. Its mainly the lightheaded, heavy head feeling, along with the ear fullness that follows me throughout the day.
I've noticed however that I only start having the vertigo when I begin to freak out. The thing is I dont know if thats the anxiety causing the freak out or actual physical symptoms causing me to freak out. Anyways, thats when I get the vertigo.
As far as my heart beat, there'll be times when its resting at 60 bpm. But then out of nowhere it jumps to 90 bpm and I begin to hear it. So random.
I'm not going to lie. This "ear infection" is the first thing I think of when I wake up and when I go to bed. I understand that can cause a toll on my body. The burning sensations, the throbbing hands, the chills etc.
But can it really cause my body to feel this way for 4-5 weeks?
melanie92461 eliseo71130
Posted
you are probably having anxiety attacks from worrying so much which is understandable but the sooner you get seen again the better.
eliseo71130 melanie92461
Posted
yeah thats most likely it. i never had these anxiety attacks before though. And I've had stressful moments throughout my life.
Maybe this ear thing can trigger them?
i literally wouldnt be thinking about my physical symptoms. Then all of a sudden they hit me out of nowhere. is that normal when someone has anxiety? Even when im thinking positive thoughts, they can come crashing in?
I only ask cause I've never felt this way before.
melanie92461 eliseo71130
Posted
definitely, I have had certain problems throughout my life and be out having a good time and all of a sudden feel really hot, dizzy and feel sick as a parrot for no reason whatsoever. also sometimes when I try to go to sleep as soon as I shut my eyes the room spins and I have to sit up again. I wouldn't mind so much but that's without alcohol. nothing like sleep deprivation. have you ever tried breathing exercises as they can help with anxiety.
eliseo71130 melanie92461
Posted
There are moments when I close my eyes, and feel like im going to pass out right away. Almost like Im entering sleep paralysis right awayz
It makes me sit up and start breathing heavily.
Freaks me out everytime.
Breathing exercises? okay.
what about the epley maneuver?