Painless head throbbing when lying down

Have they checked your nerves for a pinched nerve in the neck area.

It would be something to look into because nerves and muscles are all over the body. A pinched nerve or muscle can do many of wierd things. The nerve could be anywhere and still have a raidianting effect somewhere else in the body. Mine was in my neck. Try a message see if that helps. Just an idea. Try a Epsom salt bath if the doctor aproves it because on the package it says to consult a doctor if u have health issues like diabetes. I am just a person making suggestions cuz I had the same discomfort. I pray that everyone gets rid of the health issue.

any latest news about you guys about this painless head throbbing..ive been suffering for a month..it doesnt bother me when im sleeping but still im worried because i know this is not normal...any remedies or medication..pls help

hi Susan, I have been diagnosed with IIH after 2 years of numerous tests, I suffer with chronic IIH and this is one of the main symptoms I have, whenever lie down I have throbbing in my head, weird noises in my ears, and my head often feels like its going to explode, this is due to the excessive fluid build up around the brain, causing the the fluid the push on the brain, I would suggest going back to your gp and mentioning that you may think its IIH and ask to have more tests done and for them to look for the signs of IIH, you say you see the othpamologist every 4 months, have they mentioned anything about papilladima? as this is one of the signs of IIH aswell, it's also very important to report any sight loss if you have IIH as it can lead to permanent sight loss, dont give up until you have answers, many doctors still dont understand IIH themselves as it isnt common but remember our heads are important so make sure you get the answers you need. good

Hi Susan,

Are you still dealing with this issue? I have the exact same thing when i lay down for a rest in the daytime-head pulsates usually without pain. I have also had tinnitus for dozens of years and more severe for past 7 months. Also have severely tight neck muscles. Like you and others, had a zillion tests (ENT doc, CT scan, MRI, eye test to rule out pappilledema, dental exam, been to chiropractor, etc) and nothing changes it. Chiro helps neck for a bit but doesn't last. I eat very healthy, exercise a lot, lost 20 pounds, watch my sodium and sweets, don't smoke but do have an occasional glass of wine or cocktail. Wine seems to make tinnitus a bit louder. Docs make you think you're crazy or making it up.

Hi Susan,

Are you still dealing with this issue? I have the exact same thing when i lay down for a rest in the daytime-head pulsates usually without pain. I have also had tinnitus for dozens of years and more severe for past 7 months. Also have severely tight neck muscles. Like you and others, had a zillion tests (ENT doc, CT scan, MRI, eye test to rule out pappilledema, dental exam, been to chiropractor, also had carotid artery ultrasound to rule out blocked arteries etc) and everything looks hunky dorey on paper and all the tests are negative and blood tests are good. Chiro helps neck for a bit but doesn't last. I eat very healthy, exercise a lot, lost 20 pounds, watch my sodium and sweets, don't smoke but do have an occasional glass of wine or cocktail. Wine seems to make tinnitus a bit louder. Docs make you think you're crazy or making it up.

Hey. Did you find out what was wrong? I feel the same so I don't know what is going. I feel head throbbing/pulsating only when I sit or lay down and it's painless. 🙄 Especially during the night, it's so "loud" something that wake me up.

Hi there,

I've been following this thread and lurking through the replies and thought I might be able to get some advice too as a lot of what people have here are similar to me.

I've been a sufferer of ringing tinnitus since childhood and at 38 now im pretty used to it.

A few years ago I was called into my bosses office and when I sat down, probably plonked myself down more likely, I think I jarred my neck. I went dizzy, my ears rang louder than usual and my vision started to pulse ( I could see the veins in my eyes pulsing!). This only went on for a few minutes so I powered through it and went to rest until it had passed.

Strangely though a short time after this ( I assume so anyway) I notice that I was getting pressure building up in my right ear and a whooshing, almost tv static like sound when I laid down or bent over. when I get up out of bed I usually have about 5 seconds or so of head rushing pressure and the whooshing sound i described before.

I do suffer from sinus issues and sinus headaches are quite common for me but it has never affected my ears before. I went to the doctors on multiple occasions and after a visit to and ENT doctor I was basically told there is nothing medically that can be done for me.

I have tried everything from sinus clearing sprays to unblocking my eustacion tubes regularly but the pressure in my head is sometimes overbearing and I dread laying in bed and then dread getting up! I must admit it has affected my overall mental health and I even dread knowing I may have to bend over and pick something up. I usually end up bending my knees and keeping my head straight. Sometimes when laying in bed and I get the pulsing sound in my ear if I put pressure on my neck just under my ear it seems to reduce the sound but not stop it which made me worry it could be a vein or artery problem but I've had blood tests and blood pressure tests over the years and everything was fine.

I occasionally get a stiff neck after sleeping but trying various pillows don't seem to sort it.

I am at my wits end with it and am sure I can get it fixed if I just knew what it actually was. The symptoms people are describing on here seem very similar to mine. I do drink coffee at work and the occasional energy drink and stress wise I think everyone can agree this year has been enough for us all but I think its strange that the symptoms seemingly occurred after the jarring of my neck sitting down. Does anyone else think these are related?

There are three types of thoracic outlet syndrome. The vascular type of TOS could create symptoms that feel like vein congestion on one side, and pressure would build up in the neck and head. Tinnitus can also be experienced with this condition.

Its possible that a sleeping posture could trigger it.

I had Covid 2 weeks ago and it just opened up a Pandoras box of health anxieties for me (2020 did this to me, if I'm honest). What I suspected was a sinus infection due to eye pressure and a crippling headache has led me down the rabbit hole to thinking I could potentially have IIH. A few nights ago I awoke to my head throbbing audibly and my sleep has been interrupted since. I now dread going to sleep and waking up because I fear that sensation and it's sent me into a cycle of worry and Googling different things to figure out the cause. I have an opticians appointment booked and am in the process of switching GP's but this is alarming me. I am in my 20's, not overweight, eat fairly healthy and I don't understand what could be causing this. Advice?

Where do I start... I have ALOT of these symptoms, had clicking ears for about 18 years, went to the doctors at the start and they ruled everything out (without any scans) and made me feel like I was wasting their time.I just Lived with it,going odd times in the meantime to see if they would at least refer me.nope!! Fast forward 18 years and around 5months ago things started getting bad and worse by the day. My neck, shoulder and back all hurt on the right side, that's a good day. A bad day is like a washing machine spinning in my head/ears. It's the pressure in my head and neck that is sometimes unbareable, pain killers don't shift it, and have had nights sat up coz it feels better than lying on my head. Feels like I want to pop knitting needles through my head. Also pins and needles in my right hand.. Not all the time but quite often.being older I have come to the conclusion you have to keep pushing and pushing to see someone. FINALLY.. I have an M. R. I scan on Wednesday,though looking through this blog doesn't seem promising. I can't cope with this much longer, I have stopped working because of it, I can't do the normal everyday things Im used to doing. May sound bad but I'm glad to see that I'm not on my own with this. I hope each and every one of us gets sorted!!