Severe head pressure, lighrheadedness/dizziness for more than a decade

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Hello. I am new to this website and I am very concerned in regards to neurology. I am a 34 year old male dealing with the head pressure for at least 12 years(since I was in my early 20's). This all started way back in the summer of 2005 when I first noticed that I was experiencing fullness around my head, which later escalated into lightheadedness and the feeling of faint upon standing or walking. And then it reached at the point where I had a full-blown panic attack and was taken to the ER. While at the ER, I was given a CT scan, a blood test, and an X-Ray. All found nothing. The next day, I was prescribed with a benzodiazepine Clonazepam and then a few months later, got switched to Ativan(Lorazepam), to reduce both panic attacks and the head fullness/lightheadedness. These drugs are also treated for people who have seizure disorders. However, the next year, I experienced a severe side effect which also caused irritability, so I was then later weaned off of the drug. Also that same year, all of my head symptoms became worse where I have to use my walking stick to walk and was lying in bed for weeks. I, then started visiting neurologists out-of-state and was given a regular EEG, MRI, another EEG(which I had to stay at an out-of-town hospital for two days). Nothing out of the ordinary was found. 

With the same symptoms I am still experiencing throughout the next couple of years, I was then taken to two more neurologists in my area, in which he ordered another MRI and an EEG. Still, nothing. Then, I was seen by ANOTHER neurologist at a local hospital, and he said to me that I was suffering from episodic ataxia which caused the migraine, so he prescribed me with Acetazolamide in which I had to take as needed. 

Unfortunately, I had to stop taking this drug because it caused me to have a kidney stone on the right side of my abdomen. While taking Acetazolamide, all of the migraine related symptoms subsided a little bit, but not completely, so I would consider it only a "temporarily relief". 

After a somewhat lull in my brain activity since late last year(I only had one or two episodes that only last a few days), the symptoms returned, but this time it is more persistent than the past cycles I have experienced throughout the years. 

So here are the symptoms I am having:

Head inflammation

All of my symptoms start with the pressure filling inside my head, it

feels like inside of my brain is full.

It can also start with the feeling that my brain is soft or nearly empty.

During a migrane, when the pressure is felt on my left or right side of the head,

it can cause facial twitches on the affected side; when it migrates to opposite side, then all of the twitching can be felt on the same side. It can be felt as if someone

is squeezing the part of my brain.

There will be migraine-related headache throughout my head or on either sides of the head.

Each time there is a migraine-related pain on one side of the head, it can also

be felt around the eye area on the affected side. It would range from moderate

to severe(I often get migraine-related eye pain located on the left side). This

could last for hours.

Vibration(better known as "buzzing" inside my head)

A brief buzzing sensation is felt inside my head. The buzzing can be felt for like five seconds, thus making me lose balance while standing or sitting, similar 

to a person on a verge of collapsing. This can be triggered while sitting,

standing, being in a very lit environment, eating around the dinner table, watching television(although not very close to the screen), working on the computer. It

can often felt sometimes while lying down. The buzzing is first felt, even if I am totally symptom free. 

Dizziness/lightheadedness

During the onset, I often felt lightheaded upon standing or walking, and it

feels like I am about to collapse. This always cause a loss of balance and

when I have to roam around, I have to use a walking stick to keep me balanced.

This symptom is more of a concern because I often lie in bed almost all day,

lasting for a couple of days to more than a week as a result. Also I avoided

going out to public places(shopping, going to movies, etc.) during this episode.

Tremors

I often get head shakes or tremors during the time I have migraine-related

symptoms, lightheadedness or dizziness. Sometimes it can be felt on different

parts of my body such as my arms or legs.

Memory lapses

I often experience forgetfulness, memory lapses, and confusion during the onset.

Nausea

During the migraine, I often have nausea.

When I take antihistamines the night before bedtime, some of the symptoms

above subside the next day after I wake up, but not fully. For example, the

day I have a severe headache, the next day after taking one tablet, the

severity of the headache lessens, and sometimes lightheadedness. The relief only lasts for one day before all the symptoms return. In addition, last year I had blood work to check on my histamine levels that may be causing my migraines and the same result as the other tests I have underwent: nothing

Also I have taken 1mg melatonin before bedtime to try to reduce the symptoms, but to no avail :-(. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. 

In conclusion, does anybody here experiencing the same exact symptoms I am currently having? I really need to get some answers here because what I am feeling right now is totally disrupting my life! I am mostly in bed for weeks now and felt isolated from my friends and family. I avoided going to public places(i.e., going to the movies, shopping, etc.) because of fear that I might pass out because of the lightheadedness. And also I am unable to exercise and do household chores. I have went to nearly dozen neurologists and underwent certain tests and they all came back NEGATIVE! I can't go on living like this!

Please help me...

 

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  • Posted

    Hey I'm sorry your feeling this I'm a 26yo male and I have very similar symptoms, I get tension headaches from the moment I wake up, Im constantly on a brain fog and I feel the lightheadedness /dizziness that you described. I've been to my Dr numerous times I've even gotten blood tests, and MRI x-rays, ekg almost anything you can think of. I also get pressure on my nose when I get these headaches so I'm going to see an allergy specialist this Wednesday to see if I get any answers. Please let me know if you come across anything.

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