Very confusing symptoms uprooting life.
Posted , 3 users are following.
I'll try to make this short as possible. Since July 4th, I've been suffering from very disturbing symptoms that have been ruining my life. Constant head pressure above ears and temples, neck pressure on the sides, and most recently rapid heart rate with a weird metallic taste in my mouth and burning arms and Sharp pain in my chest. I've had MRI, and mra of my head and heart. Catscans of my head, chest x-rays, and a nerologist exam. They have found nothing yet. They believe this is panic attacks, but I'm 32 years old and have never had one in my life. Given I have gone through allot of emotional pain recently. I'm worried it may be a blood clot, but the doctors are not. My oxygen is always at 99 Or 100, they also put me on a small dose of bp meds because that was a little high, but has been normal except when the symptoms flare up. Any ideas?
0 likes, 7 replies
Lonesage30
Posted
samuels Lonesage30
Posted
Hi,
I have been told, I can't say how true it is as I don't suffer them, migraine sufferers that I know a couple have said they get a metallic taste in their mouths when a migraine is coming on, has that been looked into ?. I know how easy it is for a doctor to put something he/she can't find down to panic / anxiety attacks, believe me, I've been there as well, however, I was a normal working hard working young man at the time and bang out of the blue I got all these symptoms and I really thought I was going to die at times, it took me 3 opinions before I could accept it, panic attacks were relatively unheard of back then, I mean it existed it's just no one ever spoke about them like today. I was 26 when I first experienced my first one and me personally had never heard of panic attacks back then, now kids as young as 10 maybe younger are getting them and every second person you speak to suffers from them nowadays.
I would only be guessing here but from your description, to me it sounds like a migraine although you don't mention a headache, but as I said I don't suffer from migraines so I don't know if you feel just the pressure or severe headache or perhaps both , the other possibility is the doctor is on the right track in saying it's panic attacks. Ohhh and another thing just came to mind, depending how high your blood pressure is really high blood pressure can give you that pressure feeling in the head along with redness over your face, how high a blood pressure did you have before being medicated for it ? also could be a side effect from the BP tablets ?
Lonesage30 samuels
Posted
The first time it happened, bp was 159 over 89. Since, it's been around 106 over 60, with the only notable increase being when the rapid heart rate symptoms happen. While the head and neck pressure is constant, the rapid heart rate and chest pain is not, they did do contrast dye mri on my head, and found nothing.
samuels Lonesage30
Posted
Hi,
Yes that's getting up there the blood pressure although getting it down to 106/60 is a tad low for someone your age, normal blood pressure for most even with mild ailments is 120/80.
When I have an attack of my prinzmetal angina my blood pressure is sitting around the 160-170 /90 but of course I have different chest pain than what you are describing with radiation pain into the left side. Does daylight hurt your eyes or make it worse when you feel this way or a dark room improve the symptoms ? Sounds a tricky one but I'm sure someone can work it out for you, perhaps a second opinion ?
Sway Lonesage30
Posted
samuels Sway
Posted
Hi Samantha,
Lonesage has reported that his oxygen sats are completely normal so one would think it was unlikely to be a heart / lung embolism, I'm currently under treatment for multiple clots of rather significance size in both lungs, I know everyone doesn't experience exactly the same symptoms and I suppose something that shouldn't be ruled out as it's only a 20 minute test if that. I never experienced what is being described in Lonesage's symptoms of the head, well actually here's a classic example of people not experiencing the same symptoms, my chest pain always felt like my prinzmetal angina pain, there was no stabbing / sharp pains in my chest just heavy and at times crushing with left shoulder and arm radiation, although I did have a lot more breathlessness and dizziness and developed a dry cough and my oxygen sats were low they sat around 89 - 93 , yet that still didn't alert anything to the doctors, if it wasn't for an on the ball triage nurse I may not of been here today, my left calf muscle was swollen and hot in places, was sore but not to the touch only to walk on, the triage nurse actually told me she was more worried about my leg than my angina, sure enough after a positive return on a D dimer blood test and the CT Scan with the contrast dye the clots could be seen all through my lungs.
It took me awhile to sort of come right but I was getting there slowly but for some reason I had some kind of set back, what I don't know but know I'm feeling dizzy again, the cough is more persistent and I lose my breath just coughing, I am now experiencing pain in the back, but that's part and parcel with my angina as well, although sometimes it does hurt to breath in, not all the time though, I've been checked out again and they say I should be fine as long as I continue to take the blood thinners, my cardiologist ordered a QV scan is it ? of the lungs last week because he is of the opinion I should be on warifin and not the new NOAC class of medications for PE's, I don't know his reasonings behind that comment . I did find it strange after the
samuels
Posted
Sorry I got carried away and hit the reply button prematurely
.
I did find it strange after the QV scan that I was asked if I was on blood thinners when on the requesting form it stated that I was. I suppose I will find out at my next appointment but because it's the public health system that could be months ago, I was even having ECG changes with the PE's and was also getting troponin rises which is a heart specific enzyme, however it was explained to me why I was getting elevated troponins, the PE's were or are putting a strain on the right side of the heart, making it work harder.