Feeling heartbeat in head and dizzy

[RichTeaAreCrap]

I have suffered with dizziness for over a year now, had all kinds of tests and they have put it down to migraine. I am not convinced though. I also had palpitations but the doctor put this down to me being anxious about the dizziness. Now when I get dizzy I get red/flushed and loads of pressure build up my neck and under my chin/jaw. My doctor has said that my thyroid gland looks enlarged and will test me again but the last test showed that it was ok.

At the same time I had other stuff going on - stomach/rib pain, but was always told they were not connected in anyway.

Over the last few weeks I have developed another symptom. In bed at night when I am lay down I can feel my heartbeat really strongly in my head. It isn't in my ears at all, but actually in the back of my head.

I have told my doctor who actually said 'I have no idea what that could be' - doesn't fill me with much confidence but at least he obviously thinks it isn't anything serious.

Has anyone else had anything like this or know what could be causing it. I don't want to google it and frighten myself silly!

Totally unqualified, but here are my thoughts: I developed similar symptoms when I was finishing my degree at uni. Purely down to stress for me.
Could that be it? How is your blood pressure? Are you eating healthily?

I sometimes feel my heartbeat somewhere just about my right ear [unhelpful contribution] and whereas I do have other heart problems, the ear thing usually happens when I'm most stressed.

But I'm sure someone on here must know something which can help you...

Have you had your haemoglobin levels checked? (simple blood test) One of the symptoms of anaemia is tachycardia or a fast, noticeable heart beat. Are you tired a lot?

I get this a lot but also feel it in my ears and neck/shoulders too. I have recently being diagnosed with Migraine which gives me dizziness too so I think it is linked to this. Is very sporadic for me and not related to stress. When i mentioned to my consultant neurologist he said it was quite common in people with migraine so it doesnt bother me much.

Thank you for the replies, it really helps me not to over think this.

My blood pressure is ok - on the low side if anything - I am on beta blockers as migraine preventative medicine and this keeps it low.

I have had blood tests for anaemia and all kinds of other things. We do have heart problems in the family and I have had some pain in chest, but had 3 ecgs done and they were all normal. My cholesterol is fine too.

I suppose it could be stress, I am a bit anxious about what it is and why it is happening.

Dinkydoodah - thinking about it I can feel it a bit in shoulders too but it is much more prominent in my head. It is good that your consultant thinks it is common. Do you get silent migraines with it? I Don't always have the normal headache but just get lightheaded and dizzy. I am not sure its migraine dizziness but doctor thinks it is. How was your diagnosed and how is it being treated?

Yes - I do get silent migraines - and all manner of other 'weird' migraine symptons. My consultant said its fairly common to get what I call 'grumbling' migraines - where it feels like you are getting one but it never comes, just threatens. This can last 2 days at times. I also get 'mini' migraines where I get no warning then bad pain for about 30 minutes then nothing. Vision often feels 'off', dizziness, stomach cramps,pressure in ears/eyes, tinnitus, head feels heavy/fuzzy. I have always suffered with chronic sinusitis but I now realise a lot of my symptons were migrainous. Migraine diagnosis was quite recent. It all started last October/November following a bad sinus infection. This turned into Labyrinthitis (had this before ten years ago) AWFUL!!! This then very gradually got better but seemed to lead into chronic daily migraines which gradually got less and less. Seen the consultant in December and diagnosed with Migraines and associated vertigo. Put me on 10mg Amitryptiline but to be honest they were going away by then anyway. Still taking it now but not too bad. Probably get a few minor symptons weekly with say 2 bad migraines a month. Is not ideal but a lot better than it was. For me, the pain is best treated with Nurofen Express. Hope this helps.

That is so weird to read. Mine started abut 18 months ago after a really bad cold and sinus infection which turned into labyrinthitis. I had never had it before and it was awful. I couldn't do a thing for at least a couple of months then it eased a bit. I have always had sinus headaches too. This then led to me feeling very dizzy on a daily basis. I didn't have a lot of migraines, but had the dizziness daily.

I was told that the cold and labyrinthitis could've kick started the MAV. I always get hormonal migraines and probably do have about 3-4 migraines a month, but never had dizziness with them before this. I haven't tried Amitryptiline but heard it is good for it - do you think it helped? I am not sure if beta blockers help me or not - it could just be that it is easing, although I dont know if this does ease and get better with time.

Funny you should mention stomach cramps - mine is more like pain in my ribcage. I lost 2.5 stone with it at first as I was just constantly sick for weeks.

I get a lot of pressure in my neck/shoulders too - I am sure this is linked. Have you ever had the jaw pain?

I take imigran for the pain/sickness when i get migraine but take the beta blockers daily to try and prevent them. I am always much worse when hormones kick in monthly.

My doctor said that my symptoms could also be thyroid related but my tests were all clear for that.

Hie guys, I'm really desperate for answers, can anyone help as I'm tired of doctors not listening to me, I have been suffering from pulsive headaches for over 4 months now (where I hear my own heartbeat in my head) at first it was night time only when I lie down then after a few weeks it escalated to day and night , basically it's a everyday thing now, I had been suffering from chest pains and palpitations before the headace started and now it's both at all times, in the last week I have started to feel dizzy, and my teeth cringe as if I'm shivering, when I bent over my head gets really heavy and it feels as if something has moved inside my head. This is making my life miserable and it's a very uncomfortable feeling, even when I'm just quite, my heart literally shakes from the throbbing in my head. I do suffer from anxiety and the doctors seem to think it's all in my head. All I want is to get a head scan so that I know everything is ok but they are not listening to me, I'm really desperate for answers if anyone can help as I'm actually worried and thinking of the worst...

Look at a condition called Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension, sounds a lot like it. That's what i have, good look x

Go to optitions and ask them for a proper eyes exam, tell them to look at your optic nerve, could be cranial pressure which i have, are you over weight? X

I get this a lot! It’s almost always in my right ear. It used to really freak me out but I’ve had it so long I’ve decided it’s not going to kill me. I find if I change position it usually subsides. I have problems with the muscles in my neck being insanely tight, I get the pressure you mention too, often at the base of the skull where it meets the neck, it’s unnerving. Definately find the heartbeat in ear thing worse when my neck and shoulder muscles are more tense. I think the medical term is pulsatile tinnitus but ours comes and goes. It almost always benign though it’s just one of those annoying things x

Hello richtea. I also suffer this issue and it started just 4 weeks ago. I am off to see my GP for the first time about it on Friday this week.

I have a history of neck issues and was knocked off my bicycle 5 years ago which caused a neck and shoulder injury. I also (like most people) spend my day sat at a desk like a slave to a computer which I am sure is impacting my neck. I was diagnosed with a degenerative issue in an area of upper spine.

With my potted medical history over I can confirm that in the last 4 weeks I get a massive throbbing heart beat at the base of my skull at night and I can sense it during the day. My partner thinks I am just noticing it and being overly anxious about it, however its combined with a sort of dizzy feeling at night and ever so slight nausea. I have been changing pillows, going from 1 to 2 then no pillow.

I think its my neck and something swollen in there because when I get a bad neck it can cause headache and other odd things to happen. However I will let you know what my GP says this Friday by responding back here again with his plan of action. I get the feeling it might just be anti-inflammatory pills for me but I would like a full check over of my heart and will post again soon. Thanks

This is exactly how I am feeling right now. Dr has got no explanation for it.

Hello Widget123,

I am feeling exactly same as you. Have you found any solution to it yet?

@Widget123

I am feeling exactly same as you. Have you found any solution to it yet?

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@Wobblewimble any luck with your visit to the GP? Kindly share as I am freaking out

Well its now a more interesting story... Back in early June (after my orginal post) I had an hospital emergency incident. At work I visited a Thai restaurant which I had visited before and 3 hours later I reacted, started shaking, short of breath. However it felt very much related to the pounding heart / neck issue which felt like it worstened. I still don't know if it was specifcially the food that caused the issue however it is likley. I was very unwell for about 2 weeks afterwards with shaking and feeling faint whilst the pounding felt worse (although this could have been anxiety??).

Several GP visits later and I have an allergy appt later this year to attend. The pounding neck/head thing has not changed though and is still an issue although I am sleeping OK. The GP thought it might be stress but blood pressure and various blood tests worked out OK.

I will update again later if anything changes or if the allergy tests reveal anything.

@Wobblewimble sorry about the emergency incident. I hope we will have a solution to it one day. I await the outcome of your next appointment. I was told I am suffering from Generalised anxiety disorder. I am also on Nifedipine 20mg once a day. But I don't know how it is linked to the pounding neck/head, dizziness with palpitations and tightness/swelling at the base of the skull and shoulder blade. At times they feel I just make up all the nasty symptoms due to anxiety. All the best

Omg I have had the exact same thing and the exact timing , that’s so weird but I’m finally relieved to have had found someone with the same issue , it’s so hard and I get so scared at times I feel like I’m just going to pass out and I’ve done test even a cat scan on my head

@wobblewimble and all others with similar experiences, I was just wondering if anybody ever got a diagnosis. I have been struggling for two months now with exactly the same thing and paid £650 to try get to the bottom of it but yet they still cannot give me answers. Any advice or suggestions would be amazing

Hi all,
It’s so weird to read people that are having the same symptoms as me! They are very concerning and it’s becoming an everyday problem.
My symptoms include: pressure in head and behind eyes, neck tension, jaw tension, face pain, rushing in ears, strong pulse in head, neck pain/discomfort, headaches and struggling to sleep because I can’t get my neck comfortable. I suffer with anxiety and depression and I am very overweight for my height. I also have had problems with my stomach and a pain under my left rib. I’ve had an ultrasound, a colonoscopy and an endoscopy for that plus several blood test and stool samples. For my head I have had an MRI but all came back clear.
Now, recently I went to a chiropractor because I was having upper back pain and of course neck pain and as part of their admittance they give you an X-ray. Turns out my neck bends the wrong way which can cause a whole host of problems so I have put it down to that. My back did feel better after having a number of sessions which I was having 2 sessions weekly and my symptoms got so much better but the cost was crippling me so I have had to drop down to 1 fortnightly. I still have the symptoms and it’s worse now I’m not having as many sessions. Perhaps you guys could benefit from seeing a chiropractor? It definitely helped me for a while. Take care all

@Medical2018

Hie guys, I'm really desperate for answers, can anyone help as I'm tired of doctors not listening to me, I have been suffering from pulsive headaches for over 4 months now (where I hear my own heartbeat in my head) at first it was night time only when I lie down then after a few weeks it escalated to day and night , basically it's a everyday thing now, I had been suffering from chest pains and palpitations before the headace started and now it's both at all times, in the last week I have started to feel dizzy, and my teeth cringe as if I'm shivering, when I bent over my head gets really heavy and it feels as if something has moved inside my head. This is making my life miserable and it's a very uncomfortable feeling, even when I'm just quite, my heart literally shakes from the throbbing in my head. I do suffer from anxiety and the doctors seem to think it's all in my head. All I want is to get a head scan so that I know everything is ok but they are not listening to me, I'm really desperate for answers if anyone can help as I'm actually worried and thinking of the worst...

Did you ever get a diagnosis/solution to this? I have had symptoms very similar to yours for last 5 months.

I'd be interested to find out if you ever got a diagnosis too. I've had similar symptoms for 2 months with the added fun of facial paralysis/ hemiplgic spasm and odd tingling/ numbness in limbs. I've been taking amiltryptine and naproxen 1000mg which seems to keep it under control. I've had blood tests, ct scan, lumbar puncture and an MRI. Taken a course of steroids, then a 3 week course of antibiotics. Symptoms not really typical of anything. It's been suggested that it's odd migraines or the beginning of autoimmune disease.

Definitely go to your opticians for an eye health exam, sounds like idiopathic intercranial hypertension to me ( I have it) x