Help strange head surges, faint feeling and feel rubbish

[Cbpoppy]

So 5 weeks ago out of the blue I started getting these strange head rush type feelings, not very nice. Went to doctors had bloods all ok. Mini ecg was ok. All vital checks ok. Then I started having these every day here and there until one night I woke frantically with pins and needles, head rushes and very scared. Thought I'd faint. Called 111. Didnt go to A&E. Next day more tingles / rushes in head and then another attack really awful that lasted ages, woke me from sleep. Still ongoing and very scary. Doctors have no idea and been lots. Had more bloods and nothing showing up. Got mri Tuesday. Going crazy and scares me at night. Also notice horrible sensations when try nodding off. Feel tired, worried & at a loss.. Anyone experience anything like this? Seems neurological but dont know?

I had similar, it was horrible and scary, thought I was having a heart attack or stroke. Nothing showed up as wrong so I was referred to a cardiologist and he traced the cause to be silent gastric reflux, the acid irritating the vagus nerve and causing palpitations and the rush feeling.
I now take a low dose beta blocker and rarely get it now. By the way I had no idea I had reflux.

What do you mean by strange head rushes? Like vertigo where you feel like your moving when your not? Or dizziness like if you get up too fast? Or like your underwater?

Hi @Fionasapples thank you for you're response. How interesting! May I ask the full storey, was you getting these regularly etc? More at night?
So mine started as like head surges throughout the day & pins & needles but after nurse said everything looked ok I just put up with it & hoped it would go. Then 2 weeks ago upon going to bed my body woke up frantically and it was like all over pins & needles, head rush type surges and feeling like no oxygen to head like going to faint.. this lasted a few hours and I called 111. Then 2 nights later it was much worse & I thought a stroke tbh but a few hours it passed. Now its like one min I'm ok then its like oh no here it comes and then the nights are awful! My doctors can you believe asked if anxiety which is ridiculous. Perimenopause which is a No & they aren't really bothered. They refer me to have a heart monitor at hospital but looks like case is closed.. Ive booked my own mri for Tuesday. Also had private bloods but everything fine including b12 etc & hormones. So scary!!

@schoolstruggle
No like a head rush with tingles..
Light headed so scary

Also @Fionasapples I'm not noticing to much on my heart. Of course it raises when this happens but generally its a normal around 70-80 beats and no strange palpitations..
I had an ECG which was ok but only a quick one. Its more my head feeling like its going to turn into something very nasty and like need blood to head so weird

I get occasional intense pins and needles buzzing like sensation inside my head/ brain. Nobody’s been able to understand what I mean. Does that sound like your ‘head rush’?

@Hurryupwearedreaming so hard to try and explain isn't it, its like a strong intense surge that waves over me again & again with pins and needles in body. Lasts a long time or sometimes maybe 10 mins but when it starts it really scares me and started with daily head surges just on my normal days doing normal things. Definitely worse at night! Blood pressure / heart beat seems ok but definitely something awful going on.. I have a blood oxygen metre like the doctors pop on finger and when this happens at night goes quite low!

I had this a few years ago. It got so bad I thought I was having a heart attack, and the odd thing was that it usually happened at night (although it started to happen in the day too). It was so bad one morning, just after I woke up, that my OH called 999 and a paramedic attended. He knew immediately what it was - a panic attack. I didn't believe him, I didn't feel particularly anxious. Anyway he took me to A&E, they did all the necessary tests and there was nothing wrong. The paramedic was right, it was panic attacks. Once I accepted that, when the feelings started up I acknowledged it, used breathing techniques, and over a few weeks they faded away.

I'm not saying that is the case for you but it is a possibility.

@TheJapaneseCat
Thank you for you're reply..
I wish mine was! Ive experienced panic attacks before & this is something so very different. Mine started just watching tv and I got off the sofa and thought omg whats this. 2 weeks of odd head surges on & off then the night time thing started with pins and needles, ears ringing, like my head is in a faint type head foggy place and so scary. It wakes me up from sleep

Yes, I was certain it wasn't a panic attack too.

Anyway good luck OP.

When you say low, what do you mean?

@Cadenza12
Well normal range can go as low as 90% ok mine dipped to 81 the other night when this woke me up for a couple of minutes. Guess explains the pins and needles & light head

Well anything that low could explain the lightheadedness. The question is what is causing it. You say you've seen lots of doctors, I'd keep going back, you really need to find a specialist. Take your readings with you. I'd probably be pushing for a cardiologist in your shoes. Hope you find out the cause and the right treatment soon.

OP, you haven't started any new meds, stopped any or changed any have you?

Have they checked your intrinsic factor?

This is interesting as I am experiencing something similar. My symptoms are feeling my balance is off, a foggy, bunged up feeling in my head and headaches. I feel exhausted all the time, have muscle pains and feel slightly sick sometimes. The foggy head feeling is just awful . It’s there nearly all the time now and is making my life a misery. I’ve had bloods taken and have a cardiology appointment but it’s really scary.

I get these horrible waves of electrical buzzing through my head when I'm brewing a really severe migraine. I have chronic vestibular migraine so my head feels weird all the time, but the waves are absolutely horrible. I hope you get to the bottom of it. It might be worth asking for a neurology referral.

Are you coming off citalopram?

Just to rule out anxiety or a panic attack you could try to do breathing exercises through it while lying down. In for 3, hold for 3, out for 3.

How old are you? Peri menopause, this was one of my worst symptoms. I also had similar in my twenties when I'd come off the pill so definitely hormone related.

That's what I'd be concentrating on. Something is lowering your oxygen levels quite dramatically. I'd try some breathing exercises to see if that helps when you're awake.

I would suggest Long Covid, or,

Overwhelmed nervous system.

The former can cause the latter.

Hypoxemia is something to look at. Anaemia, carbon monoxide poisoning, lung issues.

You are clearly unwell with something.

I have exactly this. I struggle to describe it, but you have done so perfectly. I have no idea what causes mine, went to the doctors who fobbed me off so I live with it. The strange sensations when falling asleep are the worst! I am very anaemic a lot of the time (this is being investigated currently) and I am also of Peri menopausal age so put it down to that. I would love to know exactly what causes it though as it still affects me most days.

Tbh sounds like a panic attack..

@toadinthebucket I am on amitriptyline which Ive been on for over 10 years, originally for neck pain but I've started to wean off this as of this week because you never know of long term side effects and also rules everything out then. I'm on a low dose of 30mg but already tapering down xx