Dizziness/pressure/head rush? 14 months of this and the GP has no idea what’s causing it.

[grrrlatrix]

Any ideas?
I’m generally a very well person, but for the last 14 months or so I’ve had terrible incidents of dizziness, following a massive head rush and wave of intense pressure that tends to happen (but not always) when I stand up. It feels like it did when I was concussed five years ago - like my eyes and head are going to burst. It passes within a few seconds to two minutes.
On bad days, I’ll generally have a lingering headache all day. I can tell as soon as I wake up if I’m going to get it or not, even before I stand up. On those days, I’ll also sometimes feel nauseous. The next day I will generally be absolutely fine.

The symptoms are definitely getting worse. At times, everything goes blurry and starts swimming around. Twice now, I have had to really talk to myself to avoid fainting. In between times, I’m totally well.

I went to the GP a year ago - he said it’s nothing life threatening and to try to be less stressed as it is likely to be stress related. I’m sceptical. My job is very stressful and has been for 20 years, but there doesn’t seem to be any particular trigger.

I’ve been back to the GP recently and was prescribed Prochlorperazine to see if that made any difference. It doesn’t appear to have.

Weirdly, I have a sense that it could somehow be to do with my spine as I sort of feel it down my neck, shoulders and lower back/glutes. It is almost as if there’s a build up of pressure. I have no idea if this is physically possible though. Can back problems cause painful head rushes that come and go?

My only other health issue is that I developed Raynauds and started getting chilblains on my fingers at the same time, but again the GP says it is unrelated/a coincidence.

Any similar stories/advice/online wizardry appreciated.

Pots
Lie diwn and check your bp & heart rate.
Stand and measure again.
10 minutes and measure again.
If your heart rate increases by 30 beats and stays there its a POTs indicator.

The bp doesn't need to move for pots, if it drops its a sign of orthastatic hypotension.

This sounds very much like me when I was perimenopausal (but didn't actually know it) lots of weird head and front of face pressure, dizziness - some days felt faint and nauseous and then fine again for days at a time. Eventually got a diagnosis of vestibular migraines which totally made sense when the consultant relayed all the symptoms of them to me. I get them still occasionally now (5 years post menopause) and I know as soon as I wake in a morning it's coming as have the head and face pressure - the day after I crave junk food, it's like a hangover (think it's called post drone? Maybe have a read about them and see if it could be a type of migraine.

To add, these migraines also come with awful tension in neck and shoulders - also triggered when I'm stressed or anxious.

Yes sorry I’ve just been diagnosed with both , HR is right , BP can drop but should recover quickly

You have been fobbed off by the GP. You could ask for a neurology referral. There are many possible causes. The vertigo doctor on social media has good free content about dizziness.

I am embarrassed to admit it, but AI diagnosed me with this last night. 🙈
I then had a telephone consultation with a doctor who agreed to refer me to a neurologist and CT scan. THEN I mentioned I have a history of migraines and he said he was just about to say this is also what it could be and has asked me to trial daily migraine tablets.
Reading up about it and it sounds exactly right. It’s been three days in a row now so I just hope it gets sorted.

Have a look at TMJ disorder. I have this and it sounds similar.

I had horrific dizziness and vertigo and just assumed it was being a new mum, and that’s how everyone felt…. turns out I’m anemic! Ferrous sulphate has literally made me feel like a new woman

I take Feroglobin which is liquid iron and gentler on the stomach. It's on 3 for 2 at Boots.

You can get your own blood pressure monitor. As you can feel when it's going to happen I'd take your BP in bed and then when you get up to see if there is a difference.

I am lightheaded. CT scan and MRI diagnosed a meningioma ( benign brain tumour) but neuro surgeon said it wasn't related. Neurology decided I was having atypical migraines. I.E migraines without the headache. I'm not convinced. This all started 2 weeks after I started hrt gel. Medical professionals deny it's hormone related despite it being almost 2 weeks each month. No periods though since September. I feel like I'm going to pass out and I get slurred speech and go a bit giggly like I'm drunk. BP fine and HR mostly normal. I've given up asking for help. It's a bit shit really so I sympathise with you.

I had identical symptoms post covid , came on around 5 days after an infection - I also got weird daily migraines in the back of my head right where the spine joins the head - it took a long time to go about 7 months but did gradually improve and one day I woke up and it just wasn’t there anymore-

Vestibular migraines? Neurological condition would make sense if you feel it down your spine etc (as that’s where the central nervous system goes down and branches out) and causes dizziness issues.

Labrynthitis..? . the whoosh then the spin..Betahistine meds help.