Head Pressure/Heavy Headedness?

[Raptomex]

Hello all. I'm new here. 23 years old. Back in November I had my first panic attack. I just woke up feeling scared, shortness of breath, I ended up controlling my breathing to a point where I became light headed. My family talked me down that day and I got through it. My main fears are terminal illnesses mainly cancer.

Starting February 25, my anxiety came back. I woke up in the middle of the night, I was scared, sweating, shortness of breath, and this went on for about a week. Very little sleep. Had to be driven to work. I kept thinking these were my final days, cancer scares, even MS for about an hour one week. I started seeing a doctor. I made an appointment with my physician just to rule out anything. I couldn't stand the wait and woke up really scared and shaking. I was taken to the ER where they took my blood and urine and told me I was in great health. This was amazing news and really helped me. Now I should mention I am ADHD and have been since I was a child. I haven't taken Adderall since 2009 just because I wanted to see if I could make it without it and I can. Have a good job, got good grades at school. Anyway, when I finally saw my physician I asked if I could go back on it to help me focus. So my doctor did perscribe it for me but I ended up getting the generic brand of Adderall and after day 2 I broke out in hives all over my body. Needless to say it was helping. I had to leave work early. Got some Benadryl and that stuff really put me out. I stopped taking it immediately. The hives still didn't go away after 3 days so they perscribed me a Medrol dose pack and told me to take Zyrtec once a day. The Medrol lasted 6 days so I took the Zyrtec once a day for the 6 days as well. It really helped my hives and they haven't come back so it was obviously an allergic reaction but now I've been feeling this heavy headnesses/head pressure. This is I think week 2. I don't have a headache, and there's no pain. I can't tell if it's sinuses or anxiety just in a new spot. My immediate fear was a brain tumor and of course I looked up the most common symptoms because...I don't know I'm just an idiot, but I don't have any of them. No seizures, no headaches, no vomiting, no balance or serious vision problems, no speech issues or memory loss. But it still scares me. I'm wondering if it's anxiety, eye strain, or some form of sinus problems. If I'm distracted I don't notice it or it just goes away, I wake up feeling fine, if I think about it it seems to get worse. I'm able to drive perfectly fine and it doesn't seem to affect me behind the wheel. Mostly at work. I work in helpdesk so I'm on a computer all day so I wouldn't be surprised if it's eye strain. Plus I watch TV before work, when I get home. Before this started in February I started excercising daily and still keep it up and that helps.

I'm just tired of seeing doctors now and am wondering if I should be worried about this. I've considered getting a catscan or MRI but you know I'm pretty sure it's once again an irrational fear of mine. I'm not one to pop pills for everything. If I'm sick I may take a Nyquil or Tylenol or something but that's it.

I have a medical evaluation coming up, an appointment I made a month ago. I'm not canceling even though I've been feeling much better and have been sleeping again. I'm just tired of all these fears.

[alfred24]

This is me this past week! I suddenly started having head pressure then it got really bad on my my forehead and between my eyes. But I've never had a sinus problem until this anxiety thing started happening. My first panic attack was also back in November. So yea this head pressure is strange to me but I went to the ER for it also as it got pretty bad. Had an MRI and I'm fine. Idk if its anxiety or sinuses either but there no pain, just pressure and some tightness between my eyes

[Raptomex]

Yeah it's annoying. And I just can't stop thinking about it.

[jesikahlaine]

I had head pressure sore eyes & headaches for about 3 weeks all day all night. It was horrible. But it has gotten better now. I always had an ice pack on my head.

[Raptomex]

I still kind of feel it. Like now. I still keep fearing brain tumor but not to the extent of a panic attack. I don't have any of the symptoms and I know I don't have it. Yesterday it seemed to be gone but today it kind of returned. Maybe because I'm thinking about it.

[jesikahlaine]

I still kind of feel it. Like now. I still keep fearing brain tumor but not to the extent of a panic attack. I don't have any of the symptoms and I know I don't have it. Yesterday it seemed to be gone but today it kind of returned. Maybe because I'm thinking about it.


I think it does make it come on when u think about it. Try rationalise ur thoughts. Tell urself ur fine, u know u are. U havent died & u wont. I read a great book about anxiety& panic attacks called 'living with it, a survivors guide to panic attacks' its a great book in comic form & its helped me have a different perspective on all this.

[Raptomex]

When I was in the ER they took my blood and urine so I guess they would have found something abnormal then if I did have anything. That's how I know I'm fine. They said I was in great health.

[a l i c i a]

I would make an appointment with an ear doctor an let them know your symptoms. I've been having the same things. The doctor figured it would be nothing but they have to rule out the serious stuff first. I had an MRI about two months ago and everything came back normal thank god. I feel so much better just knowing I don't have a tumor or an aneurism. I'm still having the pressure though. I'm a licensed massage therapist and the only thing I can think of is tension headaches cause I'm on migraine medication and I'm still having the pressure. I think it's just from being tense all he time. The muscles in the face, neck and upper back are just super tight. I would talk to your doctor and schedule an appointment and I would also try to get a massage cause I think that would help you feel alot better as well! :)

[majored]

I had this last year and i googled it which was the worse thing ever. I went to the doc and he asked me a few questions and said it was stress. Well about 3 weeks ago it started again, everyone keeps telling me its a migraine well im worried its not a migraine and ive got something else. The headaches and throbbing are all around my eyes, mainly my left eye but it happens around both. I also feel pressure on my eyes. I used to have vertigo and now i have popping in my left ear and sometimes when i get up i start to feel like the room is moving. So i dont know if my vertigo as well as migraine at the same time but it could be something else. I worry that they are not going away which then in turn makes it worse. Now i also have chest pain and at time all of this makes me a nervous wreck!

[alfred24]

Ear popping! I was having that too. But it went away. Symptoms come for a bit and then go it seems

[Raptomex]

I have ear popping every now and then. And I think the pressure is located somewhere in my jaw or mouth. I always notice I have it open to breath. Idk I could be wrong. Again there's no pain, soreness, or throbbing. When I lay down I feel better, same when I sleep. When I move my jaw I can hear little crunches or popping in my right ear.

[a l i c i a]

I had this last year and i googled it which was the worse thing ever. I went to the doc and he asked me a few questions and said it was stress. Well about 3 weeks ago it started again, everyone keeps telling me its a migraine well im worried its not a migraine and ive got something else. The headaches and throbbing are all around my eyes, mainly my left eye but it happens around both. I also feel pressure on my eyes. I used to have vertigo and now i have popping in my left ear and sometimes when i get up i start to feel like the room is moving. So i dont know if my vertigo as well as migraine at the same time but it could be something else. I worry that they are not going away which then in turn makes it worse. Now i also have chest pain and at time all of this makes me a nervous wreck!

When I have a migraine for a few days it eventually turns into vertigo. The last time it happened to me it lasted about three weeks. It's horrible!

[majored]

Ive been to the doc today as i have had the head ache for over a month. Its got a lot better but some days when im stressed it appears to get worse. She had a look in my ears, listened to my heart & chest, took my bp and my temp and said everything was ok. I mentioned the vertigo she didnt dismiss it but she was heading towards me having my eyes tested. So i need to get that checked to rule that out. However there are so many types of migraine it could be that. She doesnt think its anything bad... she looked in my eyes as well as put pressure around my neck etc.

I am also going to try Epley Maneuver, which is the procedure i tried last year for vertigo and it worked and got rid of my popping in the ear, slight sickness and my headaches.
Trouble is i get the headache and then i worry because its not going away and get stressed out about it and then end up making the headache worse.

[JohniBoy]

Not sure if what I'm posting will help anyone but certainly quite interesting reading this thread. I got here from looking up about getting a heavy head which suddenly started around 8 weeks ago. I recognised other symptoms and thought processes some of you have posted up and it all sounds very familiar.

Whilst looking into it, I found some interesting posts on other websites. Search Google for 'heavy head anxiety forum' and there are at least two results which are very interesting - one is a seemingly exhaustive list of anxiety symptoms (Fibromyalgia one) and there are loads.

I've had LOTS of clinical symptoms over the past 4 years (I've lost count of how many ECGs I've had), all of which I've been trying to workout the cause / worrying about and really didn't have a clue. They are all probably anxiety as nothing has ever been found to be wrong like it seems for a lot of you, I then had a period without any issues of about 8 months (I saw a qualified nutritionist just over a year ago and whether it was those changes or whether it took my mind off it, I don't know). Then I had some gastric pain around the end of August and I reckon since then things have been a bit unsettled.

Most recently, since the end of September, my mum was diagnosed with a pancreatic tumour and we are in the process of replacing a kitchen. Not so long ago, I suddenly started experiencing a heavy head for the first time ever which was accompanied by a tight neck, a bad headache not so long ago, pains in the middle of my forehead between my eyes, pressure sensation in the head - all of which made me think was it food allergy, did I injure it go-karting, are my pillows wrong, have I got a brain tumour... It's the same old story for me.

At it's worst, my heavy head started to get worse and worse until some times I would have a really bad headache or my head literally felt like it was going to fall off.

However, since my mum had a successful operation to remove the tumour on Tuesday, I've noticed a slow but gradual improvement although it hasn't gone yet but I understand it can take a while for the anxiety to move on even if you might not even feel anxious. This could explain why I feel alright but am still getting the heavy head.

It's frustrating but I reckon post #6 highlights the issue. You get a symptom or symptoms, you think the worst, you get more anxious, it makes the symptom or symptoms worse but by the time you get checked out and there is usually nothing wrong, you are so worked up about it that you start thinking what else it could and the spiral never ends.

I don't know the answer but I reckon the key to this is breaking the spiral and cycle and to engage your brain on something else as much as you can, try to remove whatever is causing your stress if possible, accept humans are living organisms and we are not perfectly-designed machines so we will get random symptoms and to try not to challenge your anxiety. Certainly going to get things checked out did help me in the short term but it is not a permanent fix (although it is worth it to ensure nothing major is going on).

Learning to deal / cope with anxiety probably is the permanent fix...

[mike98t]

I am a massage therapist as well and it does sound like tension headaches to me as well! Try putting a little pressure in the occipital area of your head

[embrace123]

I've had the head pressure and headaches 2 years ago and i went and got a CT scan. It was so scary I thought I had a tumor also. Go get a ct scan just to put your mind at ease.

[Dahila]

Oh people you can not go to get unnecessary CT scan, it gives you 500 times more radiation than regular xrays, When I was suffering for years with migraines noone would go to get CT scan. I stopped having migraines as soon as I left Europe. I think it has a lot to do with air quality. I will it occasionally,everyone does. There is a lot of alternatives ways to easy the pain. At least try to put pressure on, like Mike suggested...

[JohniBoy]

I am a massage therapist as well and it does sound like tension headaches to me as well! Try putting a little pressure in the occipital area of your head

I've found myself doing this recently and it does help. Not only that area but also massaging the tight area in between the eyes seems to help remove tension as well.

RE: CT scan. Forgetting any implications of unnecessary exposure to radiation, it's easy to fall into the mind set that having a CT scan will help put your mind at rest. Like I said above, I think it does but it won't last and you are fuelling your anxiety by thinking like that.

I think a big part of the issue is perspective. You are not going to get millions of people signing on to Internet forums and saying 'Yeah I'm fine, I don't have any issues'. You are only ever really going to see people who have posted up about issues they have - which you like me find and in turn think the worst. That's not to say no one has any real medical conditions, of course not, but if your perception is rare illnesses are common, you are going to think every symptom you get is something serious. In the medical profession, they will know statistically how often people get serious conditions so the chances are, most people don't have something serious.

I'm still trying to work out what is causing my anxiety because I don't really have a history of it before 2009. I have a feeling mine might be caused by eating (well know meat substitute which sounds like Corn)products and dairy - because up to a point, the more 'Corn' / dairy I ate the worse my anxiety and other symptoms got, and in the 8 month exclusion period above, my anxiety symptoms improved enormously (I already had an insight in might be those and my nutritionist took that and we engineered a diet without. I was keen because I wanted to sort out the cause but I do love dairy stuff, so it is disappointing. However, the feeling of no anxiety at all outweighs the enjoyment of dairy once you experience it, so it may be worth considering if you think it might be food-related like I do in my case.)

I also went and saw a CBT therapist in that time and talked through what I thought the causes of my anxieties were (I suspect there is a mix of triggers, my mum also had ovarian cancer 5 years ago coupled with a susceptibility to anxiety because of my diet).

So why am I back here again? I started trying dairy (only cheese) and Quorn again in the Summer, so it's probably no surprise that I had issues at the end of August and I'm back here again! I thought my gastric issues were caused by alcohol on an empty stomach after work - but I'm starting to suspect it maybe dairy is the cause.

As of 12/11, I've started the exclusion of dairy again so I will report back on here once I know more if any one is interested...

[Dahila]

Would it be a Gm foods? I do not touch any corn or corn products, just in case, it does not mean I do not suffer with anxiety. I do, I do big time. I would not touch any meat substitute cause it is loaded with corn syrop and corn and soya, it does not good to the body. I use dairy, cottage cheese, all cheeses but I am limiting the hard cheeses. I make a Kefir (kefir grains) which is loaded with good bacteria. Does it all help with my anxiety? I do not know. I wonder how would I feel if I eat Mcdonalds foods?

[JohniBoy]

Would it be a Gm foods? I do not touch any corn or corn products, just in case, it does not mean I do not suffer with anxiety. I do, I do big time. I would not touch any meat substitute cause it is loaded with corn syrop and corn and soya, it does not good to the body. I use dairy, cottage cheese, all cheeses but I am limiting the hard cheeses. I make a Kefir (kefir grains) which is loaded with good bacteria. Does it all help with my anxiety? I do not know. I wonder how would I feel if I eat Mcdonalds foods?

My nutritionist didn't really rate what I referred to above as 'Corn' and didn't seem hugely surprised I had bad anxiety after eating it for a while. I think it is the Soya ingredient which is actually causing my anxiety but it got a lot worse after trying some Soya-alternative yoghurts and cheese.

I think cheese is the worst dairy thing in my case but then it maybe because of the Tyramine in it (which you get in chocolate too as migraine sufferers may recognise).

The only way you can really tell if cheese is helping or causing your anxiety is to try without it. Although foods pass through your digestive system in roughly 4 days, I suspect what the food leaves behind in your system stays there for a lot longer - so you need to give it time if you are excluding it (weeks).

I've no idea about Maccy D foods but there potentially could be cheese in there I guess.

[Dahila]

I would risk and say that eating normal food, a lot of veggies, fresh herbs, and good meat does wonders to the body. I do not read anymore the BS about saturated fat or benefits !!! how dare they , of eating Becel Margarine. I do not believe in nutritionists because they say what the people who pay them, say. I would think the best is to listen your body.

[JohniBoy]

I would risk and say that eating normal food, a lot of veggies, fresh herbs, and good meat does wonders to the body. I do not read anymore the BS about saturated fat or benefits !!! how dare they , of eating Becel Margarine. I do not believe in nutritionists because they say what the people who pay them, say. I would think the best is to listen your body.

There's no doubt in my mind that eating lots of veggies as part of a balanced diet (the old quarter plate of carbs, quarter protein and half veggies) is best.

Saturated fat is bad for your regardless - clogs up your arteries for starters.

I can't say for all nutritionists but mine has been very good so far (I am based in the UK).

Certainly agree with listening to your body!

[JohniBoy]

Well, the heavy head disappeared more quickly than I thought. I know I've been suffering from stress and once the largest causes of that were removed, a week later my heavy head stopped.

Seems to be a weird symptom of stress and subsequent anxiety.

I still think Soya was a big cause of my original anxiety issues though - so I would urge anyone to consider seeing a nutrionist even if to rule out any food causing it like it was for me!

[tiredofthis]

With the pressure and ear issues, does anyone have sore jaw or teeth. I am thinking there was a correlation between not realizing you are clenching you teeth and feeling this pressure. That's how it works with me anyway.

[anxious aussie]

With the pressure and ear issues, does anyone have sore jaw or teeth. I am thinking there was a correlation between not realizing you are clenching you teeth and feeling this pressure. That's how it works with me anyway.

I get all the headaches and pressure and tingles and whatnot but most recently I've been having a weird feeling in my jaw like its tight and strange. That's a good theory though