Blurred Vision, Fatigue, Head/Sinus Pressure

For the last 4+ years I have been experiencing the above symptoms every day all day. I was hospitalized once for weakness and dizziness resulting in me falling down. Some tests done include: MRI, CT scan, 3 thyroid tests, some tests on my heart, blood pressure and 5 vials of blood for other blood work. I went to see a neurologist as well. Nothing has shown up. My doctor has given me no other course of action or diagnosis.

Blurred vision and head pressure seem very related. Both are better upon waking for about 5 minutes (longer if I do not stand up). When I have a runny nose it is significantly better.

My fatigue is not significantly affected by anything. Getting better sleep helps etc. but to no great extent.

Other symptoms include:
constant Mind fog
poor memory (long and short)
irritability
feelings of "blah"
occasional dizziness
right side of head went numb for a month (My hospitalization was within this time)
sensitivity to cold
low libido

I am unsure of what to do now. Could you please recommend a direction for me to take now.

Thank you,
Brian

[Kevin Pho, MD]

I agree with the workup so far, including the head imaging, and neurology referral.  

You can consider evaluating the neck arteries for blockages, with an MRA or ultrasound.  I would assume that blood tests for diabetes, thyroid disorder, B12 disorders have been considered already.  

Regarding the low libido, a blood test looking at the testosterone level can be done.  

Another neurology opinion can be sought, preferably at a major academic medical center.  

Further evaluation of the blurred vision can be done in conjunction with an opthalmology referral.

These options can be discussed with your personal physician.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
kevinmd_

[idesofmarch]

Have you been to a RA doctor to be checked for Lyme Disease, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, MS and whatever the doctor can think of.  You really need to be seen by a Ruemotoligist for these things because they deal with autoimmune illness' and like illness'.  Also have your eyes checked by an eye doctor just to rule out eye problems(they can also tell if you have diabetes and other problems by looking into your eyes) You may also want to see an ENT for your sinus and or an alergist. But I think that you may have Fibromyalgia and thyroid problems(Certain thyroid tests come back normal if you also have FMS) Fms cause all the symptoms you wrote and then some.  Good luck with your search and I hope you feel better soon.

[CC2007]

I did what you did only for 2 years and 14 doctors. Mine turned out to be Lyme but you MUST find a Lyme specialist.  Here's a symptoms list:

Musculoskeletal System
Joint pain or swelling or tenderness
Stiffness of joints, back, neck
Muscle pain or cramps
Bone pain
Heavy feeling in one or more limbs

Neurological System
Tremors or unexplained shaking (especially at night)
Burning or stabbing sensations in the body
Weakness or partial paralysis/stroke-like symptoms
Pressure in the head
Numbness in body, tingling, pinpricks
Poor balance, dizziness, difficulty walking
Increased motion sickness
Lightheadedness, wooziness
Sudden jerking of fingers or entire limbs
Pain in spinal column

General Well-being
Unexplained weight gain, loss
Extreme fatigue
Swollen glands
Unexplained fevers (high or low grade)
Continual infections (sinus, kidney, eye, etc.)
Symptoms seem to change, come and go
Pain migrates (moves) to different body parts
Early on, experienced a "flu-like" illness, after which you have not since felt well.  (If it was mild, you may not even recall this.)

Eyes/Vision
Double, blurry or dim vision
Increased floating spots
Pain in/behind eyes, or swelling around eyes
Over sensitivity to light
Flashing lights
Optic neuritis

Ears/Hearing
Decreased hearing in one or both ears
Buzzing or clicking noises in ears
Pain in ears or sound sensitivity
Ringing in one or both ears
Pressure or feeling of fullness in ears

Digestive and Excretory Systems
Diarrhea, irritable bowel
Constipation
Irritable bladder (trouble starting, stopping)
Frequent urination that is not normal
Upset stomach (nausea or pain)

Respiratory and Circulatory Systems
Shortness of breath, cough
Chest pain or rib soreness
Night sweats or unexplained chills
Heart palpitations or extra beats
Heart blockage

Psychological well-being
Mood swings, irritability, rage
Unusual depression
Disorientation (getting or feeling lost)
Feeling as if you are losing your mind
Overemotional reactions, crying easily
Too much sleep, or insomnia
Difficulty falling or staying asleep

Mental Capability
Memory loss (short or long term)
Confusion, difficulty in thinking, brain fog
Difficulty with concentration or reading
Going to the wrong place
Speech difficulty (slurred or slow)
Stammering speech
Forgetting how to perform simple tasks

Head, Face, Neck
Unexplained hair loss
Headaches, mild or severe
Twitching of facial or other muscles
Facial paralysis (Bell's Palsy)
Tingling of nose, cheek or face
Stiff or painful neck or creaking
Jaw pain or stiffness
TMJ

[GodBlessYouAll]

I had been experiencing similar symptoms and had the same tests done as you. I felt nausea, fatigue, headaches, muscle weakness on the right side of my face, difficulty breathing, etc. I finally looked up my symptoms online and came across a website about carbon monoxide poisoning. I bought a test for the home and put it in my car. Sure enough, my car had been emitting these poisons. I then began to think back to when I was the most sick and I, too, almost passed out in my car. If they test you for it, it will be through blood work. However, I think the carbon monoxide leaves the body and can be difficult to find after a certain amount of time surpasses. I hope this helps you. The only cure they can give you is pure oxygen. Take no chances-get the carbon monoxide test. They sell them at walmart for about twenty dollars. God Bless You, and i hope you find what ails you.

[NicoleSCH]

check out the condtion called Candida... docters usally never consider it.  Docters couldnt find out was wrong with me, so I did my own research, found this condition to some what match, got over the counter meds(kind of like a detox) and now I am fine.. doesnt hurt to try.

[NicoleSCH]

Adrenal/Thyroid Failure
PMS Symptoms
POOR MEMORY
Bad Breath
Hyperactivity
Colds & Flu
Gas/Bloating
Irritability
Mood Swings
Indigestions
Lethargic/Laziness
Muscle Aches
Ulcers
Insomnia
Chemical Sensitivity
Constipation
Anti-social
Endometriosis
Diarrhea
Puffy Eyes
Vaginal Yeast
Colitis
Suicidal
Respiratory Problems
Colon Cancer
Menstrual Problems
Hormone Imbalance
NO SEX DRIVE
Allergies
Diabetes
Cold/Shaky
Dry Skin & Itching
Low Blood Sugar
FATIGUE (Chronic)
Cystitis
Food Cravings
Epstein Bar Virus
Burning Eyes
Heartburn
Infections
Thrush/Gum Receding
Hiatal Hernia
Asthma
Infections
Intestinal Pain
Skin Rashes & Hives
Premature Aging
Dry Mouth
Hemorrhoids
Finger/Toenail Fungus
HEADACHES
Over & Under Weight
OVER-ALL BAD FEELING
Depression
Lupus
Numbness

Candida is in an incredible destroyer of health and is the main missing link in many of our modern day diseases and sub-health conditions. The fact that Candida can rob the body of its nutrition and poison the tissues with it toxins is a major contribution, directly or indirectly to the following list of serious conditions: (((( GOT THIS OFF OF a web site)))) Check around you will find alot

[joe west]

Please visit the website www.mhni.com

Substitute "head pressure" for "head ache", and see if your symptoms could be the result of a neck injury or problem, such as my husband's. He had all your symptoms and absolutely NO QUALITY OF LIFE FOR TWO YEARS. His only relief was when he went to sleep at night, because after about 5 minutes after getting up the next morning, everything started all over again. This really has taken a toll on him. I don't think he will ever get his memory back 100%, and he has a hard time multi-tasking or remembering more than one or two things at a time. Trust me, it doesn't get better. His only worsened over the last two years, and by not getting anywhere with any doctor, we lost valuable time and allowed his condition to permanently affect some things. All the doctors he saw looked at his neck and his head, and his sinuses, and his ears, and his eyes, and anything else you can think of. Nothing.

The docs are great at MHNI.

Took us two years to find out what was wrong with him. Took these doctors only two weeks to fix it!

If only we could have fixed it before two years, maybe my husband would not have been permanently affected by something that sounds so simple...the neck....but that no one else but the Michgan Head Pain and Neurological Institute could figure out.

You should try to get a diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible. I only know that without the doctors at MHNI, I don't know where we would be today.

Mrs.

[milamichelle]

what was wrong with his neck? I have head pressure behind my eyes, the bridge of my nose, i feel off balanced like i'm tilting to one side, dizzyness, eyes get blurry or jumpy feeling, heart races. been to over 10 ents, neuplogolist, allergist, chiropracter, accupuntiure, dont know what to do next
im miserable on a daily basis

[Blue727]

I'm really not sure where to go from here, but I'm hoping someone out there can help me out!  After seeing the previous posts in this forum, I thought I would share and maybe we could compare notes and come up with something.  Here is my long pathetic story, please forgive me.

I'm a 27 year old male.  About the year 2003, I went out drinking one night, woke up the next morning and thought I could have done something really bad (not sure what, but my mind just ran).  This was very debilitating and made it so I missed some work.  I actually believed I could have done this stuff.  However, after worrying about it for a couple of weeks, my life went back to normal.  I went to the doctor and was placed on one anti-depressant/anti-anxiety pill after another.

I realized during this time that when I drank, I would worry and think the worst case scenario.  It was like I was halucinating for days after consuming alcohol.

Since 2002, I had two daughters, grandma died, got engaged, got divorced, bought a house, had to sell the house after divorce, my ex got engaged two months later and married less than one year later, my parent's got divorced after 27 years of marriage, my daughter was born emergency c-section and hospitalized with pneumonia.  During this time I had a job I completely hated.  I literally felt like the world was on my shoulder's.

Since 2003 I was on the following medications with little to no help (not on all at the same time, almost one right after the other);

Xanax
Paxil
Cymbalta
Buspirone
Clomipramine (had to go to E.R. on this stuff after one dose)
Clonazepan
Mirtazipine
Zoloft
Zyprexa
Seroquel
Prozac
Celexa
Toprol XL
Welbutrin
Lexapro
Risperdal

In October 2005 they did a TSH test which was 1.74, two months later .94, then 1.20 (range .35 - 4.82.  I had a full check up with the following being in the high range; iron/serum, Triglycerides/serum, absolute eosinophils and a low Urea Nitrogen/serum.  My other tests; Free T4 was .91 (range .59 - 1.17), T-4 Total 6.4 (range 4.5 - 12.0), T-3 Uptake 34.6 (range 25.0 - 35.0), Free Thyroxine Index 2.21 (range 1.12 - 4.20).  My absolute eosinophils was at 608 in 05' and in 06' was at 901 (range 0 - 500) which they say was do to hay fever although I have an allergy shot at least once per year.

In April of 2006 I was scheduled to have my gall bladder taken out, however; they put me under and stopped the surgery on two separate occasions as my carbon dioxide levels were way too high.  I was sent to a cardiologist who said everything was fine and okayed the surgery.  They went through with the surgery.

My latest tests are (although I have no idea what half of them mean);

I have been tested for everything under the sun from thyroid to CT scans. I was diagnosed with sinusitus and was prescribed Avelox 400 mg per day and Ru-Tuss twice daily with no help what so ever.   The one that sticks out the most is the Homocysteine level....pretty darn high.

My results and ranges;

% Saturation 55 Range 20-55
Homocysteine, NUTR/Congen 45.8 Range 5.4-11.9 umoL/L
Cortisol Binding Globulin 31 mg/L Range 19-45
Methylmalonic acid, Serum 229 Range 87-318 nmol/L
Sex Hormone Binding Globulin 26 Range 7-44 nmol/L
T3, Reverse 0.19 Range 0.11-0.32 ng/mL
Renin, Plasma activity 1.9 ng/mL/hr
T-3, Free 377 Range 230-420 PG/DL
TBG 14.6 Range 12.7-25.1 mcg/mL
Iron, Serum 179 Range 45-175 MCG/DL
Ferritin, Serum 227 Range 20-345 NG/ML
Folate, Serum 3.4 NG/ML
Vitamin B12, Serum 253 Range 200-1100 PG/ML
Free T4 0.73 Range 0.71-1.85 NG/DL
TSH 1.39 Range 0.50-5.00 uIU/mL

I have now been placed on B12 injections and take 5,000 mcg of B12 sublingual daily when not taking injections, Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) 5,000 IU per day, 4 caps per day of B Stress Formula to give 200 mg of B6 and 800 mcg of Folate, 4 caps of Omega-3 fatty acids, 1-4 caps of Taurine.  I also currently take 20 mg of Prilosec for Acid Reflux disease and 10 mg of Ambien to sleep.  My physician wants to start me on Cytomel for thyroid and Cortisol.

In the past I have had gall bladder surgery, double hernia, throat dialations, numerous concussions and lymph nodes biopsyed.

I have so many symptoms it's not even funny.

My typical day;

I wake up exhausted, but feel better after waking.  It always seems one eye is bigger than the other.  I have actually had people comment in a well lit gym that I looked drunk or something, as my pupils were so dialated.  However, I have seen to eye doctors and both say they look perfectly normal.  Throughout the day I sweat like a pig and feel very heavy (even when only doing minimal things).  I feel very stiff in my movements, off balance, feel like everyone is watching me, because I feel so off.  My eyes feel like I am squinting half the time and after this they feel like they are going to pop out of my head, as it feels like so much pressure behind my eyes.  When I turn my head in either direction my movements feel choppy.  Like I'm in slow motion...this gets my nervous system going in overdrive.  I get the same feeling when I focus on something like the computer screen, but when I read, my eyes feel like they are jumpy, moving constantly.  I get very nervous, parnoid (not that the CIA is coming or anything like that).  I feel so slow and almost like I am staring.  My movements feel so off.  When I go into a store I feel so nervous.  My body feels like it's going one way while my mind is going the other.  I get tingly sensations in my hands and feet after a very short period of time.  I feel like I can't hear very well anymore and everytime I talk to someone they have a tough time hearing me.  It's almost as if I don't recognize or know the strength of my own voice anymore.  My ears feel clogged up and pop constantly (like when you have a drive through the mountains).  My throat has that need to be cleared feeling (although there is nothing to clear).  By the end of the day I am so tired and wore out mentally.  I literally don't feel comfortable leaving my house anymore.  I have that impending doom, everything is so overwhelming feeling.  My ears pop and hurt all the time and off and on it causes me to feel like I have a sore throat.  I have basically quit doing things with family and friends.  I would love to more than anything, but I feel so strange around all them.  I could just cry half the time, as I don't know what to do from here.

Whatever this is, I feel it stems from the way my eyes feel.  They feel like if you were to keep your eyes crossed for awhile, plus the feeling of popping out of my head.  When I try to take a nap during the day, my body literally shakes, I sometimes hear a loud popping noise that wakes me up, I feel like I become numb and although it feels like I slept for hours, it's been minutes.

When these feelings are at there worst during the day, I almost feel like the left side of my body is not functioning properly.  It feels like I am dragging my foot and my arm feels uncordinated.  Basically I feel like I have a slow onset of mental retardation.  I am more irratible, my anxiety is bad, I zone out quite often and my depression has become bad, but I feel like all this is stemming from something else.

Any ideas, comments, suggestions, related experiences?

[ejtraxler]

Hello Blue,

I have very simular problems as you. I have ear aches and a ringing in my left ear and constain head pressure. It's driving me crazy! My doctor gave me a decongestant and another doctor gave me antibotics My nose a sinuses feel dryer than the sahara desert, My anxiety is high due to the fact Ive been on Antidepressants for 4 years with Phyciatry counceling (I though I was dying in 2003) I was convinced I had a desease that was going to kill me, I was sick with worry. All the blood work and other test showed nothing (I was healthy as a horse)In 2003 I was so worried I was going to die I wouldnt sleep for days somtime 5-6 days without sleep (this just made things worse, anxiety high) I found that the human body will only go so far before it just says ENOUGH then I would sleep. I found that overtime I was going to be OK. But since Aug 1st 2007 my head and ears are in agony and the ringing and head pressure is still driving me crazy. It's hard to concentrating and functioning and I have 5 kids with three of them under the age of 5. Im doing all the blood work to rule out anything wierd. I see my doctor today but I feel since he knows my past he will think this is another panic episode like in 2003. I will try to post my finding asap, I hope I don't have some kind of ear or brain tumor that would suck.

[painintexas]

i have been very dizzy and have fell down.  i feel tired and very restless.  my feet swell,legs arms,hands and face. the dizziness is a weird dizzy. i really can't explain it because my tongue will get thick too sometimes. My legs have real deep pain inside and no explanation.  have been told i have PVD in right leg and he said it's only the small ones dead, so i don't lose my legs.  wow gee thanks doc.  i have fibromyalgia, cfs, gerd, ibs, oa of knees, just found out i am a diabetic  yippee, and thyroid disease, had goiter removed, just had gallbladder out, had hysterectomy, 3 bladder tack ups, and now fluid on the knee and of course now my stupid amerigroup wont pay for that. but back to my dizziness,  the dr is waiting for an mri on my brain and to see because he's banking aroud 60% blockage.  i can't lose the wait i need to, i lose ten then 5 comes back. it's a no win situation.  i also have acute panic anxiety disorder, major manic depression,insomnia, restless leg syndrome and the doc said i probably have sleep apnea because the go together usually.  my main thing is what are the symptoms for blockages in the neck?  i put the ? up there and it gave me this site so hopefully you or someone can answer this and also i need to know why my feet fill bruised when standing up and start to walk?  and my legs feel like the circulation is going.   thank you for any comment i get.

[painintexas]

i also have shortness of breath when the dizzy spells are going on. i forgot to add that with my comment.  i also have a sharp pain on right side of head at times.  and i have squinty eyes and i wear glasses.i also have chronic pain.  i guess that's all    list of medications i take--alprazolam, diazapam, wellbutrin xl, ambien cr, robaxin, promethazine, furomeside, metropolol B/p. gabapentin, fish oil high chol, aspirin 81mg, levothyroxin (levothyroxine), requip, prevacid, hydrocodone, celebrex, vytorin, i think that's it  this is just off the top of my head.  oh yeow a multi vitamin for over 50 i just started.  thank you

[cvb8485]

A related discussion, Sorry was started.

[dezi688]

A related discussion, every single thing that brian said was started.

[oliviaseeber]

A related discussion, Does this sound like it could be serious was started.