Dizzy, Light Headed, Tight Chest and Tingling in the Face

[richardstwins]

As of recent I have been experiencing some very strange symptoms that have freaked me out on occassion.  At first I thought I had a headache, but it didn't feel like any headache I had experienced in the past.  I also get dizzy to the point where I feel drunk.  Like you feel when you have been drinking and lay down in the bed and everything spins.  I dealt with this for a few days, trying all kinds on OTC medications and nothing.  I finally got me some Migraine meds that didn't do much at all.  It helped for the first hour or two, but then it started again.  Last night however, I tucked my girls in bed and all of the sudden started feeling like I was going to pass out.  My head hurt like it does constantly and I was dizzy, but this time I got hot and my chest was extremely tight.  I was struggling to get a deep breath and was very weak.  I went back downstairs and told my husband what was going on and he just told me to go to bed.  So, I did.  Today, I have been extremely dizzy and light headed - with some weird type of pressure in my head.  It's the hardest thing in the world for me to try and explain.  It's the weirdest feeling.  When I was on my way home, out of nowhere that pressure became immense.  Then, my mouth/lips and face started tingling and the symptoms from last night were back.  I tried to act like nothing was happening and all was well, but when my head started pulsating and my face tingled, I pulled over in a parking lot.  I sat there for about a half hour until I could focus and felt somewhat "normal" before starting back on the road.  (FYI:  Normal for me isn't normal for most, when I say normal I mean just being dizzy and having a headache that feels like pressure is going to make my head explode).  I made it home safely, but I am so confused as to what is going on with me.  
I am starting to think I may be crazy.  I am not one to go to doctors, but lately I have contempalted going to the ER because of how bad I have felt.  I have often wondered if I was going to make it through the night.  Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much!!

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
The first two things to be ruled out on priority and immediately is very high blood pressure and mini strokes. Please consult a doctor immediately to rule these out.
If you have headaches and hot flashes and lightheadedness with a feeling of passing out, you could be having either polycystic ovarian disease or GERD with or without H pylori infection. These are the two conditions to be ruled out first. If you use computer a lot or read a lot then the symptoms of headache, dizziness, neck pain, numbness etc could be due to compression of the spinal nerves in the cervical spine region. This can happen due to overuse of computers, work involving straining of neck, herniated disc, canal stenosis, bone disease, spondylosis, poor posture etc. A MRI of the cervical spine and nerve conduction studies may be required. Please consult a neurologist. Physiotherapy will help you and hence you should learn neck exercises to relieve neck strain. Get your blood pressure checked. This can also cause headache with dizziness. TMJ is another possibility. If you have been out in sun a lot or drink less of fluids then it can also be due to electrolyte imbalance or dehydration. Benign intracranial hypertension also causes dizziness with headache and a spinal tap is confirmatory. It can be a migraine attack too.
Since I cannot examine you and know other related conditions you may be having, nor is a detailed history possible on net, I have listed the various possibilities that should be looked into. Please consult your PCP for primary examination followed by proper referral.
Take care!

[drewlevas]

I'm not gonna a big help, but I think you should go to the ER.

Take care