Cerebrovascular Problem?

[dan_76]

I am 35 year old male without any prior diseases.

I have had several issues with my health during past year and I have went through multitude of tests and everything has resulted negative. My main symptom which has followed me past 9 months is dizzy feeling in my head. It's not like vertigo but it's more of a feeling that I am going to pass out in any moment. I would compare it to a feeling which occurs when you sometimes stand up too quick. But it's constant. I also have a constant slight headache in the lower back of my head. Right where the spine goes into the head.

Sometimes it gets really bad all of a sudden. In these cases it starts with a feeling that someone would give my head a small punch from the back right where the headache is located. Then that bad moment lasts few hours and starts to get better. Sometimes I just get the "punch" but it does not escalate from there. I might wake up from sleep with the same symptom. In the sleep it usually feels that there was a big bang inside my head. During these events I feel thirsty and have noticed to have a strange (metallic?) taste in my mouth.

I have had my head MRI scanned. All was fine. According to my understanding they didn't scan the blood vessels. According to several tests including stress test and ultrasound scan my heart is perfectly fine. My blood pressure is normal and constant according to 24 hour follow-up.

Can these symptoms be due to a issue with a blood flow into / in my brain? Could the arteries in my neck be somehow blocked that the circulation is limited and this causing the symptoms? My cardiologist thinks this is not possible.

It's not a stroke, I know, because the symptoms have been going on so long and I am still here. But it seems to me that the symptoms have been getting gradually worse, so I am worried if there's some progressive condition that hasn't been identified.

Any advise on additional tests I should go for?  

[dan_76]

Thanks for the reply.

You asked if I have felt like room spinning around. No, I cannot say I have. I would describe my dizziness as lightheadedness. I met cardiologist who was convinced that anxiety is behind all this. I have been wondering that is there such medical condition in which the blood vessels fail to do their work occasionally and partially. Or would it be so radical that it wouldn't go unnoticed by any doctor?

[Christopher R Newey, DO]

Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with a doctor.

Without the ability to examine and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of the symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.

The term dizziness has many uses as you describe. It can be a sense of imbalance, room-spinning, or lightheadedness. The description can ultimately guide diagnosis. At any point early in the course did you have a room spinning sensation? Chronic vertigo can cause general sense of imbalance. Lightheadedness is sometimes used to describe dizziness and typically is more of a vascular etiology. In these cases, imaging of the vessels, checking for anemia, evaluating the heart are useful. Lastly, I should mention that anxiety and depression can cause dizziness and tingling sensations. Thyroid dysfunction can be a source of anxiety and “dizziness”.

Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.

[rok619]

It's a normal thing to have anxiety when a physical problem manifests. That doesn't mean anxiety is the cause. Fear is a normal reaction to a percieved threat. I encourage you to seek a good diagnosis. Stress/anxiety may be the problem , especially if you have struggled with that before. Stay calm as much as possible and cope. Wishing you the best!

[dan_76]

Thanks for the comment. I have been trying to strive for proper diagnosis but at this point I have started to run out of realistic options. I cannot think anything to test for... and my GP seems to be in same situation.

The anxiety has been in discussions lately and I admit that part of the symptoms are because of that. I have been taking SSRI medication for some weeks now - difficult to say if they are helping or not. But I still find it hard to believe that the anxiety/stress would be the root cause, they may be making things more difficult for me but are they really causing this whole thing.

[rok619]

9 months is a long time to feel dizzyness and other symptoms. Sorry this is happening to you. Dizziness is actually a very common ailment and the symptoms can feel extreme. I had the following tests for dizziness & numbness in left forearm and left leg.

MRI - to look for brain tumor or ms lesions or evidence of stroke.
MRA- a type of MRI that looks at vascular condition
Cardiac stress test
carotid echo
eeg
ekg
every blood test you can imagine
heart monitor harness for a week
MRI of the cervical spine

Results for me liver tests abnormal high alt & ast
cervical spine c5/c6/c7 bulging disks & slight indentation of thecal sac

For me- spine seems to be the cause of dizziness and cervical traction has helped me some.
Did not have much luck with chiropractic but I know people who have. Of course the doctors tried to pin it on anxiety and give me pills. It took perserverance on my part to get a diagnosis.

My advice is stay on top of this and keep pursuing appointments and tests until you find out what is causing the problem for you. ( It could be stress / anxiety but I would rule out a physical cause first) Best of luck and God Bless!