Would like to hear your opinions -

[jlb5685]

I'm 25 years old and have recently had some strange sensations happening that are starting to worry me.  While driving this past Saturday with my fiance to get breakfast, we were in conversation and all of a sudden I got what I can only explain as a "head tremor", it felt like my brain was vibrating and it went all the way down my spine.  And was followed by dizziness and a headache.  It was almost like I was about to pass out but I've never passed out before and I didn't blackout.  I had vision the whole time.  It freaked me out because I've never felt that before in my head and my fiance said when it happened I looked blank and pale.  Since then I've had several instances where I've gotten extremely dizzy but haven't felt the head tremor like I did on saturday, just dizziness.  I know sometimes ppl can get dizzy / blackout from standing up too quickly, blood sugar dropping, etc. and I have felt that before and this was completely different.  I felt fine before it happened and I was sitting in my car, no sudden movements when it happened.  I haven't been to the doctor yet, I didn't think it was that big of a deal until today I've been more dizzy than the past few days, even while sitting.  My fiance thinks it could have something to do with a large dent I have in the back toward the top of my head, but I didn't think so since I've had that there since I was a little girl.  (When I was very young, about 5, a weight bench fell on me and I've always had this dent in my head about 2" x 2".  Anyway, any ideas before i go to a doctor?

[pmuse]

omgosh..pleez go to the ER now don't wait for a doctor's appointment where they will only refer you to a specialist if they suspect something which could take weeks.  symptoms like this could mean anything, and it involves your spinal cord so GO NOW....Blessings,  Patty

[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.

I am not sure what you mean by the term dizziness. When some people use the term dizziness, they often mean vertigo, or room-spinning. Others mean a light-headed, whoozy feeling.

If by dizziness you mean vertigo (room-spinning), the causes could be either the inner ear or the brain. Inner ear causes of vertigo most commonly include benign positional vertigo (BPPV), which is due to small particle in the inner ear that moves out of place, and can be repositioned with simple head maneuvers. The symptoms often include vertigo that occurs with turning of the head, often while turning over in bed. Another cause, if your symptoms are associated with tinnitus (ear ringing) and hearing loss is called Meniere’s disease and can be treated with medications and sometimes surgery. And so on, several other causes from inner ear problems exist.

Vertigo can also be due to problems in the brain. The most common is a benign tumor called a schwanoma (also called acoustic neuroma). This is diagnosed by MRI of the brain. Multiple sclerosis can cause vertigo, but often, other symptoms are present as well. A normal MRI of the brain excludes multiple sclerosis. Thyroid problems can also lead to vertigo.

Your symptoms may be consistent with a variant of migraine called basilar migraine. Basically this is marked by several hours of vertigo associated with nausea, light-sensitivity, and sometimes other symptoms. Headache may or may not be present. The treatment is different from that used to treat other migraine types; the treatment in this case is a type of medication called calcium channel blocker, such as verapamil, which is actually used to treat blood pressure but works in type of basilar migraine as well.

Given the history of head trauma, I would also recommend that you have a electroencephalogram (EEG) to evaluate for possible seizure activity.

I do agree that you should be seen by a physician.

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