intermittent nausea, headaches, lightheadedness

[starfruit]

For the past four months I have been suffering from symptoms such as nausea, occasional blinding headaches, and dizzyness and lightheadedness. The best way to describe how I feel is extreme motion sickness, though I have never actually vomited (just felt like it, which seems worse). The symptoms are not constant: they go through a cycle in which for about a week I feel perfectly fine, and then I feel completely sick and nauseated for the next week, then I feel fine for a week, and on and on.

I have gone to a total of 5 doctors, none of whom have given me a satisfactory answer. They tell me whatever diagnosis seems convenient at that time: in the summer, when I went to the first doctor, she told me it must be heatstroke. After that the diagnosis alternated between heatstroke, stress, anemia(all blood tests came out negative), and something about the inner ear(tests were also negative).

I would buy what they're saying if the symptoms were the least bit different, but when they appear they're always the same. The latest doctor (after I told her I would scream if one more doctor blamed it on stress) told me there might be a neurological problem and that I should get a CT scan. So naturally I'm rather worried, and while I'm waiting for my appointment I thought I would ask if anyone here has had similar symptoms before and what they turned out to mean. Thank you.

[Akgirls]

I have had all of these symptoms for years, but like most was treated for chronic migraines and clumsiness. I have recently under gone an mra. I am now being told I have calcium mass in my brain. The doctors are taking their sweet time in giving me an outcome, take my advice insist on an mra not an mri. My most recent episode I passed out and cracked my skull, it took 5 staples, and I cannot be left alone becuase of my odd symptoms. Please check with your doctor and be firm, this is not fun....and as far as treatment, I am still waiting. good luck

[HouControl]

I've had the kind of same lightheadedness, on and off, for about 7 years now.  I'm 51.  It started with a bout of vertigo -- room spinning around and everything -- that lasted only for a day.  The doctor said he thought it was labyrinthitis and perscribed some meds that just made me sleepy.  For the next month or so, I just felt lightheaded, but it eventually went away.  It returned about a year later and I went to multiple doctors, and ENT, neurologist, had a sleep study, MRI, Cat scans, etc, which found absolutely nothing.  The symptoms went away on their own again and I stayed symptom-free for 5 years.  I had a brief bout for a couple of days in June, then started feeling lightheaded again about a week ago.  For the first time, the lightheadedness is accompanied by slight nausea, at times.  It's not totally debillitating, but on weekends I just want to lay around a sleep.  I sure hope I can either figure out what causes it, or it goes away again -- for good!

[Deborah15]

HI I have had the lightheadedness and feeling nausea for over 2 years.  My GP is at a loss with me.  I started feeling tired no exhaused and lethargic.  I have now lost my job through ill health and finally after collapsing I have been sent to a neurologist and now cardiac specialist.  My blood pressure varies but is often low therefore the blood is not reaching my head fast enough giving the feeling of motion sickness without the vomiting.  I hope this helps and you don't have to wait as long as I have to get a diagnosis.

[Ferny1988]

I've had similar feelings to the rest of you I have only had it for a few days, I'm not stressed so I dont think its that. My appitite has completley gone, the only thing I am interested in having is ice cold water, I have been feeling really sick and light headed and I have a strange kind of pressure on the front of my head. If I sit still I can feel my self swaying which makes me feel worse. I can be ok one minute and then the next I get a wave of sickness, and lightheadedness. I dont know if it is worth going to the doctor as I have only felt this way for a few days, but I hate the idea of it carrying on for months or years. Please help?!

[CristinaO]

I am a 42 year old female. Never had HAs before. About 21/2 months ago, I started having severe HAs and minimal diziness and sensitivity to light and looking up. After 7 days went to ER and got a Brain MRI that showed some nodules that everyone said they are benign. Since than the pain went away and came back almost 3 weeks ago. It is now worse and night with nausea (but not vomiting). I have no appetite and lost a lot of weight.  After a few hours of sleeping I wake up with pain and nausea relieved by sitting up and ice on top of my head. I got another MRI and I will have the results on Monday (2 days from now). I had my share of MD that offered their opinions. As a note: reflexology helped me.

[Alli3388]

I have recently been feeling similar feelings, and haven't even bothered to go to a doctor, because I know they'll just make guesses. These symptoms just seem too vague - like, everything bad make people feel lightheaded, nauseous, tired, and have a headache! I also feel this weird kind of pressure in my head, like someone else mentioned, and generally just blech and lethargic.. No loss of appetite though, like someone said. But sometimes it goes away and I feel fine.

It has definitely occurred to me that this could be some kind of physical manifestation of stress... A friend of mine mentioned that he was having bouts of lightheadedness, and it was when his newborn was born, incubated, and needed surgery, etc, and he was obviously under a whole lot of stress... I don't really feel stressed psychologically, although I think there are factors in my life that could be considered consistently stressful, and I've wondered if my feeling this way is how it's revealing itself. I rather hope so, frankly, because unless I start feeling a lot worse and start having more acute symptoms, I don't think any doctor is going to be able to diagnose me with these kind of symptoms. They'll just be taking stabs in the dark.... However, you'd think I'd be able to consciously recognize such stress if it's actually occurred to me to think about it!
What I'm worried about is that these are the early symptoms of something really scary, like liver disease or some kind of cancer or god knows what... I'm only 33, and am not ready to deal with that!!