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[JoannFran]

Hi lovely ladies. 

Just wanted to ask your opinions as my Health anxiety is out of control at the moment and I can't rationalise anything 

When I ended up in A & E the other week with high blood pressure and extreme pressure in my head/ears, they did a CT scan.  The DR said it was all normal and no sign of anything, even sinusitis.   I've now convinced myself that they've missed something as the head and ear pressure isn't letting up.  I've been back to the DR and there is no sign of infection except a slight bulging in one ear drum.  He's referred me to an ENT consultant.   But in the meantime I've now spiralled into the abyss of they just pretended to do the scan, or they missed something.  I woke again last night with pins and needles in my head and face  . And still tingly around my face and mouth today. 

My DR did all the neurological exams (balance, strength etc) and all normal.

My CBT session can't come soon enough!  How likely is it that a CT scan would miss a brain tumour?

Please talk some reason into me  .   I'm sorry to keep posting questions. I have no where else to turn.  I think even my DR is fed up with me.

[getting_old]

I have had a couple of CT scans and the reports from them have been extremely detailed. They have focused on the areas requested, but have also highlighted other stuff too.

[marge]

Sounds awful for you Joannfran, l’m so sorry you’re going through this, but to me it sounds like extreme anxiety. I really don’t think the scans will have missed anything. Our minds are very powerful; l diagnose myself with many and varied life-threatening illness regularly and the symptoms are very real. But l’m still alive and kicking. Hope you get peace of mind soon.

[cltk1972]

JoannFran,

I was wondering if you’re still experiencing the same symptoms?  I am experiencing the same ones you’ve described.  I also get this pressure in the back of my head, right ear feels blocked and like it wants to pull me to the right when I’m upright.  I also get the pins and needles in back of head and around the mouth.  Even my neck feels strange.  This is so scary! 

[JS79]

JoannFran, I am/was suffering from similar symptoms. My pins, needles and numbness in face and body are likely caused by my low b12 which I now take supplements for.
I was having extreme pressure and dizziness symptoms a few weeks ago and GP said I had bulging eustachian tube so I was given a nasal spray, which has cleared up 90% of symptoms.
It's hard because we feel we are ill and that medical people are missing something. Only advice I can give is to keep going back with a detailed symptom diary. Take care

[JoannFran]

Hi cltk1972

Sorry, I've only just seen your message.  I hope you're ok!  Yes I still get these symptoms from time to time.  I'm not fixated on them anymore though and have accepted that they are hormonal.  That CT scan was 3 years ago and I'm still here 

They definitely got much worse when I was obsessing that something was seriously wrong.  Funnily enough I had some head and ear pressure today.  And I also sometimes feel like my face is being dragged down (very weird).  I am getting better at ignoring all these weird things now.

If you're worried, pls get it checked out, but try not to stress out or focus on it too much because it will definitely make it worse.  Hope that helps? x

[cltk1972]

JoannFran,

I’m so sorry.  I’m just seeing your reply back.  I’m honestly not sure if I’m even replying back to you correctly; need to learn how to use the site😊

I’m still having the burning earlobes, tingling behind them in head and pressure back of head.  I’m so off balance too.  It’s also so hard to lay down as it creates pressure on sides of head and hurts my ears more when laying on them.  I’ve had Ct scans and MRI’s, but I feel like they’re missing something.

I also having burning throughout body and stabbing pains too. I feel like each day I just exist; no quality of life.

I’ve spoken to women in another menopause group I’m in and they said they’ve experienced the burning and stabbing pains, but I really haven’t meant anyone with the head/ear issues.
Was your experience at all like this?

I also have Hashimotos so I’m not sure if it’s a factor in this too, or just the low estrogen. 

Look forward to hearing from you😊

[JoannFran]

Hi cltk1972

so sorry you're having these issues.  Honestly at one point I was totally obsessed with my head, ear, eye, neck symptoms.  I even kept getting a vein protruding on the left hand side where the pressure was.  I also had CT scan, MRI (2), eye tests and nothing was found.  I genuinely believe that my anxiety was making it worse as I really try not to focus on it too much now and it hardly bothers me (I have however moved on to other things to hyperfixate on 

I am just looking into mind body symptoms.  There's lots of videos on youtube.  Have a look at Pain Free You.  I believe that I get a symptom and fixate on it and make it 10 times worse!  It doesn't mean that the symptom isn't real but it's amazing the power of the brain to make it worse when we have fear of it.  At one point when I was really bad with my head/ear I was waking up in the night with the left side of my head, face and ear numb but also tingling.  It was scary.  This doesn't happen anymore either.   

I think if you've had CT and MRIs then the chance that they've missed something is very very unlikely.  These can all be symptoms of hormones but also anxiety. 

I hope this helps xxxx

[Dierdre]

Sounds like you've got a lot of fluid in there if your ear drum is bulging. Anxiety will not help. Have you tried steaming your head with a bowl and hot water to relieve some of the fluid and maybe take a nasal spray and antihistamines. This could have been viral intially and left you with all this fluid that can take weeks to shift. It woild accound for the weird head feelings too and imbalance.

[lilian]

JoannFran, I am/was suffering from similar symptoms. My pins, needles and numbness in face and body are likely caused by my low b12 which I now take supplements for.
I was having extreme pressure and dizziness symptoms a few weeks ago and GP said I had bulging eustachian tube so I was given a nasal spray, which has cleared up 90% of symptoms.
It's hard because we feel we are ill and that medical people are missing something. Only advice I can give is to keep going back with a detailed symptom diary. Take care

may I ask what nasal spray did your doc  give you? thanks

[Bella247]

As a fellow health anxiety sufferer I wanted to send you some solidarity and also advise you not to seek advice on symptoms on the internet. I completely understand why you feel the need but I promise you this won’t make you feel any better.

Try your utmost not to google and if you do only read the NHS website.

I say this with kindness and someone who has wasted years of my life googling and seeking reassurance.

I was convinced I had a brain tumour a few years back and I promise you if you google most symptoms you stumble upon something serious and convince yourself you have whatever it is you’re researching

[marge]

Totally agree Bella247. Googling symptoms, though tempting, can cause untold anxiety especially if, like many of us, you have health anxiety. Stick to the NHS or, better still, your GP (if you can get an appointment!)