Dealing with headaches, pressure in my head and ears, eye/chest pain, and vision issues...

Hey everyone, hi!
I’ve been Googling my symptoms like crazy and this forum always pops up. You guys seem like such a great community with awesome advice, so I figured I'd reach out...

Let me start from the beginning. I’ve always had low blood pressure. One time, I skipped breakfast, had two coffees on an empty stomach, and suddenly felt incredibly weak with this massive headache. I figured my pressure dropped since that’s my norm. I ate a banana, took some Tylenol (I was six months pregnant at the time and dealing with constant morning sickness), and headed out into town. Suddenly, for just a few seconds, it was like I was dreaming or reliving random memories while still being totally conscious. I could talk normally and stick to my diet, but it felt like I was in a half-dream state... It wasn't scary or weird, just surreal. I rushed straight to the ER, but by the time I got there, my blood pressure and sugar levels were totally fine. They gave me some Xanax because I was freaking out about what was happening to me. The next day, I had an exam, and I completely blanked on everything I studied—I couldn't even remember my Facebook password. Even though they questioned me, I was totally aware and communicating normally; everything seemed fine by the morning.
It hasn't happened again, but I’m still low-key terrified about what that actually was. My GP said it might have just been a sudden blood sugar crash causing that confusion. Has anyone else dealt with something like this or have any idea what it could be? I've never experienced anything like it before.

Things were fine for a few months after that, until right before I gave birth. Then the brutal headaches started—this stabbing pain behind my eyes. Tylenol helps, but only for a bit. Also, whenever I look sharply to the side and then back, I see these little flashes of light for a few seconds.
Then, one time I was lying down watching a movie and my vision just went totally blurry and distorted. I panicked, felt lightheaded, and had to get some air.
My vision gets fuzzy sometimes too, though I am nearsighted (0.5 in one eye, 0.75 in the other). I saw an ophthalmologist, and she said my eye pressure is fine, just that my eyes are extremely strained, but she couldn't give me drops because I was pregnant.
I also get this intense pressure in my head and ears...
I saw a neurologist too, but since I was pregnant, they didn't order any major scans. The physical exam was fine, except for feeling a bit dizzy when I close my eyes.
Everything seems to be blamed on my low iron (7.2).
I gave birth a month ago. Back on February 14th, I had to see a pulmonologist because of sharp chest pains shooting into my back. Lung imaging was clear, and they sent me to an internist. EKG and cardiac enzymes were all fine, but my TSH was slightly high and my Free T3 was low. I haven't seen an endocrinologist yet, but I can't imagine those would cause *this* much trouble, right?
And about my blood sugar—I've always been on the low side despite stress, but one night I ended up in the ER because my pressure spiked to 160/100.
Now it’s all over the place, swinging from low to high. My heart rate rarely dips below 90. This morning it was 105/85... that's way too close, isn't it?
I also had a D-dimer test this morning because they were worried about a pulmonary embolism due to the chest pain, but that came back normal. No tachycardia on my last EKG, but my heart does race occasionally, which triggers full-on panic attacks because I'm so scared of what's going on.
Should I go back to the neurologist and ask for a CT or MRI?
I also got a referral for an ENT to check my sinuses, because sometimes my left ear feels like there's water trapped in it.
I asked my GP for another referral to an internist regarding my blood pressure, but she said I don't need one and should just monitor it.
Please help me out if you have any advice or similar experiences... I'm losing my mind trying to figure out which doctor to see next...

George Hall said:Hey everyone, hi!
I’ve been Googling my symptoms like crazy and this forum always pops up. You guys seem like such a great community with awesome advice, so I figured I'd reach out...

Let me start from the beginning. I’ve always had low blood pressure. One time, I skipped breakfast, had two coffees on an empty stomach, and suddenly felt incredibly weak with this massive headache. I figured my pressure dropped since that’s my norm. I ate a banana, took some Tylenol (I was six months pregnant at the time and dealing with constant morning sickness), and headed out into town. Suddenly, for just a few seconds, it was like I was dreaming or reliving random memories while still being totally conscious. I could talk normally and stick to my diet, but it felt like I was in a half-dream state... It wasn't scary or weird, just surreal. I rushed straight to the ER, but by the time I got there, my blood pressure and sugar levels were totally fine. They gave me some Xanax because I was freaking out about what was happening to me. The next day, I had an exam, and I completely blanked on everything I studied—I couldn't even remember my Facebook password. Even though they questioned me, I was totally aware and communicating normally; everything seemed fine by the morning.
It hasn't happened again, but I’m still low-key terrified about what that actually was. My GP said it might have just been a sudden blood sugar crash causing that confusion. Has anyone else dealt with something like this or have any idea what it could be? I've never experienced anything like it before.

Things were fine for a few months after that, until right before I gave birth. Then the brutal headaches started—this stabbing pain behind my eyes. Tylenol helps, but only for a bit. Also, whenever I look sharply to the side and then back, I see these little flashes of light for a few seconds.
Then, one time I was lying down watching a movie and my vision just went totally blurry and distorted. I panicked, felt lightheaded, and had to get some air.
My vision gets fuzzy sometimes too, though I am nearsighted (0.5 in one eye, 0.75 in the other). I saw an ophthalmologist, and she said my eye pressure is fine, just that my eyes are extremely strained, but she couldn't give me drops because I was pregnant.
I also get this intense pressure in my head and ears...
I saw a neurologist too, but since I was pregnant, they didn't order any major scans. The physical exam was fine, except for feeling a bit dizzy when I close my eyes.
Everything seems to be blamed on my low iron (7.2).
I gave birth a month ago. Back on February 14th, I had to see a pulmonologist because of sharp chest pains shooting into my back. Lung imaging was clear, and they sent me to an internist. EKG and cardiac enzymes were all fine, but my TSH was slightly high and my Free T3 was low. I haven't seen an endocrinologist yet, but I can't imagine those would cause *this* much trouble, right?
And about my blood sugar—I've always been on the low side despite stress, but one night I ended up in the ER because my pressure spiked to 160/100.
Now it’s all over the place, swinging from low to high. My heart rate rarely dips below 90. This morning it was 105/85... that's way too close, isn't it?
I also had a D-dimer test this morning because they were worried about a pulmonary embolism due to the chest pain, but that came back normal. No tachycardia on my last EKG, but my heart does race occasionally, which triggers full-on panic attacks because I'm so scared of what's going on.
Should I go back to the neurologist and ask for a CT or MRI?
I also got a referral for an ENT to check my sinuses, because sometimes my left ear feels like there's water trapped in it.
I asked my GP for another referral to an internist regarding my blood pressure, but she said I don't need one and should just monitor it.
Please help me out if you have any advice or similar experiences... I'm losing my mind trying to figure out which doctor to see next...

Have you thought about whether this might be anxiety or maybe panic attacks? I ask because I used to deal with so many similar symptoms when my anxiety was flaring up, and things got especially bad during a panic attack. Your blood pressure can definitely spike just from psychological stress. Don't take this the wrong way, but you've got such a wide range of symptoms—from heart stuff to neurological issues... When I was going through my worst bouts of anxiety, I ended up dealing with a heart attack, a stroke, and even cancer in my esophagus, lungs, chest, and stomach, if you know what I mean. But thank God, I'm healthy now... So, yeah, maybe it's worth sitting down with a psychologist or psychiatrist first to see if it's just extreme stress or something else before you head off to a mountain of tests and end up getting unnecessary radiation exposure from all the imaging?

I honestly don't know... I deal with panic attacks, for sure. They started toward the end of my pregnancy when I began feeling this weakness, and I eventually learned how to just ignore them until they stopped. But that tightness and the fear of feeling weak or having vision issues and dizziness... it stuck with me. Now that my blood pressure has been acting up, I've already had a few attacks again...
Panic aside, the headaches and eye issues are actually terrible. There's this constant pressure in my ears and head, plus awful pain in my neck—it feels like the pressure starts right at the base of my neck, if that makes sense... And this whole thing with my chest and blood pressure is new; it all started after I gave birth, which is why the doctors were so worried about pulmonary embolisms. I'm really hoping a good D-dimer test rules that out at least..?

Just to clear up what I mentioned first, what else could those symptoms be? Back then, I wasn't even panicking or feeling stressed, and I've never dealt with any mental health stuff before this...

George Hall said:I honestly don't know... I deal with panic attacks, for sure. They started toward the end of my pregnancy when I began feeling this weakness, and I eventually learned how to just ignore them until they stopped. But that tightness and the fear of feeling weak or having vision issues and dizziness... it stuck with me. Now that my blood pressure has been acting up, I've already had a few attacks again...
Panic aside, the headaches and eye issues are actually terrible. There's this constant pressure in my ears and head, plus awful pain in my neck—it feels like the pressure starts right at the base of my neck, if that makes sense... And this whole thing with my chest and blood pressure is new; it all started after I gave birth, which is why the doctors were so worried about pulmonary embolisms. I'm really hoping a good D-dimer test rules that out at least..?

Just to clear up what I mentioned first, what else could those symptoms be? Back then, I wasn't even panicking or feeling stressed, and I've never dealt with any mental health stuff before this...

Those headaches and that pressure might actually be coming from your cervical spine, so you should probably see a physical therapist. Also, blood pressure can definitely spike because of psychological stuff like anxiety. I was low blood pressure my whole life, but during those last few weeks of pregnancy, my numbers went totally haywire and I ended up having a premature birth with my BP hitting 120/200!!!! After that, things went back to normal, but then years later it shot up again and I was even on medication, which stressed me out big time. It's okay now, though, mostly because my headspace is better too. You know, for the longest time, I didn't even realize I was under stress because I'm naturally such a chill, easygoing person and all that... but still, if there's any kind of stress happening, your body reacts even if you aren't consciously aware of it.
As for that chest pressure, that's often just stress playing tricks on you. I'm not sure why they suspected an embolism, but honestly, try not to let it eat at you. Look, I've had brain tumor surgery twice—that was over 15 years ago, and I was sooo young—so I don't really freak out over headaches anymore. Doctors over here tend to jump straight to conclusions and send me off for MRIs and stuff, and I'm always terrified I'll end up with a new tumor from all the heavy radiation 🙂, so nowadays I don't even bother going to the doctor unless I'm feeling absolutely miserable.

I’ve always been super chill, honestly... I barely ever saw doctors unless it was my OBGYN or a dentist when things got serious 🙂
But this pregnancy has just completely drained me, and everything seems to be hitting at once..
And yeah, I’m dealing with stress and stuff, but even back when I lost my twins at six months—which was easily the most stressful thing ever—my blood pressure was actually low. I always struggled with low BP, but now all of a sudden...
Thanks so much, you really helped ease my mind about the blood pressure thing.. I immediately thought it was just juice for me since I'm usually a low BP person, so I totally freaked out thinking it might be a stroke or heart issue 🤦

George Hall said:I’ve always been super chill, honestly... I barely ever saw doctors unless it was my OBGYN or a dentist when things got serious 🙂
But this pregnancy has just completely drained me, and everything seems to be hitting at once..
And yeah, I’m dealing with stress and stuff, but even back when I lost my twins at six months—which was easily the most stressful thing ever—my blood pressure was actually low. I always struggled with low BP, but now all of a sudden...
Thanks so much, you really helped ease my mind about the blood pressure thing.. I immediately thought it was just juice for me since I'm usually a low BP person, so I totally freaked out thinking it might be a stroke or heart issue 🤦

Look, there's really no need to stress about it too much because blood pressure isn't some fixed number that stays the same forever; it fluctuates throughout your life. Just try to cut back on the salty snacks, keep an eye on your weight, and get moving whenever you can—even if it's just a quick walk around the block while you're chasing after your kid. 🙂 And hey, don't even sweat it. Your blood pressure isn't high enough to be worrying about a stroke or a heart attack anytime soon. 🙂 🙂 Honestly, just try sipping some chamomile tea mixed with lemon balm and maybe grab some B-complex vitamins; it really helps take the edge off, and you'll start to see that everything is going to be just fine. We all have those moments where we just completely lose it sometimes, but I truly believe you're a healthy person at heart, you're just going through a really rough patch right now.

And honestly, I’m naturally thin and struggle to put on weight, even though I work out regularly with them both and I'm barely 23... but my mind is just racing lately 🙂
Is it okay to drink these teas while breastfeeding? My OB-GYN and primary doctor told me to take Xanax for my blood pressure, and I've taken it a few times, but I really don't love it. It calms me down, but it also just leaves me feeling totally wiped out, and I'm worried about getting hooked on it...

George Hall said:And honestly, I’m naturally thin and struggle to put on weight, even though I work out regularly with them both and I'm barely 23... but my mind is just racing lately 🙂
Is it okay to drink these teas while breastfeeding? My OB-GYN and primary doctor told me to take Xanax for my blood pressure, and I've taken it a few times, but I really don't love it. It calms me down, but it also just leaves me feeling totally wiped out, and I'm worried about getting hooked on it...

I wouldn't touch that herbal tea if I were you while you're nursing. It's better to play it safe. Honestly, you're so young, don't let yourself get stuck in a loop of feeling depressed and stressed out; life is going to fly by if you spend all your time worrying about health stuff. Try picking up some good books, watch a few comedies, grab coffee with your girlfriends, and just soak up those moments with your little one. Seriously, try to focus on the positive vibes to help pull you away from the struggles. I've been feeling a bit under the weather myself lately too (probably just the humidity and all this heat), but honey, we can't let it get to us... Life is way too short and beautiful to be miserable. I'm sure you're going to be fine; your blood pressure will stabilize, especially since you've just given birth and are breastfeeding—your body is going through huge shifts right now. Don't overthink everything, just relax and enjoy it.🙂

I'm trying, believe me, but it's just hitting me harder now because I was always such a chill person before. I never even bothered with doctors or worried about my health, but this pregnancy has totally wiped me out... And honestly, reading stuff online just makes it worse. Like yesterday, I stumbled upon info about derealization and started spiraling, worrying if that weird half-dream state I had earlier—when I felt super faint after not eating anything—was actually that. But I didn't feel panicked or anxious back then, just weak... Now, the only thing is when I get hit with actual panic, it feels like my ears are plugged and my own voice sounds distant, like I'm hearing myself from far away. But everything else feels normal; I don't feel like my surroundings or myself are distorted at all. That's not what it is, right?
Thanks so much, you're an angel 🙂

George Hall said:I'm trying, believe me, but it's just hitting me harder now because I was always such a chill person before. I never even bothered with doctors or worried about my health, but this pregnancy has totally wiped me out... And honestly, reading stuff online just makes it worse. Like yesterday, I stumbled upon info about derealization and started spiraling, worrying if that weird half-dream state I had earlier—when I felt super faint after not eating anything—was actually that. But I didn't feel panicked or anxious back then, just weak... Now, the only thing is when I get hit with actual panic, it feels like my ears are plugged and my own voice sounds distant, like I'm hearing myself from far away. But everything else feels normal; I don't feel like my surroundings or myself are distorted at all. That's not what it is, right?
Thanks so much, you're an angel 🙂

Rule number one of anxiety: DO NOT GOOGLE IT 🙂 🙂 🙂!!!
Seriously, girl, stop surfing the web because you're only going to find horror stories that make you feel ten times worse.
I get that muffled ear sensation too sometimes, so trust me, it's nothing to worry about. It's definitely not that scary thing you read about... I'm pretty sure you're perfectly healthy, so please, just stop reading about illnesses and stop checking your blood pressure constantly. I used to be super laid back too, but everyone hits a wall at some point in their lives. Honey, you just had a baby—that's a massive shift for your whole body, and if you aren't getting decent sleep, you can end up with a mountain of random symptoms... Look, if there were actually something wrong, you'd only be dealing with that one specific thing, not every possible ailment under the sun. Believe me, I've been through all of this myself and I still get random symptoms hitting me now and then (like today, I have this tightness in my chest, which I've had a hundred times when I've been anxious, but it's no big deal), and here I am, totally fine. Hang in there, sweetie 🙂 🙂 🙂

Thanks so much, hun.
Well, it’s not even like I’m making this up... I was dealing with low iron, eye strain, hypothyroidism—all sorts of stuff showing up on my labs right before I gave birth. I didn't end up seeing an endocrinologist because the numbers didn't look too crazy to me, even though everyone from my primary care doc to my internist kept insisting I go... But now I'm reading that high blood pressure could be causing some of these symptoms too. Believe it or not, that actually makes me feel a bit better... I just hope it isn't anything serious. My head is really bothering me, but hopefully everything is fine there. I used to have sinus issues as a kid, and now my neck is killing me, so maybe the headaches are just coming from that or maybe even the eye strain...

George Hall said:Thanks so much, hun.
Well, it’s not even like I’m making this up... I was dealing with low iron, eye strain, hypothyroidism—all sorts of stuff showing up on my labs right before I gave birth. I didn't end up seeing an endocrinologist because the numbers didn't look too crazy to me, even though everyone from my primary care doc to my internist kept insisting I go... But now I'm reading that high blood pressure could be causing some of these symptoms too. Believe it or not, that actually makes me feel a bit better... I just hope it isn't anything serious. My head is really bothering me, but hopefully everything is fine there. I used to have sinus issues as a kid, and now my neck is killing me, so maybe the headaches are just coming from that or maybe even the eye strain...

Look, you aren't just making things up, but honestly, the stuff you mentioned isn't life-threatening. I actually live with hypothyroidism myself, but as long as I take my medication, I keep everything totally under control. Yeah, you have to take a pill every single day for the rest of your life, but I'd much rather do that than suffer through the symptoms. Hypothyroidism can really mess with you, but it's manageable if you're treating it, so please, just go see an endocrinologist. As for the headaches, I had brain tumor surgery twice back when I was your age, and trust me, what you're describing doesn't sound like anything serious because the symptoms are way different. Plus, I dealt with nasty sinus infections myself and finally cleared them up a couple of years ago using some medical inhalers and sprays. I really want to tell you: don't worry, you aren't dying. That's the most important thing. Just enjoy your life, don't stress yourself out too much, and stop Googling symptoms! Back when I had my surgeries, the internet wasn't even a thing yet, and because I didn't spend my time spiraling online, I cruised through it like it was just a bad flu. And thank God, fifteen years later, I'm still here, healthy and happy 🙂 🙂 🙂. So seriously, don't sweat it....

Props to you, major respect...
Honestly, it's probably better if I don't ask about symptoms, just so you don't start overthinking things 🙂
But man, I'm actually thinking about heading back out to get my sinuses and neck checked out—like the vertebrae and muscles too—because this headache is seriously getting on my nerves. I'm having to take at least two Tylenols a day, which sucks because I'm breastfeeding. Plus, I'm always worried that weird thing will happen again where my vision just totally glitches out... I still have no clue what causes it, it's so strange, and it doesn't even feel like a typical migraine, I guess...

Hey there!
I was wondering if anyone else here has dealt with stuff similar to what I'm going through. About a month ago, things just started feeling really off. My palms and feet start sweating out of nowhere, my heart starts racing, and then I get this sudden wave of panic—which immediately sends my blood pressure spiking right after. I went in for blood work, and everything seems fine; my thyroid levels are normal, though I am dealing with some anemia, so I've been taking iron supplements. My heart and kidneys are totally fine too, which leads my doctors to believe my blood pressure spikes are just being driven by anxiety. I'm on medication for it now, and honestly, I'm just counting down the days until this passes. At home, I've got a little four-month-old baby and an older child who’s almost six. To be fair, I was pretty anxious during my pregnancy and just couldn't find a way to relax, and it's the same story now... plus, about two months back, I found out some really shocking, unpleasant things that probably didn't help matters. I try so hard to stay calm—like, I'll be playing games with my oldest, but then after a little while, I'll suddenly feel weak, start sweating, and my pressure jumps. I'll take one Lexapro 0.25 mg and then feel a bit more like myself after an hour or two. Has anyone else experienced this? Because the doctors keep telling me it's likely all psychological. I don't know...
Thanks

Honestly, this whole thing feels like it’s rooted in psychology. Besides, you admitted yourself that you're feeling anxious and dealing with issues...

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