Any Ideas on the Possible Cause of These Symptoms I'm Having?

[Jennifer]

I've been told that I have a panic disorder where I have random panic attacks from time to time but either I'm still in denial or these aren't panic attacks at all.

Today I was birthday gift shopping and went to the checkout (no line) and suddenly after I put my stuff up there and did the nicey greeting at the counter, my head suddenly spun within a split second leaving my eyes, face and head all buzzy feeling. I thought I might black out or go blind and frantically grabbed my head and looked for a place to sit but there was no chair so I forced myself to hand her my credit card and get a receipt so I could get out of there as soon as possible. My anxiety shot through the roof AFTER this sudden symptom in my head turning into a panic attack that I treated with some Klonopin and a short walk and a bus ride home (I was going to do more shopping but I couldn't calm down).

I've been doing so well with my panic attacks. I still don't think that first symptom was part of a panic attack at all, just caused it. I've had that feeling 3 times prior. First time was when I was in 8-9th grade where I did go blind and my mom and sister helped me to my bed to lay down where it slowly went away. The second and third time was when I was in grad school a few years ago during the same week while driving. Both times I slammed on the break cause I couldn't focus and I honestly think I lost consciousness the second time (first one while driving) for a split second. I was anxious after each time but it went away. After that is when the panic attacks started with very typical symptoms. But what's with the one mentioned above where its only happened 4 times in my life that I can remember?

Are there other conditions that could cause your head to spin suddenly laving it feeling very buzzy causing you to lose your eye sight or black out?

For the record, my 6MP hadn't been filled on time so i haven't taken it for two nights now but I've stopped the stuff cold turkey without having this happen to me.

 

[Lisa]

It sounds like a sudden drop in blood pressure.....or sudden spike....

How does your heart/chest feel when this is going on?

 

[Jennifer]

The first three times this happened in my life I wasn't on any heart meds. This time though, I've been taking 25mg of Tenormin http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000819/ for over a year (went to 50mg at one time but it made my blood pressure too low). Every time I see the doctor now they say my BP is a little low but that's cause of the med. I take it because I have PVCs (Premature Ventricular Contractions http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/premature-ventricular-contractions/DS00949) which was diagnosed a couple years ago at most. My fiance thinks it was my BP too but how am I supposed to know? What am I supposed to do about it? My heart doc said I'm fine with my current treatment (last test done was a stress test) and to just see him as needed from now on. Do you think its needed? Or should I be seeing someone else for blood pressure? I do have an appointment with my GP Monday and will talk about it then but I'm freaking out now.

Edit: My heart rate goes up afterward. I didn't notice any change in my heart before it happened and I was too focused on my head and where a chair was to notice my heart at the time unfortunately.

 

[Catherine]

This sound like faint or near faint. Sarah has had few due to blood pressure issue. She get dizzy then loses her sight then faints. Has about five seconds to stop the faint by getting head lower than heart. We saw a specialist blood pressure taken why sitting85/40 then had she lay down for 5 min 80/40she was then told to stand up very quickly (specialist held her arm) 60/40.

We got on the dx post? Hypotension? Sorry about spelling,but also did scan of heart and echo to rule out anything more serious.

 

[Jennifer]

I was also told by an old heart doctor that I have a mild tachycardia http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tachycardia/DS00929/DSECTION=symptoms so I wonder if I'm feeling symptoms from that periodically? I have no idea.

I guess I was just wondering if anyone else experiences something like that suddenly without standing up too fast and at random times. I don't know what tests to ask for or if I need another specialist and for what?

Edit: Could it be a vitamin deficiency? Blood sugar has always been normal.

 

[Catherine]

Sarah also had two faints after exercise during cool down part.

 

[Jennifer]

My mom wants me to go to the ER tomorrow to get antibiotics for my tooth pain and to prepare for and extraction so while I'm there I'll ask the ER doc about my symptoms I had today (still feeling a bit light headed and tired and bp was 100/75) but chances are I'll get the same ol treatment with no results.

 

[Catherine]

The specialist all mentioned making sure you had
enough water food and salt. Low GI diet

 

[littlemissh]

The other thing thAt it could be other than a sudden bp drop where your vision can go grey and make your head fuzzy is vertigo. Often caused by quick head movements it makes the room feel like its moving, your vision goes and you can feel nauseated- similar to the head spinning after too much wine. It is usually quite brief. Sometimes it can cause nausea.

 

[pielady72]

You mentioned that you have a tooth infection, you need to start the antibiotics and get that tooth delt with. It is very easy for a tooth infection to spread to the ear, sinuses and heart. You have had episodes like this before with blackouts. I suggest getting your heart checked out by a cardiologist. You have had the stress test done, I would suggest an echocardiogram a chest x-ray of the lungs and possibly a ct of the brain. The blackouts suggest you are not getting enough oxygen to the brain during these episodes. This could be cardio or neurological in nature. I would check the heart first being as you are mildly tachycardic. If the heart checks ok move onto the neurological reasons why you maybe having this which can include seizure activity. Do you remember if you were acutely ill when you had these other episodes? Does heart disease run in your family? Do neurological disorders run in your family? I do hope you feel better soon, and hope you get the answers you need quickly. It very well could be something easy as vitamin/mineral deficiency so I suggest bloodwork as well. Keep me posted

 

[Jennifer]

The first time I was in a flare for Crohn's but it was being treated. The second and third time I was perfectly fine. This last time I'm also fine (as in not sick). Yes heart disease does run in my family. Alzheimer's seems to be the only neurological disorders that's popped up once (my father's mother had it before she died).

Wasn't vertigo. Room wasn't spinning, no nausea either. I ate before I went out and know I'm not low on salt. Just lots of buzzing in my forehead, eyes and face that left me disoriented.

 

[Jackie010307]

I haven't seen it mentioned yet, but possibly ocular migraines. I have a friend who has them and her symptoms are very similar. Her doctor said that ocular migraines do not always include a headache, but can include dizziness and temporary blindness. The blindness was how she eventually found out about hers. It is definitely something to get checked out, though, so you can figure out what it is and get it treated. I imagine to have something like that happen, especially while driving, is very scary, and I hope you get answers soon!

 

[Jennifer]

Wow, interesting Jackie.

A migraine aura involving your vision will affect both eyes, and you may see:
Flashes of light
Zigzagging patterns
Blind spots
Shimmering spots or stars
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ocular-migraine/AN01681

I have all those symptoms above from time to time (almost daily actually) but I don't think anything of it usually cause it goes away and I'm not in any pain or anything like that. Very interesting. I wrote it down and am waiting for the cab to the ER. I'll bring it up with the doc. Wonder how they test for that.

 

[SarahAnne]

I get migraine auras without the headache from time to time, it is very disorienting. It happened once in 8th grade, it started out with a little blurriness and zigzag on my peripheral and by the end of my class, I was blind in one eye. It freaked me out completely. This was during a time when I was flaring pretty badly, but wasn't diagnosed and not on any medication.

Crabby ~ the situation you mentioned sounds almost identical to one I had a few weeks ago. I was in Target with my 4 year old daughter, we had been there shopping for at least 20 minutes and I felt fine. We were standing in checkout waiting on the lady in front of us and all of a sudden, I got dizzy. I immediately thought I was going to pass out and started to panic. I was trying to talk myself out of having a panic attack so I wouldn't freak my daughter out. I don't even remember paying for my purchases or getting out of the store, we sat down outside for a few minutes before I felt okay enough to drive the short distance home.

My BP used to be very low, it is low normal now but I can tell when it drops suddenly, mostly when I stand up to fast. I used to take Xanax for panic attacks but I haven't had one in ages.

Curious to know what the doc says, let me know.

 

[Jackie010307]

It took a while for my friends to get diagnosed. There isn't a specific test they can do, it's basically a diagnosis of exclusion. They sent her to a neurologist and she had several tests, including a ct scan and mri of the brain. They told her they had to exclude everything else that could have caused her symptoms before they could say for sure that's what it was. I believe she now takes migraine medication for it. I hope they can help you find an answer soon!

 

[Jennifer]

All the ER helped with was antibiotics and pain killers for my tooth. Doc there thinks its related to my heart/BP. He said they could do a CT but probably wouldn't find anything just like they didn't find anything on the EKG they did. Back when this happened in 2008 (2nd and 3rd episode) they did a CT scan and found nothing. So he said to talk to my doctor about it since I was supposed to see them this Monday. He doesn't think its ocular migraines either. Doesn't even think its a real condition just a term to give people and make them feel better.

When I got home and I got a call from the doctor's office saying that my doctor isn't back yet and wont be back until the 19th this month. They've already pushed back my visit so now I have to see someone else. Apparently my Dr's kid is sick so she's still on medical leave. I understand that but it sucks for the rest of us cause she's the best Dr. there. So now I get to see an overworked doctor who I know is a spazz and doesn't treat people properly (I used to see her) on Thursday the 8th this month.

I need my B12 shot, a referral to another GI (cause mine blows), to go over x-ray results and see if I need a MRI on my back and now I need to talk about my ER visit. There's no way the GP I'm gonna see is gonna want to talk about all this. She can't even brush her own hair let alone treat people. She's some old hippie who used to do a bunch of drugs back in the day and is sure nothing is wrong with you unless you're older than her (that's how she comes off anyway). I hate this doctor but I hate all the other ones more. I wish mine would come back.