Head pressure that feels like fluid?

[vbylicki]

I have a dr appt tomorrow but just wanted to see if anyone else has felt this. I already know every other symptom I have is due to anxiety but just yesterday this new feeling started where I feel this pressure pushing down on the top of my head. It doesn't last long but it'll go to my sinus area, it almost feels the same way as when you get water up your nose or have bad bad congestion and need to pop your ears. But this pressure feels almost like fluid sloshing around. I freaked out at first and didn't know if this could possibly be anxiety related too? Or an ear problem. Either way we'll know tomorrow, just needed to vent.

[Kirsty456]

Hi please let me know what ur doctor said I've had similar feelings especially on a night like something running dwn ur face tingling

[vbylicki in reply to Kirsty456]

Hello. So my right ear was really really clogged and they had to flush out all the wax which made me incredibly dizzy. Still feeling out of it now. But that pressure still hasn't gone away. They wanted to put me on sudafed to see if it would dry up all the fluid I feel but unfortunately I can't take it because one of the side affects is severe dizziness or anxiety which is what we're trying to avoid lol. And besides that I just got some Dramamine. So if I don't feel better in a few days I need to call back and hopefully get a referral to an ENT and finally get to the bottom of it. Sorry if this wasn't much of a help.

[Brooklynn in reply to vbylicki]

Dis u ever figure it out I have been waiting to go in cuz I'm thinking it would go away but it's not .I have the same symptoms. Do I need a doctor ?

[vbylicki in reply to Brooklynn]

I went to an ENT and everyone said I was fine. It does get better I promise it just takes time, too much unfortunately.

[Kiki18 in reply to vbylicki]

Hi I am experiencing the same symptoms and I would like to know how to get rid of it

Also did you feel the fluid running from side to side in your head along with a burning sensation if so please reply

[Agora1 in reply to Kiki18]

Hi Kiki18 and Welcome to the Anxiety Forum. Of course it is always best to have a doctor check any symptoms that persist. However, people with severe anxiety can experience this full headed pressure feeling. Feeling like fluid is trapped in your head.

In a way, it is. If this is coming from anxiety, what is happening is that the muscles in the neck and lower back of the head are so intensely tight that the lymphatic fluid can freely flow. It causes this fluid feeling in your head. The burning can come from the tight muscles.

Having physical therapy you can give relief by having the therapist address the trigger points that are at the base of the skull as well as either side of the neck. This is done thru pressure point therapy and allows the fluid to release. You will actually be able to feel the benefits of hands on therapy within moments.. As for making it last, they will show you how you can help yourself at home while using the same technique.

First thing is to make sure there are no other underlying causes for what you are feeling. Take care, feel better x

[Litleedoo in reply to Agora1]

Hi

I have this pressure often. My head feels like it’s full of fluid and pulsating. My eyes feel bulging and all I want to do is sleep - like yesterday - got up and went to church then got home and was on the couch the rest of the day sleeping 💤 and dozing in and out. Neurofen or panodol don’t help.

By evening it was even worse - I tossed and turned but the pulse and soggy brain feeling was so bad I couldn’t get comfortable. I sat up and pushed in the bones at the base of my skull - it really hurt - but I kept doing it - within about 3 minutes I could literally feel the fluid draining away and my head felt normal for the first time in a couple of days. I was amazed!!! By the time I got up this morning at 5:30 am the fluid feeling was back again in my head and through to my face - the pulsing isn’t as bad tho. I’ve been pushing on those base skull bones again but it’s having a less dramatic result - oddly enough though I’ve been through almost a whole box of tissues from having a non stop running nose - (clear fluid ) - gross I know - sorry - but I can’t help but think it’s the fluid from last night ??

Would love to know more about the trigger point therapy ? I really think it must work - and is this really just anxiety doing this ? What about fibromyalgia?

Thanks 😊😊

[Agora1 in reply to Litleedoo]

Hi Litleedoo, I'm glad you got some relief for a while, but I am not a doctor and can only relate to what I experienced myself. Always get any physical issue checked out by a doctor. And yes it can very well be due to Fibromyalgia (which I have) Trigger points develop in different areas of the body, that hurt when they are pressed. When a physical therapist releases those trigger points, it helps in reducing the symptoms. During the time I experienced these head sensations, I saw a Neurologist and then was under the care of a Rheumatologist who diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia.

I am not sure about the runny nose, that needs to be addressed since it could be caused by sinus issues. However, trigger point therapy is not an overnight success. We also need to help in learning to use muscle relaxation techniques. I got much relief at times from putting a wet hot wash cloth on my face and literally could hear and feel my sinuses drain.

I hope you get some relief soon. It gave me many headaches as well. You need a doctor who will advise you as to what the root of the problem is. My best to you Litleedoo xx

[graci11 in reply to Litleedoo]

Litleedoo - Did you figure out what it is? I have the exact same headache and clear drainage from nose (not runny though) Is there anything that helps??

[Moni1772 in reply to graci11]

I am having these same symptoms ...Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) Is what I came up with.. It's a side effect from an antibiotic that I took a few weeks ago... Thought i was going crazy Glad Im not alone.. I hope Everyone feels better soon because this is no joke.. I can not do daily activities.. Im headed to the doctor asap.

[Yessman in reply to Moni1772]

Hi are you still suffering from this? I feel like I'm the same

[TheBlackdog in reply to vbylicki]

Hi there

I have a similar thing. I get wver so dizzy and out of it. My ears are always full of gunky yellow discharge despite how many times I try to clean them out. I have tried otc stuff from the gp but nothing seems to work. I did yoga once and eith all the down dog and sun salutations I nearly fainted. I felt unwell for hours after. I feel like it now. I get awful episodes which I am wondering are all linked to my hormones, ears, anxiety and depression and awful physical symptoms. It feels like a huge huge huge massive migraine in the left temple which dowsnt go away. I tire very quickly and sleep regularly. It stops me from functioning and unable to go to work. I am so fed up with it now. Had them for years and never really had it all pulled together before. I'm seeing my doctor tomorrow to see if there is a link. I also have awful chest pain and high to normal blood pressure. I think it's a condition but I am awful at trying to diagnose myself and should let the doctor do it. I may have more answers tomorrow!

[OngFL]

i felt exactly the same way. is it still blocked?

[vbylicki in reply to OngFL]

Hello. So my right ear was really really clogged and they had to flush out all the wax which made me incredibly dizzy. Still feeling out of it now. But that pressure still hasn't gone away. They wanted to put me on sudafed to see if it would dry up all the fluid I feel but unfortunately I can't take it because one of the side affects is severe dizziness or anxiety which is what we're trying to avoid lol. And besides that I just got some Dramamine. So if I don't feel better in a few days I need to call back and hopefully get a referral to an ENT and finally get to the bottom of it. So here's hoping for the best.

[vamdiok in reply to vbylicki]

I feel tight,hot and pressure in my head whenever i force myself to remember things exactly like song i recently sang or exactly where i met a person or where an event happened or dream i had last night.this constantly leads to restless,anxiety and makes me uncomfortable,feels hot and depressed.but whenever i remember it ,the whole symptoms disappear in 5 mins.these days i feel like hot fluid is in my nose / head, as if water is been forced up my nose to my head.what could be the problem ?

[dessireaa in reply to vamdiok]

Did you ever find out what this was caused by? Currently having the same thing happen to me, even as I type this. I have a hot liquid feeling in the left side of my head only and, it sounds weird, I can feel it in the back of my throat AND the back of my left nostril.

[OngFL]

press the bottom side of your nose on both sides for 10 seconds and release. it will release the pressure permanently!

[imrankhanswati in reply to OngFL]

Great.... this really helps. thanks a lot.

[blerg in reply to OngFL]

which part?

[Drowningontheinside]

I have this same thing happen. I've told my doctors and ENT that it feels like I'm "drowning from the inside" just on the left side of my head. It comes with exertion, overheating, and if I look from side to side too much (like when you're out shopping) I feel a warm fluid like feeling on the left side of my head, then my ear gets muffled and it sounds like that ear is underwater. It's very disturbing. I started getting that, then it would only come sporadically. Then I had 5 episodes of sudden deafness I the left ear, and regained my hearing after strong courses of corticosteroids. The ENTs initially thought Meniere's, but the VEMP test and lack of vertigo proved negative. They still don't know the cause. After the last episode of sudden deafness, I have had the fluid issue every day that I try to be active, even just cleaning the apartment can trigger the fluid weirdness. I take antihistamines every 4-6 hours to lessen the severity of it. But it's freaky that the specialists are stumped. They prescribed me a diuretic believing that I must have some problem regulating the fluid in my vestibular system.

[dessireaa in reply to Drowningontheinside]

Did this problem ever get fixed for you? I've been having the same problem and am desperate for a release.

[Drowningontheinside in reply to dessireaa]

Unfortunately not, the ENTs stopped trying to help and just shrugged their shoulders about it. My jaw specialist thinks there may be a connection to inflammation that may happen on my left jaw that may press on nerves that may cause the Sudden Deafness episodes or even the feeling of fluid pouring into my head. Unfortunately, I haven’t had a diagnosis of any kind that can explain it.

[dessireaa in reply to Drowningontheinside]

I'm so sorry you're still struggling with this, and I hope for you a solution to your problem as well as mine! I actually do get pain in my jaw (and even cheekbone?) but they haven't hurt during these weird fluid movements. Do your fluid movements feel really deep in your head and does it make your head jerk?

[Drowningontheinside in reply to dessireaa]

So sorry you’re having similar issues. I don’t actually feel any pain when those “fluid feelings” happen. I do have TMJ in my left jaw, which has max the jaw specialist think it could be related to TMJ inflammation as a possible culprit.

I do feel as though my hold left side of my head “fills up” with that warm liquid feeling with heavy activity. I don’t think it’s ever made my head jerk, but it sure can throw me off balance. No vertigo, but a feeling as if you were a bit intoxicated (in a way).

[dessireaa in reply to Drowningontheinside]

Maybe I'll have to ask if I could have my jaw looked at, hopefully that's the problem and not something serious like a spinal fluid leak, tumor, etc. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and am immediately requesting an MRI. Best wishes to you!!

[Nic224 in reply to dessireaa]

Hey dessirea! I have the head jerking and the deep feeling of fluid in the head. I have had this going on for me for the past 10 years. The head jerking isn’t caused by the fluid, I think I’ll just make little shifts/jerks in my head because it always feels uncomfortable. The worst the fluid feelings get is I will feel it accumulate at the top of my scalp and if I bend over the fluid moves. In the past I have had it feel like it was constantly building up and got to a point where I felt a pop of sorts and it felt like it was draining all over my head (freaky as crap). I’ll go months at a time and not feel the fluid sensation, and then it will pop up for a little while and unusually end up going to the ER because it feels really freaky and I’ll get blurry vision with it and vertigo. It was significantly worse when I was in my teens, which is when my anxiety was at its highest.. I’ve had a few MRIs with and without contrast, CT scans, and other testing. I know that there is fluid actually in there because the feeling is 100% real. A couple interesting things about this though is, 1) I never experienced this until after I tried getting off antidepressants for the first time and it has happened ever since (I’ve now been off antidepressants for a year) but the fluid sensation still comes and goes 2) even though I know the fluid is there, I have experimented with many different medicines since the mri and other testing never came back positive for anything: when I have been under the influence of ingested marijuana I have been able to manipulate the feeling of that fluid, as in I can somehow displace it and make it drain. I do not recommend using marijuana to experience what I am referring to, because I’m not sure if my pot use in my teenage days is the culprit of this whole thing.

Researching on the internet will try to tell you it can be a CSF leak, or hydrocephalus. My mri testing did not prove that it was these things. A lumbar puncture would probably give a definitive answer to as whether or not it is one of those, but that lumbar can cause a csf leak (ironic). I’m going to give it one last shot and go see a new neurologist and tell him straight up that I think I have hydrocephalus and that I need to be tested to the full extent. The testing I had done was always scheduled after the fluid sensation had disappeared, so I’m thinking that those scans would of course come back normal. There is spontaneous CSF leaks that come and go. I’m just not sure if somebody with a CSF leak can feel the fluid as we do, and the Internet isn’t proving helpful to hear testimonies on that.

Either way! I want to encourage you because like I said, ive had it for 10 years. I’m still alive. It sucks for sure., but it has gotten way less persistent, especially since being off antidepressants (even though while on them I did not have the sensation, only when I get off of them).

[hippieebbbz09]

Hi I had this issue before. Mine always feels like some cool liquid. It's as if someone poured a bit of cool water on the side of my scalp near my ear or close the base of my neck . I checked with my primary dr but it's the ppl at the clinic that took a closer look & saw my right ear had fluid in it . Mine was totally sinus related . But anxiety had me panic lol .

[UncleRich13]

webmd.com/brain/normal-pres...

[Mike2532]

I have the same spytums ive also been told i gad somthing call racing thoughts but i never had anxiety till my dad past n it hit me hard i just wanna be normal again

[Nina87]

Hi! I just wrote a post about a similar condition. I have head pressure and sometimes it feels like something is running down back my brain/skull. I also have a drunk feeling in my head even though I am not dizzy, it just feels that way. One ear is clogged, could that be what's causing this? I don't have any other sinus symptoms. However I am very anxious when it comes to my health so these feelings might occur because of it? I don't know.

[Cowboy0110]

Have same problem, been to busy not seen yet,

[evelyncris]

I've started to have similar symptoms, i could feel fluids in my head moving around and the pain feels like when I have water gone up my nose and it burns.

[vamdiok]

I feel tight,hot and pressure in my head whenever i force myself to remember things exactly like song i recently sang or exactly where i met a person or where an event happened or dream i had last night.this constantly leads to restless,anxiety and makes me uncomfortable,feels hot and depressed.but whenever i remember it ,the whole symptoms disappear in 5 mins.these days i feel like hot fluid is in my nose / head, as if water is been forced up my nose to my head.what could be the problem ?

[vamdiok]

Contact me for aniexty and panic treatments.

Whatsapp me on [phone].

Thanks.

[kenster1 in reply to vamdiok]

I don't think so mate.