pressure waves in head when lying down

[ramakentesh]

Some nights i find that i get this strange pressure in my head sort of at the back of my head or behind my nose - its quite strange - usually worse when im already wired and have a higher than usual heart beat. Could it be an overstimulation of the nervous system for standing that continues when i lie down and is a little too much or something??

[MomtoGiuliana]

I haven't experienced that and I don't usually get headaches, but I do get what I can only describe as odd sensations in my head. My symptoms are mild now. This is one of those symptoms that come and go. It's kind of a dizzy/off-balance feeling, very hard to describe and very fleeting usually.

"Headaches" are a POTS symptom--so what you are describing is probably related to nerve dysfunction of some sort. How is your blood pressure? Headaches can be a symptom of high blood pressure--but many people with high blood pressure don't have any symptoms of it.

Katherine

[DancingLight]

i'm not positive of what you are describing...

but, i do get that sort of pounding/waves in my head (not the exact location you described) when lying down sometimes, and like you said, esp. when my system is keyed up.

anyway, sometimes it helps me to prop myself up a bit or be in a recliner instead of flat...

the sensation to me is like too much blood pounding in my head all at once!

i might not be describing the same thing though....

but for me, not being completely flat when i am like that helps.

emily

[geneva]

I get a number of strange feelings in my head that are definitely NOT headaches. Not sure exactly what yours feel like but can tell you that a few days ago I had a pounding pulse that was above my left ear. I could easily count my heartrate it was so loud. When I touched that part of my head it felt like I had bruised it. I couldn't remember if that had happened to me before (probably had) but it was unsettling. Lying flat it was worse. Lying raised up and on my left side made it better. It lasted 2 days and then gone. I also get pressure at the base of my skull. Used to be very strong like someone was trying to push a brick from the inside of my skull outward. Florinef made this much much worse. Lying on my side helps for this problem.

These strange head tricks worry me some at that moment but I try to remind myself that I have had my head in the MRI machine quite often so I figure it is just POTS. If your problem continues or you are especially worried about it be sure to discuss with your doctor and if you haven't had your head examined ( in the best sense possible!) it is worth it to check that out so you know it is just another little gift from POTS.

[Guest GayleP]

I get strange pressure like head sensations and always assumed it was from my brain surgery. Maybe not if other people have them as well.

Except that I don't have to be lying down to get that feeling.

Wish I knew what caused it.

GayleP

[blackwolf]

When I lay down, I feel like there are waves going back and forth in my head. At first it is ok but the longer I lay there the worse it gets. Both as a stronger "wave" feeling and slowly it becomes more and more painful. I have this every time I lay down and don't because of it (only for tests). My bp and hr go up, not bad though, and then bottom out.

Blackwolf

[ramakentesh]

some of those descriptions sound similar. Some nights i get a pulsing haert beat in my head which is very hard to sleep with. But i also get this weird sudden pressure sort of feeling - like a wave of dizziness or weirdness.

It usually occurs if im lying there trying to sleep in - they keep waking me up subtly...

[vjsnowprincess]

I too get those "waves of pressure" in my head. Usually it happens right before a really bad episode. It's my signal that I'd better lie down quick. With me it is when I am upright.

Do you also get them upright or only when lying down? I get them around my ears and kinda behind my eyes and in my sinuses. (a cat scan ruled out sinus infection).

I also get that pounding in the ears-but that doesnt really bother me too much-it makes it easier to count my heart rate.

[ramakentesh]

Yeah i do - its in my sinuses exactly - behind my nose and eyes.

WHen im getting an eposide, my skin goes cold and clamy, and if i dont drink or eat im in for tremors, dizziness and unwellness...

[Ashgirl87]

On 11/22/2004 at 4:14 AM, ramakentesh said:

Yeah i do - its in my sinuses exactly - behind my nose and eyes.

WHen im getting an eposide, my skin goes cold and clamy, and if i dont drink or eat im in for tremors, dizziness and unwellness...

I know this was forever ago but please reply if you ever figured this out.. I have the exact same problem and you are describing it completely. Thank you.

[Relax86]

I used to have this almost every night. It started during my worst POTs flare and was so predictable and disruptive.  I found out I had celiac disease around 2016 and made a mediocre effort to go gluten free. In Dec 2019 during one of my worst bouts of L side/rib pain I finally committed to being fully gluten free. One of the first things to disappear in the 3-5 month mark was the head pressure and it's never come back. 

This isn't to say that someone has Celiac Disease or NCGS, but it might be from some sort of allergy. I realize that this can be needle in a haystack for our POTs bodies. But I just wanted to chime in with a story of how I resolved mine. 

(Incidentally going GF never helped my side/rib pain, I had to address chronic gastritis that at the time I didn't realize I had)