u/Available-Hold-6859

Hi everyone — I really appreciate you taking the time to read this. I’ve been trying to piece together what’s going on and would be grateful for any insight or direction.

About me

30F

5’6”, ~150 lbs

Non-smoker

Prior history: suspected migraines in the past (few episodes during high-stress period/fluorescent light exposure), anxiety

Primary symptoms (daily for months)

-I have a constant, daily scalp/head sensation (tingling, pressure, “awareness” across top/sides/back of head). It is present even at rest and not triggered by touch, but:

brushing hair or touching scalp can worsen it

even light facial movements (e.g., applying mascara) can sometimes increase awareness

not sharp stabbing pain, more persistent sensory discomfort

Associated symptoms:

-daily head pressure

-nausea at times

-sensitivity to light and sound intermittently

-headaches strongly triggered by hunger

-occasional brief “internal” head flashes of pain

-visual phenomenon: after bright flashlight near my eyes exposure, I can see lingering shadows/lines/vein-like patterns remain for minutes

Onset / timeline

-Symptoms significantly worsened after a minor neck strain while dancing (July 2025)

-No fall or head impact; mild neck stiffness for ~6 days afterward

-Symptoms have persisted since and gradually become more constant

Other symptoms / relevant systems

-intermittent chest fluttering (PVCs + SVT on Holter; possible atrial flutter being evaluated by EP cardiology)

-left-sided abdominal pain (dull baseline, worsened significantly during recent flight)

-head symptoms worsen with stress, hunger, and exertion

Testing so far

-Brain MRI (Fall 2025): normal

-Echo, EKG, Holter: PVCs + SVT; otherwise structurally normal heart

-Currently on propranolol 120 mg (for migraine + cardiac symptoms) → no meaningful improvement

-Tried PT, chiropractic, stretching, heat → only temporary relief

Relevant lab work (Function panel)

-very low ferritin (iron stores)

-low vitamin D

-low omega-3 index

-positive ANA (1:320)

-high SHBG

-mild LDL pattern B changes

-normal CRP, CBC, CMP otherwise

Context

-Symptoms have been persistent since July and affecting daily functioning (not incapacitating but constant and distracting)

-I’m currently trying to coordinate care between PCP, cardiology, and upcoming EP evaluation

-Feeling somewhat stuck due to long wait times and uncertainty about what specialty this fits best

-I’ve had prior minor head/neck trauma ~10 years ago (car accidents and separately, fainted and lost my eyesight for a few minutes), but no clear chronic issues until recently

My main question: could this fall under dysautonomia?

Hi doctors. Thank you so much in advance for reading this. I’m feeling pretty worn down and trying to understand what’s going on so I can advocate for myself more effectively.

About me:

• 30F

• 5’6”, ~150 lbs

• Non-smoker

• No major medical history before this aside from anxiety and suspected migraines a few years ago

What’s going on:

I’ve had a constant daily scalp sensation (tingling, pressure, discomfort on top/sides/back of head) for the last few months. It’s not triggered by touching it. It’s there all day, even at rest, but touching/brushing hair sometimes makes it worse. I also sometimes feel weird head sensations even when putting on mascara. It’s not severe “lightning bolt” pain, but it’s very persistent and aggravating.

This all got a lot worse after a very minor neck tweak while dancing in July 2025. I didn’t fall or hit my head, just turned the wrong way. I had a tense neck for about 6 days after. Since then I’ve had:

• daily scalp sensations

• daily scalp/head pressure

• nausea and sensitivity to sound/light at times

• increased headache sensitivity to hunger

• sometimes internal flashes of mild pain that feels more “inward” than on the scalp

• Strange shadows appear for many minutes after holding flashlight near my eyes (veins, lines, etc)

• Abdominal pain on my left side (left of my belly button a few inches). Normally dull but was sharp when I was in an airplane last week

I’ve had a few migraines in the past (a few years ago during return-to-office; fluorescent lights were a trigger) where I would wake up the next day feeling “hungover,” so I suspect some migraine physiology could be involved. But this doesn’t feel like a classic migraine, and it doesn’t feel like classic occipital neuralgia either because the pain is not electric or excruciating.

Testing so far:

• Brain MRI (Fall 2025) – normal

• EKG, Holter, and echocardiogram for unrelated chest fluttering after a Nov 2025 grief situation – PVCs and SVT; suspected atrial flutter that I’m seeing an EP doctor for

• On 120 mg propranolol currently for migraine and chest fluttering — hasn’t made a difference except causing some chest tightness

• Have tried PT for neck, chiropractic (some temporary relief), stretching, heat, etc.

• Symptoms have persisted despite all of this

Other relevant context:

• The scalp/pressure symptoms got worse after the minor neck strain

• I’m hoping to see specialists, but wait times are long and I’m trying to gather informed questions to bring to my PCP tomorrow

• I’ve spent a lot of my HSA on this and am just feeling tired of trying to push for answers

• I have been in a couple car accidents about 10 years ago and fainted about 10 years ago due to pain on my period. I lost my eyesight for a few minutes after hitting my head.

Relevant lab work (Function Health panel):

• Very low ferritin

• Low vitamin D

• Low omega-3 index

• Positive ANA (1:320)

• High SHBG

• Mild lipid pattern changes (LDL pattern B)

• Normal CRP and otherwise normal CBC/CMP

My questions:

If this isn’t classic migraine or classic occipital neuralgia, what other diagnoses might explain constant scalp sensations + pressure?

Could this be a form of cervicogenic headache, atypical migraine, or occipital nerve irritation even without sharp pain?

What testing or next steps would you recommend I ask my PCP about?