Strange symptoms after long neck and shoulder pain issues
M29, PhD working in academia (theoretical natural sciences) in Germany.
**Prior History.** For quite some time, I had neck pain and strong tension in head, neck and shoulders. The tension was at times worse than the pain and made me feel like I was going to pass out (that never actually happened). I felt light-headed and nauseous, sometimes for days on end. The pain seemed to focus on a few specific vertebrae segments at the very top of the spine. I felt dizzy and after some time I got a quite loud tinnitus. I do not remember when this started. It also felt like it got harder to breathe at some point and like I had to breathe "agains my head". I also started to feel like I was not myself at some point, which was sometimes worse, sometimes better (depersonalization).
* Migraines (have not actually had an acute one in about 10 years)
* no drugs, medications, seldom alcohol, moderate to low-high caffein intake (not since the incident)
* visual snow
**The incident.** A few nights back I could not sleep all night because of a pointlike pressure pain in the middle directly above my chest which felt like it was pressing on my oesophagus. This made me very nauseous and triggered my gag reflex at times. A few hours before I felt something like an adrenalin rush ascending from my stomach three times in a few hours, which left me with a feeling of dread, anxiety and agitated. I paced through the house.
Next day I was sent to the hospital after describing this to my primary care doctor.
* Head MRI normal
* ECGs (several) normal
* Regular blood work normal (slightly increased white blood cells, slightly low potassium)
* urine normal
* ultrasound of bladder, lungs (probably only the lower parts), stomach, liver and kidneys normal.
I got anti-nausea medication, which helped a bit.
I slept the night in the hospital. Due to the bed, I awoke with severe neck and shoulder pain. The next day, I was picked up. On the drive back I started to feel dizzy again. I had the feeling it was the movement. The pressure sensation onto my oesophagus returned during the day. I touched it gently to see if I could feel somethinb but had to gag immediately. Back at an emergency doctors office, it was suggested suggested I get my *thyroid gland checked*, tested for
* vestibular dizziness/vertigo and
* temporomandibular joint dysfunction, and
* have long-term blood pressure measurements done (all results pending).
**The Aftermath.** At some point during all of this, I started feeling quite forgetfull and easily confused. The depersonalization got stronger and I had sensory disturbanced. I sometimes felt like my left and right body half were two different people. Now, I wake up in the morning and as soon I move a bit more or get (sun)light in my eyes I feel something like a small shock and start shivering (this has gotten a bit better since it started). After drinking and eating it turns normally into "inner shivering", where I feel kinda agitated and anxious and like I have to move a lot. I also feel quite cold at times when it is actually quite warm. This also happens during the morning shivers. Here, I also have the feeling that both sides of my body feel this differently. The visual snow and depersonalization got stronger and are more persistent. I feel like my life is a movie that I am watching, despite also being in control. I am somehow distant from my actions. I am irritable and cannot focus. I have officially been on sick leave since the incident and try to relax, which kinda works, but now I sleep a lot during the day. I have checked my blood pressure several times. Normal. My smartwatch records my pulse, which seems to be slightly elevated during the day but around 65 at night. Maybe I lost weight? A few months ago I weighed 75kg, now 70kg. Then again, I tried a diet, reducing my caloric intake and sugars. (I only noticed this because I gave the hospital 75kg and actually checked after I got home.)
I have now been taking Amitriptyline (10mg in the evening) for four days now for the neck pain and so that I can sleep better. The pain got better and the pressure above the chest has not appeared for a while but the tensions and feeling of passing out persist as well as the strong "feeling like a movie" feeling. When trying to fall asleep, it now quite often happens that some part of my body twitches. When I lie on my back, I sometimes get a strong feeling like my head is abruply rotated 90° to one side. Not sure if it actually happens or is just a vertigo-like sensation due to the muscle issues?