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Strange head rush

F

farmerfudge

Well-Known Member
Messages
80
Location
Leicester
A few weeks back I started to experience a constant feeling of blood rushing to my head. I thought it was a little strange and attributed it to the fluoxetine (prozac) I'm taking. I saw the GP and mentioned the symptoms to him and his suggestion was to lay off the medication for a few days to see if its that causing it. I did and at the same time I realised I was hypo-ing at 2-3 am in the morning. I had recently upped my Lantus dose to 25 in a bid to bring my BS down. I reduced the dose back down to 22 and the hypoing stopped and also the head rush experience ceased. I've subsequently restarted on the fluoxetine and havn't experieced the symptoms again so it must have been the hypos causing it (?)

As an aside my GP looked at my last HbA1c result which was 8.1 and said I cant have been having hypos because my reading was too high. A few night time hypos does not a low HbA1c reading make in my experience. :roll:
 
Hi farmerfudge,

A higher dose of Lantus will tend to equal a higher risk of side-effects/interactions, so there's always the possibility that it was the Lantus causing your problem.

My total daily dose of Lantus did drop slightly when I split the dose and started injecting twice daily.
(I'm currently down to 15 from 22, but this is also partly down to carb reduction)

Regards,
timo.
 
Cheers Timo.

The sensation has returned, spread & worsened. I am making a GP appointment. The sensation now manifests itself not only in & around my head but extends all the way down my arm to my right hand. At the same time the index finger on that hand has gone numb although I can still feel sensation in it.
From reading around it sounds like it could be some kind of peripheral neuropathy. This can be attibuted to all sorts of things such as alcohol consumption, vitamin deficiency, RSI and diabetes. I'm going to be reducing alcohol intake and uping my vitamin intake to see if that helps.
 
You used a scientific approach to solve that one. Your doctor has no right not to believe you
Hana
 
I get a lot of the symptoms you describe. On my right hand I get a pinched finger feeling which comes and goes, it feels like it should be numb but isn't, and moves about from finger to finger but never the thumb. This usually prsents itself early morning and stays with me until evening. I also get burning on the back of my hands, my arms and also my shins, it's a very similar feeling to sun burn. I don't get the head rush feeling that you describe but I do get times when the veins on my arms and hands seem to bulge out for no apparent reason. This usually happens in the afternoon or evening.

My GP told me that the because the finger problem is only on one hand it isn't related to my Diabetes as it would be symetrical and would also be present in my feet, which it isn't, I don't have any problem with my feet. My Diabetes specialist said it wasn't Neuropathy for the same reasons as my GP and that it could just be because I've tightened up on my control recently. The Neurologist said (My GP referred me to him thinking the finger feeling might be a pinched nerve) that he didn't think the finger problem was Diabetes related and when I asked him about the burning he said it was probably anxiety but that when I have the Electrical response test this will show once and for all if I have Neuropathy or a trapped nerve problem.

Personally I'm convinced it is Diabetes related but my control is really good so I don't know what else I can do about it

If your GP tells you anything could you let me know. Thanks.
 
Hi SiGreenwood, Sorry to hear about your symptoms. It's interesting that in order for a neuropathy to present itself it has to be symmetrical as suggested by your GP. I havn't heard this before.

First off I had a deep tissue massage in my back, shoulders & neck to see if that would 'do something'. It was very relaxing but made no difference to these sensations.

I then saw the GP ( a locum) last week about it. He did a full examination, made no mention of diabetes at all. He said my muscle function was normal, to take ibuprofen as an anti-inflammatory and said t would be gone in a week. Well the ibuprofen hasn't helped at all. I am of the mind that it is not neuropathy. I'm hoping it's a trapped nerve in my shoulder that will eventually go away. My wife, a nurse has since suggested it could be Carpal Tunnel Syndrome http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Carpal-Tunnel-Syndrome.htm .

I'll keep you posted. Hope you get a clear diagnosis soon
 
Thanks for the reply. My GP also thought it might me Carpel tunnel syndrome or a trapped nerve. He put me on anti inflamatory drugs for 4 weeks and they did nothing, then he referred me to the Neurologist, who, after some tests confirmed it wasn't Carpel tunnel syndrome and suggested it might be a trapped nerve so he booked me in for a nerve function test.
Incidentally when have a Physio at work and I went to see him. He reckons that I have a problem in my neck with some of the discs causing pressure on the nerves in my spine. He gave me some exercises to do which seemed to help but the problem still exists but to a lesser degree. Also my problems started while I was at Centre Parcs and it may be down to the very soft bed I was sleeping in and that I was sleeping on my arms and generally not sleeping well at all. I went to France for 2 weeks recently and slept in a firm bed and don't recall having the problems with my handsthen but on coming back and sleeping in my own bed they started again, my bed is also reasonably soft.

Still doesn't explain the burningthough which I am hoping is down to anxiety or something else other than Diabetes.
 
See you've raised another interesting point - firmness of bed mattress.

As mentioned the pain starts in my shoulder and radiates down to my hand etc but is worse during the night, so maybe it's worsened by me sleeping on my side? I usually sleep on one of the postropedic, very soft beds. I assumed it was worse to sleep on a firmer mattress but maybe it's not such a bad idea.
 
A mattress should be hard enough to support you, and shft enough to take your shape so you have al over support.
My joints are quite bad, 15 years of ballet.
I need quite a firm bed, because i need the support.
But i'm only 5' tall, just, and weight 8st.

I don't have the weight on me to press into these firm matresses.
I have a foam one now, it works wonderfully.
I used to have an individually pocket sprung matress. That worked great for about 8 years.

You spend so much time in your bed, ahem, at least 1/3rd of your life.
It has to be confortable, and supportive.
I'm no doctor, so i can't say if it is or isn't. But it can't be helping.

Buy the best, and most comfortable one you can afford. They do last, and they are a good investment.
 
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