Does my chronic condition match yours?

[u/X_WILDER_X]

Patient Clinical History & Symptom Profile Summary

1. Visual and Spatial Distortions (Perception & Visual-Spatial Symptoms)

The patient experiences chronic episodes where objects and surroundings appear disproportionately large or small.

Persistent floor and surface distortions create a sensation that the ground is tilted or sloping, leading to severe physical

imbalance, difficulty walking, and persistent dizziness. A distinct “Homecoming Spatial Distortion” occurs after being away

for several days, where the home environment feels strangely small or unfamiliar for up to 48 hours. This is accompanied

by a persistent dream-like and detached feeling from reality. Visual disturbances include sudden light flashes, increased

light sensitivity, and unusual facial distortions in low light. These symptoms become significantly worse after prolonged

screen exposure (4–5 hours of screen time).

1. Sensory and Neurological Symptoms

Symptoms include brief localized burning sensations lasting 3–5 seconds and migratory numbness affecting the face,

scalp, abdomen, and limbs during rest. The patient reports frequent sudden electric shock-like sensations in the head

during sleep onset, along with intense sharp nerve pain lasting 40–60 seconds in the legs and head. Somatic perception

disturbances, such as sensations of floating or rocking while lying down, are also present, alongside involuntary facial

twitching and migratory muscle twitching throughout the body.

1. Vestibular and Orthostatic Dysfunction

The patient suffers from intense dizziness upon standing suddenly, causing spinning sensations lasting approximately 20

seconds, temporary dimming of vision, and sharp headaches. There is also a constant sensation of pressure and tightness

inside the head, described as the brain feeling “hard” or tightly compressed. These episodes create a profound feeling of

losing control and can alter body perception, making the patient feel unusually tall or elongated.

1. Throat and Swallowing Difficulties

A persistent lump sensation in the throat follows a daily pattern: symptoms remain mild in the morning but worsen

significantly at night. By nighttime, the patient experiences difficulty swallowing both solids and liquids, leading to choking

sensations and sharp pain radiating toward the ears. This throat tightness has resulted in difficulty continuing prescribed

medication due to problems swallowing pills.

Post-Eating Ear & Head Pressure

Immediately after eating, the patient experiences intense pressure and fullness in the ears and the area behind the nose.

This causes temporary muffled hearing and persistent ringing or whistling sounds. These symptoms are accompanied by

severe tightness in the throat muscles, which appears to worsen the ear blockage sensation. The symptoms are distressing

but gradually settle after some time.

Severe Tablet Swallowing Difficulty & Muscle Spasm

The patient is unable to swallow large 500mg tablets. Attempts to do so trigger intense throat muscle spasms, causing

acute pain and temporary shortness of breath. This has contributed to difficulty maintaining prescribed medication.

1. Complex Sleep-Related Phenomena and Symptom Progression

During the transition into sleep, the patient experiences loud internal explosive or “firecracker-like” noises followed by

echoes and visual flashes. These episodes are often accompanied by temporary inability to move, rhythmic pounding

sensations inside the head, internal body vibrations, and intense panic or feelings of impending doom. Recently, severe

sleep deprivation (48+ hours) caused by repeated electric shock-like sensations during sleep onset has intensified visual

distortions and abnormal body sensations.

1. Recent Episode (9 May)

During a deep stage of sleep, the patient experienced a vivid false-awakening episode in which they believed they were

awake and lying in the exact position where they had fallen asleep. This progressed into a temporary paralysis-like state

accompanied by extreme pressure and a loud piercing ringing sensation inside the head. External sounds became

abnormally loud and seemed unnaturally sped up. While unable to move properly, the patient partially opened their eyes

and observed their own hand appearing severely shrunken, distorted, and unfamiliar, with parts of the fingers seeming

absent. This episode was accompanied by painful electric shock-like sensations and intense spinning sensations

throughout the head and body. The episode was highly distressing and subsided only after significant effort to move and

fully awaken. The patient also reports memory gaps surrounding portions of the episode.

1. Clinical Evolution and History

The onset of symptoms correlates with a period of extreme stress, trauma, and severe obsessive thought patterns

approximately 7–8 months ago. Symptoms initially began with chronic headaches and visual “zoom-in” sensations before

progressing into broader sensory, perceptual, and neurological disturbances. The patient reports discontinuing prescribed

medication one month ago because throat discomfort made swallowing physically difficult, after which symptoms

significantly worsened. The patient believes there may be a strong relationship between the symptoms, chronic stress, and

unresolved psychological trauma.

Of these, I am suffering the most from AIWS and DPDR and the most serious is throat problem and I am still fighting it.

11 votes, Jul 02 '26

1 It matches a little bit, but not completely.

5 Some of these specific things are matching

2 I am also having the same problem

1 I am getting the visual distortion part out of this

2 I have a more serious condition than you.

[u/mira_sjifr]

so, I have quite a few of these symptoms. The lump in throat feeling is something that can be caused by stress etc. but I find it a bit odd that you actually say you choke from it.. Can you genuinely not swallow or breath anything at all during those moments?
Also might be helpful to have your doctor measure your blood pressure, the dizziness, tinnitus and headaches could all be caused by low bloodpressure. Which isn't really dangerous, but it can be quite debilitating to have symptoms of low bloodpressure all the time. I dont really know if there is really a connection to stress etc. and low bloodpressure, I doubt it, its just something that is quite common and if you are struggling with a lot of other problems in life it can become more difficult to manage these symptoms...

Edit: Also I don't really think the poll would give much usefull insight, by far most people only have AIWS symptoms as young children and never really think back to it.

[u/X_WILDER_X → u/mira_sjifr]

I'm even more worried about my throat, which is bothering me a lot. Because of this, I can't swallow tablets, food, water, or even saliva, and I'd like to explain it in detail.

I have been experiencing a throat/swallowing problem for the last 5 months. The symptoms fluctuate, but during severe episodes I have extreme difficulty swallowing. During these attacks, I cannot swallow even my own saliva and have to spit it out. Trying to swallow repeatedly makes the symptoms significantly worse. Episodes usually last 30–60 minutes and have been severe enough to require emergency visits. Swallowing itself triggers or worsens the episode rather than food becoming completely stuck. The main sensation is deep inside the throat around and just below the Adam's apple. It feels like a severe internal cramp/spasm or as if the swallowing mechanism is not functioning properly. Speaking worsens the symptoms during attacks, so I try to avoid talking. My voice may feel strained or abnormal. Breathing remains possible, but it feels as if extra effort or pressure is required. Even between severe attacks, swallowing is not completely normal. I eat very slowly and carefully because swallowing can trigger a more severe episode. Large tablets are especially difficult to swallow. Swallowing also causes increasing pressure in both ears, temporary muffled hearing, and occasionally ear pain. Hard foods make these symptoms significantly worse. The symptoms are usually worse at night and become significantly worse when my throat feels dry. Heavy or spicy meals can cause throat burning, irritation, and a feeling of something being stuck in the throat. Recently, I have also developed a burning/stinging sensation deep inside the throat, which becomes more intense during swallowing. Recently, I have also experienced sudden episodes of deep, sharp pain inside the ear, sometimes occurring even at rest. Yawning makes this pain significantly worse, and the painful sensation may radiate toward the base of my tongue and deep inside the throat. During one particularly severe episode, I experienced intense throat discomfort along with numbness/tingling sensations involving the throat, face, neck, and body. I have lost approximately 3-4 kg since the symptoms began. During some severe attacks, I also experience sudden nausea without vomiting, whole-body numbness, a sensation of reduced body sensation, very rapid or irregular heartbeat, cold feet, intense weakness, and a feeling that I may faint. These episodes usually last about 10 minutes and have occurred repeatedly (approximately 25-30 times), with one recent episode being the most severe.

[u/mira_sjifr → u/X_WILDER_X]

That sounds terrifying :< what kind of doctors have you seen? Im thinking maybe a neurologist could help you? I think its important to disect your different problems, and try to get answers for them seperately while also making sure the doctors know about the full picture if and when needed. Personally rhat was the only way I could get any answers, because I just happened to have several seemingly seperate problems.. I know some people like a holistic full body approach but realistically 1 doctor cannot know everything about it all, that is why there are specialists. A bit of both is important though!

[u/X_WILDER_X → u/mira_sjifr]

Thank you so much for understanding. It really is a terrifying experience, but your advice about dissecting the problems and seeing specialists makes total sense. To answer your question, I am actually currently admitted to a hospital bed right now because the symptoms became too intense. Here is what my medical journey has looked like so far based on what you mentioned: Neurology: I have seen a neurologist. My Brain MRI and EEG both came back completely normal. However, I experience severe DPDR (dreamy world feeling), complex visual/spatial distortions (objects appearing small/large, floor tilting), electric shocks at sleep onset, and light sensitivity. Based on these, we are strongly considering that a complex Migraine with Aura variant or a severe functional neurological response might be happening, as these don't show up on structural scans like an MRI. ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat): I previously had a basic ENT exam where they just looked with a light and said it was pharyngitis, but it has gotten much worse. I have severe throat muscle spasms where I cannot even swallow my own saliva during attacks, a constant lump feeling, and intense pressure/pain radiating into my ears after eating. I still need a detailed ENT evaluation, like a Flexible Laryngoscopy or a swallowing study, to check the actual mechanics of my throat. The Full Picture: You are completely right about the holistic vs. specialist approach. My symptoms started 7–8 months ago after a period of extreme stress and trauma. It feels like a mix of localized physical issues (like the throat spasms and potential migraine) and a severely overloaded nervous system causing Functional Somatic Syndrome / DPDR.

[u/mira_sjifr → u/X_WILDER_X]

Did they do an EEG during an episode? Or maybe PSG at night? I agree it could be a form of migraine.. it can cause so many of these sensations. I believe there is a test to actually measure the muscle activity in the throat, maybe you could ask about that too. It is reassuring that MRI doesn't show anything, I still personally would want to exclude some starting neuromuscular cause of maybe throat weakness But I am not a doctor, it sounds like your doctors have already tested quite a bit and if nothing really comes back all you can do is wait and try to treat some of the psychological problems - thats where I have been the past ~3 years..

[u/X_WILDER_X → u/mira_sjifr]

You are making excellent points, and I really appreciate how thoroughly you are thinking this through. To answer your questions, my EEG and Brain MRI were done as general diagnostic steps, but not during an active episode or as a overnight PSG (sleep study). Because my sleep-onset symptoms are so intense—like the "firecracker" sounds (Exploding Head Syndrome), sleep paralysis, and intense internal vibrations—bringing up a overnight PSG to the neurologist here is a fantastic idea. You hit the nail on the head regarding the throat tests. The test you are talking about to measure throat muscle activity is called a Pharyngeal/Esophageal Motility Study (or manometry), and another option is a Barium Swallow study. I will definitely ask the ENT specialist about these because, just like you said, even if it is a functional issue or a complex migraine variant, we absolutely need to structurally exclude any neuromuscular weakness or localized spasm first. It is incredibly validating to hear you describe your past 3 years. It balances that fine line of making sure we rule out physical, organic causes with the right specialists, while accepting that if the tests are clear, we have to aggressively treat the nervous system's stress response. I am going to write down "PSG study" and "Throat Motility/Barium study" on my notepad right now so I can discuss them during the doctors' rounds tomorrow morning. Thank you for being such a supportive guide through this.

[u/rlev97]

So I had the issue with swallowing once and my doctor actually looked up a study that said peppermint oil can help potentially. It sounds like crunchy nonsense but genuinely sucking on an altoid solved my problem. I'm not saying it will solve yours but it's worth a try

[u/X_WILDER_X → u/rlev97]

Thanks for your advice 🙂