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Brain fog, dizziness, vision problems, head pressure, headache PLEASE HELP

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Elise93
Elise93

Hi everyone!

I don't know where else to go, and was hoping someone could please help me. I'll start off by saying I'm a 23 year old Caucasian female. Going on 5 months now, I have had absolutely debilitating symptoms which have hindered my daily life. I feel these symptoms every moment of every day.

It started with dizziness and a persistent brain fog. I just thought I had a bug, and tried to go on about my life. However, my symptoms have never gone away. This "brain fog" I am talking about is a feeling of complete mental confusion, I have no memory, I cannot concentrate on anything, it feels like there's a dark blanket on my brain clouding all my thoughts. I have extreme disorientation and haziness. I feel like I'm always in a dream like state.

I am constantly dizzy and feel a pulling sensation, as if I'm ready to fall over at any moment. It feels like there's air inside my head, and I'm always very lightheaded. Whenever I try to drive I feel this pulling sensation pulling me down.

Another problem I have is with my vision. I am having very blurred vision and have double vision. Everytime I look at something up close it is extremely blurry and I cannot see at all. My perception on things has completely changed. I feel like everything looks very odd and strange and I don't have the right depth perception. It's like I'm in a horrible dream like state all the time.

I have been having headaches and head pressure as well, and having horrible pains behind my eyes. The pin starts from the back of my head close to my neck and continues up my head and the sides of my temples. My eyes hurt so bad, and it feels like knives are jabbing my eyes. My head also feels extremely heavy all the time.

All these symptoms have been causing me severe anxiety, and I have been having panic attacks from them and feel like I'm dying. It is causing a strange disrespity sensation, where I feel like I'm not even here anymore and there's a detachment from myself and my body. I have had to drop all my classes at college and quit my job because these symptoms make me lay in bed all day long. I have been unable to drive for months and can barely get up to walk around. If anyone could please help me or know anything as a suggestion to try.

I have been to my general doctor, 2 ENTs, 1 neurologist, have had 2 MRIs, a hearing test, VNG, multiple blood tests, and no one knows what is wrong. I can't live like this anymore. Any help is greatly appreciated.

-Elise

14 likes, 1771 replies

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  • Guest
    Guest Elise93

    Posted

    Please tell me his to get off this forum since apparently my replies arent useful
  • JessCosmo92
    JessCosmo92 Elise93

    Posted

    You know, Elise, I did a lot of research on your specific symptoms, you might want to look into pseudo tumor Cerebri. It’s a condition that increases cerebrospinal pressure and mimics symptoms of certain brain tumors. It can affect your vision too. I mean if they already checked you and found nothing, then you’re probably fine, but it’s something worth looking into.
    • Elise93
      Elise93 JessCosmo92

      Posted

      Hi! Do you know how to get that checked? Is that through a spinal tap? 
    • JessCosmo92
      JessCosmo92 Elise93

      Posted

      They might see higher volumes through mri, but also probably through the lumbar puncture 
  • camille18217
    camille18217 Elise93

    Posted

    Hi All,

    For anyone like me that has gone to countless doctor appointments, ENTs, hearing testes, MRIs, Physical Therapy and tried different medications and found nothing and has had no luck with getting help from a doctor.  Please check out cervicogenic vertigo.  I suffered for almost 5 years with NO answers until I went to a chiropractor and was told that I had 4 vertebrae misaligned in my neck and that is what was causing my dizziness.  Have had 3 weeks of treatment and finally found some relief from this 5 month episode of constant vertigo.  I was so depressed and was giving up hope that I would ever feel normal again.  I couldn't understand why any of the doctors I went to never explored that is could of stemmed from my neck.  I had one ENT that told me "I wish I had answers buy I dont"  I couldn't accept that as an answer, how could there be no cure to this.  It cost me $27 for a consult that has changed my life already.  If you are finding nothing please check into this.

    Camille

    • DizzyLizzy68
      DizzyLizzy68 camille18217

      Posted

      Camille, I agree 100%. But I still have not found lasting relief. I saw an upper cervical chiro in May. He helped me so much that I found it miraculous. I went to him faithfully, shelling out $$$$, but the end result was that the relief period kept getting shorter and shorter. I will never understand why the first adjustment was the best- perhaps it's not that it's aligning your neck, but maybe "shocking" your nervous system into focusing on something else for awhile. Anyway I stopped, and got a cervical spine mri from Neuro. Turns out I do have a very very bad neck. Lots of facet disease, foraminal stenosis and a moderate to severe herniation of C6. I was sent to spine specialist. He wants to do a steroid epidural injection near C6. He says he can stop my pain, but does not think the dizziness, tinnitus, head pressure, etc is coming from my neck problems, so he has no idea if the injection will help that. I personally disagree that my neck has nothing to do with my ongoing symptoms, and so does my neuro, to some extent. The injection near the spinal cord in the neck is not without risk. So I'm not sure what to do.

    • camille18217
      camille18217 DizzyLizzy68

      Posted

      Hi,

      It has to be your neck issue how long did you go to the chiropractor? Mine told me it will take at least 6 months.  Maybe you just haven't found to right doctor to fix the problem.  I had a steroid shots 13 years ago for my lower back problem that did wonders for me.  Still to this day I do not have any issues with my lower back. Never had any other symptom other then pain back then.  I would for sure try the shot, at least it may help with the pain.  What risk are involved?  Get a 2nd opinion.  Keep me posted.

       

    • DizzyLizzy68
      DizzyLizzy68 camille18217

      Posted

      Thanks for the encouragement Camille. It's an epidural injection.. There is a very rare risk of death or quadraplegia. They do it with fluoroscopy guidance, and moderate sedation. They are more risky than the lumbar epidurals because the space is smaller in the neck, and wrong area can paralyze breathing muscles. Very rare but frightening.

      I went to the chiro for over 3 mos. This is upper cervical chiro, adjusting C1 and C2 vertebrae. The very first adjustment was perfect. I should've just not gone back, but I was adjusted again, and got worse. Then a corrected adjustment, back to my baseline issues. Since then, no adjustment has brought me back to that wonderful place. They were having me come 2x a week for checks, and I had to pay full price. It was very expensive just to have my leg length measured. If I had started to improve again, I would've happily come back 5 times a week!! I hesitate to try another as this one was supposed to be the absolute best in my large metro area. Also, once the Neuro saw my mri, she told me no chiropractic.

      Anyway I have a 2nd appt to chat with the spine Dr in mid Sept. I have more questions that didn't occur to me at my first appt. I will make a decision then.

    • camille18217
      camille18217 DizzyLizzy68

      Posted

      Wow that is incredible, pretty scary that you felt better then went back to baseline.  I pray that this doesn't happen to me. I wonder what treatment the Neuro will suggest beside steroid shot, hopefully not surgery.  Shots may help pain but it will not correct the issue.  I hate how you have to wait until mid September to even chat about possible help.  I have no pain at all, I guess that is why I never put it together that my neck had anything to do with my vertigo.  I think Neuro and even primary doctors dislike chiropractors.  I know people that swear by them and I know people that would NEVER consider one.  I went to doctor after doctor but no help.... I was thrilled to finally have someone with a possible solution. I will give it the 6 months, after all I have nothing to lose, I was very bad and just getting worse.   Best of luck to you, please keep me posted.

    • sab65033
      sab65033 camille18217

      Posted

      Hi Camille, you absolutely right, I suffered for almost a year and half  with the same symptoms and never had problem with my Neck just sometimes stiffness but now for the last 10 days the pain kills me, I have a private orthopaedic Dr appointment on the 12 September he said I may need an injection for the pain, I am very 😳.

      For the last 3 weeks, I 've been seen Chinese for acupuncture and neck message, and give me herbes to drink to help the dizziness.I feel a bit better now but not 100%.

      I will let you know once I have finished the treatment and how I feels.

      So now I can confirm the dizziness is from my Neck which I will check again with my orthopaedic doctor what is the best treatment I can have.

      Let me know about your experience.

      All the best and I wish you quick recovery.

      Sab 💐

    • DizzyLizzy68
      DizzyLizzy68 sab65033

      Posted

      Sab, please let me know if u get the injection" what type, and how it goes! They want to do an epidural steroid injection on my neck but I'm scared.

    • sab65033
      sab65033 DizzyLizzy68

      Posted

      Hi DizzyLizzy,

      You know I had two epidural on my daughter birth in 2005.

      I am perfectly fine it didn't scare me at that time at all but now as am getting older is a bit scary.

      I will let you know diffinetly.

      Best of lucky.

      Sab 💐

  • JessCosmo92
    JessCosmo92 Elise93

    Posted

    Today was my first day starting my medicine. It’s called lamictal. I saw my neurologist yesterday and urged me to take it based on the symptoms listed. Today is the first day of a 4 week taper up. I feel really awesome today. First time in while. Praying it’s not just a good day and it’s a sign the mediocre will work for me.
    • sab65033
      sab65033 JessCosmo92

      Posted

      Hi JessCosmo,

      How you feeling to day after taking lamictal?

      Are you taking it because of the dizziness?

      Please let me know.

      Thanks,.

      Good luck 

      Sab 

    • JessCosmo92
      JessCosmo92 sab65033

      Posted

      Good news was I felt better than ever, bad news was I had a seizure... and another one tonight.... I haven’t had a seizure in months. And when I say seizure, I mean like the Deja vu everything seems surreal and weird type seizures. On the plus side I felt really good the whole day
    • JessCosmo92
      JessCosmo92

      Posted

      i am convinced now the dizziness is related to migraines I have which is also causing me to have simple partial temporal lobe seizures. I need to call my neurologist it happened. I stopped taking the medication and now I am dizzy again 
    • sab65033
      sab65033 JessCosmo92

      Posted

      Hi JessCosmo,

      That is great news The medication you taking now lamitcal is working for you.

      I have an appointment with my neurologist in October and I will ask then to check again my symptoms and if I have migrain or not? I hope my next few appointment will come to an end to my pain for ever.

      I will let you know.

      Best of luck.

      Sab 💐

    • Elise93
      Elise93 JessCosmo92

      Posted

      Hi Jess! I’m so sorry about your seizure rolleyes when you say you stopped taking the medication again, are you referring to medication you were on before the lamictal? What medication was it?

      And what mg lamictal are you on currently? 

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