Brain fog, dizziness, vision problems, head pressure, headache PLEASE HELP
Posted , 353 users are following.
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
Guest Elise93
Posted
Hi Elise,. Are you still having these issues? I'm a 57 yr old female and have been battling these exact symptoms for the past 7 yrs. Im Currently seeing a functional doctor and he is trying treatment for CIRS due to mold exposure. I've seen every kind of other doctor who said I'm completely normal, all tests are normal...blah blah blah. I'm totally not normal and I wake up to it every day. I'm currently taking 2kinds of thyroid pills....a myriad of supplements, cholestryamine, and synapsin nasal spray for brain inflammation. I'm only 2weeks into this process but I'm hoping for change over the next few months. It took years for me to get here so I'm going to try to be patient and continue on the path my dr has laid out. I'll pass along my experience and maybe part of it will help you.
Guest Elise93
Posted
Hi Elise,. Are you still having these issues? I'm a 57 yr old female and have been battling these exact symptoms for the past 7 yrs. Im Currently seeing a functional doctor and he is trying treatment for CIRS due to mold exposure. I've seen every kind of other doctor who said I'm completely normal, all tests are normal...blah blah blah. I'm totally not normal and I wake up to it every day. I'm currently taking 2kinds of thyroid pills....a myriad of supplements, cholestryamine, and synapsin nasal spray for brain inflammation. I'm only 2weeks into this process but I'm hoping for change over the next few months. It took years for me to get here so I'm going to try to be patient and continue on the path my dr has laid out. I'll pass along my experience and maybe part of it will help you.
seb56455 Elise93
Posted
Guest Elise93
Posted
Hi Elise..it's now Feb 2018. Did you get to the bottom of your probs? Are you better now?
paul_0508 Elise93
Posted
Any word on your condition?
I’m having a tough time with all those symptoms. It’s happened before for a few months but came back recently.
I’m also in Chicagoland and would like any info regarding a specialist or any meds you are taking.
Best,
Paul
terrie27149 paul_0508
Posted
Paul, serioysly, you should try flonase Nasal spray. You wouldn't believe how it helps. Give about a week to notice. Iv had all the above symptoms plus some like Tinnits ,and it has helped me. Never thought it could have been an easy fix. I suffer with eustation tube dysfunction which accounts for many of symptoms..which is why ENT put me on it..hope this helps
Vnagley1 Elise93
Posted
I am 64 and have been the same way for 5 months I have had mri angiogram rehab and they still don't know what it is or how to fix this.I know what your feeling this is a 24/7 every day. Oh went to the balance inst.there's nothing wrong with my ears eather.I feel like nothin is getting fix and all these test and nothing.I know this is not in my head I'm not going crazy. If anyone finds out what this is I would greatly appreciate it.
mykaele14723 Elise93
Posted
ezekielchariot mykaele14723
Posted
I replied to the post from Elise, then I saw what you wrote.
Have you been checked for Menieres Disease?
Let me know.
Allan
CTh mykaele14723
Posted
i hope this helps.
ezekielchariot Elise93
Posted
Hi Elise,
How have things been going in regards to diagnosis?
I have had a lot of your symptoms, stabbing eye pain, overall facial pain most of the time, brain fog, dizziness, groggy, tinnitus, headache, hot head and neck, feeling like there was something wobbly in my brain.
After 13 years of hell with doctors and specialists, somebody told me I had menieres disease but they didnt put their finger on it because I did not have "drop attacks" for all of that time. With Menieres, there are "other flavors" that some sufferers have that don't quite conform to what specialists expect and if people don't mention drop attacks and vomiting they get the shrugging shoulder treatment.
I feel quite giddy with tinnitus and pain and generally unsteady and I have this all day 24/7
The term brain fog fits quite well, I am slow to respond to many situations and find it hard to concentrate on conversations etc, however I can drive quite well.
I had to give up work.
I used to have huge amounts of anxiety but much less after I learned what was wrong, thats half the battle and once you can put a label on the problem, things seem much easier.
After that, learning to live with it, learning to accept and live in peace with yourself and forgive the doubters around you.
Would be great to hear from you.
Allan
New Zealand
alex_89584 ezekielchariot
Posted
jessica_46966 Elise93
Posted
I still feel like we should all be trying to see what we have in common to find out why we are all suffering for this then just asking if anyone has a cure? Surely if we all try and figure out why this is happening, what triggered it, whether it was stress or illness, medication, we could be closer to a cure or closer to finding out what's wrong. I know mine was triggered the first time by an operation that I had, so obviously some of the chemicals/antibiotics reacted badly to my brain, and then I began to recover slowly and got triggered again by beta blockers and antibiotics recently. So for me I feel like medication is the cause for my poor functioning brain. Does anyone have similar experiences? Thanks. Jess
vanessa24559 jessica_46966
Posted
Funny that you mention you began feeling this way after a surgery..
I had a liver surgery back in 2012 and I felt most of these symptoms a week after the surgery.. doctor said I was low in magnesium and potassium, which was normal right after the surgery. I was given some vitamins and I was fine.
In 2015 I had my 1st baby and I began feeling the symptoms around the 8th month but I thought it was “normal” due to all the hormonal changes.. The symptoms never went away.. I’ve been dealing with them on and off since then.. there’s days when they’re worse then other days.. also Acupuncture and at least two massages per month help a lot.. and I take magnesium vitamin and blanco seed oil.. All those things I mentioned.. help but I still have my days.
I’m waiting to see a Holistic doctor to get his input.. Btw.. I’ve had all kinds of blood test, CT’s of my brain and everything comes out “normal”.
jessica_46966 vanessa24559
Posted
Weird that you write that Vanessa, because another girl on here called Julia messenged me, we are now friends, she also had surgery and got the same symptoms and they disappeared very quickly and then got them again long term 3 months after having a baby. Apologies to ask, I don't want to be too forward but she had a c section, was your birth natural? And if not/if so we're you given any medication to take? Any antibiotics etc? I've done alot of research and I've come up with my own theory, which I believe is the closest thing we have to an answer, but that's why I'm so interested in hearing others stories because I want to see if it's the one thing we all have in common. Thanks Jess
margaret22116 jessica_46966
Posted
I think the answer you seek lies with a good immunologist or rheumatologist. I was diagnosed 13 years ago after much similar suffering and now in a sort of remission.
ddc142 jessica_46966
Posted
I agree that we should be organized enough to discuss our issues in context of life changes/events (physical, mental, emotional, whatever). I tend to believe that this is brought on by stressors whether it is indeed a physical issue or mental one. For me, my mother died and wife became pregnant within a one month period and my issues grew worse through my wife's pregnancy. Since the baby has come (6 months old now) I am slowly improving. One major thing that leads me away from an autoimmune disorder conclusion is the repetition of symptoms. An autoimmune disorder will not select only one eye or side of the face but randomly each flare-up. My visual disturbances and facial "tingles" are ALWAYS on the left side. My evolving theory is that stress can cause cervicogenic issues. I have not ruled out, however, that stress itself can cause neuro-pathways to misfire and nerves to become inflamed. You see many people in these forums with symptoms over years, and an autoimmune disorder would likely show damage large enough for modern day imaging to find. That combined with the fact that my symptoms can be bad one day and much better the next indicates that real nerve damage is unlikely because nerves take a long time to heal (months to years). To combat my symptoms, I see an upper cervical chiropractor and a therapist. I also try to meditate (I suck at it) and get a massage every once in a while. Not sure which is helping, but more likely, just being proactive about the situation probably makes more of a difference than anything. This is the only thing in common with CTh who is quite responsive on this forum that sees benefits from dietary changes. I hope everyone having these issues can convince themselves that finding a way to relax WILL help them because the anxiety over these symptoms is as bad as the symptoms (and sometimes even exacerbates the situtation). Pay attention to how tight your muscles are throughout the day and make a point to relax them, also uncross your legs, which I found I am always doing when I am tense, which raises your blood pressure.
vanessa24559 jessica_46966
Posted
The only time I had an overload of antibiotics that I could think of was after my liver surgery back in 2012. I had complications and kept getting infections.. so I had a bunch of antibiotics.
I had my son through c-section.. no antibiotics during that time. The symptoms returned when my son was 3 months.. it was so bad there were times I couldn’t really drive..
the symptoms fade at times.. I notice in the mornings I feel it more amd as the days go on they fade a bit but still remain 24/7.
I’ve had sooo many test and seen countless doctors and no one knows why I feel the way I do.
My biggest issues are the “drunk feeling” “brain fog” and a bit of dizziness.. or fatigue.
I spoke to my Gyno and she said it could be hormone related but she can’t give me any birth control bc of my past liver issues.
So.. yeah.. lol I’m just learning to deal with it.. taking my magnesium vitamins and Black seed oil helps a bit.. plus Acupuncture and massages. My neck hurts too if I don’t do those things. Got a spine/ neck CT and everything was pretty much “normal” .. my doc said I had a minor bulging disc (not totally sure if that’s what the doc said) but he did say my symptoms weren’t related to that. My last resource is to see a hollistic doctor but it’s pricey.