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
shannon83 Elise93
Posted
Elise,
I have exactly as you describe. Unfortunately, I have been battling this for 10 years come June, since I was 23 years old. In the 10 years I have tried countless doctors, methods, theories etc. In the beginning I argued with doctors that anxiety was the cause, as I felt instead it caused me anxiety. Well at one point years ago I tried taking .25 mg of lorazepam that I already had a prescription for (due to a panic attack in university), and I foudn that actually relieved the fogginess and depersonalization feelings. It was since then I have slowly accepted this from anxiety, but then makes the anxiety worse. My symtpoms have sometimes improved over the years, and sometimes gotten worse.. in the fall it was prety bad and I had to take 6 weeks off work. It's pretty bad again lately as I just feel in a haze.. sort of like that drugged up feeling you have when you have a really bad head cold and life just seems a blur for a few days. I also suffer from sinus issues and some neck issues/headaches from car accidents when I was a kid. Trust me I have tried to research and chase any possible cause.
Lately I have tried yoga, which I enjoy but havent felt much better. Some fresh air while gardening helps (along with taking my fluoxetine and occasionally clonazepam). I am also going to try the therapy route a bit.. though expensive. I am thankful here in Canada we have good health coverage (aside from therapy for mental health issues unfortunately), but alas I am 10 years into this mess and a lot of the last decade has been a blur.
Jay1806 shannon83
Posted
You live in Canada, I guess you have been tested sufficiently for Lymme Disease?
Jay
Elise93 shannon83
Posted
That's so awful shannon I'm so sorry!!!
that's what I feel 24/7, like I have a horrible sinus infection or terrible head cold drigged feeling 24/7. Everyday is a blur. It's so scary. Do you have any idea what triggered this?
shannon83 Jay1806
Posted
Hi Jay, yes I had one test for Lyme. I know someone with Lyme disease and I personally feel people with Lyme tend to think everyone elses' symptoms are lyme too, even though many things have simlar symtpoms.
I have a lot of other issues and stressors that I more so believe it is related to axniety.
shannon83 Elise93
Posted
The first symtpoms I had back in May/June 2007 were pressure in my cheeks and forehead. Decongestants seemed to relieve that a bit, but then the fogginess started. I also dealt with a stressful situation at work around that time, and had a fairly traumatic childhood, so i have reason to believe it could be anixety related like many doctors have said. It was actually a clinical psychologist that mentioned "deperonalization" for the first time a few years ago, and I read up on it and it was exactly what I felt.
The feelings are worse when I drive in the rain, or walk in crowds, or looking around at stuff in groccery stores. It's like my focus can't move and re-focus fast enough.
I used to get lots of bad sinus headaches too, so thought maybe it was that and lack of oxygen, but I started taking Singuliar in December, which helped the sinus pains and sinus headaches but the fogginess and anxiety stuff is still there.
I went to a naturopath once years ago and they did some testing and said my body was in constant "fight or flight" reponse. Again, relates to stress/anxiety.
In general i have worried and stressed easy about a lot in my life (even before this), and considering that along with stuff doctors have told me, I tend to think the anxiety route may be right, but if thats the case its terrible as there is no actual cure for anxiety. Sure they say sleep, eating healthy, exercise, talking to therapist etc helps, but to different degrees for everyone. Most of the time I feel too exhausted to care a lot about certain things and just want to sleep all the time.. or i get so tense with stress i geive myself a headache or sore neck. Lots of times I can "pretend" I am ok around people as I dont want people to know I have some "mental issues" (due to the stigmas around that), but putting on an act a lot of the day is draining and then I come home and not the most pleasant person to be around for my husband.
Oh I also tried chasing the "maybe it's my vision route" a two years ago. My vision used to be fine, but i noticed i couldnt read detail the way I used to. So in June 2 years ago I got my eyes tested again, and although they didn't think i needed to wear glasses all the time, they felt for reading and computer use (so for work especially) I could definitely use them as I have astigmatism in my left eye, right eye isn't bad though. So i got glasses thinking maybe this was the magic cure... well I can see the detail in peoples face on tv better and read a little easier, but it has not solved my issues either.
I feel like i burden friends/family with telling them about my issues with not feeling right. Usually i describe it as "dizzy" as that is more easier for people to understand, even though it's not really a spinny-dizziness... just a fog/floating state, and a heavy forehead.
How did things start for you? if you think about the month or tme leading up to the start of things.
Elise93 shannon83
Posted
I've always had sinus infections my whole life and used to get them every month when I was younger. I also have horrible allergies and get socks for months at a time from them. When this all started I was under a severe amount of stress. Not takin care of myself, not eating right. Not sleeping right (also a very anusive traumatic childhood) and then I got really sick with a typical virus or something. Then a week later this all just hit me.
Have your symptoms gotten tolerable? I physically can't drive or go to stores or grocery stores or class or anything. I can barely leave my apartment
shannon83 Elise93
Posted
My husband made me try his doctor, to which he said i have taken a lot of the right measures, and he suggested the Singulair, and has infact help my allergy issues a lot i feel. Though now I went to the no-name version as it was covered completely under my health plan and the last month i have been in a worse fog, so not sure if I shoudl try the signulair version one again.Â
Have you ever tried that stuff? Or anti-anxiety meds?
I have managed to cope over the years.. atleast to be functionion, to work, go out with friends, etc.. but it exhausts me. Most of the time when i felt out of it i would break a small pill of lorazepam in half so end up only taking 0.25mg, usually just once a day. I switched to one called Clonazepam though as I was advided that it takes longer to start working when you take it, but the benefits last longer period of time. For the most part that has seemed to be true. But those meds also give fatigue which sucks.
It sounds like you have let it really take over. Have you tried anything anxiety related for meds?
trust me, its easy to read up on the internet and think you have like 10 different things lol then that gives you more anxiety which just makes everything worse.
Elise93 shannon83
Posted
So I have taken Xanax once in a while and it helps to calm me down enough where I don't care about the symptoms as much (but I surly have the symptoms 24:7) I take Zyrtec daily and zicam when needed, but have not tried singular! It's just so frustrating not haveinf a diagnosis
henryroth shannon83
Posted
I was recently diagnosed with severe upper cervical instability through a digital motion x ray. It was related to some fights I got into when I was younger, as well as some car crashes. I've been battling the same symptoms for the last 3 years. I've been to the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland clinic, and just about every other kind of doctor I could think of to try and treat this, and no one has found anything wrong. Untill I found out about my neck that is. I recently traveled to Colorado to go to a place called regenexx that did a series of stem cell injections directly into my c spine. They confirmed my diagnosis, and explained that it can, and is causing all of my weird symptoms, due to nerve and artery impingement. If I were you I would have your neck checked out with a dmx, and a cervical MRI. I had just about every other test other than a spinal tap before I found ANYTHING definitively wrong with me. I'm still not out of the woods yet, but the experience alone of doctors who understood what I'm going through, and came up with a solid treatment plan was worth the trip alone.
bonnie31305 henryroth
Posted
Hi Henry. I've been told by my PT that I may have instability issues in my joints or muscles. I've had muscle tightness in my whole body and right sided neck back and shoulder pain for many years and recently the feeling of disorientation, dizziness, etc. for many months and nothing has been found. Would a cervical MRI be diagnostic? What is a dmx? Would this place in CO be the only place that could diagnose? Thanks!
ana85762 shannon83
Posted
😞
shannon83 Elise93
Posted
Oh, and for a few months in early 2008 all my symtoms went away, and I have no clue why. I was still in university and stressed with classes. then eventually it came back.
The only other time things have gotten better, for more than half a day, was when I went to this one chirpractor - I only went like once every 2 weeks, but my neck started not feeling as stiff, my sinuses were better, i had more energy, and the fogginess was a LOT less. Unfortunately that chiropractor passed away pretty suddenly due to cancer
I have tried a variety of chiropractors since then but none have porovided the same results. *sigh*
I know my posture is not great and neck issues give me headaches, and i wonder if some of this is related to the "atlas vertebrea" (top one in your neck)... but I just don't know.
bonnie31305 shannon83
Posted
What kind of chiro did you see? Did he specialize in a certain type of care? Just wondering if you haven't been able to find the same results with any other Chiro's and also Bc I'm experiencing everything you've mentioned.
Brooke9418 Elise93
Posted
Hello everyone, I am sorry that you're going through this but I am also glad I'm not the only one. Ever since 2015 after a bad ear infection I've had tinnitus, full ears, and derealization/depersonalization. This was something I've been trying to deal with and it is hard. Anyways, about 2 weeks ago after I went drinking with some friends I developed some similar symptoms to everyone else. I feel very off balance, not completely dizzy per say but more like I'm on uneven ground or a trampoline. Sometimes I'll get more dizzy and it'll feel more like I am drunk type of dizziness. I also have increased derealization/depersonalization but with added lack of ability to concentrate and other brain fog stuff. I also have increased tinnitus and pressure in my ears. And also seems like I've maybe lost some hearing but I'm not sure if it's just increased tinnitus or not cause I can still hear. I've been trying to figure out what it could be as the doctor I went to just said it could be an inner ear problem and gave me Serc. I do have an appointment with an ENT but it might take awhile to be able to see them. The serc does help slightly for the off balance but doesn't cure it and doesn't help any other symptom. My eyes also seem to be more blurry than usual and foggy. I'm interested in the fact that it could be an eye problem. I also have already set myself up for a chiropractors appointment. I'm willing to try anything at this point. I already had quite bad symptoms. This just makes it worse.
debbie82116 Brooke9418
Posted
Hi Brooke
What you are describing is identical to what i had...you likely have VN vestibular neuritis or labyrinthitis. The only way to get over these symptoms is to see a vestibular therapist....you will be given exercises to retrain your brain. It took me about 3 months of doing the exercises 3 times a day.
Good luck and all the best!
It's not easy but you'll get through this!
Debbie
bonnie31305 debbie82116
Posted
Hi Debbie,
Is a vestibular therapist different than a physical therapist? How did you specifically find a vestibular therapist? Referral? Just your own search for "vestibular therapist"? I am seeing a PT who is having me do some eye exercises as well as neck and back stuff for stabilization as he thinks there's some instability happening. Thanks!
debbie82116 bonnie31305
Posted
Hi Bonnie
Yes a PT is different. You need vestibular rehab by a certified VRT. My family doctor recommended him and he's great! Where do you live?
Debbie