Debilitating symptoms. Brain fog...extreme memory loss...spacey 24/7!
Posted , 640 users are following.
The last year of my life has been a brutal one. At the age of 22, I am in the lowest of lows and I desperately need some help!
Here’s my tale:
About a year ago, a couple months after an extremely strenuous relationship, I began noticing that I was tired all the time…and all around, I wasn’t really satisfied. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed my friends, and activities…but life just wasn’t as bright and vibrant anymore after a month of noticing this ever-present fatigue, it got a bit stronger. I would wake up each morning completely zombie-mode…and that feeling would remain throughout the entirety of my day, until my head hit my pillow that evening.
Initially, I suspected some form of sleeping disorder. I set up a sleep study, got my thyroid checked, ferritin levels, all the basics. Sleep study revealed I sleep just fine and all my other blood tests came back negative.
The fatigue and the weight of the world slowly got worse over the next handful of months, UNTIL I woke up one morning and everything escalated greatly. I felt completely stoned. I couldn’t think right. I couldn’t concentrate. I felt inebriated. I felt totally disconnected and spacey. I felt as though I had no control over myself. I lost drive and motivation. I lost a lot of confidence. I always had an incredibly sharp memory. It was actually something well known about me to those in my family and friend circles. Yet, on this morning, almost all new information could not be retained. Things that happened earlier in the day, by evening, I felt they happened a day or two before. I could no longer recount the activities I took part in. This is possibly the worst of all the symptoms. The extreme short term memory. I have no context for time and I sort of feel like I’m just floating through life suffering.
For months I visited doctors getting tested by specialists. I visited a neurologist, infectious disease, I had an MRI, & I had about 20 different blood tests. NOTHING. My doctor literally said “I have no idea what this could be. I am beside myself” TOTES reassuring! I tried altering my diet entirely to organic and all natural. I continued my workouts and ran 15 miles a week. I tried sleeping even earlier. I tried all I could think of .
I have scoured the message boards and found a few people suffering from the same, but without answers.
I’m not sure if depression is the culprit, but depression sure has found its nasty venom-coated fangs into my veins. Tired, depressed, failed memory, no drive, scared…it’s no way to live. I want my life back.
PLEASE OFFER INSIGHT! I will be so grateful J
Sincerely,
Taylorsaurus Rex
54 likes, 1428 replies
carolyn1970 TaylorMason
Posted
I hope someone reads this. I started with these symptoms this past May. I asked dr and dr and all i get is "its depression" but I knew/know its not. long story short I started going to an acupunturist. It is starting to work. I've been going for about 6 weeks now. I have had days of 98% clarity. What he practices is abdominal acupuncture (Fuzhen). I truly believe that this is all liver/kidney/abdominal area related. I hope and pray those of you out there truly look an acupuncturist up in your area. This is a real issue and dr's either can't fix it or are throwing pills at it and messing it up more. GOOD LUCK.
Pajjah carolyn1970
Posted
Thanks for your time and wicked positive vibes to everybody in here. Stay positive...I know how scary, lonely and terrible it is.
carolyn1970 Pajjah
Posted
I don't know if most do. but you can call and ask. I was going 2x a week, now i am down to once. Alcohol does seem to make it worse. I'm not talkin getting drunk, i talking one beer or glass of wine. I don't drink much but I am thinking i need to give it up for a good while. Something is going on with the liver and kidneys and I want to get back to myself. how all of you have done this for 2 years or more is amazing. i think i would of lost myself completely if it was going that long.
Keep trying people. i wish some of you would go try acupuncture and see if it works and report back.
rebekah2222 TaylorMason
Posted
I feel the same exact way. I've felt this was for 6 years now. It sucks cause you try to find a way out of it lol. I've done so many blood tests, MRI, went to a sinus and TMJ specialist, & recently went to a doc that specialized in depression and he gave me meds. Both I reacted very badly to, the first one nearly killed me because I had an reaction to it. So I stopped taking them and scared for my life to try another. It sucks, bad. Cause you feel like it's never gonna end and wonder if you'll ever be yourself again. But now I'm trying healthier habits like eating healthier and taking my vitamins because I found out I was low on a few things, and they say if your low on selenium your more likely to have anxiety. So I'm taking vitamins including that and on a gluten free diet at the moment. Just to mark stuff off the list about what may be causing it. After my experience with the depression meds I'm just horrified to try more. The fact it really tries to change your brain... And I end up having all the side effects. Makes me feel worse. I'm very interested about how you're doing now, it feels great to know there's people out there that are experiencing the same thing as you are.. I'm 20, so I can relate to your age too.
Renitence rebekah2222
Posted
I just started the paleo diet to see if it will change anything. Also going to take magnesium because I've heard it's anti inflammatory. I'm 19 and it's been hell for my teenage years
rebekah2222 Renitence
Posted
Wow isn't it crazy? It's so hard to explain to others. I've NEVER told anybody but my parents! It sucks living like you can't tell anyone lol. But what's the paleo diet? I'll have to look it up. That's what I've been doing! Trying a diet and taking some vitamins to see if it makes any difference! If not, to move to something else! But I did get a hair analysis recently.
Renitence rebekah2222
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When it first happened I told my parents right away, but they didn't believe me. They eventually came around when they noticed I could stay up all night without sleep and noticing my memory issues. I've tried explaining it to a few friends but they still don't entirely understand lol. Also in class I feel like I have to work 10x harder than everyone else. I didn't get a hair mineral analysis done yet because I have no idea where they do it. They say the paleo diet can lift brain fog
rebekah2222 Renitence
Posted
Cool I might have to try that too! And my chiropractor did it but I'd call around to see who did it around you! And yeah I knew my friends wouldn't understand so I didn't even try. I feel like they would think I'm crazy lol. And my parents have been really supportive about it, my mom seems more worried though.
jayocaine rebekah2222
Posted
Damn, are you me? I'm 22 and I go through the exact same symptoms AND I cant tolerate meds, i've been through at least 4 anti depressants and I've had horrible horrible reactions with all of them.
Are you starting to do better at least?
tom23264 TaylorMason
Posted
Hey brother hopefully you recovered well since you posted this. If you don't mind can you tell me what helped the most, because I feel like im in a 24\7 brain fog with poor memory. Going to talk with my Dr about seeing a neurololgist.
tim67087 TaylorMason
Posted
i went to a neurologist to be checked out and they did a brain scan. My scan was normal. They upped the dosage of my medication of Lexapro from 10mg to 20mg. I was on 10mg Lexapro for almost 10 years and it quit working. I think some of my Brain fog and memory loss are do yo the fact I do not take care of myself. I tend to workout and over do it, along with not eating properly. I also tend to binge eat on candy. It throws my system out of wack. My medication dosage change has helped some. I was doing pretty good for about 6 months until about a week ago and now I am experiencing some brain fog and memory loss. I just need to stop working out as hard and eating better. Please feel free to chat with me more if you like. I know it help to talk to others who are going through the same thing. Good luck to you brother.
casey1017 TaylorMason
Posted
I know this is old and hopefully you have an answer by now, but I experienced this for 3 years before an ENT finally ran an allergy test on me. The whole time, this life destroying brain fog thing was an allergy to dairy. I also ended up with vertigo the last few months before we found out what it was. I had to stay in bed and could no longer handle busy places. Within two days of eliminating dairy, it completely lifted. So, if you (or anyone here with the same issue) haven't already, get an allergy test done. An elimination diet of common allergies is also something you can try, but sometimes we can be allergic to weird, unexpected things or the culprit happens to be a pet or mold growing in our houses.
During the exploration of what was causing this, I had doctors accuse me of depression and anxiety, and one doctor actually told me they thought I might be delusional. No, I was allergic to milk. That simple!
Sheila1976 TaylorMason
Posted
Hi Taylor,
I go through the same exact thing and have for about the past 7 years. I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and they seem to pin everything on that. I hope you find your answers because I haven't and it sucks living like this.
restokley TaylorMason
Posted
I think I got the same thing you do. And yea I went through all the neurologist stuff too. I was out in the sun today a lot and when I came home I ate and relaxed but then became depressed...can't wait till night comes I usually feel better....and I pray a lot at night as well watching Joyce Meyers on you tube.
restokley TaylorMason
Posted