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
sarah14014 TaylorMason
Edited
lindathepinda sarah14014
Edited
Telling someone with a chronical illness they maybe 'need more motivation' is probably one of the worst remarks you can make.
Rockers TaylorMason
Edited
Fatique- the whole day, or just in the morning? I`m tired the whole day, and I`ve noticed it gets worse once I get inactive.
Have no problems falling asleep but I wake up at least 2-3 times at night, dreaming a lot more now too.
MistaFina Rockers
Posted
Hi Rockers. I would say that out of the entire day I have maybe 3 or 4 hours of 70% my original concentration level. If anything comes through that is challanging or out of step from any robotic reutine Im done for the day. Today, for example, I am trying to play some fallout 4 and I was ok until suddenly I felt a pressure in my head and I found it extremely difficult to play the game. My children were running around being loud but it has never been an issue before. So Id say, to answer your question, it has been ongoing since my Mono DX 5 months ago with occasional openings in the clouds.
I will say though the over all trajectory is positive. I cant tell day to day that im getting better but I can tell looking back I am. I too will have more sound intollerance. I cant tell if its because my kids are kids or if im not sensitive but I found it harder to deal with.
I think the best way to describe my concentration problem is before I got sick, I was able to sort of anticipate everything that came at me. If my wife was coming towards me, my brain would prepare for a conversation depending on what was going on at that time (dinner, kids things, etc). If my wife comes to talk to me now it feels so random and I have trouble tracking why or what she is saying. So I have to go over it slowly and sometimes twice.
Be patient. Remember 'this too shall pass'.
carmen44474 Rockers
Posted
Rockers, I have the same thing.
It's very hard to focus my mind. I feel like there is a fog or a haze over me all the time. Noise and bright lights make it worse for me too. I have the same issue at night too. I am fall asleep but I wake up during the night. I am tired all day every day. To the point that I have to nap or I won't make it through the day. I am also dizzy. The more tired I am the more dizzy I am. I recently started an allergy med and Zoloft. I think they are helping. Have you talked to a dr about depression? The physical effects of depression are very real and be present before you notice any mental depression. Hope you find answers soon.
Rockers carmen44474
Posted
Yes my docotor thinks it`s depression related, especially since my father was hospitalized with depression and my older brother got it too. But none of them had these sysmptoms as pronounced as I do.
At times I get sever head pressure that moves around, or a burning on the right side of my head. What I have on my to do list for December and early next year is to have all my Amalgam fillings removed by an Amalgam safe dentist. Cause what I have noticed is that my symtomps flared up really badley a couple of month after my dentist removed one of my big amalgam fillings.
Rockers MistaFina
Posted
I know the feeling of not being able to follow a conversation, at first I seemto be fine but very quickly I start to drift out of it and everything ebing said to me makes no sense or better it just does not bother me what`s being said.
I do have as well pressure headaches that move around, mainly on my right side of my head. Sometimes I get half my face to feel like it`s burning.
I used to have these symptoms the very first time back in `98 and then again in 2000 and then every few years. But inbetween I managed to reset and be myself agaon as if nothing happened. But now it`s with me for 2 years.
carmen44474 Rockers
Posted
Rockers, have you had an MRI? Could you be having migraines?
If it's not constant then maybe it's migraines. Of course if your symptoms are constant then it isn't.
Rockers carmen44474
Edited
carmen44474 Rockers
Posted
I am so sorry. I completely understand how you feel. I have 3 child and it's as if I'm watching them grow up and it's passing me by. It's incredibly painful. I'm hopeful that the Zoloft I'm on will help. Have you considered trying antidepressants? I know it's sounds crazy, but depression can be very physical. It may not be the answer for you (or me) but it's worth a try.
panospalos TaylorMason
Posted
You have anxiety disorder. Get help from a psychiatrist. Medication to keep you calmer and session to talk is what you need. I am taking daily anti-stress medicine and have regular session. For sleeping, I take half a hydroxyzine.
I went exactly through the same steps as you did. I will use your words and fill in details to show you how similar of a situation I had.
About a year ago, after an extremely stressful breakup, I began noticing that I was tired all the time. 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.
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.
For months I visited doctors getting tested by specialists. I visited a neurologist, 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 tried altering my diet entirely to organic and all natural. I tried all I could think of .
ElleJay84 TaylorMason
Posted
Hey,
I know it's been awhile since you posted. Hopefully, if you haven't sorted this out already, this will help you. Or, at least, this may help others in this forum.
Sounds like many of you have a B12 deficiency.
A few years ago, I found out I had B12 deficiency anaemia. It sucks. I spent about a year in a fog. I would be driving home from work at night thinking, "Wow, I really should not be on the road right now...". It was like living in a dream. Sometimes, I would wake up so exhausted that I couldn't keep my eyes open and would fall back asleep...until 7 p.m.
Anyhoo, below are the symptoms of a b12 deficiency:
extreme tiredness (fatigue)
lack of energy (lethargy)
breathlessness
feeling faint
headaches
pale skin
noticeable heartbeats (palpitations)
hearing sounds coming from inside the body, rather than from an outside source (tinnitus)
loss of appetite and weight loss
In addition to the symptoms above, if you have b12 deficiency anaemia, you may experience the below symptoms as well:
a pale yellow tinge to your skin
a sore and red tongue (glossitis)
mouth ulcers
pins and needles (paraesthesia)
changes in the way that you walk and move around
disturbed vision
irritability
depression
changes in the way you think, feel and behave
a decline in your mental abilities, such as memory, understanding and judgement (dementia)
Additional symptoms include:
symptoms related to anaemia
reduced sense of taste
diarrhoea
numbness and tingling in the feet and hands
muscle weakness
B12 deficiency can be caused by dietary deficiencies (common with vegetarians and vegans), overgrowth of bacteria in the stomach (h.pylori, for example), absence of intrinsic factor (a protein secreted by cells of the stomach lining), certain meds (specifically PPIs), gut inflammation, amount other issues.
I think you need a specific blood test to confirm a b12 deficiency. Mine was discovered on accident.
If you do have a b12 deficiency, you will need regular shots of b12 (supplements won't cut it at this point).
Good luck!
lindathepinda ElleJay84
Posted
Hi ElleJay84, it's good you point this out to people, since a B12 deficiency is much more common than people think (and doctors say).
I have to disagree with you though on supplementation; sublingual tablets are at least as efficient as shots, and the good quality ones contain a form of B12 (methylcobalamin) which is much better utilized by the body than the one in shots (hydroxycobalamin).
Besides that; shots are rather unpleasant and need a visit to the doctors office.
Note: it's important to slowly suck the B12 sublingual tablets away, don't chew or swallow them, the B12 gets absorbed by the mucosa lining in your mouth.
I used these tablets (3000mcg) for 6 weeks and went from serum levels of 151 to 402.
Btw, adding methylfolate increases the restorative effect of B12 supplementation.
ElleJay84 lindathepinda
Posted
Thanks for the info!
lindathepinda ElleJay84
Posted
You're welcome ElleJay, and indeed the B12 sprays are good to mention as an alternative for the sub.ling. pills. In my experience they are harder to find though and a bit more expensive. On the other hand they contain less additives which could make them an option for people with certain allergies for fillers, colorings etc.