Debilitating symptoms. Brain fog...extreme memory loss...spacey 24/7!

I am still sticking with these are issues with our kidneys and liver.  our body isn't filtering properly.  acupuncture has helped me alot.  i have taken it too a new level of keto diet.  i am fighting for me cause the drs just want to throw meds at me. 

There are days I feel like that I'm going to the same things you are the only thing different is I have the ever annoying aches and pains went to the Drs all tests come back good my GP says. Inceradabally healthy are you in any type of therapy CBT or anything like that my therapist say keep your mind busy I read you exercise and that's a good start I've found that giving people advice and support helps with my disconnection sometimes I do things to challenge myself I also do what I can in a day and I don't overwhelm my self I do what I can and I don't put myself on time constraints you get a since of satisfaction when you accomplish things on ur time depression will make you feel disconnected hope this helps

It's been a while since I've responded to this thread, though I continue to peruse the replies daily. I think we're all looking for the set of symptoms that mostly match our own, while in the meantime taking note of the insight and suggestions offered by those who have been going through at least "some" variation of what the OP has been going through (...which has been for quite a while for some of you). I appreciate everyone keeping this thread going, and for those of you who have taken the time to respond back to me regarding my situation. In a week (Jan 18) I will be starting CBT with a recommended therapist near me.  I cannot wait; I would like to get some answers.  I like others have come to accept the fact that stress and anxiety plays an integral role.  This "latst bout" for me has been going on for 3 solid months now.  I do seem to have more good days than not, but even on a good day, I'm continually self-scanning, and inevitably at some ponit during the day, I will find myself ruminating over something that may seem trivial, yet it reaffirms to me that either I still have issues that need to be dealt with (CBT) or there is indeed something going on cognitively speaking.  I wake up every day testing what I know.  I can have a good day when I'm going along and not thinking about it, then come across some inaminate object (like rigatoni pasta) that I could not recall.  There aren't many, and they're pretty minor, but when it happens, that seems to set the anxiety in motion.  Typically not the "panic attack" heightened anxiety that I had initially when this began earlier in 2016, and because of that, perhaps not the degree of "fogginess" that I once dealt with. Nevertheless, it's like a continuation of a bad dream.  I haven't forgotten the date, the names of my kids, the way to/from work or the store, nor have I lasped in getting my work done. But this has nevertheless been disruptive, if not at time debilitating.  I'm still looking up 25+ words a day, *mostly* words I already know, just to verify I am not losing my wit.  Like I mentioned, all it takes to set the wheels in motion is to come across something that I could not remember what it was called.  The other day it was a type of pasta, the day before that it was the top of a curtain set (valance).  I get that I am more than likely not going through something more neurologically severe (the D and A words), however even if this is 'normal', I am certainly not dealing with it very well.  I want to wake up and have it behind me, but like I said, something inevitably happens to trigger the next round of rumination in my mind.  The problem with this "vocabulary hoarding" OCD is often times a word will have multiple meanings, which makes it tougher to hoard. Moreover, your initial interpretation of a word, which was okay for me for all these years, gets replaced by what the dictionary tells me what it is. This causes confusion.  Look up 25 or so words a day for 3-6+ months, and it can get really confusing, especially when you hear a "buzz" word pop up in a conversation.  And that's my problem.  I cannot get through the day w/o hearing someone (even if it's on TV) say something that will make me wonder, "hmm, do I know that word?  Would I have used in in that context?  Such a vicious cycle. Working rotating shifts doesn't help, I'm sure, however I have been getting plenty of sleep these days.

In terms of supplementation, I have been taking omega 3 fish oil, Mg glycinate, phosphatidlyserine, and 100 mg of 5-htp daily along with a multivitamin.  I *was* taking 5000 IUs of vitamin D, and 1000 mcg of vitamin B12 (sublingual), however I have found that both of these, particularly at that dosage, makes me quite dizzy and (thus) really exacerbates the brain fog/confusion (which makes the whole situation worse). Just yesterday before going into work I decided to add the 1000 mcg of vitamin B12 to my regimen before coming into work.  For the first time in several weeks, my brain fog was at least a 6-7 (out of 10), when lately it had been better.

I am seeking more advice.  I realize (again) stress and anxiety are instrumental with this (and in my case, probably OCD as well).  But the fact remains I am just not what I was intellectually this time last year, and that is quite disconcerting.  I would love to believe this is ALL in my head ("making it up", and that it's all due to anxiety, but the fact of the matter is I can look at a technical paper or a job resume I wrote last year, around this time, and am left wondering how the hell I could do so nowadays.  

Thanks again all for the comments.  Happy New Year!

-Brian

I would like to read the comment of corey 58327, which was deleted yesterday by a moderator. I as a patient don't care if there was a link in the message or another reason why it was deleted, I want to read it.

So corey 58327, please post again, and maybe make some adaptations so your message is accepted.

I feel all the same symptoms. I feel pressure in my brain. I feel like a walking zombie. My memorie is terrible. My brain can't process information. I had to quit my job because it only made me feel more stressed out. These symtoms started about 2 years ago when I was diagnosed with Typhoid and Proteus fever for eating contaminated food. I've had this before but it would go away with antibiotics. The doctors say I don't have anything. That the typhoid and Proteus are gone.

I think I am suffering feom anxiety and stress. The stress of working while feeling all these terrible symptoms for two years. It was torture. Then several other personal problems happened. Including my girlfriend being diagnosed with cancer. I think my brain just couldn't take all the stress plus I suffer from insomnia which doesn't make it better. I am going to visit a Psychiatrist in Mexico in a few hours (live in U.S but no insurance). See what they tell me. I want to go back to work. It has been 5 months since I quit my job. I am 28 yeard old and my parents have to provide for me bc I just couldn't take it anymore. I am also going to try tu turn to religion and spirituality since that has brought me peace in the past. I think that is what my mind and soul needs. Peace.

I’ve been reading some of your posts and it seems a lot of people are struggling with the same problem I am. I have this constant feeling of pressure generalized throughout my head but mostly concentrated in my forehead between the eyes. Somedays it is worse than others but it is almost always there and noticeable. I also have what I describe as “negative energy” for lack of a better term down my spine. It’s an uneasy feeling around the thoracic spinal area. Usually if the fog is intense in my head it’s not as bad in my spine and vice versa but sometimes (like now and why I searched google and found this forum) it is bad in both. Along with these symptoms I’m currently suffering with chronic fatigue (can sleep 9 hours and still feel tired), lack of stamina and motivation, trouble concentrating, poor memory and other depressive symptoms. I would say I’ve had symptoms of depression and anxiety since childhood but it all didn’t get really bad until almost exactly 4 years ago. I was dealing with extreme anxiety issues on and off for a year after the first extreme case of anxiety. During this time I did not have the feeling of pressure in my brain and spine like I do now but I did have very high anxiety levels and periods of extreme depression. My anxiety has decreased over time and now hardly ever experience extreme anxiety but I still get slightly anxious especially in certain situations.

My brain fog symptoms first appeared 1.5 years ago and since then it has been pretty much constant. It all started not too long after a bad mushroom trip. I felt absolutely horrible for a couple of weeks after the trip and also developed this brain fog that I’ve been suffering with. Since then it has been pretty much constant although there was a period of time this past summer where it was hardly noticeable at all. This was during the time I was hiking the Appalachian Trail. I was getting plenty of exercise all day every day, was in an amazing environment that I enjoyed being in (the wilderness) and had a group of hiker friends that I could socialize with every day. There were many days where it was hardly noticeable but I usually could still tell it was there. It was a lot better than it was previously or than it is now however. Towards the end of my hike my symptoms started coming back and I suddenly developed lower back pain (With no apparent cause. Also, still feel it every day 5 months later) and I had to get off the trail before I finished. Since then my depression and brain fog has been steadily getting worse. I have no motivation to do anything and feel really bad a lot of days. My mood still waxes and wanes but it seems like it’s bad more than it is good. I’ve been to the doctor and have had lab work as well as an MRI and everything came back normal. My guess is that these symptoms are a manifestation of depression/anxiety and you would treat them the same way you would treat anxiety/depression. However in my case I’ve tried SSRI’s (had to get off of them because they made me feel horrible), seen therapists, eat healthy and exercise, meditate, etc. and still experience the brain fog. The only time that it has improved since it began was for a couple of months while I was hiking. I’ve read some of the other posts in this thread and haven’t seen a single person mention completely healing their brain fog. This saddens me. If anyone has experienced significant improvement in their symptoms please give me some tips (or point me in the direction of someone else who already has).

Thanks for reading (and if you’re reading this you probably feel bad too. I can relate to your pain. I’m sorry you’re going through this and wish you well).

Hi guys,

I've had this for 1 year and 2 months now, and it's still gotten no better.

I feel DRUNK/ HIGH 24/7. It's like my eyes are wide open but nothing is going in to my brain. I have 0 concentration or patcience either. I wake up every day feeling like I've been drugged whilst sleeping and I've woken up on some sort of acid trip.

I'm just "not in the room" my body is but my mind and brain have vanished ? It's like I'm an empty shell, I can't feel any emotions or feel anything like my senses are numb.

I honestly am living a life of hell, it's called Derealization/ Dpersonalizaton, and can stem from underlying anxiety issues.

However I've been on medication, seen therapists, seen many doctors who are puzzled and say they can't help me.

Does anyone else feel spaced out / drunk / drugged 24/7. It's like I've been in a dream for over a year and I'm in a coma, nothing seems real it's like I'm imagining everything in my head.

If I pulled the car over in a nice spot , it would be the same as looking at a picture on a postcode. I'm just not there it's like my body is alive but my brain is dead ?!