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

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  • Posted

    Taylor, I'm very sad to read about the pain you've gone through. I can only hope that the time that has passed since your last post has brought you some answers and some relief. I am concerned for a friend of mine who is experiencing similar symptoms and I searching for answers for her. Like you, she has felt lost and alone. I am hoping you could share any new insight you have gained as well as what you are feeling now. I was wondering if you investigated further on the Silent Migraine theory?  Also have you looked into other possible issues which could exasperate the problem, such as a severe Sinus Infection?  Other tests I thought of were Adreanal and Cortisol tests along with Insulin levels, not Glucose alone. These levels can have a huge impact on what you are describing and they are often overlooked during lab testing. I wish you the very best and encourage you to continue on your quest until you find the help you need for total health and wellness!

    • Posted

      Exacerbate* the problem. Sorry for the autofill typo. 
  • Posted

    Has anyone found a cure yet?? I'm desperate for answers

    • Posted

      There is no cure, it's a normal part of general anxiety, if the anxiety is properly managed, then it will lessen too. There is no pill to stop it

  • Posted

    i feel the same now, ive always been intelligent and praised for it, now i sit all day on the computer. im worried that i may never come back from this, almost like my old personality won't return, or even worse that ill never get out of this

    • Posted

      That's a horrible feeling isn't it? I've had many of those days the last few years, but in my experience it helps a lot to get moving. When I have one of those days I drag myself away from my PC and go walking, preferably in the countryside. Not too far, just a one hour stroll. It clears up my head and often next day I feel a little better. It isn't a cure but at least it prevents me from getting worse.

  • Posted

    Hi everyone, I felt like I should add something to this thread as I've also been experiencing slight memory loss, spacey feeling and anxiety over the last few months. I get health anxiety quite bad (even with the smallest of things) and always want myself back to 100% ASAP. I can relate to so many comments on here and whilst I'm still suffering from 'brain fog', i do get good and bad days. I've also had sinus issues recently and wondered if they are contributing to my raised anxiety state. I notice when the spaced out feeling is heightened and it does worry me - but I know it's usually when I need to catch up on sleep or have been a bit anxious lately. I will say that counselling does help, a doctor that you can connect with and some determination to distract yourself/stop worrying can really help. If anyone wants some advice, please get in touch smile

  • Posted

    Did anyone here ever see an endocrinologist or get their thyroid checked?
    • Posted

      Yes, I saw a professor in Endocrinology who read up questions from a computer screen for half an hour and then decided I had CFS and had to live with it (and next sent a bill of 220,-).

      A doctor of internal medicine checked my thyroid hormone levels and told me they are in the normal range. I know though that there is a lot of discussion going on about the so-called normal range.

    • Posted

      Damn indeed.

      But since a week or so I'm making progress! I'm using a herbal mix for Lyme disease and for the first time in months I'm feeling significantly better. I've been using other herbs but they didn't do much, this mix though clears up my head and makes me feel like I want to get things done. I finally got rid of that debilitating pressure, the sawdust getting in the way of my thinking and the sluggish feeling in my body.

      I've been working in my garden from dusk till dawn the past few days and still don't feel that tired. Yay!

      Kinda a scary too, since I fear it won't last long, but we'll see. At least feeling like this for about 7 days in a row is exceptional. I've had good days before but never more than 2 in a row.

  • Posted

    I found out I had Lyme. Caused all these symptoms. Had to pay for testing as NHS test is often a false negative.

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