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

I feel the same way you feel I just wish there was answers because this is so horrible such a bad feeling memory loss and I hate a friend reminded me of something that I can't even remember on my own I feel like sometimes I'm older than what I already am bringing fall blame blockage my speech sometimes or just horrible sometimes I say things without thinking or not being able to process it right it's a scary I'm only 32 years old and to have these symptoms it's really scary but I think it has something to do with anxiety or depression as well but I don't want to blame it all on it because it might be something else and now that I'm seeing that this other people out there that is experiencing the same thing I know that I can't just be that it's something that the doctors yet don't know of because I believe I'm still young to be having such symptoms and I'm hoping that one day this problem can be solved but I do know that when I'm more stressed or when is that time of the month for me I get them worse or I can't just seem to think it even hurts to think

My symptoms started a little more than three months ago. I had stayed up for 42 hours to write a paper during finals week, and after that I was never the same. I had felt that feeling my head only one time before: I had a really bad experience with an edible, and had way too much. It took two days to recover from and on the last day I noticed the fogginess in my head. I didn't even notice when it went away the next couple of days and never would have thought I would feel it again. This is my theory: we all for the most part experienced some kind of stress/trauma/anxiety before the fogginess came to be, and I think that the wiring of our specific brains are wired to either 1. protect itself or 2. They become so overwhelmed that they kind of shut down. I put my body through a lot of stress by staying up for almost two straight days and it makes sense that my brain would react this way. Only thing is, my friend endured it all with me and he is fine, as far as I know. (points back to us being predisposed to issues). I haven't noticed a change since the day it started, and I was diagnosed with depression shortly after. I recently saw a neurologist and was diagnosed with migraines. Migraines have no cure, only measures to be taken to relieve some of the pain. I am now on setraline (Zoloft) for the depression and fatigue, topirame as my daily migraine supplement, and maxalt and cambia, which are "abortives" and are to be used when my "headaches" get too bad. We all know this isn't a headache. I am just hoping this medicine works for me, considering this 'thing' has taken over my life; if it does, I will be sure to let you guys know. If anyone would like to speak in detail about our experiences, I would love to. This thread has made me feel a lot less alone. 

Also, if you haven't been checked make sure to see a neurologist and have an MRI to rule out tumors and things like that.  Also, it's a good idea to get tested for Lyme Disease as it can manifest as all these neuro symptoms mentioned.

Did you get a diagnosis? My memory frightens the life out of me some days. I struggle to finish a sentance and forget peoples names. I forhot my grandads a couple days ago. I never thought it could somehow be relatedto anxiety

I can relate to this. I am 40yo, but since I have been a teenager I have had extreme morning brain fog. I never thought much of it, except that I really wasn't a "morning person" and more of a night owl. I can recall my mom having to start writing notes for me in the morning, because whatever she would tell me in the morning I would have no recollection of later in the day. For example, defrost the chicken when I get home from school. She thought I was just ignoring or disobeying her until she believed me I that I just didn't recall even having the conversation until she reminded me of it. 

I typically don't start feeling "with it" for 2-3 hours after I wake up. At work I have always had to wait to do anything that was important or required focus and concentration. I used to joke with my boss that I "needed an hour of internet time" when I got to work. Same thing in college, I always took classes that started after 12pm or whatever. 

I also have other symptoms which turns out are ADD - lack of focus, concentration, easily distracted, poor organization, etc. Those are present all the time, but for me the most concerning is my 3hrs of disorientation after waking up. I get good sleep (usually 8hrs) and have a pretty stress-free life...I don't need to set an alarm, can make my own work schedule, no kids, no pets, no major stress factors. 

I was never really hyperactive so as a kid no one ever thought to have me tested for ADHD. I was in gifted program and found school to be pretty easy, so that was another reason why my mom or teachers would have thought anything was wrong with me. But I have been diagnosed with Adult Onset ADD twice, but never took any meds for it. BUT I am just starting Ritalin today, so I hope that might help. Although, I don't know how that can help my issues I wake up with.  

Also, I was constantly tired and was the king of naps. But I have always worked 50+ hrs a week, and everyone I knew was always tired, so I just thought it was normal. But I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism a few yrs ago, and since I started on Levothyroxin that definitely helped. 

Lately though, the past couple months I have also been extremely unmotivated, feeling isolationist and not hanging with friends or family, very tired, and just kind of blah in general. Almost like how I was feeling before I started the thyroid meds, but I have had my blood checked and my levels are fine.

My Psych Dr. said let's start with the Ritalin first and see what happens... "one step at a time".  

I know people that wake up, jump out of bed and are hyper alert and fully functioning, and it is the biggest mystery to me. 

UPDATE:

Hi, it has been roughly a week since last time I posted, and I changed my habits a little bit, so maybe it could be helpful to someone.

I developed anaemia from turmeric. So, if you're using turmeric (being it in low doses, with some black pepper, or (and specially), if you're using it in high doses), make sure to supplement yourself with iron, B12 and B9 at least.

Once I stopped using turmeric (because of the anaemia) I tried desesperately to find a substitue for it (the pressure on the forehead, and the sleeping ability got worse), so the next days I used this:

-Oregan. Increases GDNF (a neurotrophin) in your brain, because it has luteolin.

-Lion's Mane Mushroom. The important one. Increases NGF (another neurotrophin) in your brain.

-Brewer's Yeast. Contains inosine, which increases BDNF (another neurotrophin, the one that is responsible for turmeric benefits, and the best neurotrophin in my opinion).

-Honey. It increases BDNF.

-Apples. They increase BDNF. Important too.

-Nuts and almonds. They increase BDNF, thanks to fatty acids (they have magnesium too, but that's another story).

-Exercise, of course, and all stuff related to sleep, for sure.

I followed that routine for some days and I got some relief. BUT, but, but:

Since I didn't have the anaemia that was making me feel tired, I started to change my exercise routine.

And I changed it so that, during the next seven days I will not only run 5 or 9 miles, but during that running time I'll do around 12 sprints or more.

So it would be like: running some hundreds of meters (decent/high pace), sprinting some meters, running some hundreds of meters, sprinting some meters, etc. (running, sprinting, running, sprinting).

During those 7 days, I can say that I made some actual progress, and the pressure on the forehead did almost disappeared (I've been fighting with that for three years, and although it was way worse at some point, I kinda was expecting it to not last very long nowadays) in those days.

I'll keep supplementing for anaemia (important advice for you, specially if you do exercise: if you have anaemia, or if the iron-vitamin B supplementation seems to help you, DON'T STOP taking them, because it will make you feel worse, and also I'm very guilty of that too).

My hopes are that this kind exercise will help me recover my sleep on the long run (hopefully after 4 months I could see some progress, I'm definetely praying God for that. Leap of faith here, of course).

And that's it.

I hit my foot with a chair, so I had to stop running for three days (I did cycling, but it's not the same), and symptoms remain pretty much stable with some help, so not totally bad

PD: I wanted to ask some of you a favour. If some of this stuff is helping you, please tell me. I'm really interested in knowing if this is actually the right path, if I'm missing something, or if there's a blind spot that I'm not looking at. I will very glad to hear from some of you that turmeric (or whatever it was) helped you with the forehead pressure, or if it helped you sleep, etc. But also I've been researching a lot and I've become desesperately anxious about knowing if there's a solution to the sleep problem.

I think the main part of the brain that gets damaged after periods of sleep deprivation is the locus coeruleus, which is very related to sleep-wake cycles, so that may be the problem.

In my research, BDNF and NT-3 (also NT-4 I think) seem to protect, maybe 'regenerate' (we don't know yet) this part of the brain. Increased levels of AMPc can enhance the effects of BDNF.

So I'll probably be trying astaxanthin (increases NT-3) and Forskolin (increases AMPc), and I actually already bought them. With BDNF I think I'll be fine with apples and exercise.

(I've seen also that electropuncture may increase levels of NT-4, but I doubt very much I could get that)

But this is ALL I KNOW, nothing more, and, as I said, I'm actually desperate for answers.

So, if you have a similar problem, and you think that some of this is helpful, please say it. I definetely think that some of you have similar problems, so watching if turmeric actually improves sleep, if astaxanthin does actually help people recover, or if Forskolin does actually lends you a hand, then that would be priceless information for this thread (and for me too).

PD2: The reason I think this new exercise routine could be more helpful, it's because it can increase your levels of IGF-1 (a growth factor), up to 771%. If IGF-1 has some positive effect on the repairing mechanisms of the brain, definetely that's the type of exercise you should pursue.

And now, that's actually all. :'

Greetings.

Please, keep strong.

A hug from Spain.