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Dizzy, confused , drunk like feeling, detached from reality feeling. HELP!

Posted , 35 users are following.

DNort123
DNort123

I am a 23 year old male from England, currently living in Australia. I have been getting my 88 days agricultural work done to get my second year visa. It all began 10-15 days ago. I worked outside in 35 degree heat for 10 hours picking vegestables with little water intake and no hat. A day or 2 later I got sun stroke symptoms.. flu  symptoms, extremely cold but sweating,  high temp, head aches, no appetite, very weak etc.. I can’t remember if it wasn’t after this or during this but I also got a strange feeling in my head, dizziness, no concentration, confusion and feeling of being drunk (without alcohol), questioning my decisions, struggling to see properly (although things weren’t blurry) having a lot of trouble concentrating with my eyes, they feel like they are constantly moving, feeling as though I am not inside my body or mind, not wanton the to be around many people but worried to be alone... the sun stroke/flu symptoms left the next day but these other symptoms have stayed. 

I have been to the hospital and had a CT scan and my blood taken. All came back fine.  Which has worried me even more. The hospital can’t help me so what can I do. I am so so worried this will last for a very long time if not forever. I am not sleeping and having small panic attacks, especially at night. It Feels as though I can see things but they aren’t registering in my head. It is so hard to explain. I feel like I am dying. I don’t know what to do. Someone please help. 

2 likes, 47 replies

47 Replies

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  • jacqueline88909
    jacqueline88909 DNort123

    Edited

    Hi have you been diagnosed with Vertigo?
    • DNort123
      DNort123 jacqueline88909

      Edited

      Hi, no. The doctors pretty much said nothing came up in the tests so they can’t do anything and to go back if it gets worse etc. I have had 3 days off work now and still the same. It seems to become more manageable in the evening say 7 o’clock onwards. But then I go to bed I feel extremely dizzy and asif I am ‘falling’ which is keeping me awake the whole night. 
  • lily65668
    lily65668 DNort123

    Posted

    You did the right thing in getting yourself checked out at the hospital. Now I think you have to stop panicking about this and let nature take its course. A lot of the symptoms you describe - I mean the ones that persisted after the heat exhaustion episode - are classic anxiety symptoms.

    You also put your body under seriously excessive strain during the day you describe. You could have died! (But you won't now. If heat exhaustion progressing to heat stroke is going to be fatal, the outcome is immediate.) If that happened just 10-15 days ago, then it's normal that you would still be feeling unwell.

    Try and calm down, make sure you stay well-hydrated at all times and as far as possible avoid situations where you're going to get overheated. Provided you're sensible, this will all resolve itself over the next few weeks. You're not going to stay like this for life.

    • DNort123
      DNort123 lily65668

      Posted

      HI, thankyou for your reply. I felt very anxious and stressed out maybe 1-2 weeks before this happened. Due to the possibility of not completing my 88 days agriculture work in time, meaning I would have to leave the country. For me this was one of the first times I had been stressed in my life. So I thought maybe it could be linked with this. But it’s been happening for so long now with no improvement.

       I have had 3 days off work sitting in my room drinking water and I was drinking a lot more water than I normally would 2-3 days before not going to work. Still nothing sad. I went to a GP for a second opinion yesterday. It was a foreign lady, who kept prompting saying I must have been taking drugs and drinking (which I have not at all) and she was pretty much laughing at my symptoms and said I need a psychologist because I’m mentally ill. This worried me a lot sad. Now I don’t know whether to go back to the hospital or not. If I had some diagnosis I could deal with it but they said they basically have no idea, after ruling out the idea of dehydration etc. 

      Thanks 

    • lily65668
      lily65668 DNort123

      Posted

      Sorry to hear about your unpleasant experience with the GP. I can, however, understand her concerns that alcohol or recreational drugs may have been involved, even though she clearly got it wrong on this occasion.

      I suspect she was taking a light-hearted approach to reassure you that your symptoms were nothing to worry about, but pitched it wrong, maybe because of language issues.

      Anxiety is indeed a mental illness, but it's one we all suffer from at times in our lives. It can cause all kinds of physical symptoms, many of which are due to unconscious hyperventilation. (You can google that.) I suspected from the start that you were quite young, and that this was indeed your first experience of extreme psychological stress, as you say in your post. I'm afraid we all have to learn to cope with these events, and the physical symptoms they can produce, in the course of our life.

      You say this has "been happening for so long now with no improvement", but in reality you're well within the normal recovery period after a severe attack of heat exhaustion. In your first post, just one day ago, you said it had all started 10-15 days earlier. That means it's only been going on for a couple of weeks, which is quite normal.

      I don't think you need to spend any more money on doctors just for the moment, having had blood tests, a CT scan, then a further medical check. If, however, you're still feeling seriously dizzy and unsteady after another month or so, then it might be an idea to consult a neurotologist. ENT doctors aren't very knowledgeable about vertigo, if that's what you really have. (I'm speaking from personal experience here, having had several episodes of BPPV during my life.)

      In any case, there's no urgency, given that nothing showed up on the CT scan. Give your body a few more weeks to recover before going any further. I do appreciate that you're under stress if you're still trying to fulfil your 88-day requirement, but even if you don't there'll be other opportunities, either in Australia or elsewhere. At your age, the world is still your oyster!

  • ionel75
    ionel75 DNort123

    Posted

    Hi,

    It is very important to see NET specialist. To be sure about your diagnostic. If is Vertigo each person has different symptoms. I have been diagnosed with Vertigo since January this year. But from the first day when I felt sick I went to hospital and have a full investigation. Then for one month I done at home Eplye Monuvre ( see YouTube ) it helps a lot no more feeling lost my balance but still untill now I have tinitus in my ear. I suggest you to see NET specialist, do Eplye Monuvre and try to understand this problem and fight with . Good luck...!!!!

    • DNort123
      DNort123 ionel75

      Posted

      HI. Thankyou for your help. I mentioned a possibility of vertigo to the hospital and they didn’t seem to believe it was this. I have had tinnitus in my ear for years and it has gotten worse since this has occurred. I will use YouTube to see what eplye monuvre is. Thank you 😊 

    • lily65668
      lily65668 DNort123

      Posted

      Please don't attempt the Epley manoeuvre yourself. It doesn't sound to me as if you have BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) for which the Epley is the cure, but if it is that, an unsupervised Epley could make things much worse in the short term.

      BPPV is the condition where the naturally occurring crystals in your inner ear get into the wrong place and start sending wrong signals about the position of your head in space. Symptoms are periods of intense vertigo (the room spinning and sensations of falling) when you tilt your head into certain positions. I think you would have noticed this.

      If you really want to do a manoeuvre - which I'm not convinced will help - look up the half-somersault manoeuvre for vertigo. This one is more suitable for unsupervised home use.

  • Anonymous111
    Anonymous111 DNort123

    Posted

    This probably is residual symptoms from heat stroke. It will get better over the coming weeks.

    Look after yourself. Lots of fluids.

  • amanda95449
    amanda95449 DNort123

    Posted

    Hello

    i just had a read of your post and symptoms and i’m writing to you because i have experienced similar symptoms. I also experienced a very high level of being stressed before it happened which could have been the trigger. The feeling of being out of your body and not experiencing reality is called Derealisation and Depersonalization. The movement in your eyes could be nystagmus or another convergence problem which can occur with vestibular issues that being on dizziness. Being anxious does make the symptoms worse so try to distract yourself. I found swimming and being under water helpful. I can forward you the details of a specialist who deals with these issues if you’re in Sydney. A Neuro-Otologist is a specialist you should see

    • rohit32684
      rohit32684 amanda95449

      Posted

      hey buddy i am feeling same things . please you give me your medicine and how's you get rid off this disease.give me details .im form india

  • janine02480
    janine02480 DNort123

    Posted

    Hey there

    I found your post by searching my own symptoms.

    I can fully relate to how you are feeling.

    Have things gotten any better for you?

    I have been dealing with these symptoms off and on since 2013.

    I am currently in what I call a super fog and have felt this way since beginning of November. I too have had multiple testing and my doctor thinks I'm a crazy person. It's very difficult to deal with.

    I'd love to talk with you some more.

    • DNort123
      DNort123 janine02480

      Posted

      HI. I am still experiencing the same things. Although symptoms may have changed slightly which I find weird. I’ve had spells where a morning is my worst. Now mornings are usually my best. Very strange. 

      I believe it’s extreme anxiety and depersonalisation. I’ve noticed my mood changes all the time. Feeling low and sad all the time. Needing to be fixed

      Hope you’re doing well

    • ruben_93200
      ruben_93200 DNort123

      Posted

      I recently had three of my parathyroids removed because they had tumors. I am experiencing feelings of being disconnected from my body. My Psychiatrist said it was a rare side effect from the surgery and that it is a severe chemical imbalance in my body affecting my brain. I also talked to a nurse who said her son had the same surgery and experienced the same side effect. I am taking medication and I am ( balancing out). You should see an Endochrinologist as soon as possible to check your thyroid and parathyroids as well as your hormone levels. If its neccesary see a Psychiatrist after you check your self out. I am getting better everyday, this is my second week. I hope this information helps you. Pass it on, and I will keep you in my prayers.
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