I’ve been told I have brain fog.
Posted , 4 users are following.
A little back story on everything that has been happening in my life. Keep in mind, I am not aware if any of this correlates with one another.
A few months ago, I started with abdominal discomfort and left the ER with a diagnosis of gastritis. I then attended my yearly physical as a follow up where I was told that all of my blood work was clean and perfect. However, the topic of my irregular menstrual cycle has been brought up again. I have been irregular for as long as I can remember. There was an instance where I had bleeding for about 6 months straight where blood work and ultrasounds showed nothing wrong. After that, my cycle would only show up rarely and manageable. A few ago, I started spotting with no real bleeding until i finally did and it was heavy as usual with constant clotting. Considering everything always came out normal, the only this they had to offer was birth control. Now, I have stopped bleeding and just spot here and there.
Fast forward to a week ago. Almost a week ago, I was getting random headaches throughout the day. Keep in mind, I was sleeping about 3 hours a night and I am really bad with eating 3 meals and keeping hydrated. After 2 days of random headaches, I got into an argument with someone who drove my stress over the limits and went into a vertigo attack. I have also been struggling with my anxietyand depression more than usual. I slept off the vertigo and ever since then my mind feels foggy. It is not necessarily a headache, but my head feels like it's empty or like my brain is made of sand (I mainly feel this is the back of my head). Apart from that feeling, I had a little bit of nausea and I continue having a little bit of hazy/blurry vision. This had made it difficult to read/type as everything seems like a blur. I tried making a doctor's appointment and they won't see me as my symptoms are also covid symptoms. I did however have an appointment on the phone. I tested negative for covid and after speaking with the doctor she truly believes I had a bad case of migraines and now have lingering effects. Brain fog being one of them. Considering I was getting no sleep and had a lot going on in my life/mind she thinks my mental health drove me into brain fog. I have never had brain fog and just want others opinions and thoughts based on their experience to see if this does sound like brain fog or if I should get a second opinion.
Thank you all in advanced!
3 likes, 8 replies
jan34534 bluejaee
Edited
Brain fog is basically not being able to think clearly. It can happen as a result of long-term anxiety and or depression. it’s not really a medical diagnosis. It’s just a way of describing a foggy feeling in the brain. you can clear it up by reducing your anxiety and stress. It doesn’t have to be something that’s permanent. Try speaking with a counselor to get some support and learn how to manage anxiety. Try to relax your mind whenever possible. many people with anxiety get this. You’re going to be OK
bluejaee jan34534
Posted
Based on your experience how long can the foggy feeling last? The nausea and dizziness is what makes it the hardest. I sometimes feel like I am having an out of body experience and just want to feel like me again.
crispy76 bluejaee
Posted
Hi bluejaee,
If it is of any help, a lot of what you have described I can relate to. I would say that virtually every working day (or if I am in certain environments) I experience brain fog / head pressure which builds during the day (starting about 10:30am) and is only relieved when I arrive back home - it feels like the fog in the head slowly lifting. I don't experience this barely at all at the weekends, only when around people it would seem...
At it's worst the feeling will make me off balance where have experienced vertigo and a dropping feeling in the head (like being in a lift which suddenly drops). As you have also experienced, my eyesight feels very strange in this period - everything looks unreal and it makes it very difficult to talk face to face with other people - i would sooner avoid it if possible.
Does any of this sound familiar ? Well, I have been cleared by MRI/Neuro as described as having 'anxiety' by GP - unfortunately despite being prescribed various meds (currently Sertaline) nothing seems to work for me. Some days it feel like climbing a mountain trying to get through them....my head feels like soup despite nothing being physically wrong and cannot find a solution 😦
bluejaee crispy76
Posted
I definitely know what you mean.
I seem to wake up really nauseous and dizzy and it seems to get better as the day goes. Unfortunately for me, the dizziness gets worse when I am alone. I feel so much tension in the back of my head, near my eyes, my neck, and back. I also use glasses and have found that my glasses make the migraine even worse. I am really sensitive to light and screens at the moment.
My brain feels like it's moving through mud or like it's reaching for a thought that isn't there.
The doctor told me the fog was more than likely triggered by anxiety so I relate there as well.
crispy76 bluejaee
Posted
Hi bluejaee,
That is interesting as have to say I actually feel 'normal' first thing in the morning - it is only after being at work for a couple of hours (which may be down to the people and general environment) that the fog starts to move in. I too feel a stiff neck which accompanies the dizziness....
desperation bluejaee
Edited
Hi there, I'll tell you my experience with "brain fog/surreal feelings).
Been on an antidepressant for over 10 years (lexapro 20mg) for anxiety /depression. I was doing good but felt I was a little over drugged, so I dropped the dosage down 5 years ago to 10mg, anxiety spiked a little but I managed.
Beginning of this year I decided to get of the medication (felt optimistic) so I tapered down to 5mg one night and 10mg the other night for 3 months being cautious, anxiety would get out of control once or twice a month where I would pop a Valium.
Then decided to go 5mg a night every night, and that's where things just started going haywire, within a week of being on the lowest dose I started getting a mental detachment perception from reality along with a relentless confusion! Anxiety spiked where I used more Valium like once a week, depression due to extreme lack of energy and disturbed sleep with terrible vivid dreams.
Was cleared by a neurologist 3 months ago after brain MRI, he didn't believe it's MS, he said this is the unmasking done after the medication level has been dropped, "you're anxious" he goes.
Now the mental confusion disappeared for 2 months but for about 2 weeks it has made a terrible return along with surreal perception. It gets worse when outside, I drive for work which makes it torture trying to focus while confused and feeling detached.
I've found that taking Magnesium, D3 and CoQ10 daily helps a great deal especially for energy levels, I eat healthy now where I have Salmon and broccoli 3-4 times a week, minimised carbs and sugars a lot, there are days of improvement and there are downers too, i'm still in the process of figuring out how to go zero lexapro within the near future, and scared of Valium addiction and what it does to my brain, I still need it once a week.
There is this feeling also sometimes like a rock is in my head with pressure, dizziness and all. The mind is disturbed and anxious, anxiety is evil.
crispy76 desperation
Posted
Hi desperation,
Many thanks for your informative post, have read before about magnesium being good for anxiety so may have to give this a go...
From own personal experience, the best reliefs from the head pressure are exercise, doing an activity that relaxes the mind (taking a dog for a walk or playing with dog are great for this) or being around people who make you feel happy (ie: not work colleagues in my case !)
jan34534 bluejaee
Edited
I can so relate to you! When I try to explain the pressure in the head, the foggy feeling, the weird vision and momentary confusion at times, nobody truly understands.
when you say confusion, could you give me an example or two?
I think this scares me the most. it makes me feel as though something is truly wrong with my brain. I appreciate it thank you