Please help! Extreme disorientation, feeling out of it 24/7, haziness
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hi everyone, if anyone can help me
i got back from thailand 3 weeks ago and during the trip i had a really bad spell of disorientation. Initially i had travelers diarrhea and thought it was related to that. when i got back to the states, I had issues where i couldnt focus on objects that well, I feel out of it ALL THE TIME. Ive been off work now for 3 weeks because of it. My GP had me do tests for bacteria and put me on Azithromycin but that only helped with the diarrhea. im still experiencing the brain fog and disorientation. I cant exercise like i used to without feeling extremely light headed.
im sooooo worried now. im female, 25 and soon to start medical school in the fall. Im losing hope and have been feeling depressed.
Any ideas would be HIGHLY appreciated ðŸ˜
0 likes, 14 replies
Law13 stufon
Posted
Hi Stufon! Did your Dr. do any blood work? Perhaps you picked up a parasite? I mean if your having diarrhea that could be a symptom. If your Dr. can't help you try a Dr. that specializes in travellers' illnesses. They do have some clinics for ppl that travel out of Country & come back sick. My concern always with these Drs. is they treat your symptoms. Giving you something for the diarrhea instead of looking to see what is causing it. Let me know how it turns out. Good luck!
'
stufon Law13
Posted
Hi thank you for the response.
The azithromycin def helped with the diarrhea from 3 weeks ago but i just am unsure why i have these other symptoms. They also checked for Giardia and Protozoa and they didnt see anything. So ill try to go see someone in infectious disease.
they did blood work and it all looked normal...so im so confused 😦
Law13 stufon
Posted
Hey if i were you i would google what type of parasites are prevalent to the Country & are you were in. I feel most Drs. don't know much about parasitic infections. Some ppl go yrs without a proper diagnosis. I just recently saw an article about a man who kept complaining to his Dr. about feeling sick. The Dr. kept checking doing his bloodwork etc. and found nothing. Then one day the man passed a tapeworm in his stool. He removed it from the toilet and brought it in to show his Dr. (Who was completely dumbfounded)....lol Good luck and keep moving forward..
Foggy_mike stufon
Posted
Hi Stufon,
3 weeks after i got back from the carribean, i developped something very similar and life changing, i'm not sure its infectious since i didn't have a fever, but since it started in January, i have brain fog, disorientation, visual focus and memory issues and general cognitive slowdown, feeling out of it as you say, to doctors i say, its like having concussion symptoms without the concussion...
Hope you get some answers and you get better !
stufon Foggy_mike
Posted
Hey there,
I dont think its infectious either because i got so many tests done. I just did an lymes test but idk how likely it is for me to have that either. A doctor also told me my symtpms are synonomous to a concussion as well without the concussion. Ive done lots of research and im thinking its a vestibular problem. My initial attack made me feel cloudy, dizzy, weird sensations. Is yours everyday? Have you been to a neurologist?
Foggy_mike stufon
Posted
Hey !
Vestibular issues can create these symptoms, especially if you experience strong dizziness.
Me its more an off feeling and weak balance, dizziness is mild compared to vision/cognitive issues/brain fog.
Yes i have it 24/7, with symptoms reducing in the evening/night.
I saw 2 neurologists, had eeg and mri.
One said i have cfs, the other anxiety disorder..
Anxiety can cause similar issues, because at some point i was crazy scared about it and anxiety made everything 10 times worse.
But now i'm left with only the mystery underlying condition...
Hope i could be of help !
stufon Foggy_mike
Posted
I have very similar symptoms. Mine also feels less intense at night for some reason and stronger during the day. My dizziness is very mild compared to the beginning. Now its mostly brain fog. Things look strange too especially fast movement. Grocery stores can be an intense amount of stimulus that makes my head go crazy. Are you muscles tired or achy? And do you sleep/rest a lot? I Initially thought but i actually have a high energy level. the foggyness is what makes me feel bad
stufon Foggy_mike
Posted
So many doctors try to say i have anxiety but to be honest i feel pretty calm because ive accepted i have this...I just want answers
Foggy_mike stufon
Posted
Hey Stufon,
Fast movement or rich environment like a grocery store clearly makes me bug and aggravate the visual/ perceptive fog.
I don't have any joint/muscle pain issues, for that matter I don't have pain, just overall weakness, and extreme brain fog / vision issues.
I rest a lot ( 20h/day)as it is the best position to lessens the fog, but I don't sleep that much per say, in fact I have terrible sleep and insomnia.
stufon Foggy_mike
Posted
We probably have the same condition. Question is what is it lol. I just saw a neurologist today and they said i may have migraineous symptoms that cause my brain fog even though i dont have the pain. So ill try out what they suggest. Do you have any idea what you may have?
Foggy_mike stufon
Posted
Hey Stufon,
Sadly, I've been diagnosed with so many things by different doctors, none of them the wiser.
In my gut I feel it's linked to that migraine I had before it all started.
And like you, I experience very migraine-ish symptoms.
I still have many things to try, let me know if you get any results on your side!
stufon Foggy_mike
Posted
Yeah so far the neurologist wants me to try out medrol (a steriod) to reduce any inflammation that may be going on but I'm not tolerating the medication very well and it made me super dizzy yesterday so I stopped. There's also another med called Nortripyline. I might try it too but I heard if I have something vestibular it may prevent my brain and ears from compensating. So i'm still thinking about it lol.
If it's migraineous, Nortripyline will help really well. You should look into it.
Did your symptoms start right when you got back home or during your trip in the carribbean? Mine was during. I did go snorkeling or the airplane may have messed with my ears and head
Foggy_mike stufon
Posted
Hey there,
I will check that out, it's interesting because in the end some kind of inflammation must be going on. Let me know if it helps you.
Funny you mention snorkeling, because all my holidays were about snorkeling and diving, but symptoms started a few weeks after I got back home.
This being said, you should see an ENT, because vestibular issues or infections from swimming can create very similar symptoms.
I've been checked on that front everything is fine, but clearly worth a shot for you, check especially for potential labyrinthitis.
On my end while browsing chronic fatigue forums, I discovered I have a very high chance of having ehlers danlos syndrome (genetic Hypermobility disorder), but not sure yet if that is behind my brain problems!
stufon Foggy_mike
Posted
Hi Foggy_Mike,
Yeah i'll probably see another ENT. I saw one before and they almost were dismissive because I didn't have an actual balance problem...
And yeah I snorkled only once so either that can be a culprit, or the airplane. Still unsure.
Fast movement is still freaking me out and I've been so spaced out recently, with some neck pain/strain.
And interesting. I looked into Ehlers Danlos and doesn't seem to relate to me...nor does chronic fatigue either. I feel energetic and awake but the brain fog tries to bog me down a lot