Spaced out, high, Drunk Feeling. Please help me. (5 MONTHS)

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Hi everyone.

My name is Erik. I am a 20 year old male, thin build. 6' 2'' at 170 lbs. I have had really debilitating issues for the last 5 months. The issue is that I feel drunk, spacey, loopy, high and dizzy all the time. It basically feels the same as if you were tipsy or the high feeling you can get. I also have visual disturbances. My vision has become blurry and I have somewhat tunnel vision. I just feel all around out of it. I find myself daydream, when I say this I mean my eyes don't focus on anything (go blurry) and just look at nothing. I think it might be slight double vision. Sounds are also very werid and it takes alot of energy to focus on visual and audio stimulants. Additionally, I am tired all the time. Extremely tired. Some days I will sleep very well for 10-11 hours and still be tired when I wake up and exercise will not wake me up. It is like the type of good solid sleep you have when your body is sick.. My memory has gotten really bad as well as my ability to process thoughts and engage in conversation. Imagine being drunk all the time...first I have been reading on boards like this for a long time now and have seen some people with these symptoms but no answers!! People seem to disappear. I hope hey have solved this problem but please let me know how!

Let me start by giving some background information. In August 2015 I was in an indoor rock climbing gym and fell from 15 feet straight onto my back. I could not move for a good 15 minutes because it hurt so bad. I wasn't able to do anything athletic after that day for at least a month. However, I did not have my current symptoms after this fall. 

Fast forward to December 15th 2015. I got really sick, was in bed for 4 days. Sore throat, eyes hurt like crazy, and super tired. It was during and after these 4 days that I developed a headache. This headache causes a pressure/dull/sharp pain behind my eyes, the upper bridge of my nose and right in between my eyes on my forehead. This headache lasted for about 4 months. 

At about 3 weeks into the headache I went and saw an ENT as I thought it was a sinus infection. i took multiple sets of antibiotics over the course of the next month to no avail. I got blood tests and liver test at around 2 months into the headache and nothing showed abnormal. I then was able to get into a nuerologist. They were unable to find anything after taking an MRI of my head with a barium contrast. 

Since the beginning of my headache I have been seeing a (PT) physical therapist mostly for my neck and back since after the fall my back is sore constantly. I had a neck injury about 5 years ago on a trampoline so I have a sore neck, tight muscles alot from that. 

At about 3 months into the headache (3/15/2015) I developed a new symptom, the drunk/high, dizziness, loopiness. I had the headache at the same time at this point. My PT suggested that I may have a blood vessel being pinched in my neck or a nerve being pinched in my mid back area where my rock climbing fall pain is mostly at.

I have been to 3 different chiropractors since this has occured about 5 times to each one. It has not helped so far. My PT gave me massages in my affected back and neck areas. 

Also a new thing I've noticed recently is that when I look up (bend my neck to look at the sky) I seem to get some sort of relief? Also ever since the loopy part started (this did not happen when I just had the headache) any amount of alcohol at all will make me SUPER DRUNK, literally like 2 sips. I used to be able to drink 3 full beers before getting buzzed.

I am thinking I want my doctor to give me a full head (brain/upper atlas) to lower back (tailbone) MRI so that my nerves and blood vessels going to my brain can be evaluated. Do you think this is a good idea? Has anyone had these symptoms before? I am now 5 months into this and it is debilitating. 

No doctor is taking me seriously because I am so young and the chances of having a serious problem are supposedly slim because of my age. PLEASE HELP!!! I feel like I'm caught in a dream and losing my awareness and my IQ. I am afraid something is damaging my brain and this is going to be permanent.

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  • Edited

    Hey, that is sad that they do not take you seriously. My nurse practitioner didn't listen to me either, she tried but I do nt think she understood. I had sintitus and was given antibiotics and a steroid, I took all my meds but the steriod due to high bp and being a diabetic, but anyways I have been doing alot of reasearch about head pressure and I found out it was due to the way I was sleeping I love pillows and I slept with five and the way I was sleeping caused pressure to my neck that felt like hell. It went from my neck to my face to my head, for weeks I didn't figure it out till last week that it was the way I was sleeping from the post of this sites and others. So for the past few days I have been sleeping with two good pillows and my neck feels so much better and my head pressure is gone. Keep doing your own research keep trying to figure out what is wrong with you, cause at times doctors try there best but we known out own bodies.
    • Posted

      Hi Farrah. WHen you say you slept with 5 pillows do you mean 5 stacked on top of each other? Did you have the other symptoms like feeling loopy and drunk? 
    • Posted

      hi i have these synptoms. the exact same. where are you at now in your journey? ive seen cardiologists, endocronologists and allergists and a regulr doctor as well as neurology and they all write me off. I got diagnosed with POTS but I know its more than that. has anything helped?

  • Edited

    Erik, I think you need to go somewhere else. Many doctors that don't see things on screen will dismiss you. I suggest researching the Internet for additional topics. Think outside the box and don't try to put all symptoms in at once. You may find something similar. I am not sure where you are located, but to find a speciality hospital versus just a regular one. You need someone on your side. Push these doctors and keep asking questions. Make sure someone is going with you to the doctors and taking notes. 

    I think you need a very good neurologist!!  

     

    • Edited

      Thank you debtol, I agree. I am not going to stop until I figure it out. It's debilitating. 
    • Posted

      following this- as i have the same symptoms! i think the doctor thinks im crazy! ive only had these symptoms for 2 months and i cant bare it! glad i found this page.. although im not quite sure how it all works!

  • Edited

    Hi, I have been suffering from the exact same thing for 15 months. Can I ask, do you feel worse when bending and leaning over? I myself initially wasn't very well and had eye pain, it was a few days later symptoms like yours started.

    15 months on I'm very close to getting an operation to fix me. I have a blockage within the sphenoid sinus cavity Ostia (drainage point). I've had 3 scans in the 15 months, all deemed normal. Because of this I bought them and had a look for myself. In all 3 scans there was mucus thickening at the sphenoid Ostia. Now apparently this is deemed normal as a scan the next day would more than likely show it had cleared. When I pointed this out to my 4th ENT he was very interested. It's very unusual as odds should say that on at least one scan it would show as clear. On Thursday I will see an ENT surgeon who will talk about the next step. The operation is called ballon sinoplasty. It opens up the airways within the sphenoid cavity which I think will cure me. The internet is full of people suffering from these symptoms and nobody knows the answer. Well I think I do and if this works for me it may well work for many others.

    Get back to me as I would like to chat more. I have 80 people in a group with these symptoms, I believe I'm close to finding the problem.

    • Posted

      Hi new56, yes the pressure in my head gets much worse when i bend/lean over. That is why I initially thought it was a sinus issue. It gets very uncomfortable within 5 seconds. 

      I believe I had something similar on the 1 MRI I have had. There was slight thickening but I think the ENT doc said the same thing. Could you show me a picture of the area you are talking about on your MRI? And yes can you add me to this group please!

    • Edited

      Also do you have a stiff neck or muscular pain in your back? Or weakness in your arms?
    • Edited

      Did the balloon sinoplasty work? I’ve had similar results on my scans and they always say they are normal and every test they run they say looks fine.
    • Posted

      could i have the name of your facebook page? my son has these symptoms

    • Edited

      hey new im going throught the sames things how were your out come?

    • Edited

      my 20 year old son has been experiencing the same symptoms for 5 days now. i thought it was vertgo but the symptoms are different so am taking him to see a doctor tomorrow

    • Edited

      hi how do i join your group? im very interested as i have same symptoms and it can be very scary at times. thankyou

    • Edited

      I have been going through same thing past few months. I feel like I am out of it , loopy like if I was drugged. I know I have herniated disc in neck thinking that may be the cause. I also always have a ton of nasal drip/mucous. Then when this happens before bedtime it turns into a anxiety/panic issue. I seen a few doctors no one has even really looked into the why. I can really use any advice , just put me in the right path to go back to being me.

      Thanks

    • Posted

      Hi New, also had these symptoms the past year and i am beginning to get concerned and it is effecting my school work as i am still at collage. Did you ever find the problem?

    • Posted

      hello I have a question did you find out anything on how to get over this quickly

    • Posted

      hi there -- my son is 21 and has the same symptoms We've had dozens of tests run and he has a cyst or mass in his sinuses as well did you have it removed? how are you feeling? are you better?

      i hope so!

    • Posted

      I have been going through the exact same thing the last 16 months with no relief. Did your procedure help at all?

    • Edited

      Hi, I'm currently 20 years old and I experience very similar symptoms for years already, yet after a lot of medical check ups, I've been told that everything is fine with me, I guess doctors just don't really care. It started early because I was getting moments of that in the past but like for few seconds. But as it wasn't causing any more harm, I've ignored it. But in my high school it came back I suddenly started feeling dizzy, weak and nauseous one day, I have no idea what caused that. I'm 6'1 and around 180 pounds, I have no idea what could cause that, I was always maintaining healthy, active lifestyle. But this thing legit made me depressed, I simply became tired, weak, dizzy, distracted, very forgetful, get headaches very often, my eyes feel really tired and hurt almost all the time. I've lost all my motivation and enjoyment from life because I just feel terrible. I'm unable to focus on things and I constantly "zone out", forget things, I got feeling of apathy and on top of it I always have feeling like I'm about to pass out anytime. Like I was drunk, drugged and haven't slept for weeks at once. I also get depersonalization episodes everyday randomly. But I don't have stiff muscles like others. Like I said it's been like that for years and I wonder if that could be caused by the sinus infection I had in the past, I got it when I was a child and I had to take a ton of medications and antibiotics. I wonder if that's the side effect after so long time or if it wasn't really treated well. I think I got partially used to it but it still destroys my life. Now I got a question, did anything help You? I hope so! I just hope that people will find something that'll explain and make it able to easily fix it.

    • Edited

      Hello, just wondering if you have had the operation yet and if it helped. I have been seeing like I'm drunk for over 8 months 24/7. I have been so many doctor and they all cant find out what's going. They just keep referring me to another one. I just want to see normal and get my life back. Nothing is spinning and I'm not dizzy. My ears have been hurting for almost about the same time but they said I don't have a infection. My nose has been stuffy for many years as well. I Don't know what else to do besides pray. I just want this to go away.

    • Posted

      have you had allergies or maybe a sinus infection that you let go not treated?

    • Posted

      did you get any answers? im going through the same thing and its been over a year

    • Edited

      How are you feeling now? Any new findings? I've been dealing with this for the past 8 months and its seriously making me depressed. I don't know what happened to me but its like suddenly a switch just flipped in my brain. I used to be so active, weight training everyday, I was a personal trainer, did my undergrad in kinesiology. I had to quit my job it was affecting me so much. I feel like I'm on drugs every second of the day, like I'm just slow and have no memory of my days. I can get 8-10 hours of sleep and feel like I haven't slept at all. It is so hard to explain but everyone on this thread is describing exactly how I feel perfectly. I am seeing a Cranial-Sacral therapist soon and I will report my findings/how I feel after. Hope you're doing well, I really sympathize with anyone that is dealing with this.

    • Posted

      dis the operation work? i have been suffering the sane symptoms for years now

    • Posted

      new56862 did you have the surgery already??? let me know, i too have the same simptoms, thanks

    • Posted

      Hi

      my son has your symptoms too. Did your operation cure you?

    • Posted

      hi

      have you had any luck with anything youve tried yet .

    • Posted

      Have you had the operation yet? Can you keep us posted please?

    • Posted

      Did you have the operation and did it fix the problem?

      I've been having this same spaced out feeling for over a year. It started when i began to wake up dizzy in the morning, then it progressed to feeling spaced out constantly. It is still the worst first thing in the morning, but gets a little better once I start moving around. At the same time it started, I had been having trouble with muscle spasms in my traps. I also had an enlarged lymph node appear on the left side of my neck accompanied by itching just above my left trap on the side of my neck near the lymph node. I got checked for lymphoma but the doctor said everything seemed normal. I told her about the spaced out feeling, but she said its probably low blood pressure in the morning ( it is definitely not because it is constant and my blood pressure was normal when i got it checked while i was feeling spaced out). I also have a semi constant clear fluid dripping out of my left nostril. I get temporary ringing and hearing loss in my left ear. I feel pressure in my head when i bend over. I get headaches sometimes that feel like pressure behind my left eye and towards the middle left side of my head. I have visual problems, like lights seem too bright and other things look dim. I also see floaters, but not constantly. I have trouble comprehending things and remembering. I have trouble driving in the morning and at night. I am tired all the time. It doesnt matter how long i sleep for, i will feel exhausted when i wake up. I rarely dream. I used to have a fairly high sex drive, now i rarely have any drive. I dont have much of a drive to do anything at all except for lay in bed. I am miserable in this condition and the only things i have found that somewhat relieve the feeling (although it never goes away) are stretching my neck, massaging my neck muscles, taking Midol (im a man but i tried it because it contains OTC muscle relaxants) and lavender oil pills before bed, and nicotine pouches (i dont know why these work, but they seem to clear my brain fog a little bit for a short time). I suffered from anxiety when i was younger and i was put on Paxil. The spaced out feeling i have is very similar to the feeling you get when you stop taking Paxil, but i weaned myself off of it years ago and felt fine for a long time; this feeling only started a year ago. I also had viral spinal meningitis when i was younger, but i dont know if that has anything to do with it as i didnt have any long lasting effects from it. I do not know what to do to fix my condition and this forum is the only thing i have found with other people describing the same things as what im experiencing. If any of you find any answers, please respond. Im desperate and i dont want to live the rest of my life like this

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