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

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ecdirtdevil
ecdirtdevil

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.

7 likes, 262 replies

262 Replies

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  • mike97172
    mike97172 ecdirtdevil

    Posted

    I had dizziness drunk as you, turned out it was anxiety. Now im om celexa
    • marylynn
      marylynn mike97172

      Posted

      did it stop it? i will try it...i do have anxiety but never noticed anxiety till i found my husband, He had hung himself and so I do have PTSD however this drunk off balance thing has been for over 30 years

  • craston1
    craston1 ecdirtdevil

    Posted

    Hi. I've been suffering with the same thing as you have described but not for as long.

    For years I have been having chiropractic treatment on my neck due to a head injury I had when I was a child. That was many years ago and although they treated my head injury, my neck was overlooked. As I grew older I suffered from terrible migraines during which I would lose my sight and feeling in my fingers. When I was in my 30s I started having Chiropractic treatment and what a relief it was. The treatment meant that I got fewer less debilitating migraines. 

    About 4 weeks ago I started having terrible neck and shoulder pain to the point of feeling sick. My chiropractor gave me a few treatments which seemed to relieve the symptoms a little. I needed several more treatments but my chiropractor went on holiday for 5 weeks. So I have not had a treatment for about 3 weeks. One evening last week I had a couple of glasses of wine, no more than I would normally drink in an evening. I had my dinner and was watching Tv when all of a sudden I felt extremely drunk and sick. Everything was spinning. I felt I needed to lie down so I went straight to my bed. I was confused because I hadn't had too much to drink and that was several hours earlier. I went to sleep and slept like a log until the morning. Since then I have felt extremely tired, very wobbly drunk feeling, my head feels like it's swimming, the floor at times looks like it is going up hill, terrible constant head ache, I feel a little sick, and sort of confused low concentration...spaced out. 

    I went to my Dr yesterday and she thinks I have Viral Labrinthitis Vertigo. Something to do with the middle ear and balance. She prescribed something to reduce the vetigo but unfortunately I can't take them due to an ingredient in them.

    Maybe Labrinthitis is something you should ask your Dr about. Maybe she's right but I personally don't think that is what I have as I've still got a lot of pain in my neck but like you I wanted to make sure it wasn't something wrong with my brain, or even a stroke. I really think the problem is my neck because neck problems can also cause all of these symptoms.

    I am now going to wait another week and a half to have another chiropractic treatment. My neck has caused me a lot of problems over the years due to the accident I had when I was a child. Maybe you should also speak to someone about your fall. You may have injured something in your back, neck or even head without even realising. Maybe try to find another chiropractor. I saw many before I found one that made a difference.

    I hope you get it sorted. I know how this has made me feel for the short while that I have had it but you have been going through this for such a long time now. Maybe check out Labrinthitis and speak to your doctor about it.  

    I wish you luck.

    • marylynn
      marylynn craston1

      Posted

      honey i did check that out. i have had tons of test over the years. They see my eyes move when i get checked they know there is an issue. I worked for a chiropractor over about 40 years. I get free treatment. There have been times it seemed to help but many times it has not. I was diag with and auto immune disease called Polymyalgia in the past three years. Guess what when i was on steroids it went away...the steroids worked but guess what...I cannot function on steroids. I almost ended up in ER on four different occasions ...get free treatment to this day I am no 67 Got this when in my 30's I can drive with no problem...Yogo is OUT OF THE QUESTION. i have been to PT several times. Our office has five differnt chiropractors. Huge office and amazing ...

      I am again going to cleveland clinic and trying to start all over

      thank you so much best to you Mary Lynn

  • lynn72509
    lynn72509 ecdirtdevil

    Posted

    I want to start off by saying how bad I feel for you and that I fully understand. I have experenced the same thing, very few differences. It is madding to say the least as well as dibilitating. I can walk no more then 10 yards before I go sideways. Have lost sence of balance and the static that is in my head deafning at times. The brain does not care about your age, when it gets a big boo boo.....lol. I don't understand why your Dr.wont run any test possible to help you with this problem. I am 59 yrs old and have become a prisoner of my own home. Can't drive, and am not able to walk into my job safely so I am stuck. I was beginning to think I was the only one out there that felt this. Is hard to make others believe this much less understand. Just as I did before this happened to me thought a concussion would last a few days, week or two at most.....NOT. has been little over 4 months for me now. I want this to end so bad so I can get back to my life. Sorry to say this but was just a little happy to read your story. Now I don't feel like maybe it was all in my head (which it actually is by the way.... lol) reading that there is actually someone that knows and understands what is happening to us. Thank you for sharing. Hope you too feel just a little relief knowing the same. Hang in there and know that you ARE understiid.
    • n53561
      n53561 lynn72509

      Posted

      Hi Lynn,

      Just curious, what kind of tests have you done? And what are all your symptoms? "in your head" is usually an ignorant conlusion that an inadequate doctor will give you because they failed to diagnose you. Don't try to let them "get in your head".

  • Brennama
    Brennama ecdirtdevil

    Edited

    Hi there: 

    I found your post on google and I feel the exact same way as you do. I also have had this cold for about about a year no on top of it. I've had 3 concussions in my life and one of them where I went unconscious. All the symptoms you listed I've felt for about 2 years now and I've been to a neurologist and he just gave me mess for headaches and doesn't know what's wrong with. I know you posted this a year ago but I'm just wondering did you make any progress on it and figure it out? I'm in university and just started classes again and I can't remember anything like how I used to and I feel so dumb. Let me know please!!

    • PixiWanders
      PixiWanders Brennama

      Edited

      Hey! Was just wondering if you found a solution yet? I’m a 29 year old white female, and I also Have this “phantom disease”! It is so debilitating! I haven't been doing anything I love Because I’m always so sick and so tired, and it’s ruining me physically and mentally and emotionally... I feel So alone and so scared... Are your fingernails weird at all? Or your gums? My face also has a lot of pressure in it constantly, and my head... There are some days the fog is so bad I can feel that I’m not myself, I’m just completely numb... And I have light tremors resonating through my body... Hope you are feeling a little better (although if it’s the same as mine it may get better for a day or so but  no matter how long the period of wellness is, it gets terrible again)  Lots of love and positive vibes 💚

  • PixiWanders
    PixiWanders ecdirtdevil

    Posted

    The same thing is happening to me and it happened THE SAME WAY! I had a night where I had SEVERE anxiety and then all these symptoms started (mine started predominantly with chest pain, and for the last 6 months I’ve snowballed down from there)... I’m a 29 year old white female, I eat healthy (well now I live PB&J and bagels because it seems like everything else makes me sick!)... I’m so afraid, and no one is taking me seriously... The strangest thing is is that lately I think I’m noticing my dog is reacting to the same symptoms as well??!! He seems very lethargic and sometimes when he is looking around I can just tell he’s in one of those brain fogs like I get! I feel like the night the extreme anxiety happened, it’s almost what kicked this in for me! Like maybe it was a side effect, and that perhaps a lot of my ailments as a child could be blamed on this (I was always in the hospital as a kid)... I hope you Have found answers and that perhaps you can find the time to get back to me! Lots of love and positive vibes 💚

    • mlr12
      mlr12 PixiWanders

      Posted

      okay your story could have been written to me. 1 night of horrible anxiety out of nowhere and now a year of feeling dizzy and weird. has yours gotten worse or stayed the same? i even caved and took anxiety meds even though i knew thats not it and it didnt help!

    • chloeselina
      chloeselina mlr12

      Posted

      i have this same thing happen to me too! and i have been "sick" for just a bit overa year.

    • rob33918
      rob33918 PixiWanders

      Posted

      Hi had the exactly the same experience have you had any luck with a diagnosis?

  • pepper17972
    pepper17972 ecdirtdevil

    Posted

    Yes I to have something serious go in on .It's really starting to scare me.ive notice with myself my blood pressure starts increasing.im also swollen.this time that's it's come on.my verta bra 3 .I was spouse to have surgery.didnt do it.to scared I've dealt with the pain for 18 years thought I would heal on my own didn't happen.i sleep all the time have no energy.have a problem using my right arm.to much use of my arm makes me swell up.start getting tighten up get migraines throw up.i believe I have a pinched nerve in my neck.the drunkenness comes and goes.it seems like when the weather changes here in indiana that's when the problem starts to.i can go to sleep wake up to go to bathroom or what not.im walking disoriented vision messed up brained buzzy feeling and I just go back to sleep

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