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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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  • ri29767
    ri29767 ecdirtdevil

    Posted

    i'm 16 and ive had evrery single one of these symptoms for about 16 weeks now. Everyone is saying its anxiety but again i get drunk from like 3/4 sips of alcohol and i just always feel confused and woozy and like i am on drugs. I had an MRI and nothing showed and i have h ad blood tests. Sore eyes, really bad tension headaches, really sore neck and back, i can't remember anything anymore i forget sayings and words that I really shouldn't and i've been extremely tired regardless of how much i sleep. Have you figured out what was wrong yet? i'd like to know so i can get some proper help this is taking over my life, i can't go out anymore bc i just am so overwhelmed by everything like everything seems brighter and louder and my ears are always popping and sensitive idk what to do or where to start

    • shaun1000
      shaun1000 ri29767

      Posted

      Hi, how are you feeling now. You need to see a neurologist and explain you think you have intracranial hyperension. A number of things can cause this. Basically there is to much CSF around your brain. The symptoms you describe are classic and the way you have been treated by doctors is also the norm as its often undiagnosed. Look it up on the net and please take my advice. there are drugs that can help and surgery. GOOD LUCK, any questions just ask.

  • chloeselina
    chloeselina ecdirtdevil

    Posted

    Hey,

    I have been experiencing similar symptoms since October last year. I woke up one morning with what i thought to be the hangover from hell, later that day i had bad chest pains and ended up in an ambulance on my way to hospital, where the doctors in emergency told me i probably just have a virus and i should be fine in a few days. I was stuck in bed for 6 weeks, i couldn't stand up or i would collapse and the whole time i just felt really drunk or stoned. My boyfriend called me an ambulance on countless occasions when i had passed out on the floor not waking up for ages at a time. The hospital gave me a ct scan which came up perfectly normal, as did all my blood test, ECG, EEG Echo cardiogram, holster heart monitor and every other test i underwent. I have been seeing my neurologist now for 2 months and he is still no closer to figuring out what is causing all this. I cant even walk to my letterbox on my own, and when i first wake up in the morning i don't know where i am or anything about myself at all for the first few minutes. I currently haven't left my house for 2 months, have no job, no money and no friends. All because of this stupid mystery illness. If anyone has had a diagnoses i would love to hear from you as my life has been ruined completely.

    • ana85762
      ana85762 chloeselina

      Posted

      hi Chloe. do you remember if you started taking a new medication around that time or just stopped any meds cold turkey?? whats the last antibiotic or medication you had before becoming I'll ?? the reason I ask is because the majority of this " illness " is caused by"side effects " from medicine witch sometimes will show up weeks after taking / stopping the medication and new symptoms keep showing up. it's a nasty roller coaster.

  • matt48099
    matt48099 ecdirtdevil

    Posted

    my name is Matt, i am 51 years old, for the past 2 years i have basically had the same feelings. I feel drunk all the time."thats how i explain it to people." i have major balance issues and my speech is bad as well, i avoid conversations because nobody understands what i am saying.

    I have seen 5 Nuerogist, 1Nuerologic surgeon, every type of DR there is. i have tried Holistic DRS ,i have a

    had5 MRIs , Cat scans, blood tests, hearing,and vision checked, i am currently being treated for Lyme disease, that is not covered by insurance. i have changed my diet i am Vegan now.

    i was a physical specimen and now i feel that i am a burden for my wife.

    i need answers?

    I know how you feel.

    • shaun1000
      shaun1000 matt48099

      Posted

      Hi Matt. Do you have a pressure feeling in your head? When you lay down do feel your symptoms increase? When you move and turn are you off balance? Do get tinnitus (whoshing sound inside your ears)? Does your neck get stiff?

      If the answer to most of these is YES, you have Intracranial Hypertension.

    • chloeselina
      chloeselina matt48099

      Posted

      i have had the same for 9 months now, i cant drive or even leave the house without my partner. neurologist just gave up and sent me away with no explanation. i never get a second where i am feeling okay or normal. some days it is better and some worse but the feeling never goes away. i am 19 and have someone that has to come clean my house. it is an awful way to live and its hard to not just give up sometimes.

    • shaun1000
      shaun1000 chloeselina

      Posted

      I went through the same experience. You have one of the following conditions.

      Intracranial hypertension - This is where there is to much cerebal spinal fluid in your head. This can often happen through injury and is what happened to me, took 3 years for me to work it out as doctors know little about it.

      CSF Leak - This where you leak cerebal spinal fluid from your spine. It can happen after injury and you said you had a fall on your back.

      Both these conditions cause the symptoms you describe. The main difference is what makes you feel worse.

      Do your symptoms decrease when laying down or do they get worse?

      Please get back to me as I was exactly where you are now 4.5 years ago.

  • shaun1000
    shaun1000 ecdirtdevil

    Posted

    I know whats wrong with you, at least its one of 2 things. I'd need to get more information first.

    1. Intracranial hypertension - This is where there is to much cerebal spinal fluid in your head. This can often happen through injury and is what happened to me, took 3 years for me to work it out as doctors know little about it.

    2. CSF Leak - This where you leak cerebal spinal fluid from your spine. It can happen after injury and you said you had a fall on your back.

    Both these conditions cause the symptoms you describe. The main difference is what makes you feel worse.

    Do your symptoms decrease when laying down or do they get worse?

    Please get back to me as I was exactly where you are now 4.5 years ago.

    • joel98831
      joel98831 shaun1000

      Posted

      hey i have he same stuff and feel better when im laying down. i know this was months ago but pls respond

  • matt48099
    matt48099 ecdirtdevil

    Posted

    i am off balance all the time, i have no pressure in my head , i am normal when i lie down.

    • shaun1000
      shaun1000 matt48099

      Posted

      So you feel better laid down but when up your dizzy and off balance. Do you also feel neck pain or do your ears feel strange?

    • matt48099
      matt48099 shaun1000

      Posted

      i have no neck pain at all, my ears i only think , when i put my mail all the way in i feel wetness not a lot.

      when i drive and sit or lay down i feel normal.

      thanks

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