Debilitating, Intermittent Episodes Of Disorientation And Brain Fog
Dec 13, 2013
I'm going to start off by saying my condition/illness or whatever it may be is a medical mystery to six doctors (physicians, neurologists, psychiatrists) and that I am unemployed and rejecting job offers because my condition limits my abilities and brain function. It is a roadblock in my life and I can't seem to drive around it. I am a healthy and fit 24 y/o male who has been suffering from transient, hard to describe disorientating episodes/spells that I first had the pleasure of experiencing at 18. Since then, the episodes have occurred almost daily but do not last all day long - they are TRIGGERED by certain situations and environments. I can feel the spells gradually, but pretty quickly coming on (they don't occur at the drop of a hat) and I actually have the ability to stop them by laying down in a dark room and literally putting a pillow over my face and just "shutting down" for a couple minutes. Weird, I know. The "spells" last anywhere from 10 minutes to multiple hours, depending on if I get to a dark room with a pillow. I've tried multiple migraine medications and none have even remotely helped.
Triggers:
-Focusing on something for more than a few minutes - even talking to a person! I can't even talk to a freaking family member face-to-face without falling into one of these spells. One minute I'm fine and then there's a total disconnect between what I'm seeing and my cognitive function. Depth perception also throws me off here.
-Similar to focusing...when I'm talking for an extended period of time. It feels like my brain is totally deprived of oxygen and I then fall into one of these disorienting episodes
-Light contrast situations, especially when I'm in a well-lit room when it's dark outside. It's like my brain doesn't "agree" with what i'm seeing and the light situation
Symptoms:
In addition to feeling extremely disoriented, the other symptoms include a general feeling of disconnectedness, brain fog, a headache of pinpoint pain in the back right of my head that occurs during most of the episodes, a massive drop in mood and overall emotion (apathy I guess you could say), a minor lack of memory of anything that occurred during one of these episodes (for example if I read 5-10 pages during one of the spells I wouldn't remember specific details of the read but would remember the general theme and whatnot), and extreme cognition trouble (speaking, writing and even focusing on a person and their eyes). One minute I'm thinking and speaking clearly and the next minute one of these episodes can surface and I start to totally jumble my thoughts, words and sentences and I sound like a complete idiot. At this point in the dizzy spell, I want to just lay in bed and cover a pillow over my face in the dark. When I do that, it's literally like hitting the reset button and the symptoms decrease significantly.
I have had an EEG and and a brain MRI - both normal.
These episodes or spells or whatever they are are affecting my quality of life. I used to be a very happy, energetic and social person and now this issue is somewhat holding me back, though I do go up against it daily in hopes that I can increase my tolerance of the spells, which I can't.
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im on 100mg zoloft and have been since April 30 so approx 2.5 months. I was slowly upped from 25 to 50 to 75 to 100 over the course of a month. The last 2 weeks (but not daily) i've been getting those weird brain buzzing vision twitching episodes even when I haven't missed a dose. I normally take the meds at night after dinner and if I forget, by morning im getting those weird feelings and they don't go away for quite a while even after remembering the dose. I don't miss a dose often, maybe 2 or 3 times since I started taking it. Anyone else have this happen?! Does that mean my dose needs to be upped?!
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I've tried about 3 other boards and seems like 100's of site but I cannot find anyone with similar symptoms to what I have. On feb 14, I got a huge euphoric feeling in my head, followed by rapid heart rate, tingling in my fingers and toes, and a feeling that I was going to have a mental breakdown. I went to the ER and got blood pressure/blood sugar/EKG test and a physical test and they determined I was fine and gave me Ativan to take. The next day I started feeling pains in my head that would last for 2-5 seconds and then go away, come back in a different spot later. They hit me anywhere from in my brain, in my sinus (although no sinus pain since Monday), different parts of my skull and on the sides of my head. Most of the pains are on the skull (bone). I mentioned to my doc and he switched me to clonazepam and told me to come back in two weeks to see if I need an MRI.
That appt is next Wednesday and as it has been 3 weeks of the pain not getting better or worse I'm almost positive I'll still have it by then. On a side note, in the past my headaches were in my brain and would be a constant pain for a few hours, and would only come ones a month or so. These pains are not nearly as painful and do not last for more than 20 seconds, but they happen at all times of the day (although in he morning I can lay in bed for a half hour and have no pain, then they come shortly after i get up. I've looked at brain tumour symptoms and I don't really have any of them, the pain is light, my cognitive skills are the same, no nausea, dizziness, etc. The only thing I have is chronic anxiety because of the pains and the fact that they could be something serious. So basically, should I try to get an MRI before meeting my family doc next week? I live in Canada so everything is covered.
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I have had Fibromyalgia for 4 years now. I have a superb doctor who has been there for me for a number of years.
Fibromyalgia is a debilitating disease and unfortunately is lifelong with no cure.
Pregabalin tablets are good for the nerve pain that is experienced with Fibromyalgia, along with Duloxetine, MST.
I find that they help with the pain.
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Does anyone on here still eat chocolate? Does anyone find it causes worse episodes?
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I had my first attack 10 years ago and then had them every couple of years. Despite seeing a heart specialist for 8 years and having every kind of test - nothing was diagnosed and I was discharged. I had friends telling me I was suffering from stress, panic attacks, anxiety etc. 4 weeks ago on my 60th birthday I had a severe one - it woke me up - and I ended up in hospital. A week later I had another severe one - again through the night, actually at exactly the same time and again was taken to hospital where I was given the injection. After 3 hours I was sent home, and then within 5 minutes had another one - back to the hospital, where I was kept in for 24 hours - I was put on beta blockers. I have had 5 attacks in the last 6 days, 2 only a few minutes, 1 lasting 15 minutes, another lasting 45 and finally had to go to hospital again as I had it nearly 3 hours - they doubled my betablockers. I also have low blood pressure and the second time I called the ambulance they couldn't even get my bp.
All of my attacks seem to occur through the night or when I am relaxed. As I live on my own I am now scared to go to sleep. When I lie on my left side (the way I always go to sleep) - I feel the blips and know it is going to start again, so I am trying to sleep on my back or right hand side. When having one, I get throat/neck pain have an incredible urge to pee, and belch a lot - I don't suffer from indigestion normally.problems? :?:
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Recently diagnosed w/menieres. Does anyone find that things like a computer screen or phone screen triggers vertigo episodes?? Is there anything that can be done to help this? I have to work on a computer all day. Also noticed driving causing issues from time to time.
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I've been experiencing an intermittent vibration from the region of my heart for the last 5 months. It can occur at anytime but usually when I am at rest or sleeping. I also get PACs and tachycardia in the afternoons which occurs whenever I am standing or walking (approximately 110 bpm). Sometimes the vibration is triggered by a PAC.
I have done the following tests
- 24 hour ecg (normal)
- Echocardiogram (normal)
- Blood test to check electrolytes and thyroid (normal)
I am 31 years old and Male. I am currently taking medication for hypertension but have been assured this is not a side effect of the med.
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I was wondering if anyone has experienced any kind of pain like this:
For the past couple years or so I have had this intermittent type of pain (it usually happens about a couple times a week, for instance it happened in the beginning of the week for at least two consecutive days and not at all today; each episode usually consists of a series of acute attacks, maybe several of them in a row, and then they would just stop). This would happen in several areas: mainly now my thighs and legs (almost always the back of them, though a couple times it has been along the front); sometimes it is in the arms too; for a little while it was in the back (though it hasn't happened there for a while now).
I'm not sure how to describe the pain (I wish there was some sort of questionnaire I could find that might help me in that area); it's definitely not severe, but then I'm known to have a high tolerance for pain. I would say it is more sharp than dull and it seems to be a kind of stabbing pain though maybe not exactly shooting, though I guess it could be thought of that way (I don't know that it's radiating either--I can't see how it can be radiating anywhere; it seems, if I am remembering correctly, it is moving along the length of some specific area; that doesn't seem like it would fit the description of radiating). It is definitely not tingling or numbness (except when it happens in the arms--then there is a definite weakness that results after it in which I have less of an ability to grasp anything with much strength).
I'm just curious as to what can be causing this, or maybe it's just normal when you age, though I wouldn't consider myself to be too old at just 33.
Well, if anyone has any ideas I would appreciate hearing them. I would say for sure the pain in the arms sounds like some sort of nerve pain but I'm not sure about the other areas. I went to the doctor once about it, but he wasn't able to help much, just called it "fibromyalgia" which is basically what they say when they don't know what it is. For a while I was sure it was nerve pain but then I keep hearing how nerve pain is more of a tingling, numbness or loss of sensation more than actual pain; and then the doctor calls it fibromyalgia which from what I gather is thought to be muscle pain. I do not participate in any rigorous exercises, just walks for a mile or more a few times a week so it shouldn't be due to any sort of injury.
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Hi Does anyone experience upper right/ middle intermittent throb 24 hours after having a drink. Just a pint of cider or two glasses of wine can do it. Normal lft and low ggt, fatty liver diagnosed couple of years ago, only had odd drink since thanks
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Is it just me or does anyone else experience an intermittent clunky sensation from their new hip one walking? I'm 5 weeks in with a ceramic on ceramic. No other problems and if this how it's going to be I can live with it. I have read that some people with ceramic hips experience clicking. . Just wondered if I describe clicking as clunking!
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Since I posted a thread about self-catheterization -- more formally called Clean Intermittent Catheterization (CIC) -- there have been a few different discussions on the topic in various threads. I thought it might make sense to bring those discussions over to a dedicated thread. With that in mind, I will summarize and/or copy and paste some of what was said before into this thread for better continuity.
My story in a nutshell. 68 years old with BPH probably since my late 20’s. Watch and Wait strategy with on-and-off trials of Tamsulosin (Flomax) with poor results. Symptoms were the normal retention issues resulting in frequent urination with incomplete emptying, urgency, and having to go to the bathroom at night in increasing frequencies. Near the end, two or three uti’s per year often accompanied by gross hematuria (bleeding).
Two years ago things got significantly worse and I couldn’t urinate on my own without physically pushing against my bladder (Crede Maneuver). That led to another trip to the urologist where ultrasound showed significant retention and hydronephrosis (water in the kidneys). I was told I needed an operation (this facility primarily did Turps) but first I had to rehabilitate my bladder because at the time it was too flaccid (stretched) for a good surgical outcome. I was given the choice of wearing a Foley Catheter for six weeks, or a program of self-catheterization (CIC) in order to decompress the bladder. I chose CIC so I didn’t have to wear a Foley 24/7, and also because I felt it put me more in control.
Six weeks later my bladder was rehabilitated to the extent they could do a Turp, and the hydronephrosis was gone. After doing some research and a lot of thinking I decided to put off the Turp due to the potential of irreversible side effects, primarily retrograde ejaculation. Two years later, I am still doing CIC while waiting for newer procedures with better outcomes and fewer side effects.
I will detail my experiences with CIC in following posts -- but to summarize, once mastered, it’s a painless five minute procedure that allows you to empty your bladder completely any time you want. With CIC, I therefore have no retention issues, no urgency, and in most cases sleep 6-8 hours through the night without having to get up and go to the bathroom. No UTI’s in over 18 months. And because my bladder has been partially rehabilitated, I can urinate normally about 50% of the time without using the Crede maneuver. My IPSS Score (International Prostate Symptom Score) would be Zero (the best), albeit with a little mechanical assist.
As of now, nothing that I have read about the various current procedures has tempted me to have an operation. That could, or could not change, in the future, but the nice thing about CIC is that you can stop it any time you want with no repercussions. The caveat is that CIC should be done under the supervision of a doctor who will monitor your BPH as required. Similar to seeing a doctor on a regular basis during a Watch n’ Wait BPH strategy.
I know many of you here have already had operations like Turp, and in most cases people seem pleased with the outcomes. CIC certainly isn’t’ for everyone, and I can understand why someone does not want to carry around a urinary “tool box” with them. On the other hand, with practice, it’s not the traumatic and scary procedure some think. I can honestly say right now that for me it’s about as traumatic as brushing my teeth.
I’m offering my experiences and thoughts on CIC for any of those who haven’t yet made up their mind on an operation. It even can make sense for those of you who don’t need an operation yet, but want to increase their IPSS quality of life score. In fact, wish I had done CIC earlier while on Watchful Waiting. Didn’t realize how much BPH had been affecting me for most of my adult life until I was able to empty my bladder completely.
CIC doesn’t have to be a permanent solution, it could just part of a waiting strategy like I’m on, until better surgical operations are developed with better outcomes and fewer permanent side effects.
For any number of reasons, the majority of urologists don’t seem to offer CIC as an alternative to surgery. My current urologist doesn’t as far as I know, but he’s OK with what I’m doing because it works for me. So, either you have to find a urologist you can convince to go along, or go to some of the major teaching hospitals where CIC is probably more in use and better understood. That is where I was taught, albeit not very well, but that is another story.
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I've been avoiding going to the Dr's for a while now, as I'm very scared.
Every few months, I have a day or so where I urinate blood. Also some blood clots. No real pain.
Then it will seemingly disappears for a few months, and will then return for a day or so.
I'm assuming it's something terrible.
Other symptoms seem to be frequent/weak urination.
Sometimes a mild/dull pain in one of my testicles.
Has anyone experienced this? WHy would it be every few months like this?
I plan to call my GP tomorrow as it happened again a minute ago for the first time in a few months and i'm plucking up the courage.
I'm petrified of the cystoscopy. (pain and embarrassment)
I had my urine tested for an unrelated issue a while ago, and it was apparently 'clean' (even though this was only a day after i'd been urinating what looked like almost pure blood)
How can this be?
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I recently had blood tests done Which show high cholesterol. However I have been experiencing intermittent chest pains and aching in arms and legs. I also feel like I have to take a big breath every now and then as my breathing has been quite short recently. I get extremely exhausted after minor exercise or simply walking to the shop. I have also felt my body heating up very rapidly like I was sitting next to a fire then return to normal after a few minutes.
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For about 6 weeks I've had stomach irritation, intermittent pain in left and right side with tenderness under the ribs, headaches, lower and upper abdomen pain, bloating, belching, an intermittent sharp pain like an electric shock at the top and just to the right of my abdomen, and most recently floating stools.
To be honest the pain isn't unbearable, just irritating, very uncomfortable and persistent which is getting me down. I wake every day with the same series of pains and bothersome bloating and burning. I've been on omeprazole for about four weeks which doesn't seem to have sorted it.
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I've been dizzy and "drunk" feeling since the end if march every day constantly. I don't know what it could be. I haven't gone back to the doc since they told me it was inner ear fluid build up. It came on after some extreme stress in my life started. What should I do? Go back to the doc?
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I am 18 years old and it pretty good health. I do have an anxiety disorder and OCD.I am on medication for this. I would like some opinions please. No rude comments please.
I have this fear that I may have a brain aneurysm. I don't have any specific reason that I think this but the fear is starting to take over my life. I cant even focus at work because I worry so much. I just recently moved into a new apartment and i have been under a lot of stress. I was sick about a week ago with a common cold, runny nose, headache, watery eyes, sneezing. After i was getting pain in my head and my eyes from my cold I started worrying about my brain again, I had a headache today but ibuprofen took it away very quickly. I don't have vision problems or dizziness. I stay awake most nights googling signs and symptoms and then I convince myself that I may have it. I can barely sleep because I am so scared that I won't wake up. This is really starting to take over my life. What should I do? & Do you think I have an aneurysm?
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I found out on Tuesday that I have a 7mm focal aneurysm of the distal right internal carotid artery, mild mass effect on my right optic nerve, displacing it medially.
My surgeon wants to do a procedure where a platinum coil is inserted through the groin. He says he won't know if I will need a stint until he is in the operating room. I had an voluntary MRA. My mother died from a rupture in 1979. I am 58 years old.
Do platinum coils react with electromagnetic fields and cause migraine headaches?
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Has anyone had any reduction in fibroid symptoms after taking esmya for a second course of three months. I have finished a first three month course and still have some pelvic pain. I wondered if it is possible to obtain an improvement with the second course of 3 months if not gained much in the first three months. There will be a 2 month gap in between as advised by the Dr. (They can be used intermittently now and not just prior to surgery).
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I have a question for all of you, I have had these very strange symptoms for the last year, year and a half and I can't tell my primary care doctor because he is treating, or barely treating me for chronic pain due to a pretty bad car accident years ago, (I was holding on to the steering wheel watching this guy drive right into the back of my car and was hit with so much pressure that I clenched up , went forward and when I came back I actually bent the steering wheel in half. I now have severe pain in my neck and lower back. After the accident I went to a chiropractor for 3 years 2 x a week, but only got worse. My PC doc for 8 years told me my pain had more to do with my emotional problems than anything else (I was continually raped by my father and then periodically beaten by my mother for being a ****, starting very early in childhood, also suffered a lot of physical abuse by both, I am really pissed that I have to apologize to the world that this happened to me and that my doctor would blame my pain on this), and always threatened to take me off all my pain meds if I complained about any other pain and symptoms. At one point 3-4 years ago I had such horrible pain in my lower left leg I thought I had bone cancer, it was the first time he ordered an MRI and when he got the results he sent me to a neurosurgeon immediately who told me if I move the wrong way they will never be able to stop the pain. When I told my PCP he dismissed it, but never put me down as having chronic pain syndrome anymore, but now he is taking my pain meds away slowly because he say the CDC is making him do it??? Anyway, I dare not tell him anything else cause I can't walk and do much of anything without a lot of pain in my lower back.
But a couple years, 1 1/2, I started to have this weird feeling of "something not right" in my head, I can't really explain it. Then I got this strong ZAP, like a strong electrical jolt in my brain. It took a while for the sensation to go away, but I ignored it. I also noticed I was "forgetting how to swallow", weird right? Since the ZAP wasn't really painful, but if it was I would be too afraid to tell my doctor, especially if it was painful, so I did nothing. Every few months this would happen again, maybe 4 times total. Last week, I could "feel" something in my head not right, Like something was going to happen, then I got that powerful zap, like an explosion in my head, and it took a little longer to feel okay again, then I got another one, and felt extremely fatigued after this one, and it took longer to "clear" my head. My blood pressure has been rather high lately too, in fact I've noticed my blood pressure goes up the more pain I'm in and since he's lowering my medication, my blood pressure had been around 164/90 to 175/90 from around 128-138/80 normally. My mother died of a brain aneurysm. I don't know if this is something I should worry about and maybe find another doctor, but then I'm afraid I'll be accused of doctor shopping...
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I am sitting at work, like always, when all of a sudden.... inside my head (in the top, middle, and behind my forehead) I began to feel what seemed to be a muscle spasm. What? Rationalizing, I think... Our brains are muscles. Right? So it could be a muscle spasm. Whoa... I feel dizzy and lightheaded for a little bit. Now, I feel like my head is full (stuffed full) of cotton or something. It isn't in my ears. It wasn't my eyes. It was "in my head". WOW.
I experienced this sensation of by brain shaking that was followed by dizziness. The "brain shake" felt like a jolt and then vibration/spasm that lasted about 5 seconds. I feel like the room is spinning and tilting and I was about to fall over (even though I was sitting down). The dizziness lasted about 2 minutes or so. The weird feeling of fullness in my head is still there.
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