I dont even know where to start but i'll try. 2 months ago I started feeling really spaced out/weird one night. I just brushed it off for the night but woke up the next day even worse. It's so hard to explain but I feel like I've had a few drinks or something... slightly buzzed. I guess it could be called brain fog because I'm spaced out and feel really lost sometimes. Anyways... the weird feeling... oh ya.. it could be like altered perception er something too... feels weird... anyways... the feeling got worse and I started getting really worried about it. Then I started having really bad headaches ... like pressure against my eyes.. I didnt eat for an entire week and lost 15lbs in one month. I went the the emergency 3 times and they just said it was some weird long lasting flu bug er somethin... they did all kinds of blood work and even did a CT scan which showed up negative... yet I still think I may have a brain tumor... although no one believes me... anyways... its been 2 months now and my doc has me on zoloft b/c he says its anxiety or panic disorder but I really dont know what to think.. the headaches are back and are concentrated right in one area at the top of my skull now... like somethin pushing out on my skull.. its more like pressure than a headache now.. Also fore the 2 months I've been having night sweats on and off about 2-3 times a week. not drenching... but my head gets all cold and my body starts to sweat... hmmm what other symptoms..??? I started eating again now... almost back to normal appetite but I'm still down 10lbs from my original weight. and of course the spaced out feeling is still goin strong... I feel like im goin crazy er something... I'm a healthy 24 year old male with no other problems so I dont know what the heck is goin on.. and I think that the zoloft is makin me worse... but my doc says keep takin it... anyways... someone please god help me... this has been hell for me the last 2 months... I cant imagine anythign worse.. I have myself convinced I'm dying but no one can find out why... could the ct scan have missed a tumor??? anyone know??

I have been having similar symptoms for awhile now. I have the feeling like you said of feeling like I've had a drink- kind of loopy. I also sometimes have a tightness on the top of my head. Sometimes it turns into a headache, sometimes it doesn't. If I press my finger on that spot it tingles and feels like dull needles. I never have lost my appetite or anything. This whole thing comes and goes. Sometimes I don't have these symptoms for a month or more, then it will come back.

well its good to hear that you have these symptoms too.. well not good.. i wouldnt want anyone else to have to experience this... but at least i know im not alone and going crazy... im starting to realize that maybe i dont have a brain tumor... but i will find out for sure when I get an MRI in a few weeks... that will make me feel much better i think... i hope if mine goes away... the dizzy weird feelings, that is... i hope it doesnt come back... this is the worst thing ever.. ever... i hate it...

I have had some symptoms very similar to yours...brain fog and headaches. Judging by your description of feeling drunk, I am assuming you also have a sensation of disequilibrium/off balance. I thought I was going crazy, too, until I had an electronystagmography done (ENG), which is a test of the functioning of your inner ear/balance system. This test confirmed that my inner ear isn't functioning properly. This in and of itself can lead to headaches. However, there is also a type of migraine called vestibular migraine. Many people with this condition do not necessarily experience what is traditionally categorized as a migraine headaches. In some cases, the vestibular symptoms (the dizziness) are all that exist. The point is that people with symptoms similar to yours and mine have been shown to respond to preventative migraine therapy (like calcium channel blockers or beta blockers). Yahoo "migraine-associated vertigo", and you will find several helpful articles. It is good that you are having the CAT scan done as a precaution. I, too, am scheduled to have an MRI scan. In the meantime, my doctor has perscribed vestibular rehabilition (a type of physical therapy) and I am exploring the option of going on anti-migraine medications. I strongly suggest you get refered to an ENT, so you can have the ENG done to test your ears. Hope this info helps. Good luck! :)

You may be suffering from something called depersonalization. Look it up online. There are many resources and support groups.

i asked my doctor the same thing could a brain tumor be missed on the ct scan and he said no, noway.... although the mri is more in detail the ct scan would deffinately see it, and he also said headaches caused by a tumor are at the later stages of the tumor, it is one of the last symptoms, because the brain in insensitive to pain, so when the tumor is enlarged the tumor causes pressure and thats when you feel the headache. so before you worry about the headache, are you having any stokes or seizures, or vommiting up blood? he said that is when you need to be concerned. i have been tripping over the tumor thing for 3 months, my headache is constant, and it stays for sometimes 3 weeks gos away for a couple days and comes back he diagnosed it as a chronic daily tension headache...... so today he put me on fioricet, so i start tomorrow.....

Hi. Ten years ago I had your symptoms. I thought I had a brain tumor! An MRI showed pollyps in my sinus' and under-developed sinus'. They gave me some antiobiotics for sinus infection and I was cured! After a whole year of brain fog/headaches, dizziness and worrying about brain tumor....one measly prescription cured it! I never had any outward symptoms of sinus infection. Hope this might help.

[SIZE=2] Hello sonja...
My doctor said the ct scan checked for a sinus infection and there was none. All i know is last night i thought i was dying for sure, i have not tooken any medication in 24 hours, and about 2 am i woke up dizzy, stiff neck, and my constant headache of course. I felt sick to my stomach. did you do any ct scan or just the mri?

Hi,

I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope you can find out what is the matter and soon. No, I never had a CT scan. I'm experiencing horrible symptoms now as well, but mine is not sinus infection this time either. I was hoping it would be, but it's not. For me, we're checking for epilepsy or narcolepsy. Well, hang in there today!

Blessings to you,
Sonja

Wow I need to join this thread! Hope you all are still around. For about 2 months now I've been feeling really weird. I feel very detached from what's going on, like I'm watching the world in some weird fog, but I'm not really there. Like a dream or something. I've also been very tired and forgetful lately. Oh yeah, I also have visual disturbances. I see streaks or dots of color. It's driving me crazy because normally I'm a very happy, upbeat, neat and organized person. Lately I have so not felt like myself. I've had a CAT scan and all is normal. I'm thinking maybe it's a hormone imbalance? I've also researched epilepsy, through this board actually, and the people over there say that my symptoms don't sound like epilepsy. It's driving me crazy trying to figure out what it is, I'm actually starting to become a little depressed, which just makes things even worse.

Are these the type of feelings you're describing? Wonderin gif maybe we have the same thing going on. Let me know!

I do know what you mean, because at the start of my "misery" that's how I felt, but more from not being able to explain or have explained what was going on. I got VERY depressed and loopey. Some days I would just stare. I had very hard time acctually looking and focusing at anything. Everything would be blurry.
I've been having the same symptoms - lightheaded, foggy, disoriented, dizzy, clumsy, forgetful, hard time comprehending, fatigued and headache for about 2 years now.
I also woke up one morning and just felt it. I was spacey and I could barely get ready for work and the feeling just woudn't go away. I learned to live with it by now, but the quality of my life is shxx.
Now, I don't know if it's the doctors in Canada or I have bad doctors, because I've been going to all kinds of test for these 2 years - that mostly I asked for - and they still didn't tell me what is wrong and neither did they give me a remedy. They just say they don't know what's wrong and say it's fibromyalgia. That's when they can't think of anything else! I'm surprised none of them has given me a treatment for migraines yet!
The terms "vestibular migraine", "migraine associated vertigo" I heard about first here.
I even went to a neurologist and even he didn't come up with a solution. Don't they diagnose you with that? The ENT was even less helpful. The balance test showed negative, but he wasn't willing to investigate any further. I'm so fed up by now.
I don't mean to rant, but you can imagine 2 years of that stuff.
Do you find crowded streets, traffic, humidity make it worse?
What the heck is going on with us? :confused:

P.S.
One source I was investigating says it might be from dental work. I had a root canal done about 3 months before this started. Does any of you have a root canal? If you do a search on the net about root canals, it will indicate similar symptoms....

Hi all!

I can totally relate from where you're coming from. I've had this dizziness, head fog, headache feeling for about a year and a 1/2 now and still no doctor can find a thing wrong with me. Although when it first started, they said it's anxiety and put me on all sorts of medications with i think make it worse, so i'm starting to get off those. maybe coming off will decrease the dizziness. :rolleyes: But over the past year or so, i've had every test imaginable. CT scans, MRI's, ENG, EKG's and so on and so on. But have had no luck. I have learned to deal with being dizzy and umbalanced, but really don't want to live like this for the rest of my life. I just wish they would find something and fix it, but i guess that would be too easy. Some days are better than others, but when it's a bad day, it's pretty bad, I have to pretty much drag myself out of bed.

Hey! would you mind if I joined this discussion also? I have been getting the same things for over a year now! I have had every test imaginable and all negative with the exception of a vestibular problem found from the ENG. I get wierd pressure feelings on the top and back of my head, then my ears feel like I have extreme pressure and then they go numb (like novocaine from the dentist). I started last year with my ear and the side of my face numb but now it has evolved into the pressure feeling. I tried neurotin and topomax which made me really sick. This was the first place I ever heard of vestibular migraine - that is interesting. I have been to 4 neuros over the last year and really didn't like any of them. It seems after the tests come back normal they blow you off or want to medicate you to death. Also, I read someone say something about the hormone issue - I am exploring that too! I am 44yrs and in full menopause - maybe that's it! I just feel so depressed after a yr of this - I feel like I cannot be a good wife or mother. Thanks for listening - please answer if you have the same symptoms.
Nancy

Check out tension headaches-they are very common and usually mistaken for something far worse.

Wow, it's a trip that you guys are feeling the same things. I feel dizzy and have headaches constantly these days. I too have worried about the whole tumor thing.
Sometimes I feel "pain". Most of the time it's pressure on top of my head in the vicinity above my right eye. I also have "pain" around the base of my skull (right side). The doctor says that he thinks its a manifestation of stress. Many times I'll feel pain right inside my right ear. The problem is that I don't know if I have an inner ear problem (I've been very famous jamming Q-tips in my ears, possibly packing in wax over time)
that it causing the dizziness and headaches....or if the pain in my ears is a result of something else. I'll have to go to an ear, nose, and throat doctor to find out, I guess. I've also dealt with the whole panic thing. But that has pretty much gone away.


I'm also a little confused about the whole headache/tumor thing. If the brain feels nothing, then why are headaches associated with possible tumors? Are headaches a "possible" sign of tumors or not?

Anyway, I'll keep all you guys in my prayers. I waiting for the day that I can give an awesome testimony in church about how the Lord healed my from this. It'll be a glorious day when I go through a whole day with a completely clear head.

Oh yeah, for the believers out there. Maybe you can say a prayer for me. I'm going to see the neurologist (I hope I spelled that correctly) soon. Pray that they'll not only perform a CT scan, but that it comes up negative.

Man...the waiting game is sometimes too much to bear.


God Bless everybody,
Dan

HI. My name's Sarah and I've been dealing with this same thing for almost 4 months now. Dizziness..24/7 weird spaciness..fatigue..depression..anxiety. .ear/headpressure..sore muscles in neck..loss of appetite and also a sensitivity to light. I have always had a lttle bit of anxiety and depression and was taking prozac for it when this all began. I felt fine. My life was good. It was stupid to get off my meds but I just listened to my doc's advice since a lot of these medications can cause those symptoms. He didn't know what was going on either and didn't know any better. I personally believe I have TMD (Temporal Mandibular Disorder) since none of this started until I went to the dentist. I had a routine cavity fixed in April and he did an in-lay which I guess isn't as bad as a root canal during which he had my jaw open for a very long time obviously which I believe triggered this. The muscles around your jaw are sensitive and when irritated TMJ/TMD symptoms can be experienced so I've been told. After getting off the prozac and still noticed no difference, I too got really scared about tumors so I got an MRI of the brain..normal. Saw ENTs...nothing. I actually have an appointment for balance testing in 2 weeks just in case..better safe than sorry...but I have a feeling they will not find anything wrong. All my bloodwork was done...normal. I have a splint now (a little clear nightgaurd thingy specially fitted for my teeth) so I don't grind my teeth in my sleep (it relaxes your jaw muscles when you're not clenching/grinding) and I am trying new muscle excersizes..like just simple stretches I am following from the book Taking Control of TMJ by Robert Uppgaard I just bought yesterday. I would say try going to a dentist that specializes in TMJ Disorders and ask some questions. Try going to a Chiropracter or cranial osteopath....that's what I am going to try next and also an accupuncturist. My dentist actually suggested that one since my muscles are so tense. I guess since tense muscles are contracting and tight around my jaw and ear area....that tends to effect the instruments of the ear...makes sense I guess. I am still seeking answers myself, but I thought since you all have most of the symptoms I do that I would put in my input. Hope you all start feeling better soon and pray for me as well. Take Care--Sarah

I used to suffer commonly from both "fog" and "jitters", which seemed to be at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Fog: thinking and concentration impaired, colors seemed dim, senses dulled--esp sense of touch, no motivation

Jitters: racing thoughts, overstimulated, colors too bright, senses too sharp, sounds too loud, too sensitive to touch (a normal touch would feel painful or ticklish), anxious to be doing something--anything

I was being treated for depression and anxiety, and when my meds were finally stabilized, these sessions faded. After a lot of research, I finally decided that these were symptoms of serotonin and other neurotransmitters being out of balance.

I think you need a new doctor if he's keeping you on Zoloft when it isn't helping you. My ex-husband was on Zoloft and it gave him rage symptoms--very unusual for him. We finally discovered by research on our own that Zoloft isn't as effective on men as it is women. Find a good psychiatrist who will help you get balanced. This doesn't mean it's all in your head. Brain chemistry can go out of balance just like any other part of your body.

Until then, you might try a home remedy that I've found very helpful--epsom salt baths. Two cups of salts in a warm bath and soak as long as the water stays warm. I don't know why it helps both the fog and the jitters, but I can feel my mind restored to normal as I soak. I think it might be the effect of magnesium soaking in the skin, but I don't have any evidence of this. I just know it works.

Good luck to you, and I hope your doctors can help you soon.

As I said in an earlier post, I've been getting headaches, dizziness, and neck aches. It's very disturbing and irritating...as we all know. Last night my wife and I went to a church picnic and she noticed something about my teeth. My four front bottom teeth are showing dentin (I think that's what its called). AND the tops of those same four teeth are nice and level! That discovery, coupled with when I started experiencing headaches and dizziness, very much seems to point to a classic case of TMJ. Basically, I'm grinding the heck out of my teeth while I sleep! And the above symptoms are classic symptoms of the disorder.

At first, I didn't understand how the dizziness was part of TMJ symptoms until the dentist told me that the ear canal is directly behind your jaw joint. Being the they're so close to one another, tightness, locking and clicking of your jaw can disturb one's inner ear....causing the dizziness. It's extremely easy to get freaked-out by these symptoms as we all know. But if I think about my own symptoms logically, I think I've narrowed down the problem. GLORY TO JESUS!!! I also have to remember that none of this started until I had one of my wisdom teeth pulled....possibly changing my bite and causing the TMJ symptoms in the first place.

Check your teeth everybody! If you see wear, you might just need a night-guard.

maybe more water might help, and maybe it could be migranes, my dad had flashing lights before his eyes, pressure headaches and tingling sensations down his back, they lasted about an hour at a time, but everybody is different, people who have migraines has different symptoms, and the sympoms sometimes span out loger than others, maybe eveytime you get a headache and the wierd feeling drink alittle bit of water and take a motrin.
PS it may not be a bad migrane, have you taken an MRI yet? (ct scan) :confused:

hi there, i am just reading a posting that you put on the website " healthboards.com" about feeling spaced out and so on, i am really interested to know how you all got on??? i am feeling the same way and am wondering is there no end to this feeling?? it has been going on for about four months now and has been getting gradually worse, i get headaches, did you get these?? i had a few panic attacks around the time that this started, i have been off work for about 2 months now because of it and find it hard to communicate etc. i get like numb feeling in like my hands some times and feels like my system is shutting down or something.
I get really confused when i am doing things and sometimes get the feeling like i dont know where i am or like i an a dream world or something. I cant drive because i feel like i am going to crash, i was worried about going to the doctor, thinking that they wouldnt be able to do anything and suprise suprise they cant, my conclusion with them is that it is all trial and error, but hey i am willing to try anything!!!!!!!!
I am feeling really scared and feel as if i am going crazy!!! have you had any luck with anything??? i have been to 7 doctors, cranialsacral therapy, osteopath, natrual healers, had chest xrays, countless blood tests, been put on blood pressure reducing pills, prozac you name it.
is there any light at the end of the tunnel????
thanks any feed back would be great

you probably suffer from depersonalization.

This may sound stupid but whats the difference between a CT scan and a MRI scan. Thanks

Wow! I am so glad I found this board. I have been having a lot of these weird symptoms for about a month now. It started as a dull headache on the top left side of my head that would come and go. Now it is just constant pressure, almost a tingly feeling. It is all on the left side of my head and face, and it feels like it is pressing on my left eye. I also sometimes feel out of it and just have a general feeling of uneasiness. I also have been experiencing ear pain and my ears are constantly popping like I am underwater. And, just in the past 2 weeks, I've had swollen glands in the back of my neck. They swell up and get smaller, almost to the point where you can't feel them, but they keep coming back. I do have some infected teeth and one abcess on the left top that I've had for awhile now... but I have new insurance that has to process before I can even get an appointment with the dentist. I am so freaked out, and, like a lot of you, I am so afraid I have a brain tumour. I know teeth infections can go to your brain but I am so nervous to deal with this. After reading that so many other people have had similar situations I do feel a little better though... now I just have to work up the nerve to call the doctor...
KIM

Has anyone came up with anything? I have been feeling like this for a month or so now, I cant stand it. Had a Cat scan of my head the other day and came up negative. Doc said something about tension headaches and anxiety

I feel very comforted to find this board. My symptoms are like most of yours:
3.5 weeks of symptoms. Mild headache, but more like a "fullness" or "spacey" head. Feels like my head feels when I have a fever, but my temp is normal! Ever so slight feeling of vertigo, but no spinning. Ever so slight feeling of light headedness, but not quite. Better in morning. Stays on and off through the day.
I even tried the Epley Maneuver for vertigo. Doc thought I had ear infection, but I have no ear pain. They put me on Amoxicillin, no change. Zirthromax, no change. So now I'm getting ready for an MRI... Man. And of course, me being a hypochondriac and panic attack sufferer, I can just see getting a brain tumor! Oh, and I refuse to do the contrast dye shot for an MRI, no thanks, no vomiting for me! Anyways, my appetite is normal and I sleep well. I hope we all get better,,,, did anyone get better?

Well I hope someone comes up with something. Doc said try running or something to get the heart rate up for at least 30-45 min. a day. Said I have tension headaches. I`m 29 and I`ll say kinda lazy but not out of shape (fat that is) but will start doing this as soon as I get some running shoes.

it seems that exercise is key to feeling good all around...

Hello everyone, I am a newbie here and I want to offer you all the comfort of knowing I know EXACTLY how you all feel. I have had this horrible devil-spawned fog as well. Sometimes its headaches, sometimes its fog. I have strange ear symptoms like I'm underwater. I have visual symptoms like I can't see things quite right, like my brain is telling me my vision is not real somehow, like my brain can't accept light. Added to that, spontanteous sweating and night sweats.

I intend to post much more and join you all on this journey of discovery and I hope and pray we all find the solutions we are after. For now I urge you all to open up the following lines of enquiry on yourselves, based on my rather frenzied research.
-Stomach acid and its role in assymilation of vital trace minerals, particularly copper
-copper's role in the production of vital brain hormones, particularly serotonin etc
-something called kidney yin deficiency in TCM
-how if the kidneys are not working well for whatever reason, infection or otherwise, they flush out essential minerals too easily
-kidney dysfunction and how it relates to muscle tension in the NECK, as well as EARS
-all things related to gentle exercise, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, etc.
intend to say more, for now I shall say, God bless you all, its so good to know there are others out there.

Dan C.
Melbourne Australia.

Anyone else find out anything?

Guys! I'm just browsing this forum as I'm usually over on the anxiety forums. A lot of you guys sound exactly like I did when I took a billion tests and found out nothing was physically wrong. I've been on effexor xr for anxiety for a few months now and I feel great finally!!! There is hope!!! Ask the doc to try you on an antidepressant if you're so inclined. One of the symptoms of anxiety is derealization/depersonalization. I was totally convinced it had to be a physical problem, I just couldn't believe anxiety could cause this feeling. After being on the meds, I'm sure that's exactly what it was. good luck.

Jeff

Anyone else find out anything?


yes, i found out this feeling doesn't go away

i too have been blighted with this problem for 8 years.its completely destroyed my 20's both career wise and socially.foggy head,slightly delayed reactions,headaches in the top right of my head near the crown,im even developing bad knees premeturely because ive spent 8 years walking slightly out of cinque.slight dizzyness when moving my head.or even dizzyness when lying motionless and merely darting my eyes left to right. discomfort in the right of my neck subtle tightness behind my right ear at the top with a few lumps on my neck/back of head thrown in for good measure.which my dr wrote off as 'glands',nothing more.ive seen a nuerologist who did MRI cranial scan which described the fluid ventricles in my brain as 'slightly larger one would expect for my age but probably with-in normal limits'
NUERO did porphyria,copperstudies and ANA test.which all came back clear.
ill be watching this thread closely.obviously a few will have different causes but i think maybe we're having a bad reaction from exsposure to a certain techonology of 21 st century life.maybe dental work as mentioned above.also if you use mobile phones id stop or cut down.no matter what they say. im convinced that in some people theres side effects.worth a try

does anyone have the feeling of nor being to understand talking or words with this? I do and then feel numb all over for days. Also forgetting how to do normal things like work your stove, water faucet's ect...?

YES...i forget how to do simple things...or i fear Ill forget...my brain goes numb...and i have to do one thing at a time or i get overwhelmed

This has totally taken over my life...no day is normal for me anymore...soemtimes im so fatigued and in a fog i feel liike im pretty much dead...its hard for me to pretend life is normal, and interact with people.

kari I have Fibromyalgia and I think it's what causes the headache. Do you or have you ever went to the ER for it when its bad? I'm afraid to go they have a tendancy to give you med's and send you home no wiser, I have talked to Dr. but I get the feeling Dr's want to treat well people with good insurance I need a dectative not a Dr.

no ive never gone to the ER because of it..dr's look at me like i have 3 heads all the time..
can you explain what fibromyalgia is please?

Everyone should additionally investigate two other lines of inquiry: iron overload or heamachromotosis (spelling?) and Gilberts syndrome. The pertinent blood tests to investigate are all iron studies (Iron, Transferrin, Transferrin saturation, Ferritin) as well as Zinc and Copper levels, and Bilirubin, ALP, AST. These numbers all relate to the liver and its ability to produce certain sets of enzymes which are responsible for using iron in the production of haemoglobin, as well as metabolising and excreting the by-products of the breakdown of red-blood cells.
The brain fog phenomenon appears to be very commonly related to the liver's ability or lack of ability to complete certain metabolising and detoxification pathways. I have been diagnosed with Gilberts Syndrome and have been told that it might well be responsible for the entirety of these symptoms. I don't want to falsely raise anyone's hopes but I strongly recommend you all check it out.
Men more than women are particularly succeptible to both iron overload and Gilberts because we use the relevant minerals differently to women. With women the brain fog phenomenon is much more commonly associated with estrogen dominance and excess of copper. Men are more succeptible to low copper and excess zinc and iron, because we're not losing iron every month! In the case of Gilberts, both Cu and Zn can show up too low (as is the case with me, a Cu count of 10 (11-21) and Zn of 8.9(11-22) which appears to be directly related to Gilberts.
The interrelationship and markers for Zinc, Copper and Iron should be thoroughly investigated in all cases of brain fog, as they have enormous consequences throughout the body.
In Gilberts when bilirubin cannot be broken down it sits in the liver and interferes with its processes, which has knock-on effects throughout, particularly on the kidneys, which are called on to do jobs that the liver usually would, such as excreting unprocessed bilirubin. This can result in excess mineral excretion, which is what appears to be the case with me.
Oh yes, DON'T let any doctor tell you Gilberts is a syndrome that produces no symptoms. Under certain circumstances (gut dysbiosis, chronic low immunity, prolonged emotional stress, for example) it absolutely can.
The most specific natural remedies for this situation appear to be Choline and Inositol (B group vitamins which the liver and kidneys need hugely increased quantities of in these cases, as well as Vit E (Preventing scarring of hepatic and renal tissue), all the B group vitamins, the amino acids cysteine and methionine (essential for many chemical pathways in the liver) and the herbal remedies st mary's thistle and dandelion. All of these remedies and especially the herbs should be investigated thoroughly with a naturally oriented health practitioner before starting a course of any of them.

Food for thought.

P.S. have a look to begin with at www.gilbertsweb.co.uk and note the similarity in the complaints of those on that forum and this thread.

God Bless.

Dan Collette
Melbourne Australia