Hi everyone.

I'm 20 years old nearly 21 and I've been having some strange symptoms going on. I'm sorry in advance if this post is long. I'll put in as much detail as possible.

Well for the last 2 months or possibly 3 months my memory has been awful. I used to have a excellent memory but for the last few months I haven't. It started off a mild and occassional memory problems such as forgetting where I had left something or going upstairs to get something and when I got there my memory going completely blank so I retraced my steps, even to the point I had the idea to go upstairs in my mind and this used to jog my memory. But it doesn't work any more.

I have also noticed, occassionally I can't remember how to spell some basic words. I was top of my class in English but sometimes (few times a week or daily) I can't remember how to spell things. Also I can be talking to someone and then I will forget what I'm talking about.

When I'm writing a essay or replying to a post on here, half way through it or even less, my mind will go blank and I cant remember what I'm talking about. My mum has noticed this also and commented on it and said I should go doctor to be checked. I feel stupid about seeing the doctor for this because they probably wont take me seriously as I'm young. Also I can have difficulty remembering the names of some objects of kitchen appliances. For example yesterday my mum left the tap running and I couldn't turn it off, so I turned round to face her (was in kitchen with me) and said the errrrrrrrr silver thing that sprouts water wont turn off. I've even been known to refer to gas cooker as the green things in the corner with burning things because I just cant remember the name of it. This is all spontaneous and there is no prior warning.

Admittably sometimes I do feel a bit spaced out and I've had a lot of headaches which feels like a vice going round my head. But I put this all down to Migraines I had 2 years ago. Now I don't think its Migraine related. In fact I'm pretty certain it isn't and its starting to scare me now. I also have dizzy spells which I saw my GP about and everything came back normal except something.....Parox something that was slighty elevated. Thyroid, Diabetes etc all normal.

My memory has gotten down hill dramatically. I feel like I'm in a fog sometimes and my eyes goes foggy/smoky at night and I just dont feel right in myself. Like I'm run down and have no energy. I keep nodding off too because I'm very tired after a few hours of being awake. Some days I've got loads of energy and others I'm exhausted. Last 4 days I've been exhausted. I don't know whats going on with me. I feel like I'm losing who I am. My identity because all of my memories from my childhood are no longer sharp and vivid. They're all faded and vivid in some bits but hard to distinguish in others. People from school who said I used to hang around with them and we were good friends I can't remember so I put it down to them lying. But now I'm not so sure.

I'm also useless at directions. I have lived in my city since birth and knew my way around like the back of my hand. But I recently passed my driving test (2 weeks ago) and I got lost in my city and it took me hour and half to find my way back home. I even got lost going to the Vet twice and I've been taking my Dog there for 8 years! I just couldn't remember the way there except the roundabout which is round the corner from the Vet.

Edit : I did see my Opthamologist 2 weeks ago about the spontneous smokey/foggy vision in my eyes and she said everything looks normal and its probably to do with it being at night that my eyes see black and white. I had it once during the day and I didn't mention it. There is one more thing that might be related but I've had some speech problems like I can't pronounce a word properly or get it out. I feel very stupid when this happens and its like my lips become heavy. I haven't lost any weight but I did pass out a few weeks ago 3 times which I put down to the dizzyness I have.

I don't know whats going on but I'm scared and I'm hoping someone can help me. What can be wrong with me? What should I do?

First of all , you DO need to get into a doctor ASAP as this could be very serious, and a lot of problems that are due to brain and spine as well as heart are time based and could cause more damage the longer you wait. I'm no expert in this stuff, however I would be suspicious of a tumor in the brain. You need to get your brain scaned. I would imagine your doctor would take you seriously on this and may referr you to a Neurologist and/or Neurosurgeon, but if he doesn't, demand that he does so and demand for an MRI of the Brain and possibly a Cat Scan as well.

Hopefully its nothing serious, but take your mom's advice! Better to be safe than sorry! Good Luck and God Bless!

Hi Pearl.

Thank you for your help hun and thanks for the link. I'll have a look at it now. I really really hope it isnt a brain tumor. Are these more common in families who are succeptible to cancer? I had a counsin who was 21 and died from a brain tumor. He wasn't blood related but was married to my 2nd cousin.

I think I am going to follow my mums advice and go to the doctor. It's getting out of hand now and me avoiding it hasn't achieved anything unfortunately. Thanks again. :)

That would be a good question to ask your doctor.. I don't know, sorry. But its good to make a list of questions so you don't forget what to ask while there, because I think just about everybody forgets to say something at the doctor office and then later are like DARN IT I FORGOT TO ASK! Which turns into worry then because you don't know. Good luck to you and keep us posted, God Bless!

I do that all the time, lol. I am going to write down a list of my symptoms so I don't forget anything and hand it over to my GP hopefully next week when I can get a appointment. I just hope its a bug that is messing around with me and not something serious. Thanks again. :)

Hi again,

I saw a Locum GP today at my Doctors practice and told her whats been going on and she didn't care. She told me I'm having these symptoms because I'm unhappy and if it was Neurological related my calcium and iron levels would be abnormal. Of course I contradicated this and told her calcium and iron does NOT affect neurological problems but she wouldn't listen to me.

She didn't examine me at all apart from checking my blood pressure which was perfectly normal and said all my blood tests performed 5 weeks ago are normal apart from one which came out elevated for a recent cold,cough etc. So basically it was ike talking to a brick wall and she didn't believe me.

My mum told her whats been happening and I told her Im scared to drive incase I go dizzy at the wheel and cause a accident and I cant go on living with these symptoms but all she said was the above, its caused by me being unhappy (I am not unhappy at all!) and I'm a very healthy young woman and I turned around and told her a pet orang-a-tang could treat me better than she can and if I'm healthy I would like to see what a unhealthy persons symptoms are in her estimation and basically had a big argument with her and walked out. She's useless.

I don't know what to do now. Fed up with all of this. Had the symptoms very bad for days straight and still got them now with slight dizziness. I just dont know what to do anymore.

TYIA.

Get yourself a new Physician, you could even go beyond that right away and just make an appointment with a neurologist if you wanted. Don't give up, perhaps she was being stubborn because you challenged her stand on the issue, but there are doc's out there that are willing to work with people and do what they want to have done in most cases. Good luck to you on finding a new doc or getting to the neurologist, Just remember to fight for yourself and to keep looking for the answer, don't let this situation discourage you in any way! I pray the next doc you find will work with you and go above and beyond for your sake that you can get this straightened out so you can live normally once again! Good Luck and God Bless! :angel:

Make sure you take a copy of the questions you have for your doctor with you. Go through the questions one by one and write down the answer to each one, on a space you leave on the page. That way your doctor can't side step any questions. You need to have an intracellular nutrient test done also. This can be done at Spectracell in Houston, but you doctor can draw the blood there. You problem could be as simple as a deficiency in a certain vitamin or nutrient...such as magnesium. Magnesium does require an intracellular test...but many doctor insist that a serum test is sufficient...It is NOT! Low magnesium could cause all of your problems, but so could something else. Low magnesium could also cause migraines. What did your doctor find that you were low in? Have you changed your diet lately? Have you changed anything in your life.??? Moved, different job? Do you sleep in the same part of the house as your parents....Could be carbon monoxide....Could be environmental toxins. Do you have a jewish heritage? (for niemann-pick), Have your car checked for carbon monoxide, could be leaking into the cabin. Even mold in your home is a possibility.

Hi Pearl,

Thank you hun. I could of slapped the GP one because she was so unsympathetic and useless. I'm going to make a appointment for friday and hopefully see my regular GP. She will do something (i hope) lol.
Thank you again.


Hi NHone

I'm not low in anything hun. Something came out elevated in the Heamotology part but the GP said it will come out elevated when I've had a recent sneeze or cold etc. So its nothing to worry about at all. I was hoping it would be something simple so I could get it sorted and be back to my old self again. But no luck. A guessing game at the moment.

I'm not sure if the GP checked for minerals and vitamin problems. I know I was checked for most things blood wise. Nope I'm not from a Jewish heritage and my car isn't leaking carbon monoxide. It isn't leaking anywhere in my house either and no mould that I've noticed. There is nothing that I can think of thats changed in my life