Brain cell/neuron damage, metabolic?

Posted By Bob Muller on August 17, 1998 at 12:56:53:







Dear Doctor:
Male, 40 Years old.
Symptoms: Chronic worsening of weakness, depersonalization, tinnitus, darkening of vision
tachycardia, (non cardiac related), GI distress. Short term memory is failing.
Symptoms greatly worsen after meal. Extreme metallic taste in mouth 1/2 hour after meal.
Concentration reduced. Acute anxiety-panic. Sense of loosing input from all senses especially visual and audio.
Workups:
Cardiac negative, non specific st-t wave abnormalities.
Routine blood testing negative although had elevated CPK, bilirubin, GGT,
LDH and ammonia on occasion.
CT brain: negative
MRI/MRA brain: negative
Essentially no gross brain structure abnormalities as I am told.
Diagnosis: Anxiety and depression.
Treatment: benzodiazepines (Klonopin), SSRI's (Zoloft).
My concern: I beleive this is metabolic. Correlation with worsening of symptoms is to closly related
to ingestion and beginning of digestion of any type of food. Oddly enough
a carbonated beverage such as diet coke can lessen the symptoms. Effect on PH?
No overall hypoxia as MRA was negative, cardiac output normal under stress and Oxygen saturation is always
within normal limits. No hypo or hyper-glycemia. In my mind this is not a simple case of anxiety disorder with depression.
I have recorded my own data on my mental status, and found certain key areas are now rapidly worsening.
Global motor function: reasonably unchanged.
Long term memory: reasonably unchanged.
Short term memory: rapidly decreasing, scale of 1-10, .5 point every few days, about 5 now.
Sense of environment, visual audio: decreasing.
Sense of self: decreasing, scale of 1-10, .1 point every few days, about 7 now.
Poor concentration.
Questions:
Any blood test specific to brain cell or neuron damage or function available?
LDH of a specific type?
Excitatory amino acids?
Test for cerebral lactic acidosis?
Other suggestions?
Any help would be appreciated.
Regards;
B. Muller