Re: clouded consciousness

Posted By chase on July 25, 1999 at 09:33:20
I've been experiencing the following symptoms:
-Clouded consciousness--not a minute of a day passes by when my alertness     isn't cloudy or foggy
-Syncope--I've passed out at least a dozen times in the past 10 years.  I     passed out on the tilt table test when the cardiologist administered     the heart stimulant.
-Left side of face--the left side of my face doesn't do what I tell it to      at least on a daily basis.  I've noticed this especially when I've gone     too long without eating something.  It seems like the information my     brain is sending to my face gets lost by the time it reaches my facial     muscle.
-Visual disturbances--if you've ever lost consciousness, my vision is stuck     in that moment between being fully conscious and being in an         unconscious state.  It seems like visual information is slowing down on     the way to my brain and it's making my vision "swimmy".
-Speech--I frequently lose track of what others are saying or what I am        saying mid-sentece.  When I have gone a long time without eating         something, I start stuttering at times or repeating phrases and my         speech is forced.  I have a hard time paying attention to auditory         stimuli.
I think I've had some of these symptoms to some degree for most of my life.  I'm in my twenties, so I know they are not related to aging.  These symptoms affect my ability to function the way I need to at work and in day to day life.  I want go back to graduate school, but my decreased awareness and attention span make it hard for me to accomplish what I need to there. I'm certain that all of the above symptoms are related to the clouded consciousness.  I've seen a couple of neurologists and a cardiologist, but they are not sure what is causing the cluster of symptoms.  It seems evident to me that something is interfering with a neurotransmitter system. Any help or suggestions would be very much appreciated.  Thanks, Chase

[CCF MD mdf]

Posted By CCF MD mdf on July 25, 1999 at 21:24:35
A neurologist should embark on a systematic, thorough search for one or more causes of yourproblems first by listening carefully to the symptoms, examining you comprehensively, and then deciding where in the nervous system your problems arise. Further tests should be directed based on that. My estimate is that your symptoms localize to the brain, rather than cord or nerves or muscle, but that is based only on the information here. There is no single anatomic or physiologic cause that is apparent to me.
If your neurologist feels strongly that there is some possibility of a specific lesion somewhere, an MRI of the brain may be ordered.
In my experience, these symptoms are commonly related to anxiety or depression, so if there is any other evidence for that, your neurologist may suggest you be treated directly for that.
As you knwo, this information is presented strictly for educational benefit; any specific comments regarding diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment options must come directly from your doctor after appropriate evaluation.
CCF MD mdf.

[mlc__0]

Posted By mlc on July 31, 1999 at 20:16:51
Dear Dr.
  Is it possible that hypoglycemia is a cause for these symptoms?










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