Something has been wrong for years and I'm venting

[Trying1989]

I just watched the interview with Robin Williams' widow talking about what he went through with Lewey Body Dementia, and there are so many similarities to what I've been dealing with for something like 8 years now. I'm NOT saying I have LBD. What I am saying is this is the first time I've heard someone describe a lot of the issues I have in a validating way. When I try to explain what happens to me to doctors, they just look at me like I'm crazy and then pick one symptom, usually the headaches, to zero in on and send me home with a new migraine or dizziness medication. One told me the fact that I have such an "unusual" symptom picture suggests it's all mental. One gave me a migraine medication and told me, "This should help with those emotional issues as well," because I started crying after he blatantly ignored my concerns about having hallucinations and bizarre sleep disturbances.

In the interview, she talked about how he could be brilliant one moment and five minutes later completely out of it, and this is exactly what happens to me. My cognitive issues vary in severity, not only by the day, but seemingly by the minute. That's why no one believes me. I can go to school and get a 98 on an organic chemistry exam and then later at home spend two hours in bed hallucinating or staring at the wall because my brain just won't work. Sometimes I can hold conversations fine, and other times I stutter my way through trying to remember basic words. Sometimes my handwriting is beautiful, and sometimes it looks like scribble. It's very in and out, and I just have to hope it doesn't happen at a time when the consequences will be detrimental.

Anyway, I was just looking for somewhere to vent. I'm frustrated and scared and can't talk to anybody because nobody believes me. I know no one can magically fix anything for me, and I'm too broke to follow up on any suggestions anyone might have right now.

Thanks.

[rpwoodard]

Your situation sounds very frustrating. I have experienced mysterious symptoms and doctors telling me the cause was psychological. Fortunately, I had a therapist and very good friend who continually affirmed my conviction that the symptoms were not psychogenic.

I wish you well. and wish you much patience.

[Trying1989]

Thank you very much for your kind wishes. :)

[Trying1989]

Oh, another similarity is the sensitivity to neuropsychogenic medications. Every time I've tried some kind of mind-affecting medication, it's had really bizarre side effects that don't seem to happen to anyone else. Straterra, for example, made me fall asleep off and on and have really weird dreams and hallucinations. It got to the point where I had no idea what was reality and what was a dream. My doctor had no idea to respond to what I was describing because this kind of stuff doesn't happen to other patients.