Sudden brain fog and memory impairment

[malden]

exactly six weeks  ago while I was out shopping I suddenly felt this cloudy sensation descend upon my brain and my vision became cloudy as if a film had been placed over my eyes. subsequently I have noticed that my short term memory has become really bad (an event that happened yesterday would seem like a week ago)my speed of thinking and word recall have also worsened. Two weeks after my sudden onset of brain fog and cloudy vision I started getting headaches behind my eyes and muscular pain( i don't know if the muscular pain has anything to do with the fact that I have remained in bed since my brain fog  started) I am an outgoing 34 yr old male with good health (I Play soccer for in a local league). Since my problem began I have become bed ridden with no interest in anything.I have used B complex, ginko, chelated magnesium and calcium, omega 3 fish oil to no avail. I have had several blood test and all have come back normal. My GP has written to a neuro but it might be months before I get to see one. Since the sudden onset of my symptoms my condition has not abated or improved. I don't konw if it is relevant but two days before the sudden onset of my symptoms I was at a party where I consumed a great deal of alcohol. I felt fine the next day and it was the second day after that my sudden brain fog began. I have no numbness or weakness in my limbs and I am not overly tired ( I  remain in bed because I feel like i am operating at 50% of my normal ability). I am mystified by the sudden onset of symptoms.I.e one minute I was fine and the next I am different. What can it be?

[malden]

thanks for the post JasOne

How you feel is exactly how I feel and I can relate totally especially the part about shuting out everyone and not taking phone calls. It is just so difficult to enjoy life when you know your mental capacity is diminished. Like you I was prescribed anti deppressant. I used it twice and gave up as it was not helping at all. I also realised that this is almost every doctors solution for every illness they can't diagnose (here son pop a few of these upper !!!). I also realised that my condition was what made me unhappy and not depression per se. Like you I can sleep but I get racing thought as well (especially as I am about to fall asleep) with anxiety. I don,t know if this happens to you but when I am outdoors I find it difficult to focus and concentrate with all the activitie going on (something that should not normally be a problem as the brain is more than capable of multi tasking when it is working well).In the past fifteen years I have been in a hospital only once (food poisoning) but in the past eight weeks since my condition began I have been to my GP and the local hospital seven times (this condition is really getting to me) yet this is not enough to show these overpaid glorified researchers (doctors) that maybe this man genuinely has a problem we should investigate properly . I am also appalled to learn of how long people have to wait to see a neurologist in most countries. Is money all that matters to the medical authorities? how about our health? I have also come to realise that most Doctors are not compassionate individuals (I have seen five so far and only one was not abrasive and dismissive). I pray to get I recover so i never have anything to do with Doctors and hospitals again.Have you done any test JasOne? I am seeing a neuro in March and I will keep you informed on this board.

[JasOne]

hey malden.  i've been trying to find a forum like this because for the last 8 months i've been going through a lot of the same symptoms you have described.  i'm 26 year old male, who is known to be outgoing and a people person.  back in july 2005 i started feeling a sense of cloudiness hanging over my head.  it has effected my ability to focus, think clearly, retain new information, has lessened my self esteem and confidence in doing mostly anything, hindered my ability in reading and retaining what i read, set me in a state of isolation (wasn't returning calls or taking calls from close family or friends), i left work temporarily because i couldn't focus, and am also awaiting my appointment with my neurologist. in the beginning i thought it was severe depression, so i saw my GP, which he was so quick to take out his prescirption pad to prescribe zoloft (which i took for 2 days had adverse affects and stopped the pills), he basically said if i took it i wouldn't have to do anything else.  i went to see a psychologist (who did what's called a neuro-psych testing which tests people for learning disabilities, ADD, early stages of alzheimers) which i did pretty well and she didn't see any signs of a learning disability.  went to a psycho therapist and she was very caring but i left not remembering half of what we discussed, started following her program which was a combination of self hypnosis (repeating, "every day in every respect, i'll get better and better") which hasn't been the case and a step exercise which levels out the right and left brain, which also hasn't shown any noticable results.  went to a naturopahtic school and did what's called a heavy metal test and am awaiting those results.  my blood results have also came out really healthy as well as my physical just fine.  i do have a history of brain disease in my family, a grandfather with alzheimers, a aunt with schizophrenia, as well as an aunt with brain tumors, and alcholism has been a problem in my family.  as far as alcohol, i used to drink socially excessive in high school, college and the last two years on the weekends while working.  since december i have quit alcohol completely until i find some answers to this brain fog or whatever i have.  i question things that might have contributed to this condition, alcohol for one, i have been hit in the head a few times through fights when i was young and dumb, lifted weights since the age of 15 and question my breathing patterns and maybe not enough oxygen was going to my brain in the last 10 years.  so as you can see, i'm trying to eliminate all options and look at all possibilites.  i've come to my own conclusion that there is depression, but there has to be an underlying cause, maybe a brain dysfuncion, chemical imbalance... the hardest thing which i'm sure you deal with is NOT KNOWING what is causing all of this.  i'm doing a lot better as far as trying to stay positive, have the belief that i will get better and trying to talk to friends who have been the best support system, and of course my family.  i want you to know that you'll get through this, we'll get through this.  ask your neurologist as many questions as you can, keep taking those supplements and keeping a healthy diet, get those brain scans to see if there's something there, and even if nothing shows up on one, get another if not a MRI, a CAT or SPECT.  i know they're expensive, but you can't afford not to get those done if it's something really serious, obviously it is serious because it's put both of us in a lifestyle we don't enjoy and are hindering us from living a happy life.  i have a question for you, do you have problems with sleep?  for me, i can sleep, but i have racing thoughts and get anxiety while sleeping, when i get up the whites of my eyes are a little bloodshot.  have you experienced any of that?  anyhow i'm glad i found this site and keep me posted on your progression, i'll definitely keep you posted on mines.  and thank all you others for being so caring and informative, citizen t, fcar, vega, zzzzzzz, CCF-Neuro-M.D.. peace and love,

JasOne (or jason)

[zzzzzzzzzz]

Thanks Malden. Yes, it seems I don't have MS thank god, but what I do have is not great. Complicated migrain is not your average type and only occurs in 1% of migraine sufferers - its been pretty debilitating, and while I've been determined to have a good life anyway, it has placed a huge restriction on my daily living at times. The good news is I can now begin to do the things neccessary to control it - this will take time and may not be completely successful, but at least I can start. I really had no idea that migraine can occur without headache or that it can last for months, so I only made the connection when my head hurt. I have to admit the excitement that I don't have MS, has been overridden by the reality of what I do have and the frustration that it has taken all these years to get a diagnosis. The neuro said it had to get this bad to be diagnosable, so its noones fault I guess. I'm just taking a day to feel sorry for myself and then I'll move on again. A sunny day is forcast for tomorrow (late summer here) and I'm going to the beach to have fun - best place to go when you're feeling bad. I've recently learned that the best approach is not to give into it if possible and to get out of the house. You feel like theres no way you can, but once you get past that its amazing what you can do. I guess it helps that I have a daughter hassling me daily. Anyway- enough about me. Glad you're feeling a bit better. Was the neuro's answer helpful at all? - I've been looking out for it. All the best.

[malden]

I read your response to sally's posting and I was so happy for you. In my heart I did not think you had anything really bad because you have done quite well over along period of time and your life has not been terribly compromised. With your new diagnosis and your positive attitude I am sure you will recover and make progress from now on. As for me I feel a bit better but I don't wan't to raise my hopes prematurely but I am up and about a bit more now. Best Of luck. I don't know you but I think you deserve it.

[zzzzzzzzzz]

I was diagnosed with ME 15 years ago, so I do know quite alot about it. Asked the doc if thats what it could be this time, but she didn't think so due to the kind of symptoms - tingling & numbness & associated weakness etc. I haven't given you all my symptoms, I also get vertigo, bladder problems, nystagmus, ataxia, falls for no reason, and others consistant with MS and there have been remissions. The physician I saw did an eye exam and diagnosed bilateral interneuclear opthalmoplegia - a condition that occurs mostly in MS and causes double vision. Dibeties is another cause, but that has been ruled out. The physician ordered an urgent MRI (I'd already been ill for 2 months at that point) but the hospital stuffed up and I didn't get it till a month later when most symptoms had resolved. I only had numb left toes and nystagmus left. They also did'nt use the dye that would have shown old scars. The physician was very suprised that the MRI came back negative as was I. I have recently had another attack, tho not as bad as last time thank god, but the numbness has spread a little further up my foot and my eyes are a little worse. So ther you have it. Who knows what it is - I'd certainly like it not to be MS, But my doc says I fit the profile. Still, I guess there will be alot more tests yet and wednesday's appointment will just be the beginning so whats the use in worrying about it!. The woman at the MS society said "be prepared to wait up to a year before you know and strangely that took all the anxiety away and snapped me out of it. I've been alot more relaxed and happy ever since. Anyway Malden. I'm glad you don't feel alone in this. Do you have supportive friends? I found my friends didn't know how to deal with me when I first got ill - thats because I only hung out with fitness freaks. The people in my life now are better, but I do feel more comfortable talking to people who know what its like. Good on you for getting out of bed. I thought you might not appreciate me for saying that - I know I wouldn't have liked it in the old days. Take care hun. And have as much fun as you can!

[malden]

by the way zzzzzzzz have you considered the prospect that you don,t have what you think you have. From what I have read of your history above it seems that it might be chronic fatigue syndrome or ME. I know that they are both debilitating diseases but the long term prognosis is usually good and most people get well in the end . I hope this is the case for you and all is well in the end. Good luck with your neuro appt in the week.