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unable to focus when reading, foggy and feeling of being disconnect

I've been experiencing some odd symptoms over the past few years and they have since gotten worse and now concerning to me.  My vision is constanly bothering me and I have a hard time focusing on words when reading.  In the past I've had spells of blurred vision followed by a lathargic state and then a pounding headache.  This headache sometimes lasted for more than 24 hours.  About 3 years ago, I had an MRI done and all came back clear.  I recently had bloodwork done and thought Diabetes was the case, but all results came back clear except my liver count (elavated AST and ALT).  I'm still going through some tests for the liver, but already had an ultrasound and Hep A,B,C test which were all clear. The blurry vision/foggy feeling has me concerned since I have recently been to the eye doctor and all was good. He simply gave me computer glasses and sent me on my way. The feeling is almost like being intoxicated and being disconnected. When I have conversations with people, it's hard to concentrate on that subject and even hard to remember what was talked about earlier. I'm a 31 year old male (6'1 210lbs) and in relatively decent shape.  I drank alcohol somewhat heavily on the weekends in college, but have 3-6 drinks a weekend at the most now.  

It's gotten to the point that I'm stressing about it and searching the internet for any clues.....If you have the same symptoms and hopefully a suggestion, please let me know. Any help is appreciated.  It seems that doctors have shrugged it off and I'm desperate for answers.
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Avatar universal
In 2015 I had a injury to my neck that caused a loss of consciousness.  The last thing I remember was hearing a snap in my neck.  Ever since, I have had a cluster of the issues that you mention.  Horrible brain fog, memory issues, surreal feeling, vertigo, loss of visual acuity, sleep issues, anxiety, severe depression, "flat" vision (2D), along with face pain, neck pain and headaches, loss of coordination and the list goes on.

I will tell you where I finally landed after discussing this issue with many many people and trolling many forums for years now.  I stumbled upon Dr Francks website and discovered that my symptoms perfectly match Whiplash Associated Disorder a/o Craniocervical Syndrome.  He is a surgeon in Panama City that treats these issues.  Look him up online and on YouTube and see if your symptoms don't match.  Your symptoms could be a combination of artery compression from the misaligned c1/2 or craniocevical instability which causes spinal fluid flow issues.

One way you can diagnose this issue is to have a Digital Motion X-ray or a Rotational CT scan and a flexion/extension MRI.  I'm scheduled for a DMX this month (about 1000$) and I suspect we will find that my C1/2 ligaments are severely damaged and that my C1/2 are slipping about.  

Good luck and good health to all of you.  I hope you find your answers.
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Did you check your vitamin d levels? If no, then get them checked..
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I have the same feeling bro. When i try to concentrate I get all dizzy and there is burning sensation in my eyes . I can hardly read anything and it's so frustrating. This started at the age of 14 and has continued ever sense but I had some periods where I can easily concentrate and my brain works fine . Doctors say it's OCD but none of it's medication isn't working....
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I have had very similar symptoms and feel as if I am zoned out , and it is hard to focus at times. This comes and goes and sometimes dosent happen at all . The headache is very minor but concerns me that this may be a tumor. When you got your MRI did you go right away ? Does it get better or has it progressivly got worse ? I got all my blood tests back and everything looks fine. The optometrist said my eyes are also fine and blames it on prolonged marijuana use causing the retinal muscle to relax and not work as it should. How would one know if they had a brain tumor.this is really worrying me.
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Yes. Been having it since 2014. I can't enjoy reading my fave books as much as before cause of that. Although it's getting better, I still remember how I struggled to concentrate on reading and when I give effort to concentrate, I get that tingling in my head, that tightness, and I start sweating. And I start feeling down cause I couldn't read the same way as before. I thought I was the only one with that problem. Apparently, I'm not and I'm glad to know. I just started researching about it now then I came to this.
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Avatar universal
It's difficult for me to pinpoint which of my symptoms are likely related in order to get a diagnosis. I already have hypothyroidism which causes such a wide range of issues. On top of that I have a spinal issue which causes me hip and low back pain and some leg nerve pain as well. My newest symptoms: increased short term memory loss, brain fog, unfocused vision, difficulty concentrating, increased fatigue, feet hot after I fall asleep. Never had a head injury.

Existing symptoms: fatigue, muscle soreness, nerve pain (mostly in leg affected by spinal issue), hand numbness, tendinitis, scalp pain, low to no sex drive, short term memory loss, depression, anxiety, heart palpitations, mild asthma, high cholesterol, borderline low blood pressure, bad circulation. I'm probably forgetting others (I'm a mess).

I'm 35, take levothyroxine, spironolactone, B vitamins, magnesium, D vitamins, E vitamins, multi vitamin, and joint supplements.

I have yet to see the doctor about the new symptoms. My fears are that they'll dismiss the issues (commonly happens), or that it could be MS (can be linked to hypothyroidism). I'm also afraid I won't be able to finish my degree as it's getting more and more difficult to function in class.
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Avatar universal
I would be evaluated for a concussion if I were you. If nothing turns up for the concussion then go on and see a head, neck, or back specialist. It could be a pinched nerve.
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Avatar universal
narcolepsy
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3116443 tn?1341903443
Did you ever figure out if it was MS? I got sent home from work today for this exact symptom and I'm really worried MS is the cause
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Avatar universal
Crazy how long people have been posting on this site for with all their symptoms (Which are all connected and very similar to what I've experienced). I was diagnosed with epilepsy at a young age and was prone to the odd migraine after getting my seizures under control. Until last year when I decided it was a good idea to take cannabis which provoked a small seizure, after a long 18 months suffering from depression and anxiety along with many of these symptoms above I am feeling a lot better wthin myself. However, I do still suffer from a number of these symptoms at times - Brain fog, misreading, lack of concentration, saying the wrong words, pains in arms/legs, eye spasms, muscle spasms, ringing in my ears etc etc.  Most of these can vary on a day to day basis but mainly occur when I target to read/write on my laptop which is frustrating being at university student. Glasses have helped and I also use a computer which has glass protector infront which also helps (I'm using that now)

Any advice will be great - I'm kind of bored of my neurologist now because he's put it down to anxiety but I believe it's more than that after the majority of these symptoms developing together around the same time.
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Avatar universal
I'm not a doctor but i started having these diagnosis when my stress became internalised.

Mine is definately down to eye spasms.

I experience this spasm sensation all over my body when trying to focus on a target.

I think counselling, friends, a more active and healthy lifestyle is your best bet. At least thats what i am going to focus on.

Support a football club, shout and scream your face off every weekend. (i cant be bothered to be honest)

Play video games, shout and scream your face off on the mic. (I'm not that type)

I dont think exercise is enough. You have to become more vocal in general.

But becoming more vocal can lead to depression so careful on that one.

Just finding some way to vent. (god knows how)

Just try to get your problems on the surface where you can deal with them, but not too much. (society and all that)

But neways. At least for people who experience spasms.

This might be of some help.

Either that or die a senile old man/woman.







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Avatar universal
Sounds a lot like what I am going through...any word on what is going on?
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I can't concentrate I can't focus sometimes when I'm reading I feel sleepy even tho I'm not sleepy.when I'm reading a book or try to get some homework done I skip paragraph and sometimes I will go back and read what I just red like 4 to 6 times.when I'm trying to concentrate or focus my mind is in 10 deferent country thinking bout millions things when I shold be focus on what's important that's when my mind is doing its own thing sometimes when I'm reading my head feel heavy and kinda hurts.thats one of the reason I drop out of high school cause I think that I wasn't smart enough to do so and now I'm trying to go get my GED at the age of 31 with two kids and I find myself in the same position as I was in high school please help.
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Has anybody looked into Vertical Heterophoria? Also look at SCM Muscle Syndrome, and Google Wisdom teeth dizzy for a forum. You can also look up dizzy times which is another dizzy forum.
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Avatar universal
i have nearly all these symptoms and i have fibromaliga me(cfs) and being tested for ms its a hard and difficult road and many many test but in the ened iam sure i will get the treatment i need as nothing seems to be working at the moment my eyes are causing a lot of discomfort and stress i hope you all find out your cause
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Waking up in the Early morning I felt just fine but two hours after taking my medicine I started to notice a slight feeling of hopelessness and soon I felt an impending dread of being doomed to the world as I was feeling apathetic and uncaring about everything around me I felt anxiety and felt sloppy and disorganized and when I tried to physically exert myself my body wouldn't let me move fast and my hand eye coordination was off due to the spaced out feeling I was experiencing. All the vivid colors of my surroundings were dulled  and my wakefulness and sense of well being was replaced with overwhelming disorientation and dysphoria. exercising didn't raise my heart rate like it should, and when I tried to take deep breaths my breathing would sound like a quivering and ragged breath. When I was feeling like this my sentences to people would be out of place or have no meaning or just didn't make sense. My mom even stated it was all in my head but I know my body and I can tell when something is not right. A dizziness would come over me out of nowhere and plague me with negative thoughts that was triggered for no reason, the only noted pattern about the feelings that I noticed is that these feelings seem to fluctuate with the weather. The cold weather seemed to bring down the symptoms to where they would be unnoticed or even feel like these feelings disappeared but during the hot days the mood swings and dizziness would fluctuate, if it was hot and super humid at the same time my body would feel heavy and my concentration would remain inattentive with or without my medication that feeling would fluctuate, my moods would sometimes come in spaced out and detached emotions followed by a wave of dizziness lasting sometimes longer than two hours after those feelings subside I will feel a burst of confidence and energy out of nowhere and have the need to show great optimism and empathy to everyone and everything around me. Observing the circumstances either the weather pressure or the humidity played the big role in this case based on the noticeable mood patterns.
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I don't know whether my kyphosis is causing some of the problems, but the disease appears to effect the functioning of the lungs  based on web md and Wikipedias sources on the Internet. My biological father has emphysema but I don't think it is common for this disease to be transferred genetically, what are the odds of me being one of  those rare cases? Probably 1 out of 100% chance right?
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Today I'm feeling super energized without even drinking coffee or taking anything but my medicine, I observed the humidity today and before I looked at the percentage I was able to guess it before I looked at the humidity percentage based on the way I felt, and I guessed 70% and that percentage was very close to the actual number which was 77% humidity! I don't know why my moods change based on humidity levels, or whatever makes me feel spaced out, which I tend to feel like that when  the humidity is at 85-100%. On Friday, June 12th I woke up in the morning feeling a little stiff in my joints but mentally I was just fine but then an hour later I started to feel an overwhelming tiredness that not only made my body feel heavy but also made me feel disorganized and lousy, my posture was hard to keep straight as I kept on slouching, even trying to keep my posture straight was very difficult in the state I was in. A spaced out, brain fog type feeling clouded my head as I attempted to take a shower and in the process of washing my feet I slipped, grabbing on to the rack that supported the shower doors. I had time to lift myself up when the doors unluckily came out of the racks and both of the doors fell on each other when they landed on the floor. I asked myself many times what's wrong with me then I yelled in frustration because I didn't know why I was feeling so bad. I had these problems long before I took the adderall the only reason I seem to have more outbursts is because since I'm out of school I need to get in a career and I don't want to get these clumsy, spaced out, debilitating attacks when I'm working at a job because I might get fired or be labeled by my coworkers as being dumb or retarted. These symptoms will make me seem out of it to some people and some even told me I looked like I was lost, and I technically am but I am mentally lost during these attacks not actually lost. The symptoms of the attack would start with a sudden feeling of drowsiness followed by a lack of eye movement and the loss of some of my ability to see certain things in my peripheral vision that I could normally detect when normal. Then I will get irritable about feeling that way and I would sometimes bang my head with my fist trying to hit that part of my head where I assume the dizziness is caused. I will also rev myself up so I can get angry or excited in an attempt to raise my blood pressure to get rid of the tiredness. The coping skills and calming methods I tried didn't work . I tried to take deep breaths to relieve the disorientation and not only did it not work, I found out that during this phenomenon my deep breathing attempts resulted in a tingling sensation around the head, face and forehead, and somewhat in the lips, following a feeling of lightheadedness and more tiredness, my breathing was also shaky, and felt as if my lungs weren't getting all the air I was breathing in, as if my lungs were already half full of air, my stomach didn't rise as much as it normally would when I took a deep breath, and when my stomach went back down it was shaking and quivering. Sometimes I would check my pulse during the attack pressing my first two fingers on my jugular veins and felt for a pulse but it didn't feel like my pulse was as strong as it normally is because it felt more faint during the episode. Another coping skill that failed during the attack was exercising because that heavy feeling in my body caused me to just be able to walk and even then I felt off balance and would sometimes stumble and my step dad saw me stumble during an attack once and asked me if I drank or took drugs, because he didn't know I had problems with these bodily ailments because I didn't know how to explain  the phenomenon in words, and I did succeed a couple  of times in attempting to physically exert myself during the attack but afterwords when I checked my heart rate it didn't rise at all like it would when I was exercising in my normal state
These attacks disrupt the beneficial effects of my medicine because the tiredness from the attack makes the adderalls effect dulled or it is so blunt that it gives a placebo effect but it usually regains effective strength after the attack subsides. I also don't breath threw my mouth a lot and I will purse my lips pretty regularly when I breath through my nose. I don't know how to stop these attacks and it frustrates me when my own parents call me a hypochondriac and it's my own imagination when the confusion and disorientation is real and dangerous, especially when driving a truck or worse, a big tractor that breaks easily and has duals bigger than car crushing, monster truck tires! Did I mention those tractor tires are filled to the brim with tons of water?! I will not lay around on my behind like my brother and cypher money from my own family like a vacuum, he should just be glad that he doesn't have the attacks I do and yet I might have these problems but I still don't give up regardless, and I have aspergers and add to boot! Fyi; I also lose interest in the opposite sex during these attacks and my likes, imagination,motivational goals and drive will disappear as It also makes me selfish and apathetic. I know it can't be the aspergers because why would that make me feel tired? It's like I'll be alert and confident one moment and then I'll feel tired and insecure the next, I never have a consistent sleep pattern but mostly I'll sleep for five to six hours. I'm like mentally wired to the weather because I'll feel amazing when the sun is out and it is 70% humidity but for some reason if it goes to 80% or above I will feel unsure about everything I do and when I try to talk to people while I feel like this I'll stutter and slur my speech and I will get mad because I want to keep my personality in tact but can't because I feel depressed, panicky, and disorientated unless the sun disappears behind the clouds. everyone around me will seem to be in a good mood during my sad or negative moods and when I'm in a good mood everyone else seems more like me when I'm in a negative mood, not even my brother has a similar pattern as me and he struggles from bipolar! It might just be that a diagnosis of seasonal affective disorder( the summer version)would make sense. My doctor will probably send me to an asylum talking this crazy! Lol! What do ya think? I think this sounds pretty weird! You can't describe certain phenomenon but I noticed every tiny ounce of aspects of mine, except for the problems that might be causing it, except I think the stuttering might be related to the aspergers I dont know about the Suns amount of light affecting moods and the humidity affecting me though.
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narcolepsy with cataplexy. see a sleep specialist.
after yrs of tests, etc. i got diagnosed after 15+ yrs.
Avatar universal
For two years I have been suffering many of the symptoms of Meniere's disease. Had MRI, blood tests, neurology and  Ear Nose and Throat clinic tests. All came back clear, and so they couldn't diagnosed Meniere's disease. This condition has caused me great stress and misery. It has affected my life, as I could not socialize because I was staggering about, day and night as if I was drunk. I broke my ankle when I wobbled off a step while out shopping. The Serc drug for vertigo did nothing, neither did the anxiety medication.I don't suffer from anxiety or depression.
Two months ago I had a bad flu virus that's going round the UK, and was in my bed for four days - it was so bad. I rested it out. It was almost three weeks before I felt normal. Then I realized that all those Meniere symptoms had disappeared. I convinced myself that while my immune system was hard at work getting rid of the flu virus, it also must have got rid of the Meniere's symptoms.
A few days later, I went back on the computer - within fifteen minutes the vertigo, blurred vision, head pain and short term memory loss and confusion had returned. There is no other explanation for this. It is the computer screen that is the cause of this misery that I've been suffering for two years, which is also the time I started working online. Finding this site has one hundred percent  proved this to me. I will go to my doctor and explain what has happened. I also have a hospital eye clinic appointment coming up. I will tell them what has happened,too.
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Avatar universal
Your problem could be caused by borreliosis ( Lyme ) or Chlamydia, yeast ( Candida ) - let you do both ELISA and WB ( Western Blot ) blood tests + MRI to exclude multiple sclerosis , if everything negative , it is only appropriate and Anxiety depersonalization . Lyme or Chlamydia can cause anxiety and other nice symptoms. I have all test negative, and my symptoms -> feel like drunk or another word (24*7), tinnitus, muscle fasticulation, strange vision and strange feeling in head and very weir vision like 2D, or unreal,

I also have a rumble in the right ear (rumble causes about heartbeat), I kept a strict anti candida diet for 2 months and then I had to do tests to Candida, which came out negative, I also photophobia, feeling dizziness and brain fog, but I think it very well, I make my living as a programmer, the problem is fatigue (I go every week to swim once - 15 pools), but I then how stoned and stupid and I was very tired, I have trouble focusing as I stared into space (sometimes it goes focus and sometimes I'm like a blind man), trávým every day for at least 12 hours for the PC. I do not take any pills,

I only tried MMS (master mineral solution) with us also known as CDS. All tests came out negative me - Multiple sclerosis, bolerioza (lyme), yeast, liver, kidney, thyroid, minerals, EEG, EKG, x ray of the spine, lung, brain MRI, the only thing I was positive in memory antibodies were Ebstein bar virus ( limit is 1.8 IgG I had a 2.6) and Cytomegalovirus (IgG limit is 16, and I had 128).

I was even on examination of visual evoked potentials for exclusion lyme.

---------------------------------

So far I have tried to take minerals ( zinc and magnesium) and milk thistle ( ( Silybum marianum ) + Baikal skullcap ( Scutellaria baicalensis L.) and ginko biloba

sometimes I have days when I feel relatively well although I see strange and sometimes it stinks


----------------------------------

I even wrote that it happened to me from day to day that I began to see otherwise and the remaining challenges to the procedure two months added since I was very stressed out . 2D vision I most often when I go into the woods or somewhere where there are fluorescent . Then I see weird and I feel as drunk .

What I was looking for - the most it closer derealization and depersonalization although normally perceive themselves
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Avatar universal
Do you think maybe we all are crazy, I feel like there would be an answer for this condition by now if it was real. I don't sit her googling my symptoms because I realize if everybody aired there mind they have a weird thing going wed all have the same symptoms I think it's being human. At least this is what I like to believe because I don't want to be told its a deadly disease or that they need to do crazy surgeries on me or be told that hey this is going ti get worse. I don't want to know that there's no cure. Many of you that underwent test should of been cured by now. So yup I think were all truly crazy, so form of mental disorder, depression or something. So yes I will enjoy my random constant blurry vision, horrible night glares, weird crackling sound in the back of my neck that nobody but ME can hear, strange memory patterns, and random memories but very little short term memory, who needs to read a book or immediately remember what they just read eventually after a few hours or days I will remember it hopefully long enough to google it or relay the thought to a friend, and who needs words brain and throat function and swallow when they want to. So yup I will take that I'm just crazy instead of getting random test and improper diagnoses. And yup I will continue to ramble because sometimes we forget we already had this convo because sometimes we have to step back and say an I just watching my life or is this reality
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Avatar universal
Dear Trying and everyone else,  I know what everyone is talking about!  I live it!  I have lived with migraines for probably 20 years!  Have a great neurologist that worked with me and we got meds and regulated, and then had to change, and now I take Topamax daily to maintain and have Zomig if needed!  My headaches have gotten SO much better!  Also, after I had a hysterectomy, they got better so hormones we think made them worse too!  Then in 2004 I was diagnosed with MS, got 2nd opinion from Duke and same diagnosis!  I started Betaseron immediately!  I have been doing physically pretty well except for about 5 excerbations that needed IV steroids.  I have been hospitalized twice (once was because doctors thought I was having a heart attack but it was MS hug!)  My biggest problem and heart ache is cognitive!  I had to stop working bc of my not being able to perform the job of (27 years teaching Kindergargten in public schools!)  I could no longer do the simple things I once did!!!  It is so frustrating and feel quite demeaning.  I can't remember and don't know things I used to!  I especially don't remember names!  (People tell me that that happens to them all the time!  It happens to me sometimes to on 'tha" level but what I try to describe is not normal!  I feel like I am trying to grab the top of a rope and I know but I can't!  I spend so much time turning circles it feels like!  I have no concept of time!  I go into a store and it seems like 10 minutes and I get in the car to see I had been in the store for 2+ hours!!!  I can't handle affairs and business things because I can't comprehend!  I too feel like people must think I am an idiot!  I just feel so inadequate.  In 2007 I was diagnosed with breast cancer, as was my sister, then in 2008 my hair was just growing back in and my husband was diagnosed with stage 3c colorectal cancer, during his second treatment my dad diagnosed with lung cancer and lasted 1 month!  Then 2009 my brother in  law prostate cancer and three months later my mom bladder cancer! Praise God we all have had surgeries, treatments, and are all in remission!  This gave me a new outlook to life but also PTSD!!  Imagine that!!!  I still go to a therapist who is absolutely wonderful, my family and friends are the BEST, and my church family is understanding and great!  I still have sadness that I feel so alone in my world at times (I do always know Jesus is with me!) But people don't really and truly understand.  It is just so strange.  At times I feel I am in the "twilight zone!"  I was at my neurologist today and she is going to do an EEG to make sure I am not having any seizures due to the damage of leisions from the MS!  One day at a time and one step at a time!  I keep reminding myself of this because no one knows the future- and each day is such a blessing I choose to enjoy the moment and to continue to be grateful!  I pray for each of you guys out there to be able to find the right help and peace of mind and heart!  Just remember you are NOT alone!  Peace- Anne
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Avatar universal
You guys need to find a really good neurologist who specializes in migraines, because that's what I think many of these things are. I had migraines for several years that produced no headaches, only periods of incredible dizziness lasting two to three hours and only relieved by sleep, ringing in my ears, disorientation. I do sometimes get headaches now, but not always; and I can tell when a migraine is coming on because I get "twitchy" and cannot focus on words to read or write. The only reason I was ever diagnosed was because I went to see an ENT who also gets migraines, and he said he thought that's what I had. The neurologists I have seen are relatively clueless about dizziness being a symptom of migraine, but it's much more common than most neurologists presume. Mine put me on preventative medications. Each works for several years but eventually loses efficacy, and then I have to switch to a different medicine. Dizziness, disorientation/fogginess, difficulty focusing on words, and even pain in weird places can be migraine-related, and it's worth it to go to a neurologist who specializes in migraine and investigate the possibility.
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Avatar universal
i have gone threw all of these symptoms, right down to my wrist and hands hurting for no reason at all. this last year being the worst i have stopped driving and close to not caring for myself. i had a foot surgery and a lil more than two weeks later i passed a huge blood clot. the doctors have noooooo clue as to how i survived it. this clot is laying in a spot were it can move to either lung. now that i am on blood thinners, my symptoms have disappeared. i had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia more than five years ago. i kept blaming this diagnosis for everything, but now i am sure that is not what is going on. i have been tested for lupus...again...but my blood doctor is saying some sort of blood disorder. i can now see out of my eyes again, headaches are gone, room stopped spinning and shoulder and wrist pain is gone. please, please, please becareful. still very tierd, but just recovering.
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