Constant Brain Fog, Fatigue, Excessive Thirst and Inconsistent Reactions to Food

[Mikef25]

Age: 26
Weight: 173 lbs
Height: 5'10"
Lives in Connecticut

Symptoms:
Brain fog, fatigue, lightheaded, extreme thirst, reaction to foods (inconsistent) and agitation

Timeline/Description:
I have had these issues for over 4 years... When I first started my job out of college, I would have random bouts with fatigue where I would have to go to my car and nap because I was so tired. As the years have gone on, this has grown more and more constant, to the point where I always have fatigue, brain fog, light-headedness and sometimes feel so "out of it" that I am afraid to drive.

Over the past two years, I have begun experiencing excessive thirst (on top of the fatigue/fog) daily, which leads me to drink well over the recommended daily water intake.

There are many times where the brain fog increases drastically following a meal but this is not always consistent. I find that when I am having a really bad day with brain fog, I am very agitated, fidgety and moody as well (not because I am not feeling well, seems more like another symptom).

More and more I have been having reactions to foods/alcohol, to the point where I turn bright red, get itchy, face gets hot and I start to have a little trouble breathing which tends to go away within an hour or so. I spent over two years getting immunotherapy for external allergens, with no relief. I was also tested for food allergies but nothing came back positive.

Other random issues that I have had over the past 4 years include increased sinus infections, ear aches and back drip, which never used to be issues for me.

I take a multivitamin daily, vitamin b-complex and a probiotic.

Doctors and Tests:
I have had appointments with my primary care physician, ENT, Allergist, Naturopath, Endocrinologist and Pulmonologist. I have been tested for mono, Lyme disease, anemia, diabetes, thyroid and what seems like all of the "go to" tests when a doctor hears fatigue. I tested negative for diabetes and negative for all other initial endocrine system tests, with the doctor feeling confident that it was not an issue within her realm.

The ENT did not see any issues with the sinuses but recommended immunotherapy. The allergist could not figure out why my two years of immunotherapy for external (dust, pollen, trees, grass) allergies did not help at all and did not believe food allergies was my issue.

My Naturopath tested my B12 and other vitamin levels with no problems popping up. After her recommendation, I went on a two month anti-candida diet (cut out all yeast, sugar, alcohol, etc) as she thought it was a yeast build up in my intestines. I stayed on the strict diet for two full months and stopped once the stool tests came back negative for yeast. While I ate extremely healthy, cut out alcohol and lost 15 pounds, I felt no better than before.
I am scheduled for a sleep test within the next two months but I feel that my lack of sleep quality is due to all of the issues I am having, not the other way around. Not to mention, a sleep issue doesn’t seem to answer the excessive thirst problem.

I am also seeing a Neurologist within the next month.

I do not believe that I have depression, though I am starting to get slightly depressed seeing as these issues have gone on for so long and have been very debilitating.

Who I Am:
I have always been a hardworking, focused and career oriented individual who loves being around people and making others laugh. Over the past four years, I have slowly turned into someone who can barely focus on simple tasks (brain fog), has put his entire career on hold hoping to find a cure (too afraid to start a new job as I can barely focus) and someone who has not been his normal self. These issues have become more and more debilitating; to the point where my entire life has revolved around how I can just get back to feeling like my old self (I can't even remember what that is like anymore). I go to bed every night praying I will just wake up and feel better, only to wake up and immediately be hit with fogginess and fatigue. I am not a depressed or suicidal person, but I honestly don't know what I'd do if I looked back in 6 months and still felt this way and/or had no clear direction on how to find a cure.

[labag]

Have you found any answers?

[gymdandee]

That's Mantra :>) Pax. we just returned from Vegas so my head was still on Vegas time. I'm trying to make a collection for the losses.

[Paxiled]

What's a mantrum?

Also, be careful with ginseng.  Siberian ginseng isn't called that anymore, so this might be old info gym is citing -- it's now called eleuthero, after its Latin name, and has been for several years due to legal disputes.  American ginseng can lower blood sugar, so be careful first to make sure blood sugar isn't the problem.  Chinese or Korean ginseng can burn you out if used regularly, so get advice before using that regularly.  Eleuthero can be used pretty safely.  As to the rest, since I have no idea what the cause of your problem is, it's very hard for me at least to offer any real help except to second the above that certain foods are very energizing.  The most nutrition dense foods would be the so-called super foods, including seaweeds, fresh water algae such as spirulina, and bee pollen and its even denser royal jelly.  Unfortunately, you've been tested for pretty much everything this sounds like, particularly thyroid.  

[gymdandee]

Try a mantram for rest and relaxation.

You May Have a B12 Deficiency! That can cause memory problems
Confusion or fuzziness Irritability and mood swings sleep problems
Low energy and weakness dizziness or lightheadedness
Digestive problems.

[gymdandee]

PART 2
More Natural Remedies for Chronic Fatigue

Other alternative therapies may offer relief to those with CFS:
Homeopathy. As with herbal medicines, recommendations for homeopathic remedies are based on the patient’s physical and emotional constitution. Homeopaths make selections after a thorough assessment of these unique factors, but one common remedy prescribed to CFS patients is sulphur.
Acupuncture. Much research has been done on acupuncture and its effects on CFS. Acupuncture diagnoses are made according to excesses or deficiencies in the body’s meridian system. In the case of chronic fatigue, patients are often diagnosed as having a deficiency in the spleen, kidney, lung, or liver meridian. Acupuncturists insert hair-thin needles into various points on the skin to try and rebalance the energy flow within these meridians, thereby alleviating the CFS symptoms. Studies in China and the West have shown acupuncture to be effective in treating fatigue, various forms of pain, insomnia, and immune-related problems.
Chiropractic and massage. These two treatments involve manipulatation of the body — spinal manipulation in chiropractic and soft-tissue manipulation in massage — to improve symptoms. Both chiropractic and massage have been shown to alleviate some pain and low energy associated with chronic fatigue. No definitive studies have proven the efficacy of either treatment, but chiropractic is thought to help CFS by stimulating the nervous system, while massage may benefit CFS because it improves circulation.

Sometimes simple lifestyle adjustments are the most effective natural energy boosters of all. Regular exercise, as long as you don’t overdo it, has been shown to help decrease chronic fatigue symptoms. Deep breathing and meditation can lower stress levels, which is important in keeping fatigue and pain at bay. Finally, healthy eating — avoiding caffeine, alcohol, saturated fats, and refined sugars in favor of fresh vegetables and whole grains — is key to keeping up your energy levels.

[gymdandee]

    PART 1              Fighting Chronic Fatigue Syndrome With a Natural Energy Diet
Eating a healthy diet and getting the best nutrition can help you manage many illnesses, and that doesn’t exclude the persistent tiredness and mental strain of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

“As with any chronic illness, nutrition always plays an important role in keeping energy up and allowing bodies to heal themselves,” says Morris Papernik, MD, a specialist in chronic fatigue syndrome at the ProHealth Physicians Group in Glastonbury, Conn. “You want to avoid those foods that will rob you of energy or that will only give short bursts of energy. You are looking for nutrition that will be there for your cells, muscles, and brain for the long haul.”

By eating the right foods — the types of foods that everyone, not just those with CFS, should strive to eat — we all can give ourselves more natural energy and eliminate tiredness and fatigue. And for those with CFS, following that advice as closely as possible is even more important to getting the chronic fatigue help you need.

Foods to Avoid When You Have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

For chronic fatigue patients, the No. 1 piece of advice is to avoid processed, refined carbohydrates, such as the sugar or white flour found in foods such as white bread, crackers, cookies, cakes, and soda.

“Sugar has multiple detrimental effects in CFS patients. It suppresses the immune system, increases inflammation, and stimulates yeast overgrowth in the intestines,” says Kent Holtorf, MD, a board-certified endocrinologist and founder of the Holtorf Medical Group in Torrance, Calif. “It also causes a rapid rise in blood sugar, followed by hypoglycemia [not enough sugar, which is needed for energy conversion, in the blood]. This hypoglycemia causes fatigue, anxiety, and sugar cravings, [creating] a vicious cycle.”

Dr. Holtorf also recommends avoiding the artificial sweetener aspartame (Nutrasweet) and the additive MSG, which can cause adverse reactions in some CFS patients. “Avoiding aspartame can dramatically reduce pain and improve cognitive function in many patients,” Holtorf says. “MSG is also a common trigger of hypersensitivity reactions in these patients. It is not a true allergy, but it can exacerbate almost any symptom.”

Eating for Natural Energy

The list of what you can eat to help restore natural energy is much larger — and much better — than what you have to avoid. And here again, these are foods most people should be eating anyway.

“I highly recommend a low-carb diet of unprocessed and organic foods to improve CFS symptoms,” says John Salerno, MD, a specialist on chronic fatigue syndrome with Patients Medical in New York City. “Focus on wild-caught fish, organic vegetables, grass-fed meats, organic eggs, and full-fat cheeses, which are all well-tolerated by CFS patients. Add dark-colored fruits, including berries, which are also recommended.”

Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, medical director of the national Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers, also recommends increasing water, salt, and your overall protein intake. “Because of the adrenal hormone levels being inadequate [in some patients with CFS], people become dehydrated and need increased salt and water. The exception would be for patients with high blood pressure or heart failure,” says Dr. Teitelbaum. “Also, increasing protein intake tends to help maintain a stable blood sugar.”

Another important recommendation that Teitelbaum makes is to eat frequent, smaller meals rather than three large ones. This helps you avoid gorging yourself and feeling awful later on.

However, Teitelbaum also emphasizes that different approaches help different people, so it may be best to work with a doctor and a nutritionist to come up with a good solution for you. “Overall, instead of a very defined recommendation, remember that each person is different, and one should eat what overall leaves them feeling the best,” says Teitelbaum. “Sugars may leave you feeling better immediately, but then leave you feeling horrible hours later. Take some time to see how foods affect your overall well-being.”
                                     Natural Energy Boosters for Chronic Fatigue

People with chronic fatigue syndrome — many more women than men — can experience symptoms that range from severe fatigue and low-grade fever to swollen lymph glands and muscle and joint aches. The puzzling array of symptoms associated with chronic fatigue has left many physicians perplexed and many patients open to alternative therapies to help manage their symptoms. So which types of alternative treatments are effective in relieving symptoms of chronic fatigue and boosting natural energy levels?

Herbs for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Herbal therapy has been used for thousands of years to help restore energy and cure disease.

A commonly prescribed herb for chronic fatigue is ginseng. There are three forms of the ginseng herb: American, Asian, and Siberian. The first two types have similar chemical compositions; Siberian ginseng is a different plant. Despite that difference, these three ginseng varieties are all used for their ability to enhance bodily functions and strengthen the immune system, which makes them appropriate for people with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Other herbs suggested for CFS patients for their immune-boosting properties are:
Echinacea. A native American plant, echinacea has shown in animal and lab studies that it can alleviate inflammation and pain, among other symptoms.
Astragalus. This plant also helps protect against inflammation, and it contains antioxidants, which can help thwart cellular damage.
Pau d'arco. While herbalists do use pau d’arco for CFS treatment, it hasn’t proven to be very effective. People on blood-thinner medications should not take pau d'arco.

Herbs in the form of essential oils may be recommended for people with chronic fatigue as well. Jasmine, rosemary, and peppermint are known for having restorative qualities and may provide natural energy to CFS patients.

But before trying herbal therapy, speak with your doctor and make sure that herbal remedies for chronic fatigue won't interfere with your other treatments.

[gymdandee]

Cabbage folic acid is great for memory problems. It lowers blood levels of homocysteine, which is thought to damage blood vessels. Eggs, besides being high in protein they're high in vitamins B6 and B12. A study also showed that men who were deficient in vitamins B6 and B12 showed a more rapid decline of memory than those who had adequate blood levels of those vitamins. A study of 13,000 women who ate broccoli and broccoli rabe  veggies can protect your memory they're also high in the antioxidant quercetin, folic acid, and vitamin B6. Strawberries.
Phytochemicals  There are thousands of phytochemicals in the world, and each fruit or vegetable can contain more than a hundred of them.
Many phytochemicals are antioxidants, which nourish and defend body cells including neurons against damage called oxidative stress, caused during oxygen metabolism. Antioxidants also help prevent the buildup of plaque in the arteries, so there is good, strong blood flow to the brain.
Strawberries are a greatt source of anthocyanin, an antioxidant that has been shown to reverse memory loss in animal studies. Strawberries are also high in folic acid and vitamin B6.
Coffee and tea, researchers from the University of Innsbruck in Austria found that caffeine improved performance on a memory task.
A Rush University Medical Center study, showed People who ate fish at least once a week had a 10 percent slower decline compared with those who did not eat fish, a difference that gave them the memory and thinking ability of a person three years younger.