What is causing my brain fog / dizziness??

[Romald]

Hi there,

In about October I had an awful dizzy experience which lasted for a few seconds.  After this I felt very, very lighteaded and with constant brain fog.  This has been continuing for months now and it is driving me mad!!  Occassionally, I have a dizzy spell or head rush but it is the constant brain fog/ depersonalisation that it worst!!  

I have been to an ear doctor, had lots of lood work done (everything fine apart form low blood platelets), etc. etc..

Does anyone know the cause of brain fog or if there is anything I can do to make it go away??

Thank you, Romald

[rumpled]

All that they will test - especially the pituitary, thyroid (not just TSH, but antibodies, etc.) androgens and adrenals - which pretty much means everything!

[Romald]

What hormones would i need tested?

[rumpled]

Going off the pill can contribute to a mess in the hormone department - any testing since then? Hormones, not CBCs.

[Romald]

Thanks for your reply.  I did stop taking the pill in September and wondered if that could be adding to this brain fog feeling??..

[horselip]

Hi-
So sorry that you are feeling bad.
Yes, like Rumpled said they do a spinal tap to test the CSF pressure.
But you would first see an internist who should try to narrow things down and figure out what type/s of referrals make sense. Has your ear doctor given you any ideas?
Brain fog is a symptom that is really general. It can be caused by SOOOO many things: meds, hormones, fibromyalgia, POTS, a CSF leak, sleep disorders and on and on.

[rumpled]

POTS is postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. It is an autonomic disorder.

I believe they measure the CSF pressure using a spinal tap.

Do you have a constant clear leakage from your nose, or feel like something is going down your throat? Do you feel better laying flat or after drinking a caffeinated beverage? Those are signs of a leak. It could be pseudotumor cerebri - the leakage and pressure are there, and have been for a while. Google it.

[Romald]

Hi,
Thanks for your reply.  How would doctors test for Cerebral Fluid pressure?

Thanks, Louisa

[Romald]

Hi,

What is POTS?

[horselip]

This may be a stretch in that this is kind of rare.... but has anyone brought up the idea to test your Cerebral Fluid pressure? In other words is it possible that you could have a CFS leak? That could cause these types of symptoms too.

[rumpled]

For low blood pressure - have they tested your adrenal function - renin/aldosterone, sodium, potassium, metaphrines (that I cannot spell) etc. - to see what is going on there - all that can impact blood pressure.You may need help there.

Have they considered POTS?

[Romald]

Hi,
Thanks for your reply.  I had various blood tests as my blood platelets are low and to find the cause they tested me for numerous things - everything showed up negative.
Well, every doctor I see says that my brain fog etc is down to my low blood pressure.  In fact, I had a 24hr blood pressure monitor test in December and it showed that this is causing my dizziness.  If this is so, I dont understand why it has just started happening now, as ive had low blood pressure for years!!

[rumpled]

It does happen - I get visual migraines without headaches - but you have to see a neurologist for that.

You had *a* blood test for thyroid - in that case, you were not tested for thyroid. It requires several tests from antibodies to function tests - not just TSH (which tests what the pituitary is telling the thyroid to do, and is a pituitary test, not a thyroid one).

How is the blood pressure? Have you had a really thorough exam lately?

[Romald]

Yes, I went to an ear doctor and his said that I didn't have an inner ear infection and I had a blood test for thyroid which was negative!!  Any other ideas - I did wonder if it could be a type of migrane without the headache??  Thanks, Romald.

[rumpled]

Did they test thyroid very well - and did you see an ENT - dizzy is very often an ear issue.