Lack of reality and heavyness

[tmmontgomery]

Hey yall,

So I have already seen a neurologist once, this past week, and he is ordering an MRI, which I should have done this week. But just curious about the symptoms that I'm having and if anybody has experienced them. My nuero said that I could have possible dysautonomia, or some cardiac problem. Either way, here's what has happened so far. I apologize if this is long. Just wanted to try to get everything in.

I am having the sensation that I'm not in reality, almost like I'm in a dream. It could be described as a "foggy" feeling but the discomfort of it has caused me to sit at home for a month. And everyday it seems the same. The disconnected feeling is probably the most prominent symptoms I'm having, I've been off work close to a month now. I am at my wits end. I feel like I can't function and preform basic tasks. I have the sensation that my mind is changing, almost like I don't really know myself anymore. I've had this rubbery feeling on my left side, predominantly in my left foot, but I've also had fatigue in my left leg (feels like I've ran alot, but only in my left leg.) I'm generally tired and fatiuged, when I get up in the morning I feel like I'm in a foreign world. When I walk I feel like the floor is kind of floating almost. I have no trouble keeping balance or walking though, it all seems normal. I have had a weird feeling in my left side, almost as if it's fuller than the other. Had some eye pain, but no double vision really, no color loss or change of contrast...which are some of the things that they look for in MS. I just went to a neurologist this past week, and he did a thorough physical exam. He said in about 95% of the patients, he can tell immediately, even without brain imaging, if there is something wrong. And he said my physical exam was perfect. I even mentioned that my eyes have been blood shot and feel tired (thinking that it might be Optic Neuritis) but he was very confident that I didn't have it. He did go ahead and schedule an MRI which I should go in for some time this week. He said the fact that I was having no loss of balance is a very good sign that I don't have MS, also the chance of having MS is lower because you're a male. The constant feeling of not being yourself though is so frustrating... This actually all started in 2006... when I started having this feeling that I was in a dream. Like I wasn't really here. I did so much testing, went to SO many specialists, including TWO neurologists who said nothing was wrong (although I didn't have a closed MRI, only an open one.) The feeling debilitated me, I couldn't do anything. Riding in a car was even a big challenge. Finally I saw a psychiatrist who said that I could have some anxiety, so he prescribed Lexapro which seemed to help. For some reason though, I was still worried that it could be something physical. But, I started feeling a little bit better, so I just basically lived with it. Things felt different, not like they used to... I would also get these bouts that I thought I was going to pass out almost, almost like a panic attack, but I don't know if that's what I was really having or if it was being caused by something else. It has been going on and off since then, until about a month ago when I got the pass out feeling while I was out to eat with a friend. I just felt very strange. I had to leave, and went home. The drive home was awful, the weirdest I've felt in a really long time. When I got home I was shaking, chills, couldn't sit still, starting to feel the "funny feeling" as I like to call it. So I came home from college to mom, and we went to the doctor. They tested me for stuff in my blood and said I had mycoplasma pneumonia. Fine. I took the medicine, and started to feel weirder and weirder. Stopped taking the medicine, went back to the doctor. Told him I wasn't feeling myself, like i'm in a dream, etc and he said it could be the medicine. So I tried a different medicine. No luck. Kept getting worse and worse. Then the feeling in the foot started happening. I was also having trouble talking. nothing bad, just felt like I couldn't come up with the right word sometimes. I also felt like my train of thought wasn't right. I couldn't concentrate as well. I just didn't feel like my normal sharp self, because I'm always on it. I went to the ER because at one point I felt like I was going to pass out... it was such a weird feeling and I was so scared. They did bloodwork and a CT scan just to make sure there was nothing wrong and everything came back normal. So then I went to see a neurologist. Waiting to see the nuero felt like the longest wait of my life.  The nuero said one thing that it might be is dysautonomia. I've been feeling so weird that I'm scared to drive a car... I haven't driven in at least two weeks. Probably more.

So all in all, I'm wondering if any of my symptoms line up with dysautonomia? I need some answers... I've been out of my life for a month and it's very scary. Just wondering what it could be!

[ewford]

  I would investigate a Infectious Mycoplasma infection (s).  More than likely Mycoplasma Fermentans-Incognitus.

[laurab63]

Hi,

Hope you are continuing to find some answers to your symptoms. I don't know anything about enlarged spleen, so can't comment on that.  I hope you can get a tilt table test done by a place that can properly test for and rule out Dysautonomia, e.g Orthostatic Intolerance, such as Postural Tachycardia since your pulse goes way up when you stand up.  This can definitely cause a feeling of being out of it. I have that a lot.  It is very uncomfortable and gets worse when I am out of my house.   Anyway, there are a few places that are the best for evaluating Dysautonomia and it looks like Vanderbilt is the closet to you. I went to the Cleveland Clnic, which is closer for me since I am in upstate NY.

Keep us posted on your evaluation and how you are doing. I know it can take a very long time to get things sorted out and that can be very upsetting for anyone. Also Dysautonomia/Orthostatic Intolerance/ POTS can cause anxiety and insomnia.  Of course, being sick and trying to find answers can too. What I am saying is that there may be more than one thing contributing to your anxiety/depression/insomnia.  Hope this makes sense.

Take care,
Laura

[tmmontgomery]

Hi all!! Just wanted to update you on what has went on. I have basically have a good physical answer, but no dx yet.

First of all, here is a link to my entire lab report, so I can get yall's opinion on anything that you see that might throw up a red flag.

http://freepdfhosting.com/233464737c.pdf

There you will see that I did in fact get Free T4 tested, which was normal.

Alot has happened since I have last updated you all! I am somewhat excited but also still discouraged because I still do not have a dx.

First of all, went back to my internist, who I told that I was still concerned about this fullness feeling in my left side. I told him that I wanted an Ultrasound and also an ECHO because I had missed one that I was supposed to get back at the beginning of the month. That is what I love about him; I feel that he will pretty much run any test that he feels will give me piece of mind.

So I had the ECHO and Ultrasound done last week.

ECHO came back fine...
However, Ultrasound revealed an enlarged spleen!!! So, FINALLY I have something solid to work with here. I have pretty much has the full feeling in my left side the entire time I've been sick, but no one has seemed to be interested enough to check it, until now. SO, my doctor called two days ago and informed me of that. They seem to think that it could be a relapse of Epstien-Barr virus. Interesting to note, I was sick with mono about a year and a half ago, but thankfully I was able to get over it pretty quickly.

Internist said my vitamin B12 level was kind of low, not extremely, but as you can see in the lab it was kind of in the lower range. So he prescribed me a B12 nose spray to help to kind of boost it, he said it would help me feel better. I have also been taking B12 lozenges. Can't get enough B12! Also interesting to note, although at the time that I scanned that lab report my B6 level wasn't back, but now it is and it is elevated, about 10 points above the range. Sooo I have to pretty much stop any intake of B6 that I can help. Obviously it's not extremely out of the range, but out of whack just a bit.

He also changed me from Wellbutrin to Cymbalta and then to Lexapro. I didn't like the Cymbalta at all... made me feel hot and cold... chills and then a hot flash. So I stopped that and he switched me to Lexapro, which was my miracle drug about 4 years ago. I have only been on it for about a week but hopefully it will start to kick in soon. I hope it does, because I have still been taking the Ativan also, .5mg in the morning and evening, which still seems to be helping a little. I think that it has kind of hit its peak at this point, but still seems to help a little. really praying I am not getting addicted to it, but it is the only thing that I have that seems to help me even a little.

I am going in for more bloodwork today. I am hoping that they do some type of culture on me also to check for any other types of antibodies. I also requested an HIV test along with what I am getting done today, just to cover the bases.

I am continuing the Lexapro because I know that no matter what I have, I am depressed and do have anxiety so I feel that it can't do anything but help, especially since I had a good experience with it a while back.

actually leaving here in a moment for bloodwork. I hate car rides. :(

i just want a dx.

[Mom2four85]

just a quick note here; ask your dr's not only to do TSH but Free T3 & Free T4's; sometimes TSH will be normal but Free's will be off and can be causing problems, I had to push my dr to have mine done even with a hypothyroid dx.

[LivingInHope]

Things can slip through the cracks- even important things, so the patient really needs to be pro-active in their care- so I'd recommend you call about both the echocardiogram and the tilt table test.  

The blood tests my parent had ordered I believe was after the nerve conduction and EMG proved abnormalities.  As a Christian who has been pretty sheltered my whole life, I am not well versed in how people have changed what used to be acceptable words into also having meanings to do with something objectionable- that starred out word in my last post had to do with poking you with something- a neurologist used I think it was a safety pin on me before he went on to order an EMG.

It is ironic if you've never had even a TSH ran- it seems to be a pretty standard test with a lot of primary care doctors.  My doctor tests both that and I think free T4.  And an imbalance in thyroid function can cause a lot of havock in the body, including affecting one's emotional well being, so by all means, you want to get it checked.  I don't know if you have it or not, but whether a thyroid is hyperactive or sluggish, either way, it can cause emotional imbalances- so it's worth calling to see if you have had any thyroid function tests recently.  I'm so glad that you are finding help from the Lord.

[tmmontgomery]

For some reason the Echocardiogram slipped my mind. I don't know why. But they haven't called asking why I didn't go or why I didn't have the test done, so I am not sure they are concerned really.

I am sort of getting annoyed with my neurologist. When I am starting to think about it, I am feeling that he did not do things in a logical order at all. Maybe I'm just a stupid patient, but why didn't he order any blood tests? Why does he say he wants a tilt table test done but it has been 6 days and no one has called me. Not appropriate.

Very interesting though, I think I could have a thyroid problem. Ironically, no one has tested me for that. And alot of the symptoms that I am having match up perfectly with hyperthyroidism. I have been suffering for a month and for some reason, nobody even thought to do a thyroid test?

But hey, like you said, doctor's forget things I guess.

That is exactly what I have found also. I have stopped doing the late night thing over the past week or so because I felt like it was really messing with my sleep. With the help of Lunesta I have been going to sleep around 9:30 or 10 every night and it seems to be helping a little. I am still getting this vibration feeling though, and I have read several places that that symptom can be a very common one of hyperthyroidism/graves disease. I will definitely be giving the breathing a try tonight... That sounds like it could definitely help. And yes about the nightly bible reading! I have been doing a nightly devotional which I love and is seeming to help also.

What do you think about hyperthyroidism? Could it be?