Constant state of brain fog

[scaredsilly91]

I don't know where to turn at this point. About five years ago, I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and put on anti-anxiety meds. I was only 15 at the time, but over the years my medication was increased and swapped so many times, I don't even remember all the different kinds I tried. 8 months ago, after I had developed insomnia, depression, constant brain fog, gained 120 pounds and completely isolated myself from the outside world, I decided I had had enough and quit all of my medications. Everything else got better (ironically, even my anxiety was dramatically reduced), but the brain fog hung on hard. I went to the doctor and we treated everything that she thought COULD have been causing it- mild hypothyroidism, vitamin D and iron deficiencies, gluten intolerance- and I can think a little better now. But what has not changed is this constant feeling that I'm not really here- that I'm watching my life unfold from behind a screen, or that it's all in a movie. I have a lot of trouble being "in the moment" to the point where it's seriously holding me back. I'm working through my anxiety and getting back into the world, but my brain fog is making it so much less than it should be. It's always worse when I leave my house, when I'm tired, when I'm anxious, or when I'm doing something I was really excited about. It throws off my sense of time, as well as makes it hard to remember things or concentrate.
    The best way to describe it is that it's almost "blurry", like my brain can't see properly. I can see fine with my eyes (unless I'm having those vision problems*), but the world around me just looks and feels a million miles away. When I try to recall memories from a really bad day, I literally remember a white or black fog surrounding the edges of my vision. On the worst fog day I ever had, I barely remember anything that happened and the memory is almost completely white, save for a small blurry window in the middle. Sorry, this is getting a little abstract- I have trouble describing it.
    I feel like no one knows what I'm going through or understands how badly it affects me, including my doctor. In fact, I'm pretty sure my best friend thinks I'm faking it...but anyway. I talked to my doctor about it last time I was in, and expressed concern about brain tumors (because of the brain fog, and because *my vision occasionally goes blurry or doubles for a few hours) she said it wasn't likely- but in her defense we had a lot of things to go through that day. My therapist also has no explanation. I have not had any brain scans yet, no one has recommended them. I'm about to get aggressive about it because there is no reason I should be feeling this way.
    I've gone through times of no stress and times of great stress, times where I was sleeping too little/much and times where I was sleeping just the right amount, times where I was eating only the most healthy foods and times where I was eating the worst, times when I was doing healthy amounts of activity and times when I was sedentary- and though my brain fog was often worse during stress and when I was tired, it NEVER got to a bearable level during the other times. I'm just a a loss- I want to move forward so badly, but my brain fog is holding me back.
    Does anyone have any experience with this or advice? I'm terrified that it's going to last for the rest of my life. The thought just exhausts me and I don't really want to live at all if this is how it will be.

[shappydresser]

Hi I'm currently experiencing this also!
I'm 21 now and don't drink reguarly, waking up after a big night out on the weekend it has been almost 5 days now of being in a state of feeling I'm in a dream. I clearly remember this feeling from when I was about 14 for a period of 6 months on/off with some weeks feeling near normal and others like a total dream state.

As you say, I also feel this sense of a grey fog around my vision. I keep feeling as though I am not my body, that I am much smaller and in a black room in my head, looking out through eyes as if they are a big wide window.

I feel very disconnected from how I'm talking and behaving as if my body and interactions with people are working in autopilot.Sometimes I think I feel as if I'm dead and I'm a ghost travelling around through my world and that people cannot see me unless I interact with them.

I'm aware of how I feel when I'm not experiencing this and compartively this feels just like I'm in a dream and that I should wake out of it at some point.

My reflection in the mirror seems hazy too - I know its mine but I don't feel its me.

This feeling feels wrong - not normal. Distressing but not terrifying. In fact I feel quite emotionally numb. My cheeks and forearms feel numb too actually.

I was taken to emergency the other day as these symptoms were suspected of being from a spiked drink.
The pschiatrists where quite puzzled by what I was telling them - they couldn't grasp what I meant when I said 'I feel I'm in a dream'.

My mum is convinced this a type of anxiety reaction and from what I have read this seems plausible however I also believe this was somehow triggered by the alcohol.

Just frustrating because I feel so confused and I'm struggling to do my work! Mentally I feel much 'slower' than usual and images and everyday life is confusing me.

When I'm in a car the rapidly passing new images make me feel dazed and exhausted. When I'm at home, the familiar surroundings make me feel more 'normal' than when I'm in less familar surroundings.

Any of this sound familiar also?

[scaredsilly91]

I've been off all of them since late May of 2010. I went through about 2-3 weeks of withdrawal, but I thought any medication side effects would have worn off by now? It's been almost 8 months.

[kev543]

listen to the doctor but if the test come out negative, then maybe it is a side affect from the meds. How long have you been off the meds? If you google the side effects of the meds you were on ,it might answer the questions for you. Most of the medication that doctor prescribe now days have some sort of side effect and the doctor weighs the pros and cons to determine wether it's worth the risk to try and help your situation. Start with the last batch of meds they had you taking and see if the side effects are insomnia or depression or even brain fog. Sometimes people have side effects from meds that are very uncommon too so, in saying that, everyone should be aware of the side effects and don't just throw away that paper that comes with the prescription. read it and you may have your answer already.

[Dr Sharma]

Hi there. Brain fog is a characteristic feature of fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis. You need to consult a neurologist for investigation these conditions in you. Fibromyalgia is a chronic musculoskeletal condition characterized by chronic muscle fatigue and brain fog. it is also associated with trigger points or points in the body which are aimed at when treating pain by a pain physician. Similarly multiple sclerosis is a chronic neurological condition where there is widespread demyelination of the white matter in brain causing widespread neurological symptoms like tingling, numbness, weakness of limbs, electric shock like sensations etc. diagnosis of exclusion, your cerebrospinal fluid needs to be examined for oligoclonal bands and MRI for areas of demyelination or white patches. Take care.