[Stuck-in-Fog]

Hi folks,

These are my symptoms, I was wondering am I just depressed or experiencing a mental health problem? Or is there at least the slightest chance that my symptoms could have an underlying psychical cause like something to do with glands or hormones or god knows whatever else, I have heard that sometimes these kind of symptoms can have a physical cause or be symptoms of another condition. I first had the onset of these symptoms a few years back, my doctors just think I am depressed and prescribed me an anti depressant which has helped to lift my mood, but not done much else for the other stuff. For the record I haven’t experienced any kind of intense upset or trauma. Here is the list of my symptoms:

• Memory loss, impaired cognitive abilities, confusion, brain fog, struggle to find words, thinking can be like swimming in treacle, everything is hazy and foggy. It feels like my whole consciousness has changed, everything feels misty and almost not real, it’s like been on another plane, almost like some kind of limbo, feel really out of it, although sometimes are worse than others, sometimes it’s like I am in another world. Can’t drive anymore, I wouldn’t feel safe as it feels as if it would be like driving intoxicated.

• Restlessness and irritability, sometimes anxiety and depression but not always.

• Nasal congestion, always having to use a decongestion spray.

• Sore feet which has been diagnosed by the hospital as plantar fasciitis. (probably not related to anything else, except maybe been over weight). Can’t do more than about 20-30 mins walking a day.

• Significant weight gain on the upper body but my arms and legs have stayed thin, extreme pot belly, puffed out and bloated face. The fat on my body is extremely disproportionately spread.

• Sensitivity to noise, I can’t stand load noise, feels like it hurts my brain.

• Sensitivity to movement, this too can also feel like it hurts my brain.

• Full of excess gas and often having to burp and not been able to control it, even in public.

• Itchy groin at times, I am often having to scratch.

• Sometimes get the odd boil.

• Excessive stomach acid, always having to take anti acid tablets several times a day.

• Have a lot of poo’s, stools are fairly loose, often have diarrhoea.

• Can sweat a lot in the night, often wake up wet.


Recent symptoms to have come on in the last few months

• Fatigue sometimes need to have naps in the day.

• Can’t go for too long without eating, when it kicks in it’s like a drug withdrawal and causes intense stress and irritability, when I eat it relieves it.

• High white cell blood count.

I have just been to my Gp recently specifically in regards to my issue with becoming a wreck if I go too long without eating, I have mentioned most of the other things to various doctors in the past but like I say they just think I am depressed and referred me to a shrink for which I have been prescribed the anti depressant mirtazapine, but other than making me slightly happier and calmer about the horribleness of my situation it’s not done anything to help the other stuff. I did have some blood tests done recently, I asked if I could specifically be checked for diabetes and hypoglycaemia as like I say I was concerned about my recent situation in regards to the problems I have when I don’t eat regularly, I think my GP checked a few other things too, including my thyroid I would imagine, but I don’t know specifically what I have and have not been tested for, the one thing that did come back unusual was my white blood count which is how I know that was high, my GP said I take it you have had a cold or sore throat recently, which hasn’t been the case what so ever, I haven’t even had the slightest sniffle, anyway he thought the food issue might just be an anti depressant side effect and said I may want to speak to my shrink about it and was happy to leave it at that.

I personally am not sure that there isn’t anything else that may need investigation, whatever hit me a few years back hit me like a train, something in my body changed, I went from been a slim and active young man, happy to socialise, used to drive around a lot, go places and do stuff, to been a shell of my former self overnight, it’s like I went from been young, slim and active to been a fat, confused and forgetful old man almost overnight, who at times doesn’t know where he is (I am only 32), I should probably mention that when I first stated to notice the onset of these symptoms I was smoking a lot of marijuana and there seemed to be a direct correlation between the brain fog especially and using the drug, it would make my brain so foggy after smoking it that I had to stop, I haven’t smoked any for a few years now, but this does appear to have been a potential trigger for what has happened to me, whether my symptoms are a direct effect of a marijuana induced mental health problem or another physical problem my marijuana use may have triggered I don’t know, I know marijuana can supposedly trigger mental health problems, but I also know it can also affect the body in a lot of other ways such as hormones and god knows whatever else, so whether it’s triggered a mental health or some other physical health problem I don’t know. But the timing may suggest it has triggered some sort of change in my body.

The problem is I am not a doctor and have very little medical knowledge and don’t even know what to ask to be tested for, like I say I have had a blood test which I presume checked for most the basic sort of stuff, but I haven’t had urine or feces tests, or the whole nine yards, I think on the health system I am under in my country (British NHS) you get what you fight for, if I don’t push for any further testing that will be it, they will just keep telling me to take the anti depressants and leave it at that, but if there are other things I should ask for I don’t know what they are, which is why I am posting and asking for advice as to whether there may be any other areas that may need looking at and if so what. Assuming that there is other stuff that may need investigation then any suggestions as to what I should ask for would be most appreciated as I am desperate to get my life back.

Many thanks and all the best,

[Enjamin Garcia]

If you are facing so many problems then better contact a specialist as in this case there might be some other problem in your body because of which you are facing such issues.