Can't focus, can't remember words, head hurts all of the time

[passionpink]

I've noticed myself declining cognitively for several years. It started when I was about 21 years old, and I am 24 now. Before then, I had a few other neurological symptoms and really bad headaches, but I just tried to ignore them and hoped they'd go away basically.

These cognitive issues are affecting my life SO much, and I just can't hold on and just deal with them any longer. I always feel like I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown because they make it so difficult just to live my life. For instance, I just started a job as a copywriter for a website that a few of my friends work for from home because it was the only job I could really find, and I need money. Every time I try to write one of my assignments, I get frustrated and just start crying because I'm sitting there trying to write, but I can't remember the words to say what I'm trying to say. It's also nearly impossible for me to focus on work, which makes it harder. My friends will be talking about how it takes them an average of an hour or two to finish an order, and it takes me like 8 hours to finish one. So then, I wind up turning in my work late and looking like a slacker, but I can't help it. I try to go as fast as I can, but my brain won't work right.

It causes other issues too like I'm a really bad driver because I can't concentrate well, and I'm always afraid I'm going to cause a wreck because I make so many stupid mistakes while driving.

Even just talking to my friends is extremely stressful because it's a struggle to comprehend what they're saying to me sometimes and then more of a struggle to respond to them because sometimes I can't remember the words I need.

I also get these really, really terrible headaches that I have almost all of the time.

I don't know what to do because I've already been to a bunch of doctors who won't help me. I went to three different neurologists, and they all just told me there was nothing wrong with my MRI, and I needed to see a psychiatrist because the symptoms were all in my head. The last neurologist I saw yelled at me and told me there was "no evidence" that something was wrong with me, so I needed to stop coming in and taking up appointment time from patients who are really sick.

So I went to the psychiatrist, and he wasn't able to help me either because my issue isn't psychiatric in nature. Yes, I'm depressed because it's ruining my life, but the depression came after the symptoms started and not the other way around.

I've also been to an ENT, an internist, a gynecologist (to get checked for hormonal imbalances), my GP, and even an acupuncturist.

Does anyone have any idea of what I could do next? I'm so tired of feeling like everything in life is too hard for me all of the time and of crying out of frustration every single day, but no one seems able or willing to help me. No one seems to even believe me that I'm struggling.

[selmaS]

  I know how u feel, I went out of state to get the help I needed as I could not get help around my home either.....

Medical issues are not as easy as going to the Dr and having testing.....we need to advocate for ourselves and educate ourselves so we can find the right Dr to help.

Wishing u the best.

[passionpink]

Thank you, selmaS. I do have copies of all of my labs and my MRI, but I kind of figured it'd be senseless to think that I'd get a different result on my next try when I've already seen three neurologists and a slew of other doctors. I am moving to another town in about a month, so I think I might schedule an appointment with a doctor there to see if they'd be better equipped to help me. There's not really any doctors left for me to see where I currently live.

[Sdl18]

Did you find out what this is!!???

[selmaS]

Hi..yes, get copies of ur MRI and the report and go get a 2nd opinion....too many Drs discount conditions as an incidental finding they say the MRI is clear when in fact it shows what is wrong, but they do not believe in what they see.....

Get another opinion, and get more testing, make sure ur vitamin levels are where they should be....

I do understand how u feel as I had a similar situation and it took requesting copies of ALL testing I had and researching what I found....

[passionpink]

No one has any input?