Hey Joe, sorry about all this suffering you're experiencing.
You could be on the right track, saying that CFS might be a symptom of another condition, which also may explain your poor memory, brain fog & other mental/cognitive issues.
Have you had any adrenal and/or thyroid testing?
In chronic stress situations the adrenal hormones like cortisol are elevated initially to help deal with the stress, but eventually the adrenals become fatigued and in later stages of chronic stress, cortisol levels fall dramatically.
At the same time thyroid function is down-regulated to conserve energy for adrenal recovery (secondary hypothyroidism)
Some of the effects of the above scenario would be consistent with most of your presentation.
Unfortunately conventional doctors are not likely to help you much there.
I suggest you look into finding a good Functional Medicine Doctor to facilitate your recovery, before any
irreversible damage takes place.
A Functional Stress profile and Thyroid tests Free T3, Free T4 and Reverse T3 are warranted.
It would be also good to check for deficiencies.
Iron panel, tissue magnesium, neurotransmitters, zinc, selenium, iodine, B12, B6, folate, vitamin D, etc.
Best wishes,
Niko
Hey, my symptoms are extremely similar to yours. My fatigue probably isn't bad but everything else sounds similar. i have a lump under the skin on the left side of my neck. My Neck and head is very tight and I get a lot of head pressure / dizziness and brain fog. I also get twitching eyes and feel very shaky and sensitive internally especially under exertion. I have clear but fuzzy vision of that makes sense? Ive had full suite of blood tests which have been fine. MRI on Spine and Head have been fine. Seen a neuro who said I may have Silent Migraines and prescribed me with a Beta Blocker to take, however I don't really see any benefit. I've felt like this now for 18 Months and I'm really struggling to find answers. Some say it's my posture. Others say Swollen Lymph Nodes. Others say Lyme disease. Nobody seems to know. You can see my full list of symptoms on my older posts.
I now get a shaking feeling under my right rib cage. And the discomfort in my right lower abdomen has increased.
I just want to say I appreciate all your help. Iv learnt more in the past few months what might be wrong than in the past 3 years. They finally believe me when I say it's not just anxiety and depression. Thank you all x
I often have a runny nose and slight cough, not sure if cough is from occasional smoking. Running nose usually after eating. I am gluten and lactose free now though.
My memory is getting worse and I'm now forgetting to eat and I'm feeling very fatigued. My legs are twitching A lot, like there are little things under my skin all moving
I want to make sure I mention every possible thing. Doctors say it's nothing but I feel a hard swelling in the right side of my neck under my ear, it seems bigger some days than others.
My eyes can't focus clear and will feel like they are still moving sometimes when I close my eyes. My ears also have a full sensation in them like when you go up in a plane.
Hello~You have received excellent answers. I would like to add that it could also be fibromyalgia, it is similar to chronic fatigue syndrome, but has some different symptoms. I also suggest seeing a chiropractor, if you have any misplace vertebrae out in your neck or back, you can have some uncomfortable symptoms.
Hi. So you are a male since your name is Joe? Your profile says female, but lots of people don't seem to change that. Can you get blood work? Your symptoms sound a lot like nutritional deficiencies such as iron deficiency. This is common in females more than males, but also in Celiac disease (spelled Coeliac if you are British). I was in a terrible state after I got my gallbladder out. I was deficient in magnesium and iron and vitamin D. I just figured out that I was also suffering from loss of bile due to having had my gallbladder out and only figured out how bad this was because I developed psoriasis. Now that I'm gluten free, took iron for years and continue to take magnesium, plus added ox bile, I'm healing much better and have more energy. It was a terrible puzzle. Start with blood work. Be very suspicious of any prescription meds. Let me know how your blood work comes out, checking for anemia including iron deficiency, thyroid levels, magnesium, vitamin D and B12, and check for Celiac disease.
Hi there, I think you should consider a look at Adrenal issues. Its quite rare, but with your foggy brain feeling,
you should get a few tests.
Is your BP ok?
the Blood aldosterone & Renin level should be looked at.
Have you had a 24 hour urine collection test done? Have one.
Adrenal issues are known to cause some of the symptoms you describe.
How is your Kidney function?
I also have a discomfort in my lower right side next to my bely button that started as a numb feeling. and I struggle to keep my eyes focused/still, even when closed.
Hi and got your note. Sorry you are not feeling well. Have you see a doctor yet? The first thing that comes to mind is see a neurologist. Maybe you have some type of weird migraine or seizure. So they can do an Electroencephalogram or EEG to see plus some physical testing. Also, maybe they will do a brain scan just to check such as CT or MRI. If that is negative then Epstein Barr virus maybe? But it would have to be chronic fatigue syndrome. Fatigue can cause lack of memory. I have fatigue due the pills I'm on and it causes me to not recall things unless I am well rested. But the drugs I'm on for migraine variant also cause memory problems. Are you on any prescription drugs?
I would start with the neurologist that specializes in migriane/seizure. Just check that out. Maybe an ENT as a second guess to check the inner ear and scan the brain. Same thing from a different angle. Let me know how it goes. Unfortunately, you will probably have to see a few doctors to get diagnosed. Was your Epstein Barr (EBV) tested and was the EBV test positive?
Have you had any other testing done like a complete blood count, thyroid test?
thanks,
mkh9