Does Anyone "feel" Like They Get Brain Damaged

[statesof]

Hey everybody just wanted to see how each of you feel on a daily basis? I feel like personally i'm constantly in between recovering from one episode to the next, whether it be caused by walking to far, picking something up that i shouldn't have, standing up to quickly, or just a random mix of what the day throws at me. But i guess consistency is something that is non existent in my life, and i constantly have head symptoms or cognitive symptoms, also coupled with the random chest pressure or fatigue and i constantly feel like i'm in some post concussion state (never have had a concussion) and i never feel right, here are my weekly symptoms:

-head pressure (can feel either like someone is blowing up a baloon in my head, or squeezing my head with a vice)

-head pains (sometimes short sharp stabbing pains, other times just randome pains in different areas of my head, i wouldn't call

them headaches because they seem to vary throughout the day and are not specific to one spot, i also get migraines ocassionally)

-brain fog and depersonalization (sometimes i just feel like the bloodflow in my head causes me to feel foggy, other times it can be tied with the head pressure, depersonalization is somethign i've had chornically for years but is made worse by my exercise intolerance)

-mental fatigue/ malaise (is weird, my body never feels tired but my head feels so overworked but its different than tiredness)

-cognitively feeling like i'm in a fog/ like my brain has some weird hangover affect (this usually affects my visual processing somewhat as well)

-overall just feeling "fragile" or weak in my head like i've recently had a concussion or drank heavily for a week straight (usually i'll have to lie down, or sit alot if i get these feelings)

-all of this is also coupled with sometimes feeling a "lack of sensation of my body" usually with my arms, or the opposite where my arms and legs feel a bit heavy

overall my brain just never feels normal it always has pains, or pressure, or feels inflamed or like i'm recovering from some sorte of damge or somethign like i've been through some sorte of trauama only that trauma is usaully walking to far (3 blocks) or standing up to fast which can bring the sharp stabbing pains sometimes, but it just takes so long for my body to recover from these episodes usually each one lasts about a week and they are constantly overlapping. Anyways sorry for the super long post and thank you in advance for any response, just want to see if this is "normal" for any of you

[MomtoGiuliana]

Are these your only symptoms, or in addition to other symptoms? Were you diagnosed with POTS?

Asking that, I can definitely relate. These were significant symptoms for me when I was very sick with POTS. I don't remember any headaches really, but I typically felt foggy, head pressure, disconnected (depersonalization?), fatigued mentally--it was hard and tiring to focus. I also remember this very annoying persistent buzzing sensation that would go on for days at a time (in my head).

Additionally, I had many other symptoms including severe tachycardia and overall weakness that made much activity very difficult.

For me, an SSRI and beta blocker helped tremendously, although perhaps I would have eventually recovered without any medications.

I hope you feel better soon.

[statesof]

These are all in addition, these all started after having a headrush about 8months ago that follwoed with head dizziness and a prolong thing where my vision felt weird and ever since if i do anything physical i get all these symptoms. However i've only recently been diagnosed with POTS, but for the last 4 years also have had these symptoms:

increase in migriane frequency

visual snow 24/7

negative afterimages 24/7

depersonalization/ derealization 24/7

brain fog

sleep never refreshes me, sometimes i wake up completely exhausted

lots of headrushes (only bad since the one that triggered by newere symptoms)

pressure in head

stomach pains, naseau

light sensitivity 24/7

halos around lights at night

sensitivity to strong smells (affects my light sensitivity weirdly, could be migraine)

i did develope almost constant anxiety type state which was a problem years ago

constant hangover/ feeling like i'm in a daze type state (was helped years ago)

idk i had like a million symptoms four years ago, still have a number of them but POTS was not considered until recently when basically one day getting a headrush (which wasn't odd for me) pretty much changed everything for my head and the way my body reacts

also with the exercise intolerance episodes i also get lightheaded but differently than passing out, constantly feel like i'm in a cloud, random bursts of anxiety while falling asleep, random anxiety/POTS attacks, body weakness, and just overall feeling like death

[MomtoGiuliana]

I'm sorry, I do know how many of these symptoms feel. I also had problems with lack of refreshing sleep, waking up with heart pounding, and profound weakness.

Are you trying any medications with your doctor's help?

[badhbt]

I can relate to your symptoms, even the distorted vision. I don't get headaches or pressure. All of these symptoms were really bad for me in the beginning, but now I have some good days. I hope you have some better days.

[lejones1]

I'm not sure what you describe is "normal", even for POTS, but I've had a lot of the same symptoms. Brain damaged is a pretty good way to describe it! One day my brain sort of felt "zapped" and then for the next 4 months I had bizarre head sensations, headaches that felt like a balloon was in a my head, what felt like brain inflammation, nausea, light/sound/smell sensitivity...really most of the things you mention except depersonalization. I was diagnosed with migraines because of the light/sound sensitivity, although my neurologist admitted my headaches didn't sound like migraines. Another doctor suggested mild meningitis (I had low grade fevers at the time too) but it was after the fact and never tested for. Almost as suddenly as the symptoms came, they went away, haven't had them in 2 months. Mine were also worsened by "exercise", any sort of exertion really, on bad days talking could set it off. I'm so sorry you're going through this - none of my other POTS symptoms have touched on how bad those 4 months were, I know it can be miserable. Do you know the cause of your POTS or do you have any other co-existing conditions?

[Akgirl]

I also feel your pain!! I can totally relate to pretty much all your list of symptoms! I start feeling like I am just a big hypacondriac after awhile!! I must admit It feels very reassuring to read your list and see others being able to relate to all these bazaar things that go in our bodies. It's nice to know we are not alone

[statesof]

momtoguiliana-

yes i'm on a beta blocker now atenolol only 12.5 mg because 25mg puts me into a fog and i just feel like i'm not getting enough oxegen to my brain, but since it hasn't had a huge affect on my symptoms other than keep my hr from jumping when sitting to standing, my Dr. wants me to try gabapenton

lejones1-

yes i also have migraine which was pretty much blamed as the culprit for the last four years since i also had an increase in headaches, so all the visual stuff they say "could" be migraine, as well as spells of vertigo or any other head pains/ pressure. However i also have all the symptoms of depersonalization disorder which most people have alot of those visual symptoms that go with it (but its not written in dsm manuals), but i found its nearly impossible to get a diagnosis of depersonalization disorder because most doctors havent heard of it. but in the first 3 months 4 years ago when everything started i had such bad brainfog and super irritability, like if three people were talking in a room it was like way to much for my brain to handle. And the POTS diagonosis is very recent becasue i became exercise intolerant and have had many other neurological symptoms since one particular headrush, but i'm sure i would have tested positive for POTS as well years ago because i also felt so lightheaded when standing up too long, but my doctors didnt really focus on that because i had so many other symptoms. but yes i get so many of these weird snesations like i can feel tons of head pressure throughout the day and then if i take a shower it might change it to feel like inflamation, and each day is totally different and i might have 4-5 days dealing with one sort of issue and then it goes away and i might get somethign else. But my Dr. whos a migraine specialist kidna informed me that yea i have alot of migraine issues, i hae the POTS, and depersonalization stuff, as well as an anxiety disorder so its impossible for them to say which symptoms come from one thing or the other, and i tend to fall into a gray area of being inbetween a number of disorders.

akgirl and everyone else- thank you all for your responses, does anyone ever get the feeling like their head feels fragile or weak? thats one of the worst symptoms for me its not that its painful but it just feels like your brains ready to shutdown, and sometimes i get nausea, or kinda arm and leg weakness when those things happen?

[Moin]

All these head feelings are coming from dysautonomia, in my experience. I’m now 60, suffering from these issues since childhood, however never understood them till lately when my condition worsened after 3 years of long flights every month. 

Here is the explanation, as I see it: Dysautonomia causes nerves over reaction to what we eat, so there is a pull on nerves across whole body, and depending on body constitution, pronounced in certain areas- head in my case. So these nerves pull on the brain itself as well, since a lot of these nerves connect to our brain. This is the reason behind pressure/tightness/focus issues/ ADD etc etc. My feelings get hugely stronger after I pass stools, and subside after a night sleep. I find I have to be careful in what I eat, and always relate my head symptoms to what I have eaten in last 2-3 days. 

In my opinion, this brain condition keeps our minds in overdrive condition, causing constant acidity, which weakens the digestive system, and therefore our condition worsens when we lift any heavy object as it exerts pressure on our weakened digestive system and Dysautonomia moves the reaction to our head.

[StayAtHomeMom]

I definitely get the head pressure thing. It is usually a warning sign for me that I over did it and need to go lay down before I have no choice. It does feel like it is a never ending battle. Barely recover and it starts all over. Having my medication has helped a lot but I still have to be careful not to over do it.