Brain Fog

My Ailment/Disease:

Heaviness in Head/Stiffness in neck, Weight on my eyes and eyelids, Confused Mind which makes me unable to concentrate, Weak Memory, Difficulty recollecting/recalling past things, Feel as if vision is not clear although I can see everything properly. It is like having cloudy thoughts. Makes you feel that you are sleepy and lethargic when I feel fogginess and cloudy vision as if I am suffering from constant hangover 24 X 7. During this time, my mind is always thinking about this disease and hence I feel I cannot concentrate on anything else.

Description:
I am 32 years old male. When I was growing up, I remember that I used to have examination phobia. I used to cry before going for exam. Although I was good in studies, I felt that I have not studied something which I might not answer in exams. Around 19990, I tried to change myself making a conscious effort to try and be brave/bold through exams or any other type of stressful situations. This disease started in 1992 and coincidentally that was the time I started drinking and smoking. This was also the time when I used to study for 12-13 hours everyday for competitions. I might have been stressed at that time due to huge expectations. I used to feel as if my mind has turned blank with heaviness in head, difficulty in concentration. Initially I took some Homeopathic medicine (do not remember) and it went away in 10 days if I recall correctly. I do not remember how it started the first time and which Doctor I went to? I think it was a Homeopathic Doctor.

Then I think it happened in B.E. 1st year. I was stressed at that time because I was expecting to Fail a course. It started when I had Bhaang in Holi . Disease stayed with me for 10 days, I think. I do not remember the Doctor and medicine but I am sure it would have been a Homeopathic Doctor.

Then I think it happened in BE 3rd year. I do not remember the reason this time or whether I was stressed or not?. I consulted a Homepathic Doctor (Dr. Navneet) in Jhansi Medical College. I do not remember the name of medicine and the duration of time my disease lasted (not for long, I am sure)

Sometimes I would feel Heaviness in Head/Blank mind/difficulty in concentration whenever I would not sleep properly while coming from Jhansi to Lucknow by overnight train. This would not last longer and on taking proper rest, I would feel fine. This has happened to me some other times too when due to lack of sleep I developed the same symptoms. This did not last long though.

Question 1. Why do I feel the same Symptoms when I do not get enough sleep?? Why does it go away when I get enough sleep?

Around 1997/98 I used to remain tensed because I did not have job. Although I used to pretend that it was OK, but I think it used to stress me internally. I never showed my anger or frustration externally. I never showed my feelings/emotions in public very often. Even though I might be feeling anger, jealous, happy etc. I would just keep it to myself. In May’1998, after excessive drinking, it started again and continued for 6-8 months. I started taking Homeopathic medicines (do not remember the name) and it went away one day after I passed stool when I was in Kanpur.

Question 1. What effect did my bowel movement have on my sickness?
Question 2. Is Stress the underlying cause of my ailment? Does Alcohol, Sleeplessness, Acidity or tension trigger the stress level in my body due to which I face these symptoms???

I came to USA in 2000. It happened in 2000 again after excessive drinking and stayed for 8 months. Homeopathic medicines did not help this time and hence I consulted a Neurophysician (Dr. Atul Agarwal) in 2001 in India and He diagnosed “Chronic Tension Type Headache”. He prescribed Cap Venlor-XR (Venlafaxine , Effexor Xr , Efexor Xr ) and Tab Amitone (Antacid). I took these medicines and they helped me immediately from the day I started taking them. I took them for 3 months and the symptoms went away.
Here the Doctor treated me with Tricyclic Antidepressent. He prescribed an antacid because I told him that I have acidity problem.

Then it happened once again in Feb’ 2003 after excessive drinking. I started taking Cap Venlor-XR (not Tab Amitone) 1 capsule a day, which continued for 3 years. In this entire period I drank alcohol (mostly Beer) too while taking this medicine. I started drinking Aloe Vera Juice around February 2006. After I started drinking aloe vera, my condition improved as I had to take this medicine once in 3 days. My Sister had recommended me to drink Aloe Vera juice for acidity. One day in March 2006 when I drank alcohol and was also on this medicine, I vomited heavily and the next morning, I started feeling good. From that day I did not have to take Venlor-XR, although I drank beer regularly after this incident.

Question 1. What effect did Aloe Vera have on the intake of medicine from 1 capsule per day to 1 capsule in 3 days?
Question 2. Why did Vomiting relieve me of all the symptoms and also the medicine??
Question 3. If Stress is the problem, then why did Vomiting/Aloe Vera help. If Stres is not the problem, then why did Cap Venlor-XR help me for so long?
Question 4. Is there a relationship between Stress and Acidity?? Are both of them causing the problem?


Then this disease recurred in October 2006 after heavy drinking. I went to India in December 2006 and consulted a Hakeem and Vaidhya. Both of them told me that I have Aam(In Ayurveda Aam is toxin/mucus)/fermentation Problem in my large intestine (My Mother had Acute Acidity Problem at one point of time). This fermentation causes less blood flow my head and creates heaviness, loss of concentration, dullness, sadness. Hakeem gave me some medicines to control acidity and clean my stomach. That was the time I started meeting my fiancé After a while I started feeling good. Now I do not know what cured me?? Hakeem’s medicine or meeting with my Fiance. I gave up drinking in October 2006.

I came back in February 2007 to USA and I was giving interviews. I was staying alone at the apartment and after sometime I started feeling stressed again. I could feel the symptoms coming back at me in a mild fashion. Hence I moved to my Friend’s place where I could talk and laugh and do other things, and after some days I started feeling fine.

I went back to India in March 2007 to get married. A verbal fight happened between me and my father which made me stressed out. I was thinking a lot about the verbal fight repetitively. I could feel the same symptoms in a mild way. Hence I continued taking Hakeem’s medicine and also tried to be happy. After some days I started feeling good. I do not know if Hakeem’s medicine cured me or my own happy state of mind.

Question 1. If being Happy cured me then why did I not get cured at other times too and also in present time when I feel happy too.
Question 2. If only Hakeem’s medicine cured me, then he treated me for Acidity. How did stress get treated with the treatment of Acidity?
Question 3. If Acidity is the problem, then I took PrevPac and Nexium(Proton Pump Inhibitor) for 25 days. I do not feel acidity now, but still feel the heaviness. How do you explain this?

I got married in April 2007 and I came to USA after the marriage. I was giving interviews and hence stressed out. Also I did not get enough sleep because of the nature of bed/mattress. That is how this disease started again. Mind you this time there was no alcohol associated as I have given up drinking. I was still smoking about 3 cigg. a day. I got a job and moved to a new place, but It has been 10 weeks since this disease started again. I feel heaviness in head/stiffness in neck a lot . I can feel my heart pounding fast when there is lot of stress. I want to relax, but my mind does not let me relax. Bad thoughts keep coming in.

I feel that I have lost the capacity to handle stress altogether. I panic easily when there is stress or doubts on my capabilities. My head becomes heavy and I start feeling the same symptoms.

Question 1. Why does it happen to me?? How can I regain the capacity to handle stress without undergoing through this disease?? Any medicine or exercise?

I am a non vegetarian. I do not drink milk and juices.

I have had my eye checkup done, blood test done, BP and MRI done. Everything is OK. I have Kidney Stone problem since 1997. I do not know if it exists now or not. I have never felt pain in my stomach bcoz of Kidney stone.

My question is:

(1) Is this disease Depression/Anxiety/Tension Type Headache?? If this is depression, then why would it occur in phases like 10-15 times in 15 years? If this is depression, how can a depressed person be so eager to get rid of it, try different treatment options, try yoga etc without anyone else’s support?
(2) If yes, How does Alcohol, Acidity, Stress, Sleeplessness trigger them? What is the permanent remedy? Does it happen to all the people?
(3) If not, what is the root cause of this disease and what is the disease known as?
(4) What precautions do I have to take? Any food precautions?
(5) Why did this disease go away when I passed stool and also when I vomited? What is the connection?
(6) Why have I lost the capacity to handle Stress? Is it because Alcohol has disturbed my gastro/digestive system????
(7) My Brother faces the same symptoms, but his symptoms remain for 7-10 days and after he takes Biochemic # 25 (Homeopathic medicine) to treat acidity, it goes away. Why does he feel the same symptoms?? Do other people face the same symptoms too? Why don’t I get cured by the same medicine? Why does this disease last longer in my case.
(8) Is Stress causing Acidity or Acidity causing Stress???


My Personality:

Quite, Less Talkative and yet Extrovert, Always Thinking about something, Very opinionated, Emotional, Get tensed/stressed easily, Chew my nails and finger skin a lot

My Family:

My Mother had Acidity problem in the past. Lot of stool was stuck in her intestine during 1987/88 due to which she faced psychological problems. A Vaidhya cured her by cleaning her intestine. My Brother has acidity problem too.

My Ailment/Disease:

Heaviness in Head/Stiffness in neck, Weight on my eyes and eyelids, Confused Mind which makes me unable to concentrate, Weak Memory, Difficulty recollecting/recalling past things, Feel as if vision is not clear although I can see everything properly. It is like having cloudy thoughts. Makes you feel that you are sleepy and lethargic when I feel fogginess and cloudy vision as if I am suffering from constant hangover 24 X 7. During this time, my mind is always thinking about this disease and hence I feel I cannot concentrate on anything else.

I feel due to high level of toxins in my body, they are getting absorbed in blood stream and hence impacting my nervous system.

Conditions causing this disease:

(1) Alcohol/Acidity
(2) Stress
(3) Sleeplessness
(4) Once it happened(or got triggered) because of Bhang
(5) Once it happened bcoz of Fever

These are the 3 possibilities:

Alcohol AcidityStress Heaviness in Head and Neck, Weight on my eyes and eyelids, Unable to Concentrate, Everything seems kind of unreal, Weak Memory, Difficulty recollecting/recalling past things

StressAcidity Heaviness in Head and Neck, Weight on my eyes and eyelids; unable to concentrate, everything seems kind of unreal, Weak Memory, Difficulty recollecting/recalling past things

Sleeplessness  Heaviness in Head and Neck, Weight on my eyes and eyelids; unable to concentrate, everything seems kind of unreal, Weak Memory, Difficulty recollecting/recalling past things

There is absolutely a correlation between alcohol, stress, acidity and my disease. Due to this reason, I cannot enjoy oily or spicy food. There is always this thought while eating whether this food will cause acidity or not?

When this disease is not present, then I feel cheerful and I feel my memory is working fine and I do not have any difficulty recollecting past things. I must admit here that I do not feel a very clear mind (like clean and calm water) anytime. Something or the other keeps going on in my mind.

I am a very ambitious guy. I feel that whatever I have achieved till today does not match up to my expectations. I always feel that I could have done better in my life personally and professionally.

From the past 3-4 years, I have seen that I get nervous easily and panic easily. I used to get nervous previously too, but these days it gets to me easily. Whenever I feel nervous, I feel heaviness in head/stiffneck in neck i.e. basically the same symptoms coming back to me.

NOTE: This disease did not happen every time I drank alcohol. I must have drunk lot of times in 14 years but the disease would have occurred 4-5 times due to alcohol.

NOTE: Even when I am not suffering from this ailment (i.e. no heaviness/no stiffness), I feel that my mind is not clear and clean like fresh water. Some thoughts/emotions always go through my mind which consciously or unconsciously distracts my mind and hence I am unable to give 100% to any activity (either of my interest or not) I do. I would describe it as the state of mind as if I am slightly drunk or someone who is always devoid of sleep. The coordination between my brain and what I see through my eyes is not perfect although I have perfect eyesight.

NOTE: Even if I am slightly hungry I feel my brain is getting out of my control. I feel giddiness in my head