188 replies to this topic

[Spec Tec]

How does seeing a neurologist work? Do I need to get a referral ?

My diet now mostly consists of tortilla, cheese, chicken, and orange juice.

I also read that neurotransmitter deficiencies can also cause these sort of symptoms. I'm tired all of the time and my thoughts are very scattered. I've actually read that hyperthyroidism can cause a dampening in the effects of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, which is why stimulants such as Adderall do so well to treat thyroid related fatigue as they help the neurochemicals to soak longer in the synapse.

I have a lot of your symptoms. I tried Strattera for a while, and it worked quite well to get me to focus. But it didn't entirely fix the problem.

That (in me) points to a potential norepinephrine cause. I was doing some research earlier today, and apparently Tyramine can cause a number of issues with norepinephrine. Cheese, of course, being a HUGE food-source of Tyramine.

Tyramine, when metabolised to Octopamine, apparently acts as a structural analogue to Norepinephrine, and gets stored in the vesicles the same way as Norepinephrine would - but taking up space. Unfortunately, it doesn't act as a chemical analogue and as such doesn't trip the adrenergic receptors.

Try removing the cheese from your diet, and look online for dietary sources of Tyramine. Eliminate them for a few months, supplement with Tyrosine, and see what happens. Can't hurt.

[dupez]

hey purerealm.

not gonna lie, i only read your first post. sounds like a bad case of hypothyroidism - i have it as well. I am taking Synthroid to treat it. I had the same symptoms and i am doing much better now. you can try vinpocetine to increase your blood flow as well. once your thyroid system is functioning properly you should feel better though, but remember you need to eat well and exercise often as well. your body is a system - there are factors you can control. you'll also need a lot of sleep. i try to get to bed between 11/12 every night and wake up 8/9 am - no more 2/3 am bedtimes! I'm not sure if you really have ADD. The doctors will not check for thyroid unless you specifically ask. Hypothyroidism can express symptoms similar to ADD.

[Yearningforyears]

my latest regimen has done me very well in the fatigue / depression department.

Rhodiola rosea + siberian ginseng. Very surprised.
More energy, less depression, less social phobia, no hypomanic symptoms + soft prozac-like childhood memory flashbacks (pleasant memories).


But maybe you are on some kind of medication.
Wish you well. Keep on fighting it. (or least partly accept it and bitch slap on occation)

[purerealm]

my latest regimen has done me very well in the fatigue / depression department.

Rhodiola rosea + siberian ginseng. Very surprised.
More energy, less depression, less social phobia, no hypomanic symptoms + soft prozac-like childhood memory flashbacks (pleasant memories).


But maybe you are on some kind of medication.
Wish you well. Keep on fighting it. (or least partly accept it and bitch slap on occation)

Thanks man, I just saw my first thread made in 2005 and it was like a walk down memory lane. I made that post during my freshman year of college, I am now graduated but jobless, unmotivated, and in some sort of despair. Haven't made much progress for my "condition". I don't have much irregularity showing up in blood work, just a high blood glucose.

[davidd]

I don't have much irregularity showing up in blood work, just a high blood glucose.

Do you know if that blood work showed bilirubin levels?

And as for other values, were there any that were within the ranges, but getting nearer to the top/bottom end?

Thanks,
David

[sance]

my latest regimen has done me very well in the fatigue / depression department.

Rhodiola rosea + siberian ginseng. Very surprised.
More energy, less depression, less social phobia, no hypomanic symptoms + soft prozac-like childhood memory flashbacks (pleasant memories).


But maybe you are on some kind of medication.
Wish you well. Keep on fighting it. (or least partly accept it and bitch slap on occation)

Thanks man, I just saw my first thread made in 2005 and it was like a walk down memory lane. I made that post during my freshman year of college, I am now graduated but jobless, unmotivated, and in some sort of despair. Haven't made much progress for my "condition". I don't have much irregularity showing up in blood work, just a high blood glucose.

hey purerealm, i would like to talk to you about this symptomps. i have read 95% of this thread and its really pain to see you having this for almost 5 years now.

i am experiencing many symptomps as you.

please contact me back. i will send you a pm with my email and aim so we can talk more.. and i have something you might want to try to help you.

[AlexanderDD]

I've got the same problems as purerealm.

My blood tests show same T3 levels as purerealm, but I have a TSH at 3,3.
Addtionally I have low free testosterone.
I believe part of the problem was a year on Lexapro, which excerbated the problem.

[SandJ]

I just wanted to add my 2c to this amazing thread.

I have a long 'health story' that I won't go into here (if anyone is interested you can read it here on my website.) Suffice to say I have/had many of your symptoms, for about 12 years, purerealm, in addition to having a number of acute and chronic infections. CFS was the most common diagnosis. I tried pretty much everything.
A couple of years ago I went to see a doc who had been trained with Dr. Klinghardt - http://www.klinghardtneurobiology.com/. He's well known for his work in neurological disorders and chronic illness. He works with both 'alternative' and orthodox methods. Anyway, the doc I saw diagnosed me with Rickettsia and Babesia. Similar to chronic Lyme disease. About a year before my symptoms started I got African Tick Bite Fever in South Africa. So did my sister in law. We both manifested multiple symptoms at about the same time. (Exhaustion, brain fog, poor memory, weakened immune system etc). You get Rickettsia from African Bite Fever. It can cause the same kind of cascade of symptoms as chronic Lyme disease. Anyway the doc put me on a very high dose of two products - an extract of noni berry (not the juice) and another one which of course I can't remember right now. I was to take these for one year. I did. Since then my health has improved quite drastically although I'm not 100% normal. I'm 47 so perhaps my age is against me ever becoming 'normal' again.

I'm only suggesting this as something to be ruled out. Lyme Disease. Note that blood tests for this, especially if you have had it for a long time are inconclusive. If there is a Dr. Klinghardt trained doc near you I'd go and get tested 'their way'. If you click on the Referral list on the website above you will get a PDF of doctors. I'll try copying it here: Referral List .


wishing you the best of luck, purerealm and everyone else suffering from this kind of scenario.

[purerealm]

OK guys I think I have finally come down to the cause behind my many ailments, and I consider myself for the most part cured.

I think it comes down to depression/anxiety and a general lack of enthusiasm for life.

I stopped worrying or being anxious in social situations, I was very self conscious/insecure and I believe this was paralyzing my normal thought process. In some circles this is described as thinking with your conscious versus subconscious mind?

I'm thinking for many people on here with the same problems, they also have the same root cause as me, not these thyroid imbalances or what have you.

what's different now: I am now hyperactive, energetic, happy (was like this as a child) The change is ... very pronounced to say the least.

[davidd]

OK guys I think I have finally come down to the cause behind my many ailments, and I consider myself for the most part cured.

I think it comes down to depression/anxiety and a general lack of enthusiasm for life.

I stopped worrying or being anxious in social situations, I was very self conscious/insecure and I believe this was paralyzing my normal thought process. In some circles this is described as thinking with your conscious versus subconscious mind?

I'm thinking for many people on here with the same problems, they also have the same root cause as me, not these thyroid imbalances or what have you.

what's different now: I am now hyperactive, energetic, happy (was like this as a child) The change is ... very pronounced to say the least.

What methods did you use that allowed you to stop worrying?

David

[purerealm]

What methods did you use that allowed you to stop worrying?

David

I think it was mostly through the realization that I was suppressing my personality to become more like the American male ideal. So I became this person who just wasn't really me. I stopped worrying as much when I realized that I wasn't being fair to myself... but it's still an ongoing process, and it took now a small amount of faith in my friends and in life in general to just stop worrying and feel optimistic for the future.

[Logan]

I'm glad you have come to the realization that depression/anxiety may be part of the problem. It is not an easy one to come to. And often chronic depression and anxiety and lack of self esteem will affect us physically and chemically. So often we want to blame something on a physiological health issue. Sometimes we may have one and we have mental health issues on top of that. It is very hard to see something that is not so obvious and concrete, like having an allergy or other health condition that can be diagnosed through some kind of test. The reality is that nearly everyone has some type of issue. No one is perfect and hardly any of us had what we really needed when we were growing up and developing. I think you are on the right track. I would suggest that you try your best to stay away from too much alcohol/drugs as these will only make matters worse, in the short run and long run. I know it is hard to do, especially when you are young, but you will be so happy you did when you get older. Believe me, you will notice the difference.

I know this things have all ready been suggested but I want to reiterate the importance of diet, exercise, and lifestyle. You also may want to look into natural anti depressants. Remember you have to stick with these things for quite a while before you get results. Also, if you don't want your underlying depression to come back and get you throughout your life, therapy would be the best way of avoiding this. It is not easy but if you can do it and get to the bottom of why you may have some issues with depression/anxiety/self esteem, you will know how to cope with it and what to do to improve upon it. Being aware and bringing things to the surface is absolutely necessary in order to deal with what is going on in our subconscious minds. If we do not do this, those things will never go away and they will always affect us and drive our motivations in life without us really ever realizing it. Denial is a scary thing, it both protects us and prevents us from getting better. It is not at all easy, but if you can begin to deal with these things you will be so happy you did and you will increase your chances of having a good life ten fold. I am beginning to sound like a broken record as I have offered the same advice to others on this forum. I may be wrong about you, but it is at least worth considering and checking out. EMDR is a potentially very helpful therapy and has a good track record. It's too bad you are not still in college, all of this shit would be free.

Again, I'm glad to hear that you have come to the realization that depression and anxiety may be at the root of your problem. Both are extremely powerful ailments and can literally suck the life out of you. And, over time, they will do damage that is physiological/chemical, especially if you were self medicating, which many do when they are depressed and have anxiety.

In the short term, I would recommend that you stay away from drugs/alcohol, find an exercise program that works for you and stick with it(don't forget to stretch properly as it relieves tension, helps muscles heal, and stimulates GABA), find a healthy diet that works for you and eat regularly, and continue to build your social network and force yourself to hang out and have fun with friends as much as you can. Enjoyable social contact and challenging yourself socially is healing and may aid in neurogenesis.

I hear you on the pressures to be a typical male. I let that go a long time ago and it helped me tremendously. I think we are entering a time when it is more ok to be a sensitive man so you may find it easier now than it may have been in the past. Like the old cliche goes, just be yourself. This is always easier said than done, especially if we are not sure who we really are yet. Most of us spend a lifetime figuring that out or fooling ourselves into believing we have it figured out.

Edited by morganator, 13 May 2009 - 12:20 AM.

[purerealm]

I'm glad you have come to the realization that depression/anxiety may be part of the problem. It is not an easy one to come to. And often chronic depression and anxiety and lack of self esteem will affect us physically and chemically. So often we want to blame something on a physiological health issue. Sometimes we may have one and we have mental health issues on top of that. It is very hard to see something that is not so obvious and concrete, like having an allergy or other health condition that can be diagnosed through some kind of test. The reality is that nearly everyone has some type of issue. No one is perfect and hardly any of us had what we really needed when we were growing up and developing. I think you are on the right track. I would suggest that you try your best to stay away from too much alcohol/drugs as these will only make matters worse, in the short run and long run. I know it is hard to do, especially when you are young, but you will be so happy you did when you get older. Believe me, you will notice the difference.

I know this things have all ready been suggested but I want to reiterate the importance of diet, exercise, and lifestyle. You also may want to look into natural anti depressants. Remember you have to stick with these things for quite a while before you get results. Also, if you don't want your underlying depression to come back and get you throughout your life, therapy would be the best way of avoiding this. It is not easy but if you can do it and get to the bottom of why you may have some issues with depression/anxiety/self esteem, you will know how to cope with it and what to do to improve upon it. Being aware and bringing things to the surface is absolutely necessary in order to deal with what is going on in our subconscious minds. If we do not do this, those things will never go away and they will always affect us and drive our motivations in life without us really ever realizing it. Denial is a scary thing, it both protects us and prevents us from getting better. It is not at all easy, but if you can begin to deal with these things you will be so happy you did and you will increase your chances of having a good life ten fold. I am beginning to sound like a broken record as I have offered the same advice to others on this forum. I may be wrong about you, but it is at least worth considering and checking out. EMDR is a potentially very helpful therapy and has a good track record. It's too bad you are not still in college, all of this shit would be free.

Again, I'm glad to hear that you have come to the realization that depression and anxiety may be at the root of your problem. Both are extremely powerful ailments and can literally suck the life out of you. And, over time, they will do damage that is physiological/chemical, especially if you were self medicating, which many do when they are depressed and have anxiety.

In the short term, I would recommend that you stay away from drugs/alcohol, find an exercise program that works for you and stick with it(don't forget to stretch properly as it relieves tension, helps muscles heal, and stimulates GABA), find a healthy diet that works for you and eat regularly, and continue to build your social network and force yourself to hang out and have fun with friends as much as you can. Enjoyable social contact and challenging yourself socially is healing and may aid in neurogenesis.

I hear you on the pressures to be a typical male. I let that go a long time ago and it helped me tremendously. I think we are entering a time when it is more ok to be a sensitive man so you may find it easier now than it may have been in the past. Like the old cliche goes, just be yourself. This is always easier said than done, especially if we are not sure who we really are yet. Most of us spend a lifetime figuring that out or fooling ourselves into believing we have it figured out.

first off I want to say that i appreciate your post. I have been going through something of an emotional roller coaster, sometimes at a manic high and other times (like right now) feeling completely unmotivated, dejected, basically back where I started. I have seen therapists in the past but they've done nothing for me other than provide an outlet to talk through, but i'll look into this emdr thing. also per your advice i think i'll start taking st john's wort daily, my eating is ok and i think i'll just have to focus on the physical fitness.

[Chaos Theory]

I apologize for not reading the entire thread but I wanted to add that I have long had the same symptoms you describe, suppressing your personality, being stuck in your head in social situations etc.. Modafinil helped a lot in this area for a while but quickly burned out. I attributed the effect to modafinil's dopamine action, and asked my doctor about wellbutrin. After a week on the wellbutrin I can see that it has the same positive effect on my mood and sociability to a much stronger degree. I actually don't even like taking the modafinil with it even though my doctor gave me the okay.

[Logan]

Purerealm, have you ever considered bipolar disorder? You may have a very mild case of this called cyclothymia or hypomania. It really isn't something to be too alarmed about. If you have something like this and become aware of what it entails, you can better take the steps you need to treat it and prevent it from developing into a much worse condition, which is exactly what has happened to me. It is not easy to accept these types of ailments. You have mentioned having moments of mania. I will tell you that you are doing much more now and are much more in touch with what may being going on with you than I was at your age so you are much further ahead of the game than most at your age. When I was your age I had a mild mixed episode, had no idea what was going on, finally gave into prozac, and 3 weeks into it I was a totally new person. Unfortunately I did not have a proper diagnosis back then and did not do all the right things in order to continue going down the path I so desperately needed to in order to ensure a good life.

Trying st johns wort for a few months and experimenting with the dosage may be a good idea. I would exercise caution though and stay away from too much alcohol, caffeine, marijuana, etc. You do not want to be putting anything in your body that is overly toxic and can throw your chemistry and emotional state further out of whack.
I would also consider lithium as an option. Most people hear lithium and think of really fucked up people like Kurt Cobain. People also think lithium treatment is always dangerously toxic. Lithium does not have to be taken at the high dose therapeutic threshold that is often administered, requiring the patient to have their kidneys checked every few months. It can be quite therapeutic at lower doses where it is not nearly as toxic. Also, lithium has been shown to help with neurogenesis in the brains of people that are damaged from chronic depression/anxiety. Taking it over a life time, especially at a low dose, may have neuroprotective benefits as well. This may not be the best option for you but it may be something to consider.

I would definitely try to go the natural route(actually lithium is one natural route) and check out the emdr thing or some cognitive therapy before moving on to synthetic antidepressants. It may not be a bad idea to go see a naturopath as they are very knowledgeable in such natural treatments as st john's wort and will be able to help you with your experimentation.

One thing to consider about therapy is that you have to find a really good therapis. And, if you do not spend any time dealing with the emotional garbage you are carrying around with you since childhood, you will not see any benefits from it other than getting a good talk in. This is not easy to do and most people your age are not ready to deal with anything. At your age you just want to have fun and enjow life. Shit, most people at any age have a hard time drudging up their demons and dealing with them. It ain't easy and it can be a bit painful but it is the only way to get that shit out, otherwise it never really goes away. I know this sounds scary. I am not saying that you need this type of therapy, it is just something to always consider. I think EMDR is a much quicker and painless way to try to beging to heal and get better. Cognitive therapy also has much promise. Most importantly right now in your life you want to do whatever you can to feel good, avoid too much of the toxic crap, have as much fun as you can, exercise religously, hang with friends often, have positive relationships, and find what it is you are talented in and passionate about and beging developing those talents and pursuing your passions.

Sorry for the long ramble. I'm in pretty bad shape and I just want others to do what I should have been doing. You see, I never had issues with energy and the world was pretty much my oyster. I could have run triathlons professionally, pursued an acting career, pursued a career in psychology and possibly have had a Phd. by now, gone to school for the fine arts, or even become a professional dancer up in New York(as gay as this sounds it is one of my talents and passions. no I am not gay but I have friends that are and see nothing wrong with that) and possibly worked on the stage as a dancer/actor. I had many talents and abilities. Unfortunately, the emotional issues I carried around with me throughout the years combined with my predisposition toward developing bipolar disorder, both were major impediments and handicapped me in a way that prevented me from being grounded enough to do anything truly productive. Instead I went into a deep state of rebellion at 28, learned how to play bass and joined a rock band. Now, after a major mixed episode a year and a half ago requiring hospitalizaton and destroying my brain and body, I am so fucked up I have not been able to go back to work and I am currently living with old college buddy after living with my father for a year(which probably made me worse). I had four surgeries, 3 out of 4 made matters worse than better. Im not even telling you the whole story. I am telling you this so that you may realize how fragile life is and if you don't do all the right things now, you never know what may happen ten years from now. I doubt you will live the crazy life I have lived but you could find things getting much worse at some point if things are not addressed properly. Yes, I am trying to scare you.

The hardest thing to do is finding a balance between protecting yourself/pursuing happiness and getting to the bottom of things and dealing with them at the same time. If you can do this, you will live a very good long and full life.

[Chaos Theory]

Morganator, I can definitely relate to your story. At 26 I just realized in the past month that I have had some mild bipolar disorder and ADD since my youth. I never would have thought that I might actually have something wrong, despite friends always saying "are you bipolar" or "do you have ADD?" I always laughed at it and thought that it was just my personality.

After hitting some serious depression and trying different medications I found that my mood was stable, and many issues I had relating to other people suddenly disappeared almost immediately, aside from some lingering habitual behaviors that need to be unlearned. While I feel somewhat like I have altered my personality and I'm no longer that "self" I thought I was, I have to admit that the medication causes mostly changes for the better in me.

For me that medication is wellbutrin. I'm hoping the effectiveness doesn't fade.

[Logan]

Morganator, I can definitely relate to your story. At 26 I just realized in the past month that I have had some mild bipolar disorder and ADD since my youth. I never would have thought that I might actually have something wrong, despite friends always saying "are you bipolar" or "do you have ADD?" I always laughed at it and thought that it was just my personality.

After hitting some serious depression and trying different medications I found that my mood was stable, and many issues I had relating to other people suddenly disappeared almost immediately, aside from some lingering habitual behaviors that need to be unlearned. While I feel somewhat like I have altered my personality and I'm no longer that "self" I thought I was, I have to admit that the medication causes mostly changes for the better in me.

For me that medication is wellbutrin. I'm hoping the effectiveness doesn't fade.

I was on Zoloft for 8 years. Unfortunately I got off it thinking I was ready and I did several other things combined with the perfect storm of circumstancest resulting in a brief major depressive episode to a major mixed episode. If you do all the right things and wellbutrin is helping you now, it should help you for quite a while. You have to deal with yourself and protect yourself at the same time, not easy.

Have you been diagnosed with bipolar? If you are bipolar you may be more on the depressive side than the manic. I am very mixed; high energy(used to have and trying to get it back), anxiety, very active mind(used to have and trying to get it back), some depression(this was always underlying but did not show on the outside and in my behavior/personality), and hypomania(crazy/risky behavior).

Medication may not necessarily alter your personality but rather bring out parts of your personality that you had a hard time connecting with. Definitely stay on it for as long as it takes modern medicine to come up with something better/cleaner.

Remember, mental health disorders develop only partially through a genetic predisposition. This is even the case with schizophrenia; most people do not realize this. That said, it is not a bad idea to explore the things that allowed your genetic predisposition to flourish to a point where it has possibly become a greater issue than it may have. The things I speak of are environment, nurture, childhood, diet, toxins etc. Also, I do not believe in ADD/ADHD as a biological disorder that someone is simply born with. There actually is not any proof that it is purely biological. It is more likely a symptom of several other underlying problems. I took a learning disabilities education course a few years back and my professor said that only 3 percent of cases of ADD/ADHD are of biological origin. I then researched this and found that there is a controversy over ADD/ADHD. Some do not believe it even exists. Your ADD is most likely a symptom of your anxiety/depression. You are just one of millions of people that are on the more sensitive side. Are you artistic? It would not surprise me if you were. Just think about it; does engaging in creative/artistic activities calm you down and make you feel better? Are you more ADD/ADHD when you are depressed or anxious?

Are you taking fish oil? Are you weight training and doing cardio(especially intense cardio)? How is your diet? All of these can be wonderful adjunctive therapies to your medication. Of course sex and fun help as well. Those are things I was getting a little too much of for a while there believe it or not; part of my bipolar flight from reality.

Thanks for relating to me brotha. I just hope people can learn from my mistakes and do what they need to avoid getting worse and keep getting better.

As far as staying young and life extension go, I believe that if I had cut the damage to my brain and body in half over the years, most people would think I was more like your age. Unfortunately that was not the case. The last 3 years have taken a major toll. I can only imagine how young I would look and feel right now just cutting out half of the crap that has been bad for me over the years. I am convinced that I would have the face/body/mind of a typical 25 year old if I had been able to avoid 90 percent of the damage. Your lucky you are getting a head start on taking care of yourself. If I had only avoided all of the injuries and damage to my body it would be soooo much easier to feel good and extend my youth. Avoid injuries! Just don't avoid doing fun things like skiing and other sports. Just be smart about. Getting late and I am raaaaambling...

[Logan]

Morganator, I can definitely relate to your story. At 26 I just realized in the past month that I have had some mild bipolar disorder and ADD since my youth. I never would have thought that I might actually have something wrong, despite friends always saying "are you bipolar" or "do you have ADD?" I always laughed at it and thought that it was just my personality.

After hitting some serious depression and trying different medications I found that my mood was stable, and many issues I had relating to other people suddenly disappeared almost immediately, aside from some lingering habitual behaviors that need to be unlearned. While I feel somewhat like I have altered my personality and I'm no longer that "self" I thought I was, I have to admit that the medication causes mostly changes for the better in me.

For me that medication is wellbutrin. I'm hoping the effectiveness doesn't fade.

By the way, being bipolar is part of your personality. You just have to find a way to both keep it in check and harness it in a way that you can reap the benefits of it at the same time. If you do this, you can be master of your universe.

[Chaos Theory]

I never thought I was actually bipolar, and I've never spoken to a psychiatrist or psychologist. Many stressful events over the past six months with school, work, and relationships led me into my first deep depression that I can recall. While finding my way out of it I noticed how some days my mood was very high, almost manic. On others the feelings of hopelessness would return. Without any outside causes. I asked my doctor for Wellbutrin but told him it was for energy which was partially true. He had no problem giving it to me and I've felt better ever since.

Ever since I began lifting weights at around the age of 17 my mood has shifted towards being high all of the time. I found that I have to go to the gym nearly every day to maintain this.

I usually tended to lean more towards a manic state, even in my younger years. Skydiving and reckless driving are my two main hobbies..

Creative outlets do calm me and make me feel better. I used to paint when I was much younger. Writing is my main creative outlet now, I keep telling myself I'm going to start doing it more often.

I don't look at ADHD as a disorder, but more as the brain being wired differently. It made sense to me when I read the wikipedia article on it and it explained low-stimulation theory and hunter vs. farmer personality. It affirmed my long held belief that I am simply not wired to perform any laid-back boring job. It also explains why I had difficulty reading on my own, and why stimulants seem to offer me a calming effect at reasonable doses. Modafinil and Wellbutrin both seem to calm me down quite a bit, and both list anxiety as common side effects.

[purerealm]

i don't think i have bipolar my manic episodes are relatively mild haha. it might have something to do with a dopamine rebound effect from alcohol.

i don't think i will ever try ssri's again, it's just against my philosophy to be constantly on a drug. actually i will admit that cannabis was something of a catalyst during my "breakthrough".

[Logan]

i don't think i have bipolar my manic episodes are relatively mild haha. it might have something to do with a dopamine rebound effect from alcohol.

i don't think i will ever try ssri's again, it's just against my philosophy to be constantly on a drug. actually i will admit that cannabis was something of a catalyst during my "breakthrough".

Dude I don't want to offend you or piss you off, but there is a very good possibility you fall somewhere under this massive umbrella of bipolar diagnosis. In 20 years there will probably be another name for it or a more complex explanation that does not involve simply labeling someone. Just do some in depth research on how they diagnose bipolar nowadays. At some point in your research you may just find yourself saying, "Shit, I am bipolar".

I always felt the same way you do about medications. One thing you have to consider is that any depressive episodes have the potential to damage your brain. Staying on something that prevents you from having any possible major depressive episode can also help prevent that damage from occurring. On the flip side, If you can function fine and find something in life that you are passionate about and succeed at it without the daily treatment of medication, more power to ya.

Though it has a whole lot of stigma surrounding it, lithium is a very effective mood stabilizer/antidepressant that may actually be good for your brain. It has shown promise of being effective for many people at low doses that do not lead to the toxicity that we always hear about. It is a pretty amazing element that some even take as a part of their life extension supplement regimen.

So purerealm, how are you feeling lately? Have you begun to notice any significant positive changes that you feel you may be able to maintain?

[purerealm]

i don't think i have bipolar my manic episodes are relatively mild haha. it might have something to do with a dopamine rebound effect from alcohol.

i don't think i will ever try ssri's again, it's just against my philosophy to be constantly on a drug. actually i will admit that cannabis was something of a catalyst during my "breakthrough".

Dude I don't want to offend you or piss you off, but there is a very good possibility you fall somewhere under this massive umbrella of bipolar diagnosis. In 20 years there will probably be another name for it or a more complex explanation that does not involve simply labeling someone. Just do some in depth research on how they diagnose bipolar nowadays. At some point in your research you may just find yourself saying, "Shit, I am bipolar".

I always felt the same way you do about medications. One thing you have to consider is that any depressive episodes have the potential to damage your brain. Staying on something that prevents you from having any possible major depressive episode can also help prevent that damage from occurring. On the flip side, If you can function fine and find something in life that you are passionate about and succeed at it without the daily treatment of medication, more power to ya.

Though it has a whole lot of stigma surrounding it, lithium is a very effective mood stabilizer/antidepressant that may actually be good for your brain. It has shown promise of being effective for many people at low doses that do not lead to the toxicity that we always hear about. It is a pretty amazing element that some even take as a part of their life extension supplement regimen.

So purerealm, how are you feeling lately? Have you begun to notice any significant positive changes that you feel you may be able to maintain?

going back to the post where I said i was going through an emotional roller coaster I can see why you think I'm bipolar but that was just a very short episode, I don't think I've really experienced anything like it before, just a series of events that had caused it.

Lately, I've been somewhat more baseline, but tired, still improving my social life and that's been a huge mood lifter for me.

[Logan]

i don't think i have bipolar my manic episodes are relatively mild haha. it might have something to do with a dopamine rebound effect from alcohol.

i don't think i will ever try ssri's again, it's just against my philosophy to be constantly on a drug. actually i will admit that cannabis was something of a catalyst during my "breakthrough".

Dude I don't want to offend you or piss you off, but there is a very good possibility you fall somewhere under this massive umbrella of bipolar diagnosis. In 20 years there will probably be another name for it or a more complex explanation that does not involve simply labeling someone. Just do some in depth research on how they diagnose bipolar nowadays. At some point in your research you may just find yourself saying, "Shit, I am bipolar".

I always felt the same way you do about medications. One thing you have to consider is that any depressive episodes have the potential to damage your brain. Staying on something that prevents you from having any possible major depressive episode can also help prevent that damage from occurring. On the flip side, If you can function fine and find something in life that you are passionate about and succeed at it without the daily treatment of medication, more power to ya.

Though it has a whole lot of stigma surrounding it, lithium is a very effective mood stabilizer/antidepressant that may actually be good for your brain. It has shown promise of being effective for many people at low doses that do not lead to the toxicity that we always hear about. It is a pretty amazing element that some even take as a part of their life extension supplement regimen.

So purerealm, how are you feeling lately? Have you begun to notice any significant positive changes that you feel you may be able to maintain?

going back to the post where I said i was going through an emotional roller coaster I can see why you think I'm bipolar but that was just a very short episode, I don't think I've really experienced anything like it before, just a series of events that had caused it.

Lately, I've been somewhat more baseline, but tired, still improving my social life and that's been a huge mood lifter for me.

I'm just saying do not be surprised if you get diagnosed with it later in life. It is a predisposition. All it takes is a stressful event to begin to bring it out. What you experienced recently could very well have been the first manifestation of it. Look, you probably don't have it. Mania is a part of youth. It would be wise though to always keep the idea of possibility that you may have it in your back pocket just in case. If you do have bipolar and you take the right precautions, the chances of you developing it further will be greatly diminished. Now I feel like I am being a pain in the arsh.

I think it is great that you are working on improving your social life and seeing a difference in the way you feel because of it. Social life is crucial for anyone at any age.

I would suggest that you check out google, christian bonanno bipolar blog. Sorry my ridiculous ass has not figured out how to attach links to websites yet. On this site, christian bonanno talks about how resveratrol nearly cured her mood issues. She cites several studies that give evidence of resveratrols potential as a potent mood stabilizer. I thought about you and wondered if resveratrol may help you with your energy level and give you a more steady mood. You may not be bipolar, but something like resveratrol may benefit you in several ways. I just started taking the powerful micronized 250mg tween 80 resveratrol that many on imminst have tried or are currently taking. I have been on it for 3 days now. Already, I am pretty sure I notice a difference in mood and energy. Unfortunately, I started lithium around the same time so it is hard to say what is causing what. Lithium is another interesting little chemical. It is also taken by many on imminst in the orotate or aspartate forms which you can by on the internet or at some vitamin stores.

Hope you keep making progress with your social life and overall sense of well being.

[Logan]

i don't think i have bipolar my manic episodes are relatively mild haha. it might have something to do with a dopamine rebound effect from alcohol.

i don't think i will ever try ssri's again, it's just against my philosophy to be constantly on a drug. actually i will admit that cannabis was something of a catalyst during my "breakthrough".

Dude I don't want to offend you or piss you off, but there is a very good possibility you fall somewhere under this massive umbrella of bipolar diagnosis. In 20 years there will probably be another name for it or a more complex explanation that does not involve simply labeling someone. Just do some in depth research on how they diagnose bipolar nowadays. At some point in your research you may just find yourself saying, "Shit, I am bipolar".

I always felt the same way you do about medications. One thing you have to consider is that any depressive episodes have the potential to damage your brain. Staying on something that prevents you from having any possible major depressive episode can also help prevent that damage from occurring. On the flip side, If you can function fine and find something in life that you are passionate about and succeed at it without the daily treatment of medication, more power to ya.

Though it has a whole lot of stigma surrounding it, lithium is a very effective mood stabilizer/antidepressant that may actually be good for your brain. It has shown promise of being effective for many people at low doses that do not lead to the toxicity that we always hear about. It is a pretty amazing element that some even take as a part of their life extension supplement regimen.

So purerealm, how are you feeling lately? Have you begun to notice any significant positive changes that you feel you may be able to maintain?

going back to the post where I said i was going through an emotional roller coaster I can see why you think I'm bipolar but that was just a very short episode, I don't think I've really experienced anything like it before, just a series of events that had caused it.

Lately, I've been somewhat more baseline, but tired, still improving my social life and that's been a huge mood lifter for me.

I'm just saying do not be surprised if you get diagnosed with it later in life. It is a predisposition. All it takes is a stressful event to begin to bring it out. What you experienced recently could very well have been the first manifestation of it. Look, you probably don't have it. Mania is a part of youth. It would be wise though to always keep the idea of possibility that you may have it in your back pocket just in case. If you do have bipolar and you take the right precautions, the chances of you developing it further will be greatly diminished. Now I feel like I am being a pain in the arsh.

I think it is great that you are working on improving your social life and seeing a difference in the way you feel because of it. Social life is crucial for anyone at any age.

I would suggest that you check out google, christian bonanno bipolar blog. Sorry my ridiculous ass has not figured out how to attach links to websites yet. On this site, christian bonanno talks about how resveratrol nearly cured her mood issues. She cites several studies that give evidence of resveratrols potential as a potent mood stabilizer. I thought about you and wondered if resveratrol may help you with your energy level and give you a more steady mood. You may not be bipolar, but something like resveratrol may benefit you in several ways. I just started taking the powerful micronized 250mg tween 80 resveratrol that many on imminst have tried or are currently taking. I have been on it for 3 days now. Already, I am pretty sure I notice a difference in mood and energy. Unfortunately, I started lithium around the same time so it is hard to say what is causing what. Lithium is another interesting little chemical. It is also taken by many on imminst in the orotate or aspartate forms which you can by on the internet or at some vitamin stores.

Hope you keep making progress with your social life and overall sense of well being.

[purerealm]

morganator, do u have aim, msn? I'd pm you but I think the mods disallowed it

[Logan]

morganator, do u have aim, msn? I'd pm you but I think the mods disallowed it

Yeah I don't think I can pm either..I think I need to upgrade my membership. just email me, morganpmiller@yahoo.com.

[fatal]

hey purerealm

Not sure if you are still checking this thread....

Earlier in some of your threads you mentioned diabetes/pre-diabetes.. well I stumbled across your post by searching for brain fog and fatigue... I have the exact same symptoms you have described. Have you taken a look to see if you are insulin resistant? This could be the cause, or part of it... fatigue... it would explain your high glucose levels..I just came back from the doc and that was what my blood tests have revealed..

some info:

Symptoms of IR

• Fatigue.
• Brain fogginess and inability to focus. Sometimes the fatigue is physical, but often it is mental.
• High blood sugar.
• Intestinal bloating. Most intestinal gas is produced from carbohydrates in the diet. Insulin resistance sufferers who eat carbohydrates sometimes suffer from gas.
• Sleepiness. Many people with insulin resistance get sleepy immediately after eating a meal containing more than 20% or 30% carbohydrates.
• Weight gain, fat storage, difficulty losing weight. For most people, too much weight is too much fat. The fat in IR is generally stored in and around abdominal organs in both males and females. It is currently suspected that hormonal effects from such fat are a precipitating cause of insulin resistance.
• Increased blood triglyceride levels.
• Increased blood pressure. Many people with hypertension are either diabetic or pre-diabetic and have elevated insulin levels due to insulin resistance. One of insulin's effects is on arterial walls throughout the body.
• Depression. Because of the deranged metabolism resulting from insulin resistance, psychological effects are not uncommon. Depression is said to be the prevalent psychological symptom.

http://en.wikipedia....ulin_resistance

james@dvrtalk.com - send me an email and let me know if you have msn/aim etc..

cheers.

[Johann]

You may try looking into Pantethine (not pantethenic acid) because it is supposed to be the end all be all for eliminating brain fog.

[honest]

I have a pretty bad case of brain fog, and I'm only 18, so something's gotta be wrong here.

I remember mild symptoms when I was very young, maybe around 9 years old, and I remember it from this mental arithmetic class that I used to take that taught how to do simple arithmetic functions like multiplying dividing adding and subtracting big numbers, multiple times, fast. It's based on the abacus and trying to imagine an abacus inside your head while doing the calculations.

When I first started the class I remember feeling really sharp and I learned everything real quick. I felt like I could advance very swiftly. But eventually, I started to feel like my calculations were slowing down , and in addition, I was second-guessing myself much more often, and I was becoming inaccurate while calculating as well.

At the time, I attributed it to lack of sleep because the class was on saturday mornings and I'd stay up late on friday nights after a language class and watch tv.

I remember feeling "dumbed down" after that, and I have never achieved the same level of cognitive function again. I'm also chronically tired, so fatigued that I don't even feel like going out to have fun with friends. A big reason contributing to this is that I often find myself trying very hard (too hard) to converse with others. I keep on forgetting that word that I'm looking for and instead I usually end up pausing for a moment to think of the word, and then not coming up with it and using a simple, universal substitute word like "stuff."

As you may imagine, I probably come off as being pretty unintelligent. I don't even like to meet new people anymore.

Even after getting about 10 hours of sleep, I find myself with hardly any energy, and definitely no motivation. Simple cognitive tasks like reading a few pages will overwhelm my brain so much that I'll have to lie down, close my eyes, and rest for a few minutes before being able to read some more.

I usually just stay indoors near my bed and computer, laying down every so often to rest, not having any motivation to go out and do something unless I really put my mind to it. This is just a bit exaggerated, as I am still somewhat functional physically, but I get mentally fatigued extremely easily.

I don't even have an imagination anymore. In my younger years I dreamt of becoming a scientist or an inventor and I would always think up of vivid and imaginative things. I could also imagine complex objects like how a 2d or 3d object would look if revolved , and manipulated in many different ways ( I think this is a test used in measuring IQ).
Now, such a feat would be just impossible. I don't even get closed-eye visuals anymore. What I mean is, physically, I don't even have an imagination anymore. I don't pictures things in my head with ease anymore, and if I try really hard, I can get at most a very grainy low quality picture in my head. I used to be top of my class in math in like 4rth grade. Now I'm failing every math class I take, and I'm about to be kicked out of college because I can't handle any of my classes.


I have developed a slight stutter in these past few years, often occuring when my brain doesn't feel like it's functioning right. An example would be during a hangover. Sometimes my brain feels so foggy that I even have problems pronouncing words correctly. An anxiety makes this even worse. Ironically enough, I'm guessing that a lot of the anxiety comes from realizing that I have a serious cognitive deficit.


I also have problems hearing words correctly ( i mistakenly think that they say another word), maintaining attention on one speaker when I'm focused on something else, and listening to two speakers at once.




I was diagnosed with ADD recently, and put on adderall. The adderall helped with the mental fatigue, and it really helped with motivation, but I still felt like something was missing. I was still unable to solve problems and such involving complex thinking.

I suspect my dopamine system is one of the culprits because of the lack of motivation. Reading school readings is so hard for me to do, I'll read 2 lines and not comprehend a single thing of what I had read. Reading things that excite me, like this forum, is much easier and doesn't take as much effort, although I still do get easily mentally fatigued. Listening to lectures is also extremely hard. Most times the lectures just go into one ear and straight out the other. I also usually start yawning within 10 min of the start of the lecture. Extreme boredom starts building up , which then makes the fatigue worse, and sometimes I'll have to try very hard just to stay awake, which is ironic because I have bad insomnia and can't fall asleep unless I'm exhausted.

So I thought maybe this had something to do with hyperthyroidism, as I had trouble sleeping when I was young because the pillows or blankets would always feel too warm for comfort.
I still have to get this checked out with an endocrinologist, but I read that hyperthyroidism would at most only exhibit mild brain fog symptoms.

When I was young, I adopted my mother's vegetarian lifestyle, except without the same foods. I was a really picky eater and in fact most of the foods I ate were probably junk food. Really bad carbs, hardly any protein. Now, I eat a much more balanced diet but the brain fog and everythign else is still there.

i've tried piracetam, alcar, and choline. I don't think piracetam helps me at all. I think I read somewhere that piracetam doesn't help people if their blood flow isn't fast enough.

I'm going to try deprenyl and vinpocetine and see if they are of any help to me.

this problem has always been extremely frustrating, but now I feel like I'm going to fall into an unending chasm if I don't find the solution to this problem soon. The multitude of problems this problem has caused for me have been very stressful, and even paralyzing. I don't function like a normal person anymore, I don't like to talk to people anymore ( probably partially due to lack of motivation or something wrong with my dopamine system, and also because I usually find myself more anxious and stressed out about what I'm going to say then enjoying conversation, my anxiety has shot up through the roof, and I'm about to be kicked out of school. I really don't know what to do with myself anymore. i've tried a bunch of different things, and none of them have very much effect on this situation. in the past few years i've also developed a dyslexia and I switch around words pretty regularly now when I type and write, and in certain phrases too.

i'm in dire need, please help me.

i am sorry to your story,i know people have the same like you .
-did you have traumatic brain injury (tbr)by someone hid you or car accident etc..?
-did you had over sex stimulate before that happen?

[honest]

When you're used to functioning at 100% and you're suddenly brought down to about 20%, it pretty much obliterates your motivation. and i'm not exaggerating the numbers, I used to read swiftly but now I get hung up on all the words and phrases, I feel like a completely different person.

If you really feel like you need something to jump-start you before you can make changes to your life, and assuming you're not on any medications, you might want to consider trying the sublingual form of NADH at 20mg in the morning under your tongue, and give it a few weeks. You can buy it at iherb and other vendors. There are other things you can try obviously, including prescription antidepressants like Emsam if you haven't already, but I would try NADH first. Just my personal opinion.

I don't think I need a jump starter, I think I need to get down to the root of my problems, where it be depression causing the psychosomatic symptoms, or perhaps thyroid problem causing depression, and the other symptoms and so on and so forth.

I don't think emsam would be a good idea for me as I've pretty much fried my receptors from taking massive amounts of dextroamphetamine and adderall. now if i take the slightest bit, it will have the opposite effect on me, so instead of focused I will be tired, drowsy, even less focused. This is how it was in the past anyway, I don't really feel like trying it again after I checked myself into the hospital about half a year ago for acute intoxication.

hi purerealm

after i read your story,i know i have the illness like you but i worst than you ,my mind ,write or type not good and slow if i tell my story longer than you, i try too many things in my life most medication.i start 13y until now 55y.