Posts by Kate James21

My EEG results finally came in, and according to the report, everything is supposedly "within normal limits"...

velvetmoose9 said:How are you feeling lately? Have there been any actual changes—better, the same, or worse? Have any specific symptoms vanished, or perhaps some new ones surfaced, like swelling in the lower legs or that heavy, bloated sensation in the stomach?
Feel free to list your recent lab results and their values so we can compare them...
I assume your doctor gave you the standard protocol: follow up on those abnormal labs in about six to eight weeks while maintaining strict abstinence from Excess alcohol and cutting back on refined carbs and fats, then move forward based on the results and an abdominal ultrasound (they might have already given you the referral for that)

Lately, I’ve been feeling a bit better; I haven't experienced any memory gaps so far, though I do get hit with dizziness in the early evening—probably when fatigue sets in—and my nerves start acting up, which just blocks my concentration and makes my leg twitch incessantly as I become increasingly restless...

Just as you mentioned, my doctor recommended a diet, regular exercise, and cutting out alcohol, and I haven't touched a drop since that first day...

No new symptoms have appeared, yet that strange sensation in my head persists, along with those lapses in consciousness and this physical restlessness. I haven't received any referrals for further testing just yet...

What happens if my EEG comes back completely clear but the problems remain? What is the next step, and what should I tell my doctor...

@Lisa Myers/">@@Lisa Myers, that’s exactly it. I want to see a neurologist regardless of whether the EEG is normal, because at the end of the day, I am the only one who truly knows what is happening inside my own head...🙂

Here are my blood work results:

Cholesterol is high
Urate levels are elevated
Triglycerides are up
ALT is right on the borderline
GGT is high

My doctor suggested I ease into a stricter diet—specifically cutting back on heavy pub food and greasy burgers—and he’s confident my numbers will stabilize once I make those changes...😬

He doesn't think anything in the blood panel is particularly alarming. I had an EEG done yesterday, and the results should be mailed directly to my house in about five to ten days, at which point I'll need to follow up with my physician to go over everything...

What are your thoughts on these findings?

Lisa Myers said:Look, just imagine for a second—what if a disc or part of your spine is actually pressing against a vessel that supplies blood to the brain? That’s the layman's explanation, at least... you follow me?

Yes, I follow... we'll just have to wait and see over the next week (hopefully) what the final diagnosis turns out to be...😉

What on earth does neck pain have to do with consciousness issues, memory loss, and all this nonsense I'm dealing with? I am aware that neck stiffness can be a symptom of meningitis, but that usually involves an incredibly intense level of pain, which just isn't what I'm experiencing right now... 🙂

Sophia Moore38 said:I picked up some Betaserc from the pharmacy, though I'm not entirely sure about it$40.
Are you dealing with any issues in your neck or lower back?

Not specifically, but my lifestyle involves sitting at a desk for about seven hours a day on average for work, so lately my back has been giving me quite a bit of trouble...

My neck isn't really an issue, though...

melloworca6 said:The instructions clearly state this is prescription-only. My advice is to avoid taking anything on your own for now—not supplements, not "natural" remedies, nothing you’ve just heard might help...

I realize you're feeling anxious right now, and it's incredibly frustrating not knowing what's going on, but messing around with random supplements or medications before you have a diagnosis could easily make things much worse. Just wait until the test results come back and see what the doctors actually tell you...

Honestly, I'm not even that worried about whatever they might find; if it's my time to kick the bucket, then it's my time, and there's nothing to be done about it. It won't be the first time or the last. I'll just reincarnate (hopefully as someone more modern like Ava Karabatić 🤣 ) and move on... 😁

What really gets under my skin is this current state I'm in, especially because of this distorted sense of consciousness that simply won't let up. That's why I was looking for something to take the edge off. If you all say to stay away from everything, then fine, I won't take anything... 😍

There is one other thing I've noticed. I get restless in the evenings, which is something I've mentioned a few times now, and it's been my primary symptom over the last four days or so. I'll try to fall asleep, struggle for three hours, and then suddenly it's like I just black out into sleep. But leading up to that, my leg won't stop moving, my hand is twitching, I'm tossing and turning, and the dizziness just intensifies...

When I wake up in the morning, my body feels relaxed, and I feel a mild lightheadedness—the kind you get when you first wake up—but that distorted sense of awareness is still there, though it's relatively less intense than it is at night...

I've realized that as the day winds down, the symptoms seem to escalate. Also, I don't feel any mental exhaustion during the day, which makes me think this whole situation might actually be my body's way of manifesting some sort of deep fatigue...

I have the weekend off and I'm home alone, so I'm going to try to rest today, head to bed early, and stay in bed tomorrow as long as humanly possible. Perhaps some form of exhaustion truly did throw me off balance, and that's primarily why I'm feeling so low...

Megan Hernandez73 said:I experienced those exact symptoms when my blood sugar crashed... I don't have diabetes, but it drops on me every once in a while, and if I don't get it back up immediately, things get pretty nasty.. It's honestly one of the worst feelings imaginable..

I deal with these symptoms on a daily basis, though I've never actually had any issues with my blood sugar levels. 🤷

So you're saying Betaserc requires a prescription? Is there something more "over-the-counter," if you know what I mean, that I can just pick up at a pharmacy without one?

Does anyone know of any pills that can help ease dizziness? It’s been making everything such a struggle for me over the last few days...

I’m not trying to make any accusations here, I’m simply looking to have an informative discussion. I am interested in exploring every possible solution available to me. Is there an issue with that?

As far as I’m concerned, I have no trouble walking away from excess alcohol for good... especially if it's having such a direct impact on my health.

Is there an actual medical treatment available, or is the brain just expected to find its own way back to a baseline on its own in a situation like this...

I didn't get completely wasted like an idiot. I definitely overdid it, but I wasn't so out of it that I lost control of myself... My main concern is what kind of lasting damage brain scarring can actually cause, and whether the brain even possesses the capacity to recover from it...

For the record, I don't touch hard liquor or anything particularly heavy. It’s usually just beer or wine—mostly wine. That said, I’m not drinking to the point of being drunk every single day. It’s more like twice a month when I head out... I look around and see plenty of people around me who drink far more than I ever have, and they seem perfectly fine...

Maybe I slipped up, but honestly, I’m just on edge because of this whole mess, and I know my doctor gave me the right direction... I’ve got an EEG scheduled for Tuesday at 8:00 AM, and then it’s just another week of waiting for the results to come back...

Here I go again 😁 ugh, why on earth didn't he refer me for a more thorough neurological workup if he actually suspects something as sensitive as a tumor or meningitis or something along those lines? Fine. I realize an EEG can pick up signs of meningitis or epilepsy, but a tumor isn't always that straightforward. Am I really going to have to shell out thousands of dollars for a CT scan or whatever else just to get some actual peace of mind? I'm terrified that my condition is genuinely serious and who knows what might happen tomorrow, rather than waiting a few days for a specialist appointment.

We aren't talking about a sprained thumb here, and it honestly baffles me how they treat these much more significant issues with such casual indifference.

Lisa Myers said:Exactly, blood work and a neurologist—just like I told you... Unless your EEG comes back looking absolutely flawless, in which case they might skip the neurology referral—but honestly, if it's clear, that’s when you need the specialist most. An EEG by itself isn't a magic bullet. It can be a bit uncomfortable too—not because it hurts, per se, but those flashing lights can be quite jarring, almost like a malfunctioning disco ball... I was able to get my results processed the very next day after my appointment. All in all, regardless of which clinic you go to, you won't be stuck waiting months for answers...
They didn't order blood work just to check for a tumor 🤣. It's for a standard complete blood count—unless they were looking for something highly specific, but since everything is handled through digital portals now, you'll see the full list of requested labs once they upload them...

Then why on earth would they send me for an EEG if it doesn't show anything at all? 😠 I mean, what is the actual purpose of an EEG and what diagnostic value does it really provide?

I never assumed a blood test could detect a tumor, but then what is the point of the panel given all my symptoms? There must be something in there that correlates with what I'm experiencing...

I'm also wondering how much my previous bout with meningitis might be impacting my current condition? Is there any chance that it has resurfaced...

I went to see my doctor today. I actually sat down and wrote out a chronological list of every single symptom I've been dealing with just to be thorough. He took the paper, read through it, and then simply asked if I could still manage my job or if I needed to take medical leave. I told him I can push through for now, but if things take a turn for the worse, I’ll be reaching out to request it...

My blood pressure was sitting at 120/80. He suggested that this is likely psychological in nature, though he admitted that feels strange to him since I haven't been under any significant stress lately. He was hesitant to jump to conclusions based solely on that, primarily because of the meningitis I went through previously—he mentioned there could be a lingering connection there. It also strikes him as odd that this has persisted for so long, especially since the dizziness I experience isn't periodic like it usually is; mine has become constant. Furthermore, the periods of impaired consciousness shouldn't be able to persist at such high intensity all day long, and in fact, they seem to intensify as the day progresses...

He was quite candid with me. He told me I shouldn't worry about stress-related issues, but he also wouldn't rule out the possibility of the meningitis returning or even the presence of a tumor.

He sent me to get blood work done and scheduled an EEG...

A few questions for the group:

1. What specific markers in a blood panel would indicate meningitis or a tumor?
2. What exactly does an EEG entail, how long does the procedure take, and how reliable is the data it produces?
3. On average, how long is the wait time for an EEG appointment?

Thanks in advance. 🙂

Haha, Lisa Myers, nice post 😁 Just five minutes ago, I had such a sudden bout of vertigo that I nearly tumbled right out of my chair... It isn't the medical checkups that get to me, honestly; I just wish he would finally refer me for a brain scan.

I’m planning to sit down and map everything out chronologically on paper so I can walk him through the whole timeline properly—I need to be precise about every symptom and every window where things felt off. I wouldn't call myself a hypochondriac, but then again, I've never dealt with anything quite like this, and I certainly can't afford to be indifferent about it. This current state of affairs is far from ideal, and frankly, I just want to feel like myself again as soon as possible...

velvetmoose9 Asks:
That is an excellent question...
I honestly wouldn't even know how to begin presenting this to a medical professional... 🤷
Perhaps if I started by mentioning that I survived purulent meningitis as a child, I might actually command a modicum of the attention this situation deserves... but instead, we find ourselves here, staring at the fallout of an initial event that set everything in motion. It began with a specific sequence of symptoms that unfolded with a rather unsettling rhythm, most notably that jarring sensation of my heart skipping beats, followed by these prolonged, heavy silences where everything just seems to stall... and even now, years later, these sensations haven't faded; they persist as a constant, nagging presence that makes one wonder how much longer this can be sustained before it all becomes truly unmanageable... It’s going to take about two weeks....

Feel free to reach out and let me know how things went once you've settled on an agreement... 😉

Much appreciated, thanks for getting back to me and for all the help... I'll be sure to circle back once I've had my follow-up with the doctor and know what they have to say...

If anyone has anything further to contribute, please feel free to weigh in... 👍

I have an appointment scheduled with my primary care physician tomorrow, and he’ll be the one deciding which specialist I need to see next. What exactly should I tell him about what I've been experiencing... how can I explain this in a way that actually makes sense to him?

velvetmoose9 said:The post doesn't specify which type of meningitis we're talking about—bacterial, viral, maybe even HSV?... There's no way to know for sure how much lingering damage remains from those previous bouts of inflammation without knowing if you followed up with medical checkups, physical therapy, or specific exercises, or even what medications were prescribed, for what purpose, and for how long...
Excessive consumption of alcohol is clearly a bad move for anyone, particularly when dealing with a brain that may have already sustained trauma; an already compromised brain isn't going to fare well when subjected to heavy doses of ethanol...
A headache can be nothing more than benign, but it can also signal a serious intracranial event, especially given the sensations you described regarding vision, hearing, balance, or those dissociative states... there's also the memory issues, potential cardiac arrhythmias—did you have any history of heart palpitations or irregular rhythms before this?—which could be a standalone issue or part of this new neurological disturbance, and one cannot rule out an epileptic event either...
After seeing a primary care physician for basic lab work and an EKG, you'll likely need a consultation with a neurologist, which would be most effective alongside a detailed neuro exam, an EEG, and perhaps some advanced neuroimaging to differentiate the cause... an internist or an infectious disease specialist might also be necessary...
You are certainly a candidate for a thorough diagnostic workup
N/A, besides the alcohol, what else have you been consuming? Cigarettes? And are you absolutely certain you didn't suffer a head injury? Are there any lumps on your head, localized pain, swelling, or a fever?... Any double vision? Issues with swallowing, or trouble articulating words?... Have you ever experienced anything like this before?

I had purulent meningitis when I was nine months old; I know they had to perform a spinal tap to drain pus from my head.

I am a smoker, about half a pack a day. As for the alcohol, I definitely overdid it. I haven't had any prior heart issues, nor have I ever noticed any arrhythmias or racing pulses.

I didn't hit my head, there's no swelling, no pain, and physically I feel fine. I haven't checked my temperature, though I could; I doubt it's elevated. My speech seems fine, though occasionally I'll just freeze up for a second and have to pause to gather my thoughts. I do stumble over my words sometimes, but that’s something I’ve dealt with forever when I talk too fast... I always assumed it was just my tongue getting tied...

I've never had anything quite like this; this is the first time. Perhaps it happened in much smaller increments in the past, but I never perceived it as anything unusual.

About two or three times a month, I'll drink heavily while out on the town. Otherwise, I don't drink for over a week at a time because I'm not going out. When I do go out, I tend to overindulge due to the social atmosphere and all that. I know that's no excuse, but let's not act like anyone here is perfect. I could quit drinking entirely; it wouldn't be a struggle at all. 👍 And if it helps, I'm planning to kick the cigarettes too.

Usually, before bed, I feel restless; my leg will twitch, or at work, my foot will be tapping constantly to the rhythm of the music... I just can't seem to settle down or fully relax my limbs. If I do manage to get still, I find myself shrugging my shoulders or tossing and turning. It's constant movement. It feels almost as if, should I actually relax, I might fall asleep or lose consciousness... it acts like some sort of reflex. This has been happening every single day since this started.