Dealing with a laundry list of symptoms: chronic fatigue, brain fog, tingling, nausea, tinnitus, and

Laura Barnes said:Re-reading your first post—honestly, the whole thing screams mononucleosis to me. (Do you happen to have your AST, ALT, or GGT levels from your bloodwork?) It’s usually triggered by CMV or Epstein-Barr. If I were you, I’d start by getting tested for antibodies against those two viruses just to get some actual answers. At least then you'll know something. Good luck, truly...

I do—my liver enzymes are looking like a young boy's.

Joseph Green12 said:Does anyone have a different recommendation?
That’s actually my main struggle; I’m perfectly willing to shell out the cash because this has been dragging on far too long. Making money isn't the issue once I'm healthy again, but I just don't know who to turn to for a comprehensive, deep-dive diagnostic that can figure out what's actually going on with my body, my head, or my entire cosmic alignment.

mistynomad12 said:Wtf, I thought he was some kind of shaman🤣.
Is he an actual doctor or what?
I suggested checking your hormones since you were dealing with symptoms similar to mine,
and that turned out to be the culprit for me. From what I can tell, you seem fine.
You’ve already had an MRI, and you've checked plenty of blood markers.
Surely if something was significantly off, it would have popped up in those labs,
which should help pinpoint where to look next.

I'm not from Washington, D.C., I only visit occasionally. Regarding the burrito place, I don't have any firsthand experience; I just happened to glance at some online reviews because it kept popping up in the thread, and the name seemed a bit suspicious (burrito 😬).

After a quick search, I found these two interesting candidates, so if anyone has used them, please let me know what you thought:

Tel Aviv Clinic:

Extended package for about $400

Quest Diagnostics:

Similar to the one above, but includes a full-body MRI, price upon request (likely astronomical).

driftingcanyon2 said:I'm not actually from Washington, D.C.—I just visit occasionally. Regarding the burrito thing—I don't have any personal experience there; I just happened to stumble upon some online reviews because the name kept popping up in the thread, and frankly, the name (burrito 😬) sounded suspicious to me.

A quick scan of the web turned up two interesting candidates. If anyone here has used them, please reach out with a review:

Aviv Clinic:

Extended option is an extra $200.

Quest Diagnostics:

Similar to the one above, but includes a full-body MRI—price available upon request (which I assume will be astronomical).

These are more or less standard checkups that I've already looked into. They don't seem to cover the deeper stuff—like immunological issues.

Joseph Green12 said:Hi everyone,

this might sound a bit dramatic, but honestly, it feels pretty close to the truth, so I’m reaching out hoping someone might have some advice on what to do next.

For months now, I’ve felt like my body is just... shutting down. It’s been progressively getting worse. I have this total lack of energy, and I even feel like I'm losing my cognitive edge—it's hard to concentrate on anything at all.

I can sleep for ten hours straight, yet I wake up feeling completely drained; I’ll manage to get one tiny thing done for work, and then I have to go right back to bed, which has basically become my whole day. Thankfully, since the pandemic hit, I've been working from home, because if I were in an office, I probably would have been let go by now. This isn't just that typical kind of tired where you think, "Man, I had a long day at the office and I'm wiped"—it's a complete physiological shutdown. Even blinking feels like an exhausting chore.

Back when I was actually feeling like myself, I used to train quite regularly, but now, I’ll show up to the gym, force myself through ten minutes of movement, and then I'm just a lifeless husk for the rest of the day. My aerobic capacity is also pretty terrible lately (I haven't quite recovered from COVID 😁).

On top of that, I've started getting these paresthesias—pins and needles sensations—in my legs. When I had bloodwork done a few months ago, my B12 and folate levels (7) were sitting right on the lower limit. There might be a connection there, but I haven't started supplementing because my primary care physician insists they aren't technically "below" the threshold. 🕺
Also, my Vitamin D levels were significantly below the healthy range, so I've been supplementing that until my latest labs showed it finally returned to normal.

A few months back, I went through the ringer with testing: I had a brain MRI, a CT scan, an abdominal ultrasound, and a full thyroid panel—nothing really stood out as abnormal.
My ferritin is elevated, TIBC is below the limit, MCH and MCHC are low, and my MPV is high.
An endocrinologist did find some mild insulin resistance, but again, nothing major.
Around the time these symptoms started manifesting, I was dealing with an H. pylori infection. I had a gastroscopy, and while follow-up tests show the infection is gone, the stomach issues persist daily—mostly constant nausea. Gluten antibodies came back negative, though.

And now, I've developed this brutal tinnitus; it's constant, 24/7, and I've never dealt with anything like it before.

My doctor is adamant that this is just depression and wants to put me on antidepressants. He doesn't seem interested in running any more tests. Look, I get it—the brain is an organ too, and maybe he's right, and I certainly won't deny that I'm experiencing elements of depression and anxiety right now. But I personally view those as secondary effects; they're happening because my body feels like it's "dying" and I see myself failing to function every single day.

Does anyone have any ideas on what else I should look into? Any "Dr. House" style suggestions? I'm willing to go the private route and pay whatever it takes at this point; I just want to feel normal again.
I'm 29 years old, but I feel like I'm 92.

I'd truly appreciate any insight. I was thinking about looking into the MTHFR mutation and re-testing my B vitamins to see if anything has shifted over the last few months. Beyond that, I'm a bit stumped.
Maybe an immunologist?

Hi there, did your gastroenterologist happen to mention a hiatal hernia? I dealt with very similar symptoms last summer, and it turned out to be a hiatal hernia (a bulge in the stomach area). It's such a nagging issue and it affects everything. You mentioned so many things—the tingling, the nausea, the foggy vision, and that crushing fatigue—so you might want to do a little digging on that. I spent three months stuck in that same frustrating loop before I got a diagnosis. Also, have you had any heart issues, like a racing pulse or anything? That might be worth checking out too. Best of luck.

Olivia Gomez67 said:Hey—did your gastroenterologist mention anything about a hiatal hernia? I dealt with similar symptoms last summer before they finally diagnosed me with one (basically a stomach bulge). It’s an incredibly uncomfortable issue—it affects everything—and you’re describing quite a lot here (the tingling, the nausea, the blurred vision, and that total exhaustion). You should definitely look into it. I spent three months stuck in a frustrating loop before getting my diagnosis. Also, have you noticed any heart issues—like a racing pulse or something? That would be worth checking out too. Best.

The results from my endoscopy actually noted that a hiatal hernia is forming. My doctor just gave me the usual advice—eat smaller meals and such—but he didn't mention it could cause symptoms like mine. As for my heart rate, nothing unusual there; I wear a smartwatch that monitors it constantly.

Joseph Green12 said:During my endoscopy, the doctor noted on my report that a hiatal hernia is starting to form. He just gave me the usual routine advice about eating smaller meals and things like that, but he didn't mention at all that it could actually trigger symptoms like yours. I haven't noticed any racing heart or anything; I actually wear a smartwatch that keeps an eye on my heart rate for me.

.Honestly, you should do a little digging on Google to see everything that can stem from that, because it truly cost me three months of my life... I was dealing with almost the exact same symptoms you're describing now. Some people even call it the "mother of all illnesses." I had to change my whole diet and switch to several small meals throughout the day, and during that whole stretch, I ended up losing quite a bit of weight. My doctors were just as stumped as anyone else, too—they even tried sending me to a psychiatrist, suggesting I was just imagining the whole thing, but eventually, we finally got this diagnosis.

I don't really have the bandwidth to read through this entire thread right now, so please forgive me if someone else has already said what I'm about to say, though it's probably happened, but I'll just respond to the initial post.

If I were in your shoes, I’d go ahead and run some basic medical tests just to be safe, but regardless of what those results show—and I’m pretty sure they'll come back fine—I would start looking for a solid psychotherapist and commit to regular sessions.

If you decide to go the route of antidepressants and/or anti-anxiety meds, just keep in mind that they're really just a temporary band-aid rather than a permanent fix for whatever you're facing. Ideally, antidepressants should act as a bridge to help a person pull themselves together enough to actually tackle the underlying issues that caused the struggle in the first place, but people often fall into the trap of thinking they're "cured" because the chemistry is doing its job, while the actual problems just sit there or, even worse, continue to pile up. Then, once they eventually try to get off the medication, they find themselves feeling just as bad as before, if not worse. Personally, I’m not a big fan of antidepressants unless they are absolutely vital; sometimes they truly are life-saving, but quite often they can complicate things. At the end of the day, taking antidepressants without psychotherapy or a real sense of personal resolve doesn't solve anything long-term—if anything, it can make it harder.

dustymaker642 said:I don't really have the time to dig through this whole thread right now, so sorry if someone already said this, which they probably did, but I'll just respond to the first post.

If I were in your shoes, I’d run some basic tests just to be safe, but regardless of what comes back (and I'm pretty sure everything will look fine), I’d find a solid psychotherapist and start regular sessions.

If you decide to go the antidepressant or anti-anxiety route, just keep in mind those are basically just temporary band-aids, not a long-term fix. Antidepressants are supposed to help you pull yourself together enough to actually deal with whatever caused the mess in the first place, but people get convinced they're "cured" because the brain chemistry shifts, while the actual problems stay there or—even worse—just pile up. Then when they eventually come off them, they feel just as bad or even worse than before. Personally, I'm not really a fan of antidepressants unless things are absolutely dire. Sometimes they literally save lives, but honestly, they can screw things up too. Either way, antidepressants without therapy or a massive amount of willpower won't solve anything in the long run; if anything, they might make it harder.

Yeah, I totally agree. Even though they didn't work for me, I don't know if it's worth him dropping all that cash on expensive food intolerance tests or genetic testing. To me, that kind of stuff feels more like medical voodoo (though I guess SSRIs or benzos aren't exactly a perfect solution either 🙂). I'm just worried he's going to blow $2,000 and end up with nothing to show for it. For me, the SSRI withdrawal symptoms weren't even a thing. It was like I was taking a sugar pill. I can't speak for everyone, obviously. They just gave me major brain fog and made me feel numb while I was on them. Maybe that’s actually a good thing if someone is too anxious; maybe it helps quiet those "lost" thoughts.

If you're actually planning on dropping cash on this, maybe try pharmacogenomic testing before picking an SSRI... just a thought...

Joseph Green12 said:Hey everyone,

This title might sound a bit dramatic, but honestly, it’s pretty close to how things actually feel. I’m looking for some help—just some advice on what my next move should be.

For months now, it feels like my body is just... shutting down. It’s getting progressively worse. I have zero energy, I feel like I’m losing my mind with brain fog, and I can’t focus on anything at all.

I’ll sleep for ten hours straight and still wake up feeling like a zombie. I’ll manage to get one tiny thing done for work, and then I’m back in bed for the rest of the day. Luckily, since the pandemic, I’ve been working from home; if I were commuting to an office, I probably would’ve been fired by now. This isn't just that "man, I had a long day at the office" kind of tired—this is a total system failure. Even blinking feels like a chore.

Back when I was actually healthy, I used to train normally. Now, I show up to the gym, force myself through ten measly minutes, and then I’m just a dead weight. My cardio is absolute trash (I never really recovered from COVID 😁).

I’m also getting this weird tingling sensation, like paresthesia, in my legs. A few months ago, my B12 and folate (7) levels were sitting right on the bottom edge of the normal range. Maybe there's a connection there. I didn't bother supplementing because my primary care doctor insisted they weren't technically "below" the limit. 🕺
Also, my Vitamin D was way, way below the threshold, so I took supplements until my bloodwork finally showed it was back in the normal zone.

A couple of months back, I went all out: MRI of the head, CT scan, abdominal ultrasound, full thyroid panel—nothing stood out as abnormal.
Ferritin is high, TIBC is low, MCH and MCHC are low, and MPV is elevated.
My endocrinologist flagged some mild insulin resistance, but again, nothing crazy.
I had an H. pylori infection right around the time these symptoms started cropping up. I had a gastroscopy, and later tests showed the infection was gone, but the stomach issues haven't left me; I deal with constant nausea every single day. Gluten antibodies came back negative.

On top of everything, I've developed this brutal tinnitus—it's 24/7, and I've never dealt with anything like it before.

My doctor is convinced it's just depression and wants to put me on antidepressants. He doesn't want to run any more tests. Look, I get it, the brain is an organ too, and maybe he's right, but I really want to dig deeper into what's happening physically before I commit to that. Truth is, I definitely have elements of depression and anxiety now, but I tell myself that's just a byproduct of my body "dying" and seeing myself fail to function every single day.

Does anyone have any ideas on what else I should check? Any Dr. House style suggestions? I'm willing to go fully private if I have to; I honestly don't care about the money anymore because I can't live like this. I'd give anything just to feel normal again.
I'm 29 years old, but I feel like I'm 92.

I'd appreciate any advice. Right now, I'm thinking about checking my MTHFR mutation and re-testing my B vitamins to see if anything has shifted over the last few months. Beyond that, I'm stumped.
Maybe an immunologist?

If you feel like you need more testing, you should definitely coordinate those with your primary care physician.
As for the antidepressants, I think you don't have much to lose—you could potentially take them while you continue investigating other causes. If the meds don't help, or if you try different ones and nothing works, then you'll know it's not just depression.
Sometimes trial and error is the only way. Sometimes you just have to rule out every possible illness. Just make sure to follow your doctor's guidance above all else.

Good luck!

Just start the meds and check back in five weeks. Then we'll actually have some real data to work with!
I honestly don't get why anyone would turn down a shot at treatment. You aren't losing anything by trying, but you are definitely ruling one thing out.

Look, just my two cents from a non-medical, lived-experience perspective—it’s super common for people to deal with intense symptoms that don't show up on any standard lab tests, only to find out it was all psychological. Once they start the right medication, everything just clears up.
And regarding those brutal spinal pains, you really have to nail down the cause; you can't just have something like cancer without it showing up in your bloodwork. Right?

For instance, I dealt with an EBV reactivation (mono), which left me with chronic fatigue and a low-grade fever.
From where I'm sitting, the stuff you're describing sounds like pretty heavy depression, because if it were physical, there'd usually be a paper trail in your labs. At the very least, don't rule out the mental health side of things.

Olivia Gomez67 said:Hi there, did your gastroenterologist ever mention a hiatal hernia? I dealt with really similar symptoms last summer before they finally diagnosed me with one. It’s such an uncomfortable issue and it affects everything... you mentioned quite a lot here—the tingling, stomach nausea, blurry vision, and constant fatigue. You might want to look into that. I spent three months stuck in that same frustrating loop before getting answers. Also, have you had any heart issues, like a racing pulse or anything? That would be worth getting checked out too. Best,

And how did you manage to resolve those symptoms or deal with the hiatal hernia?

Megan Jones27 said:So, how did you actually manage to get rid of those symptoms, specifically that hiatal hernia issue?

Hey there! Well, my journey started with a six-week course of Emanera, and then I really focused on getting my gut health right with probiotics and a solid vitamin regimen. I also had to make some pretty big shifts in my eating habits—switching over to five smaller meals throughout the day instead of the usual heavy lifting. One of the biggest things was actually cutting out coffee, which I realized was a huge trigger for me, along with greasy foods and all that processed sugar. It’s been a bit of a slow burn, honestly; the improvement didn't happen overnight, but things have finally stabilized and I'm feeling much better now. I've just been leaning heavily into more fresh fruits and vegetables, and that seems to be doing the trick!

I'm trying to eat smaller, more frequent meals... because whenever I eat a full portion, I immediately feel bloated. It feels like I have a bottomless pit for a stomach yet nothing actually stays down. Would OmniBiotic 6 ?? be a good option?

During my endoscopy, they said my esophagus looks fine and there's no hernia, which honestly feels surreal given how bad my symptoms are. However, there was bile in my stomach, and the standard inhibitors (which doctors seem to prescribe like candy) aren't doing a thing. I also have a couple of erosions. The diagnosis is biliary gastritis, so I still need to follow up with my gastroenterologist.

Good luck to the OP; I really hope you find some relief soon.

I’ve been diving deep into my own health concerns—bordering on hypochondria at this point—and did some extra digging

I had a hunch it might be histamine intolerance.
Turns out my DAO enzyme levels—the one responsible for breaking down histamine—are sitting right in the middle. It's not a definitive intolerance, but it's definitely suspicious; it's quite low compared to standard healthy ranges. On top of that, my homocysteine is pretty high, which could be linked to the histamine issue and the body's overall methylation process. That would also explain why my B vitamin levels are dropping.
I'm still waiting on bloodwork for histamine, but from what I've read, blood tests aren't even reliable—apparently, you need a 24-hour urine test instead... :/
This brings me right back to the MTHFR gene and potential mutations. There are plenty of case studies online regarding this connection, which is how I landed on this theory.

What do you all think—is this a long shot? Based on my symptoms, it seems to track...

Gregory Turner71 said:In most cases, symptoms like these stem from depression. I think the best move would be to talk to a psychiatrist and perhaps try some antidepressant therapy to see if it helps. If it doesn't work, it’ll be much easier to go back to hunting for the actual cause.

I can barely keep food down, and I deal with neuropathy—meaning paresthesia too—due to my Lupus.
So, someone who didn't even test me for antibodies would suggest treating me with antidepressants...
😂

I've already been through that stage where they have no clue what's wrong and just throw everything at me.
It's because they didn't run all the necessary tests; instead, they decided I was way too young back then to have anything serious, so they dismissed it all as psychosomatic.
Luckily, I survived their "psychosomatic" diagnosis—which turned out to be a nasty flare—without any treatment at all.

Honestly, whenever someone tells me it's "psychosomatic," I break out in hives.

That said, it isn't wise to swing to the opposite extreme by obsessively demanding every single test under the sun.
If you're going to investigate, you should narrow things down systematically rather than just working through the entire DSM manual one entry at a time—that’s essentially a shortcut straight to psychotherapy.

On the other hand, taking an antidepressant for two months won't hurt anyone, so I agree with part of your perspective.

Personally, I’d head straight to a neurologist: paresthesia & tinnitus.

And ignore everything else. For now.

Jack Cook7 said:Mononucleosis, Epstein-Barr virus/EBV?

It might not apply much to my own situation, but I actually tested positive for EBV despite never having had mono. After three different rounds of testing, the doctors concluded it was just a "specific antibody response"—essentially a false positive triggered by lupus.

HPL (human placental lactogen) testing $40
So, one of my cousins was on 25mg of an SSRI
for years, and now they're dealing with this whole mess
I guess it's what happens when your levels are way too high or just totally off
They've been loading up on B-complex vitamins lately

Nicholas Mendoza60 said:hPL (human placental lactogen) testing $40
A relative of mine was on a 25mg
dose of antidepressants for years—and now he's dealing with this issue
Presumably, it's triggered by an excess or a deficiency
He takes a whole bunch of vitamin supplements

Where can I get these tests done?
And what does the treatment look like—what happens if levels are too high or too low?

My ANA came back at
The low DAO and high homocysteine levels suggest something metabolic—maybe an issue with MTHFR or histamine. But again, nothing extreme there...
I'm exhausted—honestly, I can't deal with all this research anymore.
I started taking Prozac, so we'll see how things settle in a few months.