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What Causes Lack Of Energy, Brain Fog, Sleeplessness And Burning Sensation In Head?
Question: My son, 30 years old, suffers for years from lack of any energy, unable to concentrate, brain fog,not able to sleep without medication, and hypersensitivity mostly in his head - first was feeling of burning, then feeling of something rupturing in his head, wasn't able to work , to talk, to bear any noise, everything is exhausting him. There was a period he was not able to walk, because of a fear, that something will rapture into his brain he was getting panic attacks too. In Harbor view hospital in XXXXXXX where he was hospitalized for 2 weeks, he was diagnosed with Somatic disorder, he was released from hospital in better condition and walking, he was prescribed Seroquel and some antidepressant, but he did not take the antidepressant, because of the side effects, then he moved back to our country in Europe, thinking he might find better relaxation there. For a 2 years he was much better, completely functional, although still worrying about his health condition, still easy irritated, sweating a lot, lower energy, and poor sleep, but able to do a lot of physical activities. His biggest problem was that he was able LEAD A CONVERSTAION MORE THAN 5-10 MINUTES, and then he was feeling complete exhaustion, and because of that he was avoiding conversations, Our mean communication method was emails. This spring he decided to graduadelly reduce the Seroquel from 350 mg to 150 mg, because he was feeling rigid and now he started feeling according to him psychotic (for me most likely panic), his head very tensed, like squeezed by heavy weights, walking with extremely difficulty, dragging himself, reading with extremely difficulty our emails, barely talking, avoiding talking, everything is irritating him not able to bear any noise, even people's faces and colors, everything is irritating him. I begged him to go to a hospital, he was actually feeling he needs to go and he went there, but from day 1 he wanted to get out because everything was irritating him, he was afraid of the many pills he had to take and he pretended and somehow convinced the doctors he is better and was released in a week from the hospital with very little effect. He was injected with Olanzepine, he has to do it once every month and also prescribed haloperidol. All the medication he is prescribed is antipsychotic medication for treatment schizophrenia. I am wondering if he does not need antianxiety medication. Does he have schizophrenia with all those physical symptoms. He never has hallucinations, never heard voices. We are trying to convince him to come here for a better treatment, but he has those fears he can not overcome, that here he will get worse, because he got sick here. He just graduated from college, when his first symptoms started - sleeplessness, lack of energy, irritation. For me everything is worrying and fear and panic. What is your advise?
Brief Answer:
not likely shcizophrenia, it seems anxiety-depression-somatic problem
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for writing to us. I can understand your concern about your son.
I read your query twice to get idea what likely he has.
First of all if I were his treating doctor I would like to go for MRI brain, thyroid hormone and Vitamin B12 analysis and other routine/specific body check up after physical examination. I guess he has been undergone everything and reports would be normal. If you have reports please upload.
After confirmation that he has no physical cause for his symptoms I would like to evaluate him for psychiatric problem with detail history including childhood history and how problem began with detail mental status examination.
Seroquel can give improvement in schizophrenia as well as depression so in improvement after first treatment we cannot put any retrospective diagnosis also.
The way he was able to convinced doctor to get out of hospital in recent hospitalization suggest that he does not have schizophrenia probably.
- If he is communicating well which can be understood with meaning and is taking self care well there are no disorganized symptoms of schizophrenia also.
- Let me know he has any complaints of fearfulness or suspiciousness that people are harassing him, spying him , talking about him are there or not?
''lack of any energy, unable to concentrate, brain fog,not able to sleep without medication,feeling of burning, then feeling of something rupturing in his head, wasn't able to work , to talk, to bear any noise,'' all symptoms are somatic and there may be underlying depression but he has not taken antidepressant.
"very tensed, like squeezed by heavy weights, walking with extremely difficulty, dragging himself, reading with extremely difficulty our emails, barely talking, avoiding talking, everything is irritating him not able to bear any noise, even people's faces and colors, everything is irritating him" may be symptoms of depression with psychotic features or severe social anxiety with extreme distress or the last possibility is negative schizophrenia.
You just go through DSM-5 criteria of
1. Major Depressive Disorder
2. Generalized anxiety disorder and Panic disorder
3. Schizophrenia
In schizophrenia also search more about each symptom to understand better,
- Hallucination
- Delusion
- Disorganized Speech
- Disorganized Behavioiur
- Negative symptoms (specifically search for catatonia).
Revert back to me with all details asked as well after clear searching about the symptoms I mentioned and what do you feel that which symptoms he has.
I will be happy to help further.
Regards,
Dr.Chintan Solanki.
not likely shcizophrenia, it seems anxiety-depression-somatic problem
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for writing to us. I can understand your concern about your son.
I read your query twice to get idea what likely he has.
First of all if I were his treating doctor I would like to go for MRI brain, thyroid hormone and Vitamin B12 analysis and other routine/specific body check up after physical examination. I guess he has been undergone everything and reports would be normal. If you have reports please upload.
After confirmation that he has no physical cause for his symptoms I would like to evaluate him for psychiatric problem with detail history including childhood history and how problem began with detail mental status examination.
Seroquel can give improvement in schizophrenia as well as depression so in improvement after first treatment we cannot put any retrospective diagnosis also.
The way he was able to convinced doctor to get out of hospital in recent hospitalization suggest that he does not have schizophrenia probably.
- If he is communicating well which can be understood with meaning and is taking self care well there are no disorganized symptoms of schizophrenia also.
- Let me know he has any complaints of fearfulness or suspiciousness that people are harassing him, spying him , talking about him are there or not?
''lack of any energy, unable to concentrate, brain fog,not able to sleep without medication,feeling of burning, then feeling of something rupturing in his head, wasn't able to work , to talk, to bear any noise,'' all symptoms are somatic and there may be underlying depression but he has not taken antidepressant.
"very tensed, like squeezed by heavy weights, walking with extremely difficulty, dragging himself, reading with extremely difficulty our emails, barely talking, avoiding talking, everything is irritating him not able to bear any noise, even people's faces and colors, everything is irritating him" may be symptoms of depression with psychotic features or severe social anxiety with extreme distress or the last possibility is negative schizophrenia.
You just go through DSM-5 criteria of
1. Major Depressive Disorder
2. Generalized anxiety disorder and Panic disorder
3. Schizophrenia
In schizophrenia also search more about each symptom to understand better,
- Hallucination
- Delusion
- Disorganized Speech
- Disorganized Behavioiur
- Negative symptoms (specifically search for catatonia).
Revert back to me with all details asked as well after clear searching about the symptoms I mentioned and what do you feel that which symptoms he has.
I will be happy to help further.
Regards,
Dr.Chintan Solanki.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Dear Dr Solanki,
Thank you very much for your fast responce. I spent hours on the computer reading all over again symptons of Major dipression Anxiety, Generalized anxiety, Panic disorder, Somatic disordersymtons I red many times before. I red also about negative Schiifrenia and Ketatonia, is not the last. He doesn't
have any fear of being followed or treatened by anybody, that' s what tou were asking me, and no halucinations or hearing of voices. As far as delusion, his biggest delusion was that he can be healed by rest. But this is nor any more. Long time ago he realized he needs medical treatment and he is taking medicarion. He hasn' t realized yet he needs to come
here un USA to see better specialiats, and that his treatment is not only medication, but also Behaviour Treatment Therapy, Psychotheraphy,, meditation , yoga.
I think his psycotic condition comes as result of his anxieity, which grows into panic disorder. He has sympoms of all those anxiety and stress symtoms . He has the symtoms also of somatic dosorder, somewhere I red about Somatic anxiety.
I am not sure if he has Major dypressive disorder. He has most of the signs, but he doesn't have fear and thoughts about death, about suiside, only fear about his physical health condition. He woudn' t be sad if he woould feel ok. He also doesn't have the feeling of guilt. He has low energy, exhaustion, sleep disorder, not able to concentrate, physical complains, of brain fog, head tension, lost of interests and motivation, huge irretability, O- tolerance to any noice, not able to feel pleasure, leaving like in a hole and completly numb (recently he told me I am not able to feel the wind, the son). It say in Mayor depression disorder description, it can bring psyhisis in sr vere stagees.
It is so complicated and most of the symptons are overlapping each oder in all those mental deseases. May be the ethicete (the kabel) is not important. and I don' expect you to make a diagnose only based on my drscriptions without seing the patient. For me is more important to know which class of deseases he fallld into ant to exlude the option Schizofrenua.
And last, do you have any experience, with canabinoid oil treatment CBD oil from hemp, not marihuana.
Sorry for the long email, but I am sure You are used to it. Thank you for any thought or opinion you can share.
Best regards
XXXXX
Thank you very much for your fast responce. I spent hours on the computer reading all over again symptons of Major dipression Anxiety, Generalized anxiety, Panic disorder, Somatic disordersymtons I red many times before. I red also about negative Schiifrenia and Ketatonia, is not the last. He doesn't
have any fear of being followed or treatened by anybody, that' s what tou were asking me, and no halucinations or hearing of voices. As far as delusion, his biggest delusion was that he can be healed by rest. But this is nor any more. Long time ago he realized he needs medical treatment and he is taking medicarion. He hasn' t realized yet he needs to come
here un USA to see better specialiats, and that his treatment is not only medication, but also Behaviour Treatment Therapy, Psychotheraphy,, meditation , yoga.
I think his psycotic condition comes as result of his anxieity, which grows into panic disorder. He has sympoms of all those anxiety and stress symtoms . He has the symtoms also of somatic dosorder, somewhere I red about Somatic anxiety.
I am not sure if he has Major dypressive disorder. He has most of the signs, but he doesn't have fear and thoughts about death, about suiside, only fear about his physical health condition. He woudn' t be sad if he woould feel ok. He also doesn't have the feeling of guilt. He has low energy, exhaustion, sleep disorder, not able to concentrate, physical complains, of brain fog, head tension, lost of interests and motivation, huge irretability, O- tolerance to any noice, not able to feel pleasure, leaving like in a hole and completly numb (recently he told me I am not able to feel the wind, the son). It say in Mayor depression disorder description, it can bring psyhisis in sr vere stagees.
It is so complicated and most of the symptons are overlapping each oder in all those mental deseases. May be the ethicete (the kabel) is not important. and I don' expect you to make a diagnose only based on my drscriptions without seing the patient. For me is more important to know which class of deseases he fallld into ant to exlude the option Schizofrenua.
And last, do you have any experience, with canabinoid oil treatment CBD oil from hemp, not marihuana.
Sorry for the long email, but I am sure You are used to it. Thank you for any thought or opinion you can share.
Best regards
XXXXX
Brief Answer:
many times symptoms overlap but onset matters much
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXX,
Thanks for detail information.I really appreciate your efforts for searching.Providing same information to his doctor will help in diagnosis.
From narration it seems that he has likely Depression with psychotic features. Yes you read it right that severe depression leads to psychosis or catatonic features.
No specific symptoms of schizophrenia are there except few negative symptoms which can be symptoms of depression also.
He should be evaluated through detail history that how onset happened exactly that is to be searched. This will help in confirm diagnosis.
Trial of antidepressant drugs with anti anxiety medicines will help in confirming diagnosis.
I do not recommend canabinoid oil as it is herbal product and no scientific studies are available to confirm results.
Ultimate conclusion is sometime treatment and recovery matter more than diagnosis in few patients. We can put diagnosis after recovery and treatment response.
Hope this answer will help.
Feel free to discuss further.
many times symptoms overlap but onset matters much
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXX,
Thanks for detail information.I really appreciate your efforts for searching.Providing same information to his doctor will help in diagnosis.
From narration it seems that he has likely Depression with psychotic features. Yes you read it right that severe depression leads to psychosis or catatonic features.
No specific symptoms of schizophrenia are there except few negative symptoms which can be symptoms of depression also.
He should be evaluated through detail history that how onset happened exactly that is to be searched. This will help in confirm diagnosis.
Trial of antidepressant drugs with anti anxiety medicines will help in confirming diagnosis.
I do not recommend canabinoid oil as it is herbal product and no scientific studies are available to confirm results.
Ultimate conclusion is sometime treatment and recovery matter more than diagnosis in few patients. We can put diagnosis after recovery and treatment response.
Hope this answer will help.
Feel free to discuss further.
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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