Hi everyone,
I want to share what my husband, Erik, has been going through. He’s a 20-year-old with a thin build, standing 6’2’’ and weighing 170 lbs. Over the past five months, Erik has been dealing with some severe and debilitating symptoms. He constantly feels drunk, spacey, loopy, and dizzy, like he’s perpetually tipsy or high. Alongside this, he experiences blurry vision and what seems like tunnel vision. He often daydreams with his eyes unfocused, and there might be some double vision. Sounds seem strange, and focusing on visual and auditory stimuli takes a lot of effort. He’s also incredibly tired all the time—despite sleeping 10-11 hours, he wakes up feeling exhausted, and exercise doesn’t help. It’s as if he’s getting that deep, restorative sleep you have when you’re sick. His memory and ability to think clearly and engage in conversation have significantly declined. It’s like he’s drunk all the time.
We’ve been researching online and found some people with similar symptoms, but no clear solutions. It’s frustrating because these people seem to disappear without sharing any answers. If anyone has any advice, please let us know!
Here’s some background: In August 2015, Erik fell 15 feet onto his back at an indoor rock climbing gym. He couldn’t move for about 15 minutes due to the pain and couldn’t participate in any athletic activities for a month afterward, but he didn’t experience his current symptoms at that time.
Then, on December 15, 2015, he became very ill with a sore throat, painful eyes, and extreme fatigue, which lasted four days. After that, he developed a headache that caused pressure and pain behind his eyes, across the bridge of his nose, and on his forehead. This headache persisted for about four months.
Three weeks into the headache, he saw an ENT, thinking it might be a sinus infection, and took multiple antibiotics over the next month without any improvement. Blood tests and liver tests were normal, and an MRI with barium contrast didn’t show anything abnormal. He also started seeing a physical therapist for neck and back pain from the fall. Erik had a prior neck injury from a trampoline accident five years ago, which caused him tight muscles and soreness.
About three months into the headache (March 15, 2015), he began experiencing the “drunk/high” feeling along with dizziness and loopy sensations. His physical therapist suggested this might be due to a pinched blood vessel or nerve in his neck or mid-back area. Erik has seen three different chiropractors multiple times, but hasn’t found any relief. The physical therapist has provided massages to his affected areas.
Recently, Erik noticed that looking up (bending his neck to look at the sky) gives him some relief. Also, since the loopy symptoms started, even a small amount of alcohol makes him extremely drunk, unlike before when he could drink three full beers before feeling buzzed.
We’re considering asking his doctor for a comprehensive MRI from his head (brain/upper atlas) to his lower back (tailbone) to evaluate his nerves and blood vessels. Do you think this is a good idea? Has anyone experienced similar symptoms? Erik is now five months into this, and it’s debilitating. No doctor seems to take him seriously because of his age, but we’re worried that something serious might be damaging his brain and could be permanent. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.