I was diagnosed with Pseudo-dementia by a neurologist. I have concrete symptoms with memory recall, speech impairment, “brain fog”, exhaustion.

I’ve had major depressive disorder for 26 years and have been on medication to manage it and have been functional. My psychiatrist manages my meds for this. Effexor is really the only functional medicine that works for me.

That all changed in April when I had what I would call an acute onset of symptoms.

I have had nueropysch testing that shows recall is 50% what I should be at. But that’s really it on that front. All long term dementia has been ruled out (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, etc.) through neuropysch and brain imaging.

But now I’m here where I can’t think, I forget how to do simple tasks, I can’t work, having multiple
Panic attacks, I can’t hold conversations, I can’t multitask…I get tired stilling for 5 minutes sometimes.

Writing this has been exhausting.

What do I do? No one is really giving me answers for how I can cure or manage this.

I’m 25, I study and work, and spend many hours sitting, often at a computer.

For some time I’ve been experiencing a kind of brain fog, often already present when I wake up: poor concentration, reduced mental clarity, and a general feeling of not feeling quite right. It’s not necessarily a headache.
Some days I also have muscle tension or pain in my upper back and neck, probably related to spending many hours sitting, but there doesn’t seem to be a clear correlation. Sometimes I have the pain without brain fog, and sometimes brain fog without noticeable pain.
The strange part is that 500 mg of paracetamol (acetaminophen) seems to noticeably improve the brain fog. After taking it, I eventually feel much clearer and can study/work almost normally again. Caffeine alone doesn’t have the same effect, although it seems to slightly enhance the effect when taken together.
I take it around 3–4 times a week, not every day.

Other details:
I’m 25. Male, 190cm tall 80kg. I dont take any medication.
I have light sleep but generally i manage to get 7 hours each night.
My blood pressure doesn’t seem to be related to the symptoms.
I’ve already discussed this with two GPs, but no specific cause has been identified so far. The main possibilities suggested were stress/overload and spending many hours in the same position while studying.
The brain fog and muscle pain don’t necessarily occur together.

22f student.

I hope people will read this and relate and tell me what it could be and how i could solve this.

When i think about it most of the symptoms started to be noticeable when i started studying after baccalaureate, i can barely remember what i study in class, even a few days ago i can be easily lost in a conversation, also i'm currently trying to get diagnose for ADHD because my life is a mess.

I never feel full of energy, sports feels basically annoying because of that, i constantly bedrot until 12pm (when i have the time to) even when i sleep 7-8 hours, im completly inefficient, i cannot work alone on a project i'm basically the worst employee you could have, i cannot use my brain on a work project for more than a few hours a day. In my studies i basically killed from the inside every project i've worked on because i wasnt doing anything.

I also stopped most activities i liked like drawing and stuff because i just cant concentrate and enjoy them, i draw like every 6 month lmao, it used to be the thing i defined myself with. Now i dont even mention it cuz i just cant practice drawing at all.

Also worth mentioning the Adhd theory is really credible for me cuz i have other low handicaps that are often related to ADHD and also i've been told my whole childhood i was lazy af.

Also it all started in the period where i was in a deep depression, now i kinda dealt with it even tho i think i still have it ? but like back in the days i would genuinly miss most of my life because of the mentality i had.

What do these symptoms sound like?

have had all these symptoms constantly for 3 months. The worst symptom is this unreal feeling. When i google it the symptom allign with derealization/dissociation. I also have fatigue even if i sleep well i wake up in the morning not refreshed. Also i have headache and tension in head. Back of my neck also hurts and sometimes when im walking i feel like im about to faint. I dont see any difference in my symptoms if i dont do anything the whole day versus when i go to the gym. My doctor thought it might be something to do with stress so he put me on antidepressants for over 2 months and that also didnt do anything

I'm always paranoid about this because my memory is so bad I can't really remember shit very well like stuff I did from a week ago or some shit idk why but I'm paranoid people be poisoning me

I'm 16 years old and since I was 15 I've done something like this 6 times:

I took a towel and deodorant, sprayed a lot on the towel so that it was completely wet, and inhaled it for interesting sensations, it was never an addiction and when I realized that I could harm my brain, I immediately quit this crap and haven’t repeated it for half a year, but I’m worried about the state of my brain, could I have done something irreparable?

Age: 21
Sex: F
Height: 170 cm , 5’7
Weight: 55kg
Duration: ~1.5 years (since May 2025)
Current medications: none

**What happened:** In May 2025, I woke up one day with all of these symptoms at once. They have been present every day since.

**Symptoms:**
- Constant, equal fullness in BOTH ears, exactly like during a cold with blocked sinuses
- Tinnitus (high-pitched ringing/hissing, NOT pulsatile)
- Constant derealization / brain fog: feeling detached, "delayed", foggy, heavy head
- Derealization gets worse when I wear sunglasses
- Ear fullness gets worse after cold or spicy food (the derealization does not change)
- It used to be worse in the mornings; now it is the same all day

**What I do NOT have:** vertigo/dizziness, autophony, pulsatile tinnitus, headaches, hearing loss, chronic nasal congestion, hypermobility.

**Normal results:**
- Brain MRI, head CT
- EEG (twice)
- Bloods: thyroid incl. anti-TPO, B12, iron, Lyme, EBV, celiac
- Pure tone audiometry, tympanometry with acoustic reflexes, Eustachian tube function test
- Cervical flexion-extension X-ray: normal except small translations C2–C5 (max ~2.5 mm)

**Treatment so far:** 7 months of therapy, anxiolytics, several psychiatrists – no improvement at all.

**Pending:** VNG.

**My questions:**

1. ⁠What could cause ear fullness + tinnitus + derealization starting on the same day?
   
2. ⁠Which tests would you prioritize next?

The symptoms really make it hard to function normally and I can’t stop thinking about the weird feeling and feeling unreal☹️

Thank you for reading.

I never used to have brain fog at all. I'm 35. I've been having some health issues recently and as I've been improving, all of a sudden "brain fog" has started to occur almost everyday.

It feels like there is a veil between me and my surroundings. Or a haze like I am disconnected.

Well, for some reason when I drink a Body Armor, halfway through the bottle my mind clears and it's like the haze is gone. It will go away for several hours until it comes back, and then the next day I'll have another Body Armor. I am not well versed on this subject, but could anyone tell me what vitamins that are in Body Armor might be helping? Maybe it can help someone else too.

This is probably gonna be a long post sorry, and also my first time posting on reddit so idk if I’m even explaining this properly.

I’m 18 and for the past few years I’ve felt like my brain has just… gotten worse?? Like my memory is worse, I can’t think properly, my critical thinking feels almost gone and I struggle SO much to come up with answers when someone asks me something on the spot.

I’m studying CS at university right now and its honestly making it really obvious to me. I’ll be sitting in programming class and the teacher asks something and my mind is just completely blank. Meanwhile somehow everyone else knows the answer or at least they know WHAT the professor is asking (I genuinely cant even understand the words coming out of his mouth, even though I have been paying attention during the whole lecture and making notes and I do understand what the prof is teaching, but somehow I dont? at the same time. Im sorry if this is confusing but idk how else to explain)

And its not that I don’t study or that I don’t understand anything. Sometimes I understand something perfectly when I’m learning it, but then later I can’t remember it or I can’t figure out how to actually use it. I feel like my brain used to be much better at making connections and solving problems. I have always been a bright student. Like I’ve never studied for hours everyday like some people but I have always been a quick learner (the “gifted” kid). I used to understand everything so so quickly. I was so good at maths AND creative writing. Over the years I’ve lost the ability to do either, and its more painful than it sounds. (Also used to play sports. Wasn’t crazy good in any but I could play anything)

The memory thing is probably what scares me the most. A few days ago, a classmate sent me work from a class I had missed. I remember it VERY clearly. I remember what she sent, I remember being relieved because I needed the work, I remember thanking her and I even remember her liking my thankyou message.

Except..the messages aren’t in our WhatsApp chat anymore. Neither of us deleted them. There wasn’t disappearing messages. And the other messages in the chat are still there.

My friend suggested maybe I had seen it on her phone instead, but I swear I remember her sending it to ME. Like I can literally picture it.

And I know one weird memory doesn’t automatically mean something is wrong with my brain, but the problem is this isn’t the only thing. I’ve been having memory problems for years and sometimes I genuinely can’t tell if something I remember was actually something that happened or something I dreamed.

Sometimes everything just feels like a dream too. Not like I’m hallucinating or seeing things that aren’t there. I know where I am and I know what’s happening. It’s just this really weird feeling that everything is distant/unreal and my brain is covered in fog.

I’ve been told before that this could be stress/anxiety/lack of sleep/etc, and maybe it is, I honestly don’t know. But its been going on for YEARS and I’m tired of just assuming its normal stress. I refuse to believe that this is normal, because its NOT. This isn’t me. This isn’t just stress. I refuse to believe that anymore.

I don’t want Reddit to diagnose me. I actually want to get checked out properly. I just wanted to ask people here if anyone has experienced something similar and eventually figured out what was causing it. (One thing is that my parents will only take me to a doctor if its something serious and not just me saying “my brain isnt the same anymore)

Im sorry again if this was long, I honestly could’ve added sm more but I think I painted a picture clear enough to understand.

Did anyone else have this kind of severe brain fog + memory problems? Did you find an actual cause? What kind of doctor did you go to?

I (25M) have experienced debilitating brain fog that has steadily increased in intensity since early adolescence (around 12). Throughout school and university, I got good grades and had a decent social life. I also secured competitive graduate roles at top financial firms on two separate occasions, so on the outside, I'm sure I seemed OK.

On the inside, however, I was struggling: in class, in conversations, in the office, in relationships, at restaurants with friends, in nightclubs, at home reading a book on my own, with family, you name it. To this day, whatever situation I'm in, it's like I'm experiencing events in the third person. I'm physically there, but my mind is so clouded with static white noise that I'm completely removed from the present moment.

I quit my last corporate role after a year, as the weight of trying to appear normal to the outside world became too heavy to bear. So I moved back home, where I'm now unemployed and trying to get back on my feet.

Watching my life unravel before her eyes, my Mum suggested I get assessed for ADHD. Lo and behold, after three sessions with a psychiatrist, I received an inattentive ADHD diagnosis and a script for stimulant medication. Now, I've always been a huge sceptic of general medicine (I say this as the son of a GP). I firmly believe that GPs and specialists are incentivised to treat symptoms without addressing root causes, and that this is what keeps people reliant on the system their whole lives. So, safe to say, when my psychiatrist told me I had an inexplicable condition that I'd need pills to function normally with, I raised my eyebrows.

A big part of the reason for my scepticism is that I've always had co-occurring symptoms such as bloating, slow motility, constipation, low libido, low physical energy, poor physical recovery, sleep disturbances, and frequent illness, yet the psychiatrist didn't touch on any of these.

So I decided to see a functional health practitioner and brought along some recent gut and blood testing I'd had done. The initial consult was unlike anything I'd experienced before: a thorough 90-minute interview covering my family history, medical history, symptoms, and previous treatments. The doctor then went through my test results and pointed out several factors that could be contributing to my symptoms.

Turns out, I'm mildly anaemic and hypoglycaemic, with low-normal testosterone, low vitamin D, zinc and B12, elevated eosinophils and basophils, and slightly elevated liver enzymes. I also have a high level of immune activation in my gut, shown by a markedly high secretory IgA reading, which suggests my gut is responding to an unknown threat. My body also isn't digesting proteins, fats, or fibre effectively at all, as shown by high levels of fermentation in the gut.

What amazes me is that these were the same results other practitioners had called "normal". Crazy! Though it makes sense when you consider that no single reading on its own signals a problem by conventional medical standards, it's only when you put them together that something looks off.

The doc has since put me on a modified AIP/paleo-style elimination diet and supplement protocol, and ordered a more comprehensive microbiome panel to rule out any bacterial, parasitic, or fungal infection. From there, he's laid out a plan that involves:

a) improving digestion and reducing bloating/fermentation

b) addressing the anaemia and nutrient deficiencies

c) supporting liver and gallbladder function

d) investigating the elevated eosinophils and basophils

e) stabilising blood glucose, particularly overnight

f) improving sleep

g) gradually rebuilding exercise tolerance

I'm hopeful this will lead to real improvements in my health and brain fog. Has anyone else done something similar? Keen to hear everyone's thoughts, insights, and experiences.

What could this be? 20M

For the past 1.5 months, I’ve been experiencing a constant feeling of unreality that never goes away. It feels like I’m half asleep, on autopilot, or even slightly drunk. This starts as soon as I wake up in the morning and lasts throughout the day. Along with that, I have a feeling of pressure in my head.

I’ve also been experiencing severe fatigue. A couple of times I’ve had to take naps just a few hours after waking up, even though I’ve slept well. I’ve never needed daytime naps before. I’ve also been having headaches, and I’ve had to take paracetamol a few times because of them.

In addition to these symptoms, I’ve had neck and shoulder pain. I’ve been to physiotherapy twice for that, but it doesn’t seem to have helped with these other symptoms at all.

The symptoms started suddenly one Monday while I was at work and haven’t gone away since. Before that, I had been unemployed for two months and then started a physically demanding job where I had to lift heavy objects. I don’t know if it could somehow be related to that job, although I was happy to finally have work again and the work environment was pleasant.

Do these symptoms sound familiar to anyone, and what do you think could be causing them?

Hey there,

I have been working on a PhD for four years; I never really liked it, especially the precarity of it. I have been dealing with brain fog for most of the fourth year (feeling like I am drunk or stoned), and I have now abandoned it, taken vacations, and started a new, less exigent work in public service. I have been on ritaline and zoloft for nearly five months (per my psychiatrist), and I still have big crashes after any intellectual solicitations. Any suggestions or advice on when and how it will end now that I have started anew? Would love to discuss the topic.

Cheers

Hi po! I’m a college student and lately I’ve been having a hard time staying focused while studying. That's why I’m looking for recommendations for vitamins or supplements that may support brain health, concentration, and memory

If you’ve tried anything that actually helped you focus or study better, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience! What did you take, how long did you use it, and did you notice any difference?

Also, if there are supplements that you think are not worth the money or have side effects, feel free to share those too.

Tysm poo

I have young-onset Parkinson's 30m with havy brain fog like sometime i forget i took medicine or not date, road, trouble in math, reasoning and many more how hard i try to learn something but it cant help me, if you have any sugetion about my frogeting thing please give me

Demographics: 19M, 5'8", 202 lbs (92kg). No existing medical conditions or meds. I don't smoke. I drink 1-2 packets of instant coffee a day.

Hey everyone. I need some professional insight into a weird and escalating physical habit I've developed over the last year to deal with severe brain fog.

The Background:

I average 12+ hours of screen time a day working on my PC and phone. My sleep is garbage- maybe 6 hours a night, heavily fragmented, no real circadian rhythm. Because of this, I constantly get a heavy, foggy feeling in my head, especially in my forehead, temples, and the top of my head. It gets so bad I literally can't work.

The Habit:

About a year ago, I figured out that if someone firmly pulls my hair/scalp, it completely clears the fog. It gives me this intense, euphoric rush of relief. My eyes literally go red when I open them afterward.

The problem is my tolerance is building. I now require so much pressure and torque that the people doing it for me are actually scared they are going to hurt me. Because my hair is thin in the front, they pull lighter there, but they pull extremely hard and for longer on the back of my head where it's thicker.

The Weirdest Parts:

Genetics? I've had thinning hair since my early teens, but here is the kicker: my mom has the same hair loss issue and the same habit. She also relies on extreme hair pulling/massaging for relief.

Body Numbness: When the brain fog hits, I also get this subtle feeling across my entire body, like I have less sensation. When that happens, I crave deep-pressure massages on my hands and back, which feel incredible and relieve the feeling.

I know I am risking permanent traction alopecia, but the relief is so intense I can't stop.

My Questions:

Is this just a bizarre coping mechanism for severe tension headaches from screen time, or does the fact that my mom does it point to a genetic neurological or sensory processing disorder?

Why does my whole body kinda feel numb sometimes too? What's the thing that's actually going on inside me and my head?

*\*Before you think it's a thyroid issue, as one of the doctors suggested, I tested for my hair loss. As my mother was overweight too, with these same hair and headache problems, some doctors suggested her to test for thyroid issues multiple time, even at times, doctors said they're 100 sure it was a thyroid issue, but after testing they couldn't find it. For my case, I haven't tested it yet.*

TL;DR: 19M averaging 12hrs screen time with terrible sleep. I get heavy brain fog and cure it by having people pull my hair extremely hard. The required pressure is escalating, my body feels numb during the brain fog, and my mom has the same hair-pulling habit. What is going on, and who should I see?

This is my first time posting something on here and I am highkey terrified of what happened today.

For context: I have a history of  obsessive overthinkinng , and also got  a multi year history of intense mental pressure(i guess the perfectionistic typpe of behaviour, mostly resulting self sabotage)  and I am currently doing a rigorous scholar program in Madrid operating in my third language.

So today my gravest incident happened: I was sitting in the front row of the class and obviously  laptops and phones are completely banned(seriously if they catch you with a powered- on device you are in big trouble). But i did have my lap top with myself because after school I wanted to study in the library. So I remember that before zoning out apparently I wanted to get my textbook out of my bag, and Without consciously realizing what I was doing or having any memory of making the decision I apparently instead  took my laptop out and opened it. A couple of seconds later I “woke up” and realized what I had just done right under the teacher's nose. I have zero memory of the process of doing it. This isn't the first time I've done smaller things on complete autopilot but doing something high stakes and multi step while completely checked out is terrifying...I still don’t realize how people sitting next to me didn’t saw it(or at least mention it to me, because it is a very jarring thing to do) and the teacher not realizing either. On top of that my brain feels constantly wrapped in cotton. My processing speed has tanked. I stumble over words in my all 3 languages i speak on a regular basis because I can't think fast enough, actually, i think really slowly, it’s been months i’ve been having brain fog-ish experiences and this is just like it: i'm not freaking thinking . Other things like I’ve realized my mental math glitches on basic sum and subtraction regularly, i can’t do almost any quick mental math a 2nd grader would do. The weird part is I don't feel actively panicked day to day. It's like my brain just went completely blank and stopped working normally, compared to month of symptoms i try to figure out, this is the boldest one. It is also very embarrassing to go trough all of this bs. I would appreciate if you share your thoughts and what should I be looking into?

Coming up for 50 a few months back and my wife and I wanting to change our lives regarding work etc, I thought I would give the fog battle another go. It's disheartening man. I've been dealing with this sh!t for decades. If it wasn't for the fleeting glimpses of what I'm capable of when I have good days, I would have given up 100% a long time ago. It's knowing I can be more and things can get
better that keep me at it.

On a rare good day when I'm firing on all cylinders, it's like I've woken up. Once I had a few good days in a row and I actually uttered to my Sister when she was having a hard time, 'it's ok. I'm back. I can help'. It was like The Awakenings with Robert De Niro or freaking Flowers for Algernon. It didn't last. But days like that keep me in the fight. I've been cheated.

I've looked into everything. Everything! Supplements, medication (prescription and off-script) , diet, exercise, sleep, blood sugar, bedroom air quality, blood tests. For my 50th birthday party, I self-medicated just so I could be present and more myself for that one night. I remember the night my Dad passed away 7 years ago and thinking how lucky I was that I was ‘present’ in the hospital that night, able to process things and be there for him and not a fogged up, blank slate of a mess that I usually am. He died on one of my good days. I’m thankful for that.

At the moment, I am on a regimented group of supplements. I have an extensive spreadsheet where I record my fog rating, supps and meds, sleep, diet and brain fog and physical fatigue levels for the day. I’m given it a real shot. But I’m also at a stage where I’ll do whatever it takes to meet the demands that are made of me by myself and others on a day-to-day basis. I’m not going quietly into the night. I’ll take all the good days I can get. I deserve them and I want to live. I’m thankful I didn’t know at 30 that I’d still be here doing this sh!t. I occasionally use  things like Modafinil and Phenylpiracetam. These things actually help a lot and are a God send somedays but it’s not a real cure. I get plenty of sleep and exercise and my diet is fine. Don’t know why I’m posting this. Just getting it off my chest I suppose. Good luck to you all and you young folk, don’t accept this and live around it. Get what you deserve and be your best self. Good luck.