Fatigue and brain fog, somewhat better with modafinil but still limited
- Condition
- Condition not stated
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 6 years
- Last post
- Apr 2021
In their words
- Condition: Condition not stated
Is this CFS/ME or just extreme fatigue?
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
Learning/working is extremely difficult due to constant sleepiness and fatigue.
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
even small 50mg dose, works astonishingly well that is I could call it a milestone of improving my quality of life
In context ↗ - Began after: nothing they could name
Back in 2015 I had unexplained dizziness, feeling of randomly passing out
In context ↗
Read from 1 of their posts and comments; links to the one this page draws on
Summary
Lake 43603, a 21-year-old UK man, has had fatigue and brain fog since 2015, when dizziness and near-fainting led to an anxiety diagnosis and escitalopram. That eased his anxiety but left constant tiredness and unrefreshing sleep, and cardio exercise knocks him out. Modafinil, bought after UK doctors refused to prescribe it, keeps him awake and able to concentrate; he feels closer to his pre-2015 self but remains limited.
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What they tried
What they credit
Their words about each treatment
- SSRIs (escitalopram) · Helped
put me on SSRIs (currently on 20mg escitalopram) to "mute" my body which definitely helped a lot ... but left with a constant fatigue and a brain fog
In context ↗ - Modafinil · Helped a lot
even small 50mg dose, works astonishingly well that is I could call it a milestone of improving my quality of life
In context ↗
Approaches: SSRIs · Stimulants
Their path
How ill they were on the ME/CFS severity scale, estimated from what they describe at each point, in the order they describe; they don’t give enough times to place each step. Hover or tap a point. 1 step says too little to place on the scale and is only in the table. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Unexplained dizziness and near-fainting; diagnosed with anxietyBack in 2015 I had unexplained dizziness, feeling of randomly passing outIn context ↗ | Not stated | |
| 2015 | Escitalopram eased anxiety but left constant fatigue and brain fogto "mute" my body which definitely helped a lot and was a major step for me step to improve my quality of life, but left with a constant fatigue and a brain fogIn context ↗ | Mild | Escitalopram (Lexapro) |
| 2021-04-30 | Modafinil keeps him awake and able to concentrateeven small 50mg dose, works astonishingly well that is I could call it a milestone of improving my quality of lifeIn context ↗ | Mild | Modafinil / armodafinil |
Adverse events
- Escitalopram (Lexapro)“but left with a constant fatigue and a brain fog that can't be cured by adequate diet and sleep hygiene” In context ↗ Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- POTS & dysautonomia
Back in 2015 I had unexplained dizziness, feeling of randomly passing out
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I have general anxiety ones on almost daily basis
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
fake heart attacks, strokes, chest pains, heart palpitations
In context ↗ - Vision problems
feeling of my eyes being uncalibrated at times (losing focus, and feeling of moving, like a spike??)
In context ↗ - Brain fog
left with a constant fatigue and a brain fog
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
my quality 8 hours of sleep, feels like 3-4 at the best
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
weird feeling of tired muscles that I can't explain - like they are weak but sometimes restless at the same time
In context ↗ - Post-exertional malaise
Any physical exercise that includes cardio - like fast paced walks is a big nono, that leaves me KO for quite long time
In context ↗
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