Sudden onset 2+ years ago after severe “hangover”, chronic fatigue, head pressure, brain fog, crashing after work, alcohol intolerance. Extensive testing normal. Anyone experienced similar?
About 2 years ago I drank 3 beers (more than usual for me at the time) and woke up with what felt like the worst hangover of my life: pounding headache, light sensitivity, extreme exhaustion. I slept almost continuously for ~24 hours except to drink water/use the bathroom. Since then, I’ve never returned to normal.
Current symptoms (persistent for 2+ years):
- Severe fatigue/exhaustion (biggest issue)
- Constant head pressure and headaches/migraine-like symptoms
- Brain fog / slower thinking / trouble finding words
- Crashing after activity or work (I can work ~5 days then need 2 days to recover)
- Muscle aches and whole-body depletion
- Non-restorative sleep (wake up feeling like I didn’t sleep)
- Occasional “swimmy” feeling in head
- Symptoms often become more noticeable when I stop and sit down after activity
Background:
I used to be extremely active and could outwork most people physically. This change felt sudden, “like a switch.”
Testing/treatment so far: (nothing outstanding)
- Brain MRI
- CT Scan
- EKG
- HIV negative
- Lumbar puncture (opening pressure low-normal, IIH ruled out)
- Eye exam/OCT for optic nerve swelling → normal
- Autoimmune panels negative (ANA, Sjogren’s, Myasthenia Gravis antibodies, etc.)
- Bloodwork largely normal
- Neurology workup
- Migraine treatments: Sumatriptan (no effect), currently: Topiramate and Duloxetine
- Ophthalmology exam including evaluation for optic nerve swelling/eye changes related to intracranial pressure → eye structure and findings appeared normal; ophthalmologist mentioned some capillary/vascular stress but otherwise no major abnormalities
- Referred to cardiology next
Also: after this began, even a few sips of alcohol seemed to trigger an immediate awful “hangover/poisoned” (above current baseline) feeling, so I stopped drinking entirely.
I’m not necessarily asking for a diagnosis, just wondering if anyone has experienced something similar or has conditions worth discussing with my doctors.