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Burning in ‘brain’

Messages
18
Hi
I can’t seem to find anything about this symptom. I seem to develop this burning in the middle of my head. It feels like my brain is on fire. It seems to come most when I’m in a crash but also if my brain has been stimulated. But I can’t seem to get rid of it for weeks at a time. I don’t know if anybody has any ideas or gets this too?
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
When people with high mercury levels in their body take a mercury chelator (such as alpha lipoic acid or N-acetyl cysteine) which can redistribute mercury to the brain, they sometimes get these "burning brain" symptoms.

I am not sure if that is relevant your case, but it's something to look into.


Many ME/CFS patients also have a chronic mild inflammatory feeling in their head, especially around the nape of the neck. But that does not feel like burning.
 
Messages
79
Yes I have this burning feeling in the center of the brain too, with head pressure in forehead and temples. It gets better when I avoid anything that causes sympathetic overtone (large meals, stress, too much physical activity). And maybe this feeling getting worse after any sexual activity, I'm not sure.
I believe this feeling actually indicates from where all the symptoms are coming from - limbic system.
 

lenora

Senior Member
Messages
4,913
Hi.....I've been a victim of autoimmune encephalitis. I didn't suffer the pain you're describing, but a young woman, Susan Cahallan, wrote a book actually titled "Brain on Fire." It's not a masterpiece, I'll warn you, however it does outline her experience with autoimmune encephalitis. It was good of her to write it.

We don't much about this condition, I believe the latest thinking is that encephalitis leads to autoimmune encephalitis and I had some strange symptoms beforehand, but I also have two different types of epilepsy and a heart condition (7 stents), plus 2 other neurological illnesses apart from ME. It gets rather difficult to sort things out.

There is also a type of documentary by the same name, but in all honesty, it's pretty bad (or at last I thought).

The usual way of testing for this is via a spinal tap that is then sent to the Mayo Clinic (they have tests they run). I had two taps a few weeks apart as I was hospitalized for ???? at the time. The test is much easier than when I had my first one some 30+ years ago. You do have to have your back facing up and then lay flat for approx. 24 hrs.(on your back) so there is no headache reaction. The mind can quickly be affected, so a psychiatrist is often used in addition to the usual MRI's, CAT scans and other tests.

I was in a coma for ?? and had a headache for about a year, but I did come out of it with everything working fairly well. Words are elusive at times, but I walk, talk, etc. Susan Cahallan was one of the early patients, very young and no one could figure out her problem.

The Mayo Panel confirmed both times that I had AE, but I've never had a recurrence. I would see your neurologist. Yours, Lenora
 

heapsreal

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Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
Hi
I can’t seem to find anything about this symptom. I seem to develop this burning in the middle of my head. It feels like my brain is on fire. It seems to come most when I’m in a crash but also if my brain has been stimulated. But I can’t seem to get rid of it for weeks at a time. I don’t know if anybody has any ideas or gets this too?

Sleep deprivation gives me that burning brain feeling with a good amount if brain fog. Sleep with something heavy duty like seroquel does help alot and sort of resets everything.