Hot swollen brain sensation?

J

Jade7

Messages
17
I have had episodes of "brain on fire" sensations as well! Sometimes it has been accompanied by swollen lymph nodes in my head and neck, and sometimes not.

High doses of anti viral herbs like Elderberry and Andrographis help resolve this.
 
H

hunter1899

Senior Member
Messages
152
Jade7 said:
I have had episodes of "brain on fire" sensations as well! Sometimes it has been accompanied by swollen lymph nodes in my head and neck, and sometimes not.

High doses of anti viral herbs like Elderberry and Andrographis help resolve this.
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Did you feel the thickness in your eyes/eyelids as well? Did these antivirals knock this symptom out for you completely?
 
J

Jade7

Messages
17
Sometimes my eyes have been affected and sometimes not. The antiviral herbs have worked over time to get rid of the "on fire" sensations completely but it sometimes takes 1-2 weeks.
 
H

hunter1899

Senior Member
Messages
152
Jade7 said:
Sometimes my eyes have been affected and sometimes not. The antiviral herbs have worked over time to get rid of the "on fire" sensations completely but it sometimes takes 1-2 weeks.
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Interesting. I’m on 1g Valtrex daily and have been for a couple months with no real help. What dose were you taking of the herbs and do you think these work better than Valtrex?
 
J

Jade7

Messages
17
With these flareups, I take a tablespoon of Elderberry syrup (Gaia brand) every few hours. The andrographis I was dosing at 400mg about 4 times a day. I also tend to take a lot of vitamin C (dosed as high as tolerable) for its antiviral activity. Sometimes I'll add in extra vitamins A and D for antiviral activity too. I've never tried Valtrex so I can't compare. I just know what I have found helpful. If inflammation feels severe I also add in lots of turmeric, fish oils, and CBD too. I take a lot of supplements and I'm continuously changing them around to deal with different symptoms.
 
H

hunter1899

Senior Member
Messages
152
Jade7 said:
With these flareups, I take a tablespoon of Elderberry syrup (Gaia brand) every few hours. The andrographis I was dosing at 400mg about 4 times a day. I also tend to take a lot of vitamin C (dosed as high as tolerable) for its antiviral activity. Sometimes I'll add in extra vitamins A and D for antiviral activity too. I've never tried Valtrex so I can't compare. I just know what I have found helpful. If inflammation feels severe I also add in lots of turmeric, fish oils, and CBD too. I take a lot of supplements and I'm continuously changing them around to deal with different symptoms.
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So just to be sure these particular symptoms are not something you’ve cured, but you’ve found treatments that provide some temporary relief?
 
J

Jade7

Messages
17
Yes, it is providing relief for the symptoms but not curing ME. If I have an ME flare, I may experience these symptoms again.
 
H

hapl808

Senior Member
Messages
2,341
Yes, I have that exact heavy eye / eye pressure / eye fatigue / swollen eyelid feeling. All the descriptions here are spot on. I described it to the one person I know in real life with mold sensitivity because I assumed they felt the same, but they didn't know what I meant.

I've taken andrographis before - maybe I'll try again as I have a bag here. I didn't realize Lysine would be anti-viral - I take it sometimes to help with canker sores but wasn't aware of the pharmacology of it. Also haven't tried Elderberry but I think I have some here - bought it in February for COVID worries if I recall.
 
H

hunter1899

Senior Member
Messages
152
hapl808 said:
Yes, I have that exact heavy eye / eye pressure / eye fatigue / swollen eyelid feeling. All the descriptions here are spot on. I described it to the one person I know in real life with mold sensitivity because I assumed they felt the same, but they didn't know what I meant.

I've taken andrographis before - maybe I'll try again as I have a bag here. I didn't realize Lysine would be anti-viral - I take it sometimes to help with canker sores but wasn't aware of the pharmacology of it. Also haven't tried Elderberry but I think I have some here - bought it in February for COVID worries if I recall.
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Hm, when you say the person you asked had mold sensitivity or did they (or you) actually test positive for mold toxins? I tested positive for three and have been on various binders and nasal sprays. Overall a little better but I know it takes time. Also, pretty certain mold is to blame since when I go into a place with mold, my symptoms are noticeably worse for a could days after. That just me though. I’ve heard viruses can make mold in the body cause trouble for the first time even years after the initial exposure.
 
H

hapl808

Senior Member
Messages
2,341
hunter1899 said:
Hm, when you say the person you asked had mold sensitivity or did they (or you) actually test positive for mold toxins? I tested positive for three and have been on various binders and nasal sprays. Overall a little better but I know it takes time. Also, pretty certain mold is to blame since when I go into a place with mold, my symptoms are noticeably worse for a could days after. That just me though. I’ve heard viruses can make mold in the body cause trouble for the first time even years after the initial exposure.
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I believe they tested positive and have tried CSM and Welchol among others. I have not tested but I have extreme responses to any musty odors - although other allergies also trigger my symptoms.
 
crypt0cu1t

crypt0cu1t

IG: @crypt0cu1t
Messages
599
Location
California
Ailúron said:
Does anyone else experience a "hot swollen brain" sensation? I frequently have this disturbing symptom, but only during high mold season. It is usually accompanied by burning eyelids (both eyes) and a spacey, derealized feeling, like I'm not quite present in my body, but operating on remote control. However, I am still mentally coherent, not dizzy, and can move about okay, do chores, etc. But the feeling of heat and pressure in my head is still awful. And it's not anything like a regular headache!

Strangely enough, my blood pressure is normal all this time and my thermometer never shows any fever (and I have two thermometers to be certain) - in fact, my temp is actually often a bit low at these times, like ~98.2°. Odd too, I have no congestion, sore throat, nausea, or shortness of breath, but my brain and eyes (and often my skin) sometimes feel "on fire". Lately, it often feels worse in the left side of my head, the same side I had sudden hearing loss (still not restored) three months ago. Tinnitus gets worse in the left (deaf) ear too.

Could this be small fiber sensory neuropathy gone wild in my brain? (Just thought of that, so I don't think it's autosuggestion going on here.)

Thanks in advance for any "me too"s, comments, or suggestions!

Ailúron
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I have the burning/swollen brain sensation too. High dose IVIG helped and plasmapheresis kept it away..
 
L

lenora

Senior Member
Messages
5,021
We're winding down the leaf situation here in TX. (lots of molds in leaves) and assume the same may be true of you. Also, I've noticed that things are always worse around the fireplaces...the damper is open as we often have fires. Thus molds could form there, also.

What type of housing do you live in? That may have something to do with your problem. Molds & funguses are everywhere and some of the worst are on the inside instead of the outside. Good luck in tracking down your problem...and do feel better. Yours, Lenora.
 
Ailúron

Ailúron

So sick and tired of being so sick and tired.
Messages
34
Location
NW Arkansas
I'm resuscitating an old thread, in hopes that I might help some of you in your battle against interior mold.

I discovered a major source of mold inside my house. My old hot water heater (in a utility closet INSIDE the house) had sprung a slow leak and had apparently been creating a veritable cesspool of warm, murky water around the base for quite a long time, which undoubtedly had been releasing tons of mold spores into the house through the vent grill in the door all that time. I had a giant petri dish of scummy green mold flourishing in the center of my house!!! :eek:

I had never had any reason to open the door of that utility closet, but one day I did, looking for the origin of an odor - and discovered that disgusting puddle of warm sludge on the floor around the water heater! :yuck:

I had the old water heater removed, then I scrubbed the wooden floor repeatedly and disinfected it with chlorine bleach for several hours until it was practically white, and then a new water heater was installed. It's stayed dry as a bone in there ever since.

I haven't had the "brain on fire" symptom since then, but I still experience what @hapl808 described above in this thread: "I have that exact heavy eye / eye pressure / eye fatigue / swollen eyelid feeling" - which makes me think that symptom is not related to the mold.

For me, the eye problems are only on the left side, the side where I suffered the SSNHL (hearing loss) that hasn't improved since I last posted. What's worse, is that this awful eye sensation (which doesn't produce a visible physical change) is now accompanied by a general numbness and pressure in the left side of my head. And it's much worse after my beloved morning coffee! :( And it's often followed by extreme exhaustion. It seems to have gotten worse in the week following my first COVID vaccine. I'm waiting until I've had my second dose of vaccine plus a week or two before I see my ENT/allergist and maybe a neurologist about this.

But I'm sure it's time to get tested for allergy to coffee/caffeine, which was the "staff of life" for me every morning. I've never been allergic to it before now. But besides aggravating the discomfort in my eye/eyelid, and the numbness and pressure in the left side of head, it also causes my tongue to sting and I feel like I need to go back to bed if I have more than one small cup.:cry:

I just seem to trade one cure for another ailment. But that seems so common for so many of us on this forum.
 
H

hunter1899

Senior Member
Messages
152
Ailúron said:
I'm resuscitating an old thread, in hopes that I might help some of you in your battle against interior mold.

I discovered a major source of mold inside my house. My old hot water heater (in a utility closet INSIDE the house) had sprung a slow leak and had apparently been creating a veritable cesspool of warm, murky water around the base for quite a long time, which undoubtedly had been releasing tons of mold spores into the house through the vent grill in the door all that time. I had a giant petri dish of scummy green mold flourishing in the center of my house!!! :eek:

I had never had any reason to open the door of that utility closet, but one day I did, looking for the origin of an odor - and discovered that disgusting puddle of warm sludge on the floor around the water heater! :yuck:

I had the old water heater removed, then I scrubbed the wooden floor repeatedly and disinfected it with chlorine bleach for several hours until it was practically white, and then a new water heater was installed. It's stayed dry as a bone in there ever since.

I haven't had the "brain on fire" symptom since then, but I still experience what @hapl808 described above in this thread: "I have that exact heavy eye / eye pressure / eye fatigue / swollen eyelid feeling" - which makes me think that symptom is not related to the mold.

For me, the eye problems are only on the left side, the side where I suffered the SSNHL (hearing loss) that hasn't improved since I last posted. What's worse, is that this awful eye sensation (which doesn't produce a visible physical change) is now accompanied by a general numbness and pressure in the left side of my head. And it's much worse after my beloved morning coffee! :( And it's often followed by extreme exhaustion. It seems to have gotten worse in the week following my first COVID vaccine. I'm waiting until I've had my second dose of vaccine plus a week or two before I see my ENT/allergist and maybe a neurologist about this.

But I'm sure it's time to get tested for allergy to coffee/caffeine, which was the "staff of life" for me every morning. I've never been allergic to it before now. But besides aggravating the discomfort in my eye/eyelid, and the numbness and pressure in the left side of head, it also causes my tongue to sting and I feel like I need to go back to bed if I have more than one small cup.:cry:

I just seem to trade one cure for another ailment. But that seems so common for so many of us on this forum.
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Appreciate the update. I have an update as well that might help us figure this all out. So I went to an ENT and got a skin test for airborne allergies and a CT scan. The allergy test showed off the charts allergy for dust plus allergies to two molds (penicillium and candida) and well as cats. The CT scan showed significant inflammation in most of my sinuses. I started allergy treatment a week ago. We’ll see.

I’ve heard good allergy tests arrant accurate otherwise I would do one of those too.

Also, I found out my truck (less than 70k miles) had a leak in the sunroof and the windshield for god knows how long. I think I only finally noticed it once it got cold enough to not evaporate. My headliner is stained with water and my floor board car part was soaked. Mold? Maybe. I’m getting it detailed for mold removal next week.

It also seems like being outside on a breezy day makes me worse? So I’m looking into dry eyes to see if that might be at work as well. I seem to get the eye feeling more often than and often without the head pressure. Most of my pressure is in my eyes, upper bridge of nose, and lower forehead.

Has anyone here seen an eye doctor for the eye condition?
 
Ailúron

Ailúron

So sick and tired of being so sick and tired.
Messages
34
Location
NW Arkansas
Hunter, when you're out on a relatively dry, breezy day, that's when outdoor mold spores can be the most concentrated in the air. Wet mold spores tend to adhere to the ground and foliage. I'm fine right after a rain, but when things start to dry out a couple of days after a heavy rain - THE WORST! So dry eyes may not be at the root of your eye discomfort.

Using a good eye wash with an eye cup can help though, as it rinses the mold spores out of your eyes. (Using thick eye drops for dry eyes like Liquid Tears, etc., don't help me at all.) I have to use Sensitive Eyes Saline Solution (for rinsing contact lenses) because it doesn't contain the preservative benzalkonium chloride (to which I'm very sensitive - BKC burns my eyes!) - it's used in most regular eyewash formulas.

But you might not be sensitive to benzalkonium chloride - you'll only know if your eyes burn worse after using something that contains it. If so, then switch to a saline solution for contact lenses that doesn't have it.
 
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