Re: Does anyone else feel chronically: Heavy, rundown, bogged down??

I'll try and make this as short as possible. I'm typically more articulate, well-researched and elaborate than this, but my debilitating brain fog has robbed me of my memory and cognition. I hope this can help you or give you more clarity.


In 2008, when I was 16, I ventured into the world of weight loss and eventually developed anorexia. My metabolism could handle the increased inflammation, nutrient depravity and lack of glucose. Between 2008 and 2012, my weight constantly fluctuated, I would gain 20 lbs and lose 10. Then I would regain 30 and lose 20. I was getting fatter and I knew I was prone to weight gain. But I did not experience any physiological symptoms at all, just the common fatigue accompanying a low calorie diet that faded when I ate. I suspect I developed insulin resistance and my glucose metabolism was out of whack. I eventually gave up by 2012 and replenished my body, gaining about 60 lbs. My anorexic tendencies were revived when I was being reminded of my weight gain, and I managed to lose all that weight (and more) within six months throughout 2012. I felt great, energetic, euphoric, calm, prepared, motivated. Confident. I wanted to lose more, started venturing into various diets and researched online. At this point I would go through periods of binging, starvation and overcompensating with chronic cardio.

I started researching satiation and weight loss, desperately seeking an alternative. An ideal diet to support a slender physique with no calorie restrictions. That's when I stumbled upon low carb. Most notably, the BIGGEST regret of my life. I read and followed Dr. Atkin's guidelines religiously, browsing forums with middle-aged menopausal women raving about absolutely nothing other than eating grain-fed meat and counting the carbohydrate content of a lettuce.

Here comes the adrenal crisis - I ate only 20g of vegetable carbs every day (as per the 'Induction' phase guidelines of the Atkins diet) and gorged on muscle meat protein and ludicrous amounts of fat from all sources. During the first few days I challenged my body to deplete itself of glucose and adapt a fat metabolism (utilising fat as a main source of energy) as quickly as possible. While I ate the absolutely minimal amount of carbs, I ran for miles to burn off any excess carbs in my system from the past few days. Two days in, I experienced neurological symptoms, severe ones. I felt my cognition shift, my demeanour changing. My left limbs were numb and cold. I could barely use either limb. I suspected electrolyte depletion, but reflecting on this I'm certain it was more severe. I still wanted to fulfil the false prospect of being fat-adapted, and was reassured on low carb forums that it was simply the 'carb flu' and I would soon feel fantastic. My complexion was so pale, I suffered with post-meal hypoglycemia (I would pass out after anything touched my lips), I was so vacant. I felt like a zombie. In fact, it felt worse than death. It's complex to describe but incredibly challenging to experience. I could not talk, I had virtually lost 70% of my brain function.

Three months later, with only a 100g daily carb limit, I managed to somewhat recover. My neurological symptoms were almost gone, I could walk without fainting, I managed to occasionally smile. My healthy skin complexion was restored. However, I was left with debilitating brain fog. My cognition did not recover. My academic performance suffered drastically, and I became more introverted and quiet. I lost friends and fought with every one. It was a dark period of my life that I don't want to ever relive.

Here I am two years later with adrenal fatigue so debilitating that I cannot work, casually socialise, make friends, put any effort into my academic performance (that has declined), teeth decay so severe that my back teeth are now loose due to the deep cavities and poor bone density (or poorly metabolising nutrients), brain fog so intense that my attention span is a mere two seconds, stuttering, short-term memory loss, moderate dyslexia, poor cognitive performance, the inability to exercise without experiencing adrenal-related symptoms, weight gain, especially in my abdomen area, hair loss, premature ageing, bad posture, depression, signs of psychosis, dairy and gluten allergies, acne, oily skin, unstable blood sugar, occasional vertigo, poor thyroid function, depleted libido, erectile dysfunction, poor blood circulation and eczema.

As dismal as my circumstances may be, I have seen improvements with sleeping earlier, eating a more nutrient-dense diet, reintroducing dairy with the support of lactase enzymes, getting enough vitamin D and managing my stress. I'm still very optimistic about recovering, and hope that as soon as I can support myself financially I can afford to see specialised holistic practitioners that are experienced with adrenal fatigue sufferers. We are too young to feel like this.