19 year old with 6 months PCS, zero improvement, getting worse generally. Wide range of symptoms that I will eventually add into my signature (not allowed to make a signature yet?) I have been home-bound these past 6 months and my symptoms have made me practically bedridden. Seen 3 neurologists, no help. Will attempt to describe some significant struggles. MRI, EEG, and Sleep Study returned normal.

Insomnia: I sleep between 0-4 hours a night, added up, with nightly sleep paralysis. I take two doses of 10 mg Ambien (20 mg nightly dose) and low dose klonopin (0.125 mg range, trying to taper). One Ambien gets me between 0-2 hours of sleep. I have tried 15 mg Ambien and 0.5 klonopin once in a single dosing and did not initiate any sleep after laying in bed for 12 hours. It is insanely difficult to initiate sleep. Currently, taking two doses of Ambien has been more effective than a combined dose. When I do, I wake up around every 10 minutes. Once I hit “REM” stage, I get sleep paralysis. Every night. Sleep study could not diagnose anything. My sleep hygiene is very good, besides the fact that I can’t exercise or see any sunlight (which I guess could make it very bad). Have tried these: gabapentin, amitriptyline, Lunesta, Xanax, Ativan, and restoring at varying doses and combinations. Nothing can get me to sleep besides Ambien currently.

Anxiety: the unmanaged insomnia and sleep deprivation, along with I guess normal PCS recovery, has triggered intense daily anxiety. Have panic attacks once every few days. First “big one” was about a month ago, when I went to the ER in an ambulance because my family thought it was a seizure.

Car rides: I literally can’t handle more than 2 minutes in a car. This has made doctor visits practically impossible for me.

Visual problems: from my research, (currently undiagnosed-these conditions seem virtually impossible to get proper diagnosis anyway), I have visual snow syndrome and Charles Bonnet syndrome. Wide range of visual symptoms, main ones being 24/7 static throughout my vision, as well as non-psychiatric 24/7 hallucinations of cartoon like figures embedded in the static or flashing lights.

I can’t believe how difficult my life has become. I am 19 years old and would really appreciate input. Vitamin regimine is currently fish oil 2g RX and vitamin D 1000 IU. I am scared to take many of the vitamins in Mark’s regimine because I heard some people with anxiety/panic react badly to B vitamins, etc.

Thank you for your help. I will try to keep busy living in the meanwhile.