Is anyone familiar with metabolic encephalopathy?

Dear @peggyn, I don't think I can be of help substantively, unless my emerging cognitive decline gets worse. But I don't want you to feel that nobody cares -- it's just that this is an unusual diagnosis with so many possible contributing factors. Lets hope somebody links into this problem soon. I'll try to find some Connect members who could help your friend. Martin

@peggyn, I thought it might help to consider what's behind the "many contributing factors" I mentioned earlier. A little inquiry on the Internet helps us understand that this malady -- metabolic encephalopathy -- sometimes can't be found by searching classes of articles, because it is often preceded by the word "toxic" -- and that's because it's often the result of encountering toxic substances in the patient's personal environment. Personally, I would not be surprised if a clinic or doctor focused on the patient's medical history, but neglected to suggest or require documentation of environmental factors that are beyond the reach of medical staff. For a better understanding of the possible causes, I found the following list on a health web site:

infection
organ (esp. kidney) failure
exposure to toxins
imbalance of metabolic chemicals
malnutrition
cancer
alcoholism

Against that background, perhaps your friend needs a better understanding of the factors that led her doctors to prescribe the complex of medications she is now taking. A detailed discussion with her medical team -- including some penetrating questions about the medications and their purpose and effects -- might start to provide the understanding and the confidence that would calm her concerns about what's in store in the weeks ahead. Martin

Hello @peggyn,

I'm sure that your friend appreciates your care and interest in this difficult health problem. Like Martin, @predictable, I do not know much about this disorder. I did find some information on Mayo Clinic's website, though. Just click on this link and it will give you information about symptoms and treatments,
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/metabolic-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20351916.

Here is the first page of the article,

Overview

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. These conditions include increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels.

Having just one of these conditions doesn't mean you have metabolic syndrome. But it does mean you have a greater risk of serious disease. And if you develop more of these conditions, your risk of complications, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, rises even higher.

Metabolic syndrome is increasingly common, and up to one-third of U.S. adults have it. If you have metabolic syndrome or any of its components, aggressive lifestyle changes can delay or even prevent the development of serious health problems.

It does look like Mayo Clinics has specialists who treat this disorder. Is your friend near a Mayo facility (Minnesota, Arizona or Florida)? Once again, I appreciate your interest in helping your friend. Will you post again and let me know how she is doing?

My brain no longer functions normally due to metabolic encephalopathy? I function minute by minute and get lost very easily even in my own home. If I go four blocks to the gas station I forget what town I'm in where I live and just start walking slowly things start coming back. One day I left for Rochester and ended up in Iowa then St Paul and eventually Austin. I've been dealing with this since 2019 and literally is nothing to play with

It is considered a change in mental status. Often I live minute to minute as I cant remember anything. I get lost when I leave home. Is this ring any bells with the community

Hi @michaelhall, that must be very disconcerting to find yourself far from home when setting out for a simple errand. I assume since you have been living with this since 2019, the underlying cause cannot be treated.

What tricks have you discovered to help prevent you from getting lost? Do you make sure to tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back?

Sadly the problem is remembering. So to remember to tell someone where I'm going is it problem. I deal with the problems as they come up. I might have to walk 25 blocks to get to an apartment two blocks away but eventually I see something familiar and latch on that. I don't know what treatments there are, I nearly lost my life on 3 9 2019. I went into a different world for a couple days. Interestingly enough I understand entirely what happened my subconscious mind flipped over to my conscious mind and vis a vis. I remember the dream which I was actually awake for and living that dream which was in a trailer house that I had to break out of stuck in Tijuana without my passport. The subconscious me which was presenting itself as the conscious me just simply stared into the distance as if I was reaching for something. How is sedated twice with Ativan Im, haldol twice, Xanax, ketamine, finally 5-point restraints the restraint naturally worked. I think I clocked out at noon the following day. I had been awake for 48 hours prior. My mind was not going to allow me to sleep even if it kills me. My doctor at Mayo prescribed Xanax for panic attacks for at that time 33 years. He quit and went to work elsewhere and I never bothered getting a new primary. So after 33 years I have probably stopped Xanax 5 bid and that is what caused the emergency room visit and the switching of the conscious and subconscious. You would find this very interesting in my files. There is so much more but this is one email please reach out to me anytime you would like thank you Michael Hall

As it stands in my life I do not have a home or anything stable. I know there are services available but I can't concentrate long enough to remember or to be able to talk to a social worker about my condition. My team at Roch all disabled me and said to go to the disability office and tell them I'm disabled. I went to the disability office and I told them I was disabled and they gave me a tenth of arena's paper. I filled it out my best possible way and submitted. I was rejected. I had a way to appeal and I had not the mental ability to do so. It's been the nightmare of my life. I believe these Xanax killed my gabba receptor. I went 14 months without a benzodiazepine and never got out of the acute withdrawal phase. That caused a rift and divorce from my wife as I was unemployable. I'm now taking diazepam and take the amount needed to fake gabba and whatever else was damaged or is missing and I'm able to function at this minute to minute and able to talk to you tonight. If I reduce those I will not know the year Faith social security birthday where I am as I lower the dose I will be completely lost and will guess at something like how old are you. As it stands now I'm either 57 or 58 and it's either 2023 or 2024. It is December 29th I have not eaten today. I saw this is an opportunity to gain some more knowledge thanks

Sorry I don't know what could help her. The doctors usually prescribe drugs to see if they work and if they work then they can check a box off and it will help them to find more ways of helping. Medication is the yes or no question. For example do I have anxiety question. Shortness of breath feeling like a heart attack. Take anxiety medicine symptoms go away diagnosis panic attack. Sorry I'm no help

Yes,the meds will be a bread trail leading back to the source. Or sources. With me it was a medication I was prescribed for 33 years, then taking off, 14 months later I didn't even know my name. Resuming the medication brought me back 30%. So mine was easy to figure out