Very scared, what’s wrong with me? Feeling confused and drowsy indoors but fine as soon as I go outside

[Noelle101]

Almost every day for a year now I get this horrible feeling, that I’m having trouble explaining. But I’ll try.

its like very reduced awareness and alertness. Like mental confusion, lethargic, disoriented, Drowsy. Like I am not really taking in what’s around me. I could be looking at screen and not really taking in what I’m seeing. Just like I been drugged I guess? Like I’m just sitting there staring into space not really taking in what’s around me. Very weak too.

i had extremely low blood pressure a couple times in my life and it’s kind of like this.

this feeling lasts hours and hours. I literally can not get anything done especially recently.

gp is saying it’s mental/anxiety

But the weird thing is I noticed this goes away as soon as I step outside. Like the second I step outside.

it’s also better if I spend all day not in the house and worse if I spend more time indoors

I also haven’t experienced this anywhere else outside my home.

But other 2 people living with me don’t experience this.

anyone know what this can be?

Have you checked the carbon monoxide levels in your home?

Get your boiler checked right fucking now.

CO2 poisoning is my worry.

Do you have a carbon monoxide alarm? Sounds very much like that! Or mould growing somewhere in your home that you're allergic to

What they said.

Yes, my first thought too.

We have fire angel carbon monoxide alarm, it never beeped

Test it now

No boiler in our home.

we have a communal boiler in building I have no access to

It works

I have read that some carbon monoxide alarms don’t sound until the levels are quite high! I’m not sure what the answer to this is but maybe see if you can get a more sensitive device or contact the fire service for advice - I would be doing this asap!

Open every window in your home or better still leave

Get an heating engineer out first thing Monday

Are your walls ok? Ever feel damp? Any odd smells? Mould would be my other concern

Test the carbon monoxide alarm and test it again/ get another to verify. Get your boiler checked.

But also what a pp said about a mould is possible - my sister has had a year of feeling ill, lethargic, just not right. Had blood tests and other checks and eventually discovered a leak within the walls and mould growing - basically a waste pipe wasn’t capped off properly.

others in the house weren’t as affected but she spends more time in the room it was closest to, and in the house in general.

It sounds as though it is something in your environment. If not CO2 could be mould, plug in freshners, candles etc. Hope you get to the bottom of it soon.

I would also be worried about carbon monoxide and would want to get a proper test from an engineer. Have you tried leaving the windows open and airing out the house? I can feel lethargic if I haven’t opened my windows for a few days but not to the extent you describe. What makes your GP think it’s anxiety?

I wanted to add,

we had flooding in our home many times.

I don’t see any mold but

I remember 8 years ago my room was being fixed after the flooding damage and I saw the walls were all very black. Just completely every inch covered in mold.

they said they’ll take care of it and not to worry, but I’m not worried they just covered it it plasterboard

I have windows opened 24/7.

feel so much worse with closed windows

Carbon monoxide

Mould,

Perfume allergy, reaction to air fresheners, laundry products, cleaning products.

Check it all out, starting with the boiler.
I know someone whose dog died of CO2 poisoning. The vet had identified thatshehadsymptoms of being poisoned but it wasn't until the humans started experiencing similar symptoms that they realised what was actually the problem and it was too late for the dog then. They lived in a rented house.

It's obviously something in your environment, and carbon monoxide makes the most sense because of how quickly it improves when you leave.

Other possibilities include mould, as pp said, although it's not only an allergy issue. It can colonise you (but you wouldn't feel radically different when you leave) or you could be affected by the mycotoxins it produces. It can be a whole thing locating it though if it's behind the walls.

What is your house like? Have you lived there long? If it's a new build and you've recently moved in, it could be the VOCs

I think there a gas emergency line you can ring if you think there might a carbon monoxide leak or gas leak and they can advise and come out and check. Is this only when you are in your house, what about being indoors elsewhere?

Only when I’m in my house.

hasnt happened anywhere else

But other 2 people living with me don’t experience this

Has everyone missed this?

Have you got any other gas appliances, I see you haven't a boiler. Had any new carpets fitted or new furniture as they have chemicals you could be allergic to

Do you ever spend time in other houses? Could you test this effect by staying elsewhere for a while? If it's unique to your house then as Bive sounds like an environmental thing specific to that property.

If the problem is being inside itself, then could it be a lack of light or a kind of extreme seasonal affected disorder so essentially depression or a mild claustrophobia causing anxiety.

It sounds like it’s absolutely linked to the former mould issue mentioned by OP & would explain why it doesn’t impact her housemates.

I did, it doesn’t happen anywhere else