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?

Who owns your home?

Wood burner? Chimney?
Your symptoms are so much like a friends who moved house & was drowsy indoors. Daughter not affected!

It turned out her chimney needed sweeping when the fire was lit. Fumes were killing her.

You can't live like this OP, start finding a way to move out.

Have you had it checked recently, people have their boilers serviced but often people don't have cookers and gas fires checked especially if they don't have a boiler to remind them

I read that the fire angel alarms don’t go off until carbon monoxide levels are high enough to kill some people. It was a post from a firefighter that I read. I would call the emergency gas hotline and talk to them about it.

It helps/improves feeling, but not much and I still experience this

We get check every year

You need to uncover where the mould was and see if they actually removed it or put a bit of plaster board over it.

Most likely the mould if the cooker is checked regularly and you have been feeling off for a long time and the other two are ok

If it's mould, it won't be quick or easy to remove, and you will need to move out while it's treated.

There are specialist companies that can do this properly. (Not general builders no matter how confidentthey sound.) DIY will just release lots more spores and mycotoxins into the living space and make everything worse.

Oh no that sounds awful!! You don't have to see the mould for it to be affecting you. There'll be millions of spores. Do you notice any odour after dark? That's when there's often a smell even if you can't see it.

Im assuming the elderly people you live with are your parents? Can you not just move out?

Yeah mention to your GP and get tested. Keep detailed records / a diary in case you need to take legal action.

We had problems with invisible ( covered up by plaster board) mould in a house we rented. Affected our child’s breathing and our general health. We were always ill. When we went on holiday and then moved it immediately disappeared.
Also, my mother’s old house was built over water (that was far under her house) and whoever went there got exhausted quickly. I could never work there and always slept more. Apparently it can happen in houses over flowing water.
You might need to move.

I worry I have mould in my old shit house (leaving soon hurrah!) As I also feel like a lesser version of your symptoms, I say when I visit my mum I feel like a new person, her house has such nice air! Honestly it could be mould from what you're describing.

Could definitely be mould! When living in a mouldy home I had low blood oxygen levels when I went to the doctor. I had symptoms like we had carbon monoxide. Others in the house weren’t affected in the same way - sometimes it can have an allergic element and if they just aren’t allergic or don’t react the way you do, it could be that.

Also, at another property, we had sewer gases leaking into our property from an unsealed pipe and that was really bad! Headaches, wooziness etc. but felt absolutely fine if I went out for a walk.

This was one of my first symptoms of a hormone imbalance (early peri menopause). I had so many tests and scans and convinced myself it was something really serious when in fact it was due to extreme estrogen fluctuations. It started in my late 30s and once they realised how low my estrogen was dipping, I was put on HRT. I’m now in my mid 50s and still occasionally get it (symptoms are always worse if I’m dehydrated or it’s very hot). My theory is that going outside involves movement which raises my blood pressure slightly and thus improves the dizzy/extreme fatigue feeling.

Would say you have ADHD - I'm like this, outside of the house I have clarity and can concentrate; in the house, I can't and feel untethered

Move.

This is ringing alarm bells for carbon monoxide poisoning to me OP

Which appliances are gas powered? Water heater? Oven? Are you the person who uses the oven most? Do you sleep near the gas boiler if you have one?

Edited my post because I don't actually think I feel that drugged or drowsy feeling that OP described:

I think I get this too! I'm not sure if it's linked to light or dehydration, hunger or exhaustion because I feel better once I get some fresh air and light that's not artificial.

You're breathing out CO2 all the time. That's carbon dioxide. It's CO i.e. carbon monoxide that is dangerous.

Just a thought - could it be mould spores?
Buy a cheap damp meter/hygrometer, and if the reading is over 55, you need a dehumidifier. In a damp house, the carpets, curtains, soft furnishings and even wallpaper can be full of mould spores, which may be invisible. Some people are very sensitive to these spores and they can really affect your health.
A dehumidifier will kill the mould, though it may take weeks.
Also recommend getting an allergy vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter and cleaning very regularly.