Brain Fog: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms, Treatments

We all know that feeling; We try to talk to others and cannot find the words. We forget the words we want to say, or know the words we want to say but cannot seem to spit them out. We forget activities and memories. We forget what we need to do unless we write it down. It is VERY frustrating to everyone involved.

Source: Imgur



My husband will get very frustrated with me, because unless I religiously write things down, I forget things all of the time. He has a trip he's going on for work next week, actually, and I forgot the conversation we had about it when he told me he was going. Now, I write in my Gastroparesis Journal constantly and I use my Google Calendar to remind myself of appointments, when my husband has work out of town, birthdays, and everything that's important to me. I love Google Calendar because they will send you reminders like text messages, emails, and popups.

I have to make lists of things I need to do that day. My memory used to be amazing, but since I was officially diagnosed with Gastroparesis, my memory is NOT what it used to be. I could remember dates without issue, remember to go to the pharmacy, and that kind of thing. Now, it is like I have no short term memory and my long term memory seems blocked, most of the time. I cannot even tell you all of what I posted on Facebook yesterday, for instance.

I wanted to research into what causes memory loss, which I call "GP Brain," others call it "Brain Fog," and if there is any hope of reversal. I do know that I need to recognize my limitations, now that I have it, and try to adjust accordingly. I ask others to be patient with me and explain my situation a little bit to them. I carry notebooks and my journal in my purse. And, like I said, I use Google Calendar. It is hard to adjust when you had an excellent memory before, but life is about adjustments and it isn't always fair. You need to find what works for you.

Source: http://edoriumjournals.com/blog/brain-fog-get-rid/ They state, "When it comes to the brain, the urgency and importance of the issue increases manifold because life productivity takes a serious hit if the brain isn’t functioning at its optimal best. A muddled sensation though normal at occasional times, chronic forgetfulness or mental slowness is not and therefore, one should not take brain fog lightly at all."





What Is Brain Fog?


According to the Edorium Journal, they describe these issues at the cause for Brain Fog:

"With the progression of age the deterioration of memory is the norm, a part of the natural process of life. However, the slow fading of memory is sometimes aggravated in the prime of life and even young people at times, experience clouded feelings and momentary lapses in thinking. This phenomenon is commonly known as brain fog or brain fatigue. However, this is not a mental disorder or a medical condition in any sense rather it is a term to explain certain symptoms that can affect a person’s ability to think clearly.

Whenever someone experiences forgetfulness, feels utterly confused while tying up thoughts, or has disorganized thinking, or has inability to focus or is hard pressed to put their thoughts into words, they are experiencing brain fog. This fatigue of the brain can be caused or exacerbated by certain conditions or situations. An understanding of the common triggers that cause brain fog is necessary to avoid its occurrences as well as to maintain good health practices. A clear-thinking and healthy brain is the pre-requisite to a healthy living.

Whenever someone experiences forgetfulness, feels utterly confused while tying up thoughts, or has disorganized thinking, or has inability to focus or is hard pressed to put their thoughts into words, they are experiencing brain fog. This fatigue of the brain can be caused or exacerbated by certain conditions or situations. An understanding of the common triggers that cause brain fog is necessary to avoid its occurrences as well as to maintain good health practices. A clear-thinking and healthy brain is the pre-requisite to a healthy living."

Source: Imgur



What Are The Symptoms of Brain Fog?


Additionally, according to Edorium Journal,

"This mental fog or cognitive dysfunction as it is also known shows a number of symptoms.

1. low energy or tiredness, including chronic fatigue syndrome,

2. irritability due to inability in concentration,

3. poor working memory causing hindrance in executive functions,

4. decreased ability in memorizing or remembering things,

5. impaired or delayed information processing ability,

6. dwindling motivation due to mental confusion, etc."

Source: Located at the bottom of image.




These indicators point towards the clouding of consciousness whereby an inflammation of the brain due to certain underlying causes prohibits us from enjoying the benefits of a fully-functional brain. If these causes are ascertained then the affects of brain fog are reversible. The most important and also the most common causes of brain fog can be enumerated as the following:


1. A lot of women find it difficult to remember things or process information swiftly during pregnancy. Carrying and nurturing a baby changes the body in a lot of ways and certain chemicals, hormones, etc released during this period to nourish the baby may bring on problems associated with memory.

2. Poor diet is a major reason affecting the brain and there are certain food elements that are not brain-healthy and we should be aware of these. [See my article on Malnutrition here and what it can do to the body: http://www.emilysstomach.com/2013/06/information-about-malnutrition.html]

3. Eating for a healthy functioning brain is simple and should principally consist in avoiding excess sugar and extra calories. Also, half of your daily food intake should ideally include fruits and vegetables. Nutritional deficiencies such as, Vitamin B12 deficiency lower brain functioning ability. [See my article on Vitamin Deficiencies and what they can do here: http://www.emilysstomach.com/2013/06/the-impact-of-vitamin-deficiencies.html]

4. Neurological and vascular problems such as caused by diseases like, Multiple Sclerosis.

5. Medication induced after-effects and side-effects such as cancer treatment related or anti-cholinergic drugs, etc.

6. Autoimmune, infectious, psychiatric illnesses also debilitate brain performance.

7. Lifestyle factors including sleep disorders, alcohol abuse, depression, etc."

Source: Imgur





How Do You Cope With Brain Fog?

Like I said before, I carry around a GP Journal I write things in, I also have a smaller notepad to write things down, and I use Google Calendar. Everyone is different, so you will have to find a method that works for you. I will try to list as many ideas as I can to help.

Molly's Fund has wonderful ideas below on how to cope with Brain Fog.

Source: http://www.mollysfund.org

Edorium Journal suggests doing these things to cope with Brain Fog,

"Now that the causes are known, actionable steps to combat brain fog can be clearly undertaken. In case of diseases, symptomatic treatments and other alternative steps to naturally prevent the progression of disease can assist in preventing brain fog. Also, an overall strategy for a healthy brain should leverage diet, exercise, food and supplements together. There are a number of things that can be done to improve brain power even socialization helps in sharpening the intellect.

Although at times people experiencing brain fog are too depressed and poorly motivated to initiate changes or take up improvement steps. In such cases, first comes a proper sleep. Proper and plenty of sleep gives the brain time to clean up residual debris of the thinking day, consolidate the memories of the day and create new brain cells to replace the ones lost during the day. Thus, boosting cognitive function and performance, brain hormonal balance and resulting in a rested person. It’s not just a proverb when they say, you should sleep on it.

Lastly, exercise to release endorphins and eliminate the free radicals, and meditate to relieve stress. These gems should help you banish brain fog effectively."

"The Mighty," suggests seventeen phone applications that can help you with Brain Fog here: https://themighty.com/2017/08/apps-brain-fog-organization/.

One of my friends wrote an article in "The Mighty" regarding brain fog, which you can find here: https://themighty.com/2019/05/what-brain-fog-is-like/?fbclid=IwAR1hMd8mDYPscpINaUbDXsAYHO_qlVT_rN_18WdnF56LLILPNHB0Ui6RJfc


Here are some natural treatments regarding Brain Fog,

The source and for more natural treatments on how to help Brain Fog, can be found here: https://draxe.com/brain-fog/.



And finally, if you have an invisible illness, some of these treatments for Brain Fog might be similar to the ones above but I wanted to share it anyway. This is from "Fibromyalgia News Today" and they recommend this: https://fibromyalgianewstoday.com/2017/05/25/9-ways-manage-brain-fog/.

Source: Imgur





In Conclusion:


I know that with an invisible illness, like Gastroparesis, it's really hard for us to eat as some of these helpful hints suggest. I would recommend talking with your doctor about Brain Fog, because we are all different. What works for someone else may not work for me. I have to come up with a mixture of suggestions that might work for me, personally. I usually write out questions for the doctor before I go, so I don't forget anything. I make notes as he talks to me as well. Also, I put a magnetic shopping list on the fridge so that my household can write stuff down as we use it, instead of making a list from scratch when we need to go to the store. That helps me so much and takes the pressure off of any of us if we did it as a mass list, because we would all forget things.

I hope this article will help you understand Brain Fog a bit better. It's frustrating to go through and hard to deal with, but it is something that can be dealt with. If you battle Brain Fog, just know that you are NOT alone. Just stay strong and keep your chin up. I will try to update this article as I learn more, so that you can keep updated on new treatments, symptoms, or any changes.

To the Loved Ones of a Person Living With Chronic Pain

This is from an article I found online that I wanted to save. It's from http://themighty.com/2016/01/to-the-loved-ones-of-a-person-living-with-chronic-pain/. I wanted to put it in my blog so that I could come back later and refer to it and find it if I needed to. I like having things in one place so it's easier for me to find it. This is a great article and I wanted to save it in order to share it with others. The writer put down exactly how I felt and this article really spoke to me. I hope it will speak to you, too.


And it reads,

"I’m not sure if chronic pain is isolating in and of itself, but it’s often the lack of understanding that (at least for me) makes me feel alone sometimes. Sometimes the lack of empathy is more unbearable than the pain itself, like you’re living in a state that is so entirely foreign and inconceivable to most people — and that is what makes it alienating.

Good portions of my day are usually spent being guilt-tripped by friends that I haven’t seen them, haven’t FaceTimed them, never call, never text, etc. Before I always felt the need to apologize and explain myself, but most of the time now, I am so sick of constantly having to explain myself. People don’t realize the fear — the fear of being judged, the fear of not being understood, the fear of feeling vulnerable. That fear strengthened my relationships with close friends and loosened my ties with acquaintances.

In my worst pain, all I wanted was to be distracted. I wasn’t capable mentally and physically of contributing to conversations, and constantly explaining to friends and family what my pain is like, the current updates on my health and hearing the (mostly) senseless feedback was unbearable. (Keep in mind, for most of my grueling experience with pain, I had gained weight I am slowly losing, and compared to what I used to look like, I generally feel like I let myself go. My hair and make up is never done. I dress for comfort now mostly.) Sometimes I avoided people entirely because as nice as it is sometimes to be asked how you’re doing, it can also be a pain if you’re being asked 15 times in a row. I already do this with doctors almost every day.

Some people have taken it personally that I haven’t tried to “rekindle” relationships with them. The best response I have to this is that it is nothing personal. I am generally so overwhelmed by all the things I have to do and am so exhausted that old friends unfortunately get passed to the wayside so I can maintain the friendships for the friends who aren’t just “checking in” but calling me every day. To me, the people who loved me at my darkest are the ones I prioritize.

Here are several things I believe need to be known:

In general, I would rather hear about you. Your day, your funny experiences, etc. than talking about my health problems. I generally feel uncomfortable having to explain myself, and for some people, it’s just too damn sad, so at the risk of making it uncomfortable, let’s keep it about you. Or just send me funny things. I always appreciate it. No one understands how boring this gets sometimes. I generally try to “shield” people from how bad my pain really is.

If I cancel plans last minute, it’s never because I don’t feel like coming. I am in my house, doctor’s offices or volunteering for a good percent of my day, so if I can handle it, I always want to go out. Some people are good about this and some obviously aren’t. I’ve just decided I can’t feel bad about making decisions that may affect other people. I’m responsible for myself and need to take accountability for my actions. No one understands my body like I do, so I have to make judgment calls…whether it upsets other people or not.

I try to explain to people that my days sometimes feel like a sh*tty, charged iPhone. I have limits. There is only so much I can do every before my battery dies and everything takes some battery life. Especially those moments when you think you have 10 percent left and all of sudden you’re at 2 percent. Sometimes this becomes an anxious social situation. Situations where I am out with friends and I haven’t driven — I have no control. If I need to go home but can’t, I panic. I avoid these situations as much as possible.

Having a “good day” doesn’t mean I’m better; it just means I’m having a good day. And even if I’m smiling and looking like I’m having a great time, there’s a good chance I’m screaming internally. If I need to leave right at the end of a dinner or cut things off early, again, it has nothing to do with you.

When I say that I can’t be cured or that I’ll never be healthy, I’m not trying to be negative. My life is not CrossFit. I have boundaries and limitations. This is my reality and I’ve come to terms with it. I’ve accepted it. I hope others do, too.

Don’t be offended if I forget things you’ve told me. When my pain is bad, my memory can be extremely foggy and my short-term recall is really bad. Most people refer to it as “fibro fog,” and it’s a real thing. Google it.

I don’t want to be known as “the girl with pain.” I want to be normal and treated like everyone else. I still want to be invited to things. I hate to play the pain card and truly feel happiest when I’m in a “normal” setting.

Just because you see me posting online doesn’t mean I’m feeling better. Sometimes I am in a ton of pain but my choices boil down to sitting and crying or distracting myself.

I always try to be in a good, positive mood, but sometimes when you’re running on no sleep with lots of pain, it compromises your mood. Sometimes I just don’t want to do anything with anyone. Or talk to anyone. I need my alone time.

Small, thoughtful gestures mean the world to me. Actions always speak louder than words.

Dealing with chronic pain drains me every day. People who have known me forever have known me as an extrovert, but that is changing.

Even if I’m having a bad day or a lot of pain, your problems are still valid to me. Never think that because my problems seem more serious that I don’t want to listen to yours. I never purposefully try and make it a competition.

I still struggle with figuring out what I need from my friends and family sometimes. I hope people understand that I never intentionally try to discuss my health for pity, sympathy or attention. I wish people could understand that dealing with this is just a big part of my life, whether I want it to be or not. I try really hard to help people that are dealing with the same problems. I don’t want to be pitied, babied, fawned over or put on a pedestal. And certainly not be to looked down upon or judged.

It’s when people are uncomfortable with me that I become uncomfortable with myself. But I am comfortable with myself, and I own who I am.

Follow this journey on Slightly Distressed Damsel.

The Mighty is asking the following: Write a letter to anyone you wish had a better understanding of your experience with disability, disease or mental illness. If you’d like to participate, please send a blog post to community@themighty.com. Please include a photo for the piece, a photo of yourself and 1-2 sentence bio. Check out our Submit a Story page for more about our submission guidelines.

Lead photo source: Thinkstock Images"

Visit with Dr. Levitt - More Surgery?

I went to visit my OB/GYN for my usual checkup and my 2.8cm cyst that the GI doctor found while doing a CT scan. I had an ultrasound done, which was extremely painful and my regular exam was extremely painful, and then found that I have another cyst, that is 2.0cm. The previous one had ruptured and now I have another.

I could have cried.

It's hard to tell when the previous one ruptured because of my stomach pain. It's hard to tell the different pains a part, if that makes sense. But now, I get to look forward to another cyst rupturing. He wants me to take Depot Lupron. This is an injection given once every three months for up to six months - so I would have two injections. If this does not work, then he is going to go in laproscopically, through my belly button, and clean out everything - all of the scar tissue and endometrosis. So, I might have more surgery. I'm trying the injection first. I really don't want any more surgeries.

I'm trying to take care of EVERYTHING that causes me pain so that I can tell what's *just* coming from my stomach.

I'm just really frustrated. I mean, all of this is impacting my life. I want a normal life. I want to just go to class in the fall without any problems. But now, I may have THREE possible surgeries in the fall. How do I deal with that and class? What do I do? Do I just register for Maymester classes? Even if I take an online class, I may miss some of it because I will be on medicine. The nerve medication I'm on now makes me slur my words and makes me sound like the town drunk. I didn't take it today so that I could talk to my doctor without him thinking that I had been drinking.

My drug list is getting longer. I had to buy a bigger pill caddy. I know all of this sounds like whining but I'm just so tired of it all. I'm tired of all of the medication, tired of being under the influence of medication all of the time, tired of not leaving my house, tired of being dehydrated, tired of vomiting, tired of having more problems that may need surgery - I mean, it's a lot to deal with. Sometimes, it seems like no one understands. It just hurts even more. I know my friends are tired of hearing about it and that's why some of them don't come over anymore. That's like a knife in my heart.

It just seems to be one thing after another. I'm not in control and I don't know what to do. Please cross your fingers that this injection works. If not, it'll be another surgery for me. It's not a bad surgery - they go through my belly button - but it's still surgery. And I think I've had enough of those.