Dealing with brain fog: What helps you?

Good morning @jlo70 Brain fog can be so difficult to deal with and it should slowly clear up. That’s not soon enough, i know. I had brain fog for about a year after i was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. Not fun. I included a discussion about brain fog. It says cancer-related, but the symptoms, frustrations, and coping mechanisms are all the same.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/cancer-related-brain-fog/
I’ll see if there are some members who could join the conversation. @gingerw and @lisman1408
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-brain-body-connection/202201/understanding-chronic-brain-fog
Some of your medications might also be contributing to your brain fog. Have you talked with your doctor about this>

Hi Becky, thanks so much for the reply, and I’ll check out the link you provided. I haven’t yet talked to my doctor about the brain fog, but I do plan to. I suppose the medication could contribute, but I’ve been experiencing it for a year or so, and I’ve only been on a medication since early this past December. I really feel this is attributable to the auto immune disease itself. I do appreciate you seeing if any other members might have some input on this topic.

I have been on zoloft (anti depressant) for the years since MCTD diagnosis in 1996. Really helps me focus. Also, go to a non processed diet, avoid sugar and make sure you stay hydrated. I also take sublingual B-12 daily. You might also inquire about D3. https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/ss/slideshow-brain-foods-that-help-you-concentrate

Thank you for your response, @marye2. I plan to talk to my OBGYN, as well as my PCP, regarding potential vitamin deficiencies, but also the potential for menopausal affects, in combination with inflammation, to be the cause of the brain fog. I’ve been wondering if lower levels of estrogen might be a contributing factor. The issues and solution may be multi-fold, in the end.

@jlo70 - I started out with chemo brain 30 years ago. Eventually, I leveled out and could feel confident managing my high pressure job.
Once I developed an autoimmune illness, brain fog really set in - waxing and waning with disease activity.
I’m retired now and I don’t have to feel focused all the time- except when playing tennis! I find it necessary to take a caffeine pill or a cup of strong coffee before getting on the court.
I also do a lot of crossword puzzles.
I have a feeling that CNS stimulants such as Ritalin or Adderall would help too- maybe if I was still working I would have looked into trying it.

@astaingegerdm thank you for responding, and I’m so sorry you’ve had to deal with so much incredibly challenge illness in your life. I do find that coffee helps clear my head, but I also know that it’s dehydrating and I think I read that it can cause inflammation to worsen. Not sure about the truth of that, so I need to look for more info. I’ve not heard of Ritalin being prescribed for issues like brain fog, but it’s an interesting notion. I’ll be interested to see if that comes up in discussions with my doctors.

Thanks again, and take care of yourself!

@jlo70 - I just want to correct myself- the idea of using a CNS stimulant is my own thinking! I compare to other illnesses where excessive sleepiness is a problem- such as narcolepsy- and these medications have been used.

Interesting to listen to all Brain Fog comments.I've had Brain Fog for 40 years. I have ME/CFS. No one seems to do anything about it including neurologists. Since ME/CFS , according to the English medical community is some sort of encephalitis, it seems amazing to me that no one has investigated brain fog and this disease. In America, no one really does anything. Now, they're trying to tie Brain Fog to Long Covid. What does Long Covid
do to the brain. Has anyone examined that? All I can say is that there are many people whose lives are being ruined by the inability to think clearly. I have Brain Fog off and on but it stopped me from having a career. It's done that to many people. It's not considered a "sexy" disease because tons of research money are not devoted to it. With the addition of ME/CFS and Covid, there should be enough people to encourage doctors to examine .I'm waiting even though I'm old and I'm hoping for the best for everyone. Also, could we start a Brain Fog discussion group in order to compare symptoms?

Hello @petuniamom567 I can certainly understand your total frustration with brain fog, especially after 40 years! I only had it for about a year after my diagnosis of an autoimmune disease that impacted my brain. I see lots of articles discussing brain fog, but no one researching it. AARDA , the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Assoc., says that researchers get very little funding, which greatly impacts all of us. I do have this article from Psychology Today magazine which talks about brain fog.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-brain-body-connection/202201/understanding-chronic-brain-fog
How do you compensate for brain fog in your daily life? Any tips for others?

Thanks so much for article recommendation. Interesting. Not that helpful. By this time, now used most of those aids. You are absolutely correct about the funding. Don't think researchers would like it, if they had brain fog. They don't seem to be very aggressive or creative. There has to be link between brain function and brain fog and possibly autoimmune disease. Don't understand why physicians aren't paying attention. Also, there isn't much PR about ME/CFS and its side effects. Just fibromyalgia because drugs which cost patient money and can pay insurance. Still think it would be great to to have ME/CFS
brain fog group. Patients might be brighter than most physicians think not just pests. In passing, I haven't really compensated.
I'm a writer and my career was ruined. Developed ME/CFS while getting MFA and could never really hold job after that. Wish
I could be more positive. If you write, try to keep writing. Also, read as much as possible and have as much social contact as
possible. No meds really worked regardless of what articles said. Some large hospitals have ME/CFS centers and they might
offer help. Again, many thanks for article.