Dealing with brain fog: What helps you?

@petuniamom567 i found this info that says ME and CFS are really the same thing, just different names. It was interesting
. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20360490

Have you found a ME/CFS center near you?

No ME/CFS near me. Wish I could find one in Augusta, GA or North Augusta, SC or near by. Local med school does not have one. No doctor is
specialist. Have needed help for 40 years. Appreciate any information. Thank you.

According to the English, ME/CFS is the same thing. The ME means the brain lining is inflamed that results in the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Supposedly done sophisticated MRI's on this. No marker found in blood yet. This is part of what hunt is for. No one really sure. It's also obvious that if
you're sick, you may feel like you have CFS. This relates to long Covid. But since not much has been learned about ME/CFS is 40 years or so, we're sort of at square one. Maybe Covid virus will be the great unlocker. Who knows.

@petuniamom567 and others interested in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, I thought you might appreciate a list of related discussions:
- Autoimmune Fatigue and/or Chronic Fatigue: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/autoimmune-fatigue-and-or-chronic-fatigue/
- Help with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/help-with-chronic-fatigue-syndrome/
- Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) treatments https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myalgic-encephalomyelitis-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-me-cfs-treatments/

You're right that brain fog is attributed to multiple conditions including autoimmune diseases, cancer-related brain fog, CFS, and now COVID. I have updated the title of this discussion group to include all types of brain fog and added the discussion to relevant groups so that everyone experiencing brain fog can be brought together in one place.

What helps you when you're struck with brain fog?

@colleenyoung thanks so much for these resources. So far, I find that staying away from processed foods, eating as many whole, healthy foods as possible, staying away from sugar, and taking sulfasalazine has helped, although it’s tough to eat fully “clean” with others in the home who don’t want to eat that way all the time, so I could probably be doing better if I could tackle that challenge.

I use a medication called “Modafinil”. It affects the mind, causing feelings of alertness, enhanced thinking, and perception. Sometimes I can reduce the dosage to a half or even a quarter tab & get adequate results for fatigue &/or mental alertness. It’s available generically as a 100 mg tablet. Its original use was to treat daytime sleepiness, or narcolepsy.

@rxharleydude
Thanks for the information! It’s good to hear that it helps you. Something to keep in mind.

I understand your dilemma! I have a really thin husband who struggles to maintain a healthy weight, while I on the other hand struggle to lose weight. So I have to cook high calorie meals and try hard not to eat much. It is a challenge for sure.

I empathize with the fear of brain fog and trying to maintain a demanding job, taking care of home and family and self. For me, I am a single parent of a teen, 54, and my brain fog got really bad when I was undiagnosed with iron deficiency, sleep apnea, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, small fiber neuropathy, cervical spondylitic myelopathy, breast implant illness, etc. Once I was diagnosed for everything and treated (took over 6 years to get diagnosis), my brain fog has improved. I am sleeping better (use cpap), no longer iron deficient (had d and c and IUD put in to reduce severe menstrual cycles), take thyroid medication (recently increased which is helping with symptoms of weakness and fatigue), had cervical spine surgery which has decompressed my spinal cord (able to control arms and legs and bladder better and much fewer daily headaches), had implants removed which has relieved some brain fog and concentration issues (due to toxins), etc. You really need to get answers to the causes of your symptoms and not give up until you find doctors who listen and help to diagnose the cause. I am perimenopause and have dealt with chronic pain and mood swings/depression and recently put on Prozac which has also helped to regulate emotions (there were times I just did not want to live anymore and exhausted from all of the disappointments and time/money wasted trying to get diagnosed. Quality of life really takes a beating and you need to take care of yourself to be able to manage life and make good decisions. Best of luck to you on your heath care journey!

What helps me the most is sinus spray w Cromolyn in it…..Godsend!