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Dealing with brain fog: What helps you?
Autoimmune Diseases | Last Active: Nov 29, 2023 | Replies (26)Comment receiving replies
@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.
Replies to "@colleenyoung thanks so much for these resources. So far, I find that staying away from processed..."
@jlo70, you already know about the two things I was going to mention, but I'm sending confirmation and semi-confirmation, in case it helps.
In 2012, I was diagnosed (sort of) with Mixed Connective Tissue Disease.
. . . . . "Sort of" = I lacked heath insurance and was seen by an oversubscribed clinic for the uninsured working poor (the Great Recession torpedoed my profession, and I was pushed out of the middle class), so my treatment was sporadic and always with different practitioners.
. . . . . When I was unable to afford the Rx (hydroxychloroquine) that kept my inflammation under check, I changed my diet: plant-heavy, no more than 10g of added sugar daily, and almost no lab chemicals. It made a huge positive difference with regard to observable inflammation and pain (joints), and I don't remember having brain fog at the time (I'm a longtime copy editor, so I know whether my speed and accuracy when processing text are intact or impaired; at that time, they were intact).
I also wonder to what degree perimenopause or menopause, depending on where you are, are contributing to your brain fog.
. . . . . My brain fog was perceptible in my early years of menopause ( = from about age 54 onward) but bc I moved out of that clinic's catchment area, I was unable to get any treatment, such as Rx to balance or adjust my hormones.
. . . . . Brain fog persisted bc of, I believe, intense stress (joblessness; a dying parent) and insomnia, and this past year chemo was added to the mix; unfortunately I have no suggestions to offer re: reducing it, apart from diet (and, if you can, ensuring that you have healthy sleep and reducing your stress level).
. . . . . I tentatively think that omega-3 could help a little (I used the NOW brand for years), as could aerobic (oxygenating) exercise, such as walking -- and I recommend checking out Dr. Andrew Weil's website for tips. (He's a Harvard-trained MD who has become an expert in integrative healthcare.)
I hope you're doing well.
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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.