Dealing with brain fog: What helps you?

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

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.

@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.

@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?

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.

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.

@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?

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.

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?

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?