Brainfog Be Gone!

July 1, 2009 3:08 PM

Brainfog filter. Help me clear out the cobwebs.

I am a 54 year old female, and generally in my life have felt sharp and incisive. Intermittently lately I really feel dull and muddled. It seems to come and go--coffee can help, certainly, exercise, getting enough rest, and eating well don't hurt--but at times, nothing I do seems to have much impact. I have noticed a correlation with my allergies, but there seems to be some underlying fogginess that allergy medicines don't alleviate. I hate this feeling, and am willing to try supplements that might help (although fish oil, which has been recommended to me before, definitely does NOT help). Help me MeFi folks--have any of you successfully combatted brain fog?

posted by chaoscutie to health & fitness (18 comments total)

Do you notice any connection between the fog and stress and/or depression?
posted by necessitas at 3:12 PM on July 1

hypothyroidism can cause brain fog. have you had your thyroid tested recently?
posted by snugglebunny at 3:15 PM on July 1

Could you possibly have sleep apnea? It could be brought on by obstructed breathing due to your allergies. If you sleep alone, you might not be aware that you have it. If you have a bed partner, ask them if you snore loudly or struggle to breathe when you sleep.

Menopausal and post-menopausal women are far more likely to develop sleep apnea, especially with an underlying thyroid condition. Ask your doctor for a sleep test (as well as a thyroid test).

Synthroid has helped me with a whole slew of symptoms including brain-fog that were ultimately due to Hashimoto's thyroiditis and hypothyroidism.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 3:18 PM on July 1

to elaborate (and thank you for suggesting information I should have included in my initial post), I am hypothyroid and have been since I was 25. I am on meds, and am currently in good range--i don't think it is that--I know how low thyroid fogginess feels. I am neither stressed or depressed--. For example, this week, I have my mind back--I feel attentive and sharp (I am a psychologist and see 7-9 patients a day, and so have constant feedback about my mental performance)--previous two weeks, it was an enormous struggle. sigh.
posted by chaoscutie at 3:21 PM on July 1

This is the main symptom I have with my migraines, sometimes the brain fog is even worse than the headache. Do you have a history of migraines? What helps me is basically Tylenol + dark room nap for 3-4 hours. I feel better very quickly. If I don't do that I can be foggy for a full day or two.

Just an idea.
posted by ohio at 3:29 PM on July 1

My wife's lady friend described the same feelings as you and changed to a gluten free diet. She said it has helped with the "brain fog" immensely.

You never know these days.
posted by Gravitus at 3:34 PM on July 1

I have noticed this lately; I hate it. I also got diagnosed with allergies for the first time. Just because your allergy medicines don't get rid of it completely, doesn't mean it isn't caused by allergies.
posted by drjimmy11 at 3:46 PM on July 1

Have you been tested for gluten intolerance?
posted by melissam at 4:00 PM on July 1

Allergies can contribute to that. There used to be a commercial on TV that referred to it as allergy head, or something like that. It was cartoonish, and the person's head became a balloon and whatever allergy med it was advertising reeled her head back down from the clouds. You might want to try something non-drowsy, like alevert or something, and see if that helps.

This also happens to me when I don't have enough mental variety in my life. If I'm doing a lot of routine tasks, not working on any interesting projects, yet working more than I usually do. Meanwhile, there's nothing particularly interesting going in other aspects to fire up my brain. It's not depression, just mental boredom. It gets frustrating, I'll forget words and just generally feel dull. The only thing that helps me is to find some sort of mini, short-term intellectual pursuit, helps me snap out of it eventually.
posted by necessitas at 4:06 PM on July 1

hormone shift due to menopause?
posted by thinkingwoman at 4:09 PM on July 1

Thanks for all the input! Menopause was when I was 35-- and definitely there was a shift at that point, but not quite like this. I will consider the gf thing--interesting--and allergies, yes--I think that is a component--there are days I feel unbelievably exhausted, and got a good night's sleep. Sleep apnea--no--I don't think so--I also like the idea of increasing intellectual challenges! You guys are full of good ideas!
posted by chaoscutie at 4:32 PM on July 1

What is your diet like? I have found that the two causes of brain fog for me are (1) high calorie or high carb foods, (2) alcohol, and (3) not enough water. I even suspect that heavy coffee use can cause a burnout effect, too. I've never fasted but I think there's something to be said for it.
posted by crapmatic at 4:33 PM on July 1

Oops, make that three causes!
posted by crapmatic at 4:33 PM on July 1

Discovering through a blood test that I was anemic and then taking lots of iron has done wonders to get rid of my brain cloud.
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:41 PM on July 1

If you end up not finding the cause easily through something like celiac screening, the Failsafe diet is an elimination diet. I've known people with brainfog who have ID's things like histimines in foods as the culprit.
posted by melissam at 5:34 PM on July 1

I get this feeling whenever I travel. I usually end up taking this stuff when I get back for a week or so and then I'm right as rain.

Also, one thing my grandmother has done for decades (and I know you're not nearly her age, but she's really a case-in-point example) is crossword puzzles and stimulating her brain with things she finds fascinating - history, politics, etc. I've read some research that suggests stimulating your brain helps keep it alert. And then there's this article, that goes into a litany of ways to keep you sharp.
posted by anniek at 7:07 PM on July 1

I know several women of about your age whose first round of brain fog was thyroid-related, and second round was dietary. In one case, it was gluten sensitivity. Going off of gluten for a week or so is a nuisance, but doable. Give it a try.
posted by dws at 9:15 PM on July 1

Alpha lipoic acid works for me, the one who's allergic to almost everything. I had my usual severe mistrust of anything touted as a cure-all, but the darned stuff works to clear brain fog and that where did my mind go feeling.
posted by x46 at 3:32 AM on July 2