Brain Fog

[tavius]

Hi first off apologies for what is going to be quite a long post...

I've been living for the last two years in a state of mental fatigue. I find it somewhat hard to concentrate, if someone speaks it doesn't register as well as it should and I usually find I have to ask them to repeat what they said. I could have suddenly developed a hearing problem when it comes to speech but that seems unlikely. I also find my thoughts are chaotic, disordered and unclear. I get mentally tired easily, I can't recall certain words and often forget things which should be easily remembered. It's like I walk around and live in a semi-confused state and also, since there doesn't seem to be a more succinct way of describing it, seem less intelligent. My brain seems alot less active and almost quiet now whereas previously it would constantly be thinking of different things, new possibilities...etc semi-consciously.

What makes all this harder to accept is that I was, if I may say without conceit, considered quite an articulate and perceptive person before who was able to pick up on most nuances which now elude me or occupy too much of my mental resources in considering.

I'm 20 years old and in university. I think all this started when I got really stressed two years ago and didn't really take enough care of myself. I also spent -alot- of time indoors, in my room and since I do computer science and trade shares, alot of that time was spent sitting in front of my computer. There were many times when I felt the air was getting too stuffy but didn't do anything about it unfortunately. Could I have caused serious damage to my brain by perhaps exposing myself to long durations with sub-optimum oxygen intake (though it never reaches the stage where I turn blue etc) or maybe by not giving my brain a diverse enough range of stimuli? I also noticed I took St John's Wort (Hypericum) around the time all this started but I'm not sure if that's just a coincidence.

It's worrying me because I'm due to graduate soon and it's really impacting on everything in my life whether it's the simplest of social situations, the amount of time I spend working on projects, my personal creativity and depth of thought etc... I'm not abit shaken and concerned that I may not be able to function at a decent level in society.

I was wondering if you've heard of cases like this before and whether the effects are usually permanent. I've been resting alot, taking plenty of vitamins (B & C, fish oil...etc), water and sometimes it does seem like the fatigue lessens somewhat but it's usually still there when I wake up the next morning.

Cheers

[clinicalguru3]

Thanks for the question:-

Has the possibility of ADHD been mentioned at any stage?
Do you have any of the following features? If so which?

1) Inattention

* often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in homework, work, or other activities
* often has difficulties sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
* often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
* often does not follow through instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (not due to oppositional behavior or failure to understand instructions)
* often has difficulties organizing tasks and activities
* often avoids, dislikes or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental efforts
* often loses things necessary for tasks or activities (e.g. toys, school assignments, pencils, books)
* is often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli
* is often forgetful in daily activities

2) Hyperactivity/Impulsivity

Hyperactivity

* often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat
* often leaves seat in classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected
* often runs about or climbs excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate (in adolescents or adults, may be limited to subjective feelings of restlessness)
* often has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly
* is often "on the go" or often acts as if "driven by a motor"
* often talks excessively

Impulsivity

* often blurts out answers before questions have been completed
* often has difficulty awaiting turn
* often interrupt or intrudes on others (e.g. butts into conversations or games)

Looking forward to hearing from you

[tavius]

Thanks for the reply

The only one of those symptoms I have is probably inattentiveness. My brain is if anything "underactive" if that makes any sense.

[clinicalguru3]

It would be useful to also ask your friends and family if they think you have any of these features (especially your parents regarding whether you were inattentive / distracted at a young age and if so from what age).

How is your mood now compared to a few years ago?

Do you drink a lot of coffee ,smoke, take any drugs, drink alcohol etc or have you in the past?

[kim_90]

Hi,

I am currently experiencing some of the same issues. I am also 20 and studying, and I have noticed problems in my concentration over the past year. I can be listening to someone talk, right in front of my face, and it doesn't sink in. I often have to ask them to repeat what they are saying. I also have been having problems with visual tasks. I have to force myself to concentrate on screens on the computer/lectures or when reading a book or driving. I have never had any concentration problems in the past and I do not display any symptoms of ADHD.

I am getting quite concerned about this issue as it does not seem to be improving and it is a day to day occurance. Could I be suffering from stress or a neurological disorder?

I take 40mg of Roaccutane daily, as prescribed by my dermatologist - not sure whether this may be a cause.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[zabalon]

Hello all,

I am soon to be 20, and i do indeed experience the same "brain fog" from time to time. (i wonder if it might be
something that happens around this age). it is irritating especially as i do illustration and it gets in way of concentrating on drawing.
i know its not procrastination because i want to do it, my mind just won't focus.

Anyway, there are a few things i do, that bring me back to myself for a while.
I have no scientific backing for these ideas but, i'm sure it won't hurt to try.

Sensory Deprivation Meditation for about 15-20 minutes

Basically, Try and Block off all your senses. So you are alone with your thoughts.
Maybe, wrap yourself in bed covers. stick you pillow round your ears, close you eyes
and stare into "brain grey" as they call it, the darkness you see when you close your eyes.
Focus on this brain grey and imagine the fog in your minds starting to clear, might even feel at the back of
your head, moving towards your forehead.

Bring back the memories of before you had the brain fog.

Listen to music that reminds of your childhood or when you had a more active mind.
try and bring back the feeling of it. not the images or scenes or what you thought.
but how you felt. i know it sounds a bit woolly but if you can the remember what it is like
for even a second, i'm sure it will reassure your mind that you can feel it again.

Get away from the monotomy

Are you in a routine week after week? Going the same route to work or uni.
eating the same meals or doing the same recreational activities.
Easiest thing i think to do is go for walk to somewhere you've never been.
go in a random direction. you mind might jolt back into action because of all
the new information it has adapt to. in fact go one further and try and get lost.
the adrenaline of not knowing where you are would surely get your mind thinking
clearly again.

Anyway those are just some proposed solutions.
It would be best to find the causes. I think with mental functions, diet
and exercise is more important then you might know.
Things to think about.

Alchohol intake
Caffein intake
Fast food meals? or home cooked?
Fish intake?
Getting lots of UV-B from the sun?

[blackjax22]

I'm 25 years old and have been experiencing precisely what the OP has described for many years (I cannot remember how long). In addition, I have very poor memory (long term and short term -- there are whole years of my life that I can't remember what I was doing), digestive problems (IBS, as diagnosed by my PCP -- requires a triple dose of metamucil [fiber supplement] and yogurt every day to keep manageable), periods of insomnia, debilitating inattentiveness* and apathy. I have been treated for depression and ADD off and on for 12 years, taking wellbutrin, celexa, ritalin (and similar forms), and now prozac -- all with very limited or no success). I have been tested for a myriad of digestive illnesses, including celiac disease, all of which turned out negative. I have been given a brain MRI to look for tumors or other abnormalities -- also negative. I've tried taking a ton of supplements, from one-a-days to fish oil to sublingual B12, all with no change. I've gone months without caffeine or alcohol, all with no change (I currently average one cup of black tea in caffeine and one bottle of beer in alcohol per day). I've seen a sleep specialist for my insomnia -- negative for sleep disorders. I've undergone cognitive behavioral therapy by their clinical psychologist for my insomnia with limited success. I've taken every blood test available for thyroid problems, all providing normal results. I've tried mediation to reduce stress and quiet my mind, but my results were always failures coupled with restlessness.

*It's worth noting that this has sexual consequences. I find my mind wandering during sex as if I have absolutely zero mental control. Often this results in my inability to orgasm because I'm distracted by random thoughts or a soreness in my flexing muscles. More often than not I find that I cannot orgasm at all without finding some way to maintain control (like I'm having to force myself to do it). My interest in sex has also gone down as a result, which is hard to imagine considering the teenager I was. Note: I do find my girlfriend very attractive and have no problem getting aroused -- it's the follow through that blocks me up.

I also have keratosis pilaris rubra faceii, and very oily skin. My back gets an average of two very nasty infected white heads every week, with many more smaller ones (thankfully my girlfriend helps me to drain the pus so that it's less painful for me to lean against my back). They also pop up on my face and around my ears to a lesser extent, though I do get a ton of blackheads. I've seen a dermatologist for this, trying many different remedies all with virtually no change.

Untreated, my digestive symptoms are bloating, excruciating diarrhea (I considered it torture as a teenager), constipation, gas, and severe abdominal pain/cramps. Taking fiber supplements everyday to keep my system moving helps clears up everything but the bloating and gas. I added the yogurt to try and keep my intestines loaded with good bacteria. Regardless, I notice light colored chunks in my stool more often than not. It is unclear whether this is because the fiber moves it through my system too quickly or not, but reducing my fiber intake causes my nastier symptoms to resurface. I tried to go gluten-free for two months about a year and a half ago, with no discernible result, but my girlfriend and I plan on trying again in the new year.

In addition (I'm really throwing the kitchen sink at this now) I have been a nose picker for as long as I can remember. While this may have started out as a harmless habit (I really can't remember why I used to do it), now I find that I NEED to do it multiple times a day or I can't breathe through my nose. Blowing my nose does something, but never enough, and I go through plenty of tissues trying anyway. I've tried kicking the habit more than once, but have since resigned myself to the knowledge that breathing through my nose is too important to give up this 'maintenance'. I also find that my nose runs very easily in cold weather. I'm aware that this is normal, but mine seems to be on overdrive. If I leave home without tissues in my pocket on a cool spring day then I will regret it within five minutes. Furthermore, often when I shovel snow in the winter I stick tissues up my nose to keep it from dripping all over my face (otherwise, I soak several tissues and always need to go back inside for more).

The more research I do on my symptoms, the more people I find who have very similar experiences but have found no real solutions. I seem to have exhausted the expertise of my PCP and psychiatrist, and really I'm taking help wherever I can find it. I need relief. Please help if you can.

[boroje]

Response to blackjack22. I too feel stupid and not able to concentrate. It started two year ago after I had a worst possible panic attack at work. I also have buzzing in my ear (or head on right side). I can't even pass an exam because my thinking is messed up. Also, my memory is very bad. Nothing improves my condition. I can't sleep (this contributes a lot), but that buzzing is killing me (all the time I know something is wrong). I can't seem to work on the computer any more. During ejaculation, I don't feel much joy, and yes I feel I became stupid, slow. But, if I force myself to concentrate (let say if I start thinking about starting a business, esentially thinking big), then things improve. I think it has a lot to do with how person feels (is it anxious). I also feel that computer is making me stupid and too much masturbation. Check your cortisol levels. I think issue is not only in the brain but in the nerves across the body also (like signals are not moving fast enough and there is not enough signaling units - neurotransmiters).