Brain Fog
© 2007 Theresa
Lorraine
Copying permitted if
all material is kept
together and
authorship
acknowledged.
Brain fog is one of
the most insidious
and difficult
symptoms with which
those who suffer
M.E./CFS/FMS cope.
Consider this. Very
little is really
known about
M.E./CFS/FMS so we,
the patient, must
undertake our own
research. However,
we're also suffering
from Brain Fog. So
our job is to
research our
symptoms, write out
questions and
comments for our
doctors, cope with
appointments with
said doctor
reasonably and
rationally, all
while our heads feel
stuffed with wet
sand!
What is Brain Fog?
The following
information was
excerpted from an
article by Marilyn J
Kerr RN. Her copy
right was up in
2001, so it's legal
to reprint here.
However, the rest of
the article is so
fascinating I do
hope you'll all take
a look!
http://home.tampabay.rr.com/lymecfs/brainfog.htm
One of the first
things that makes us
realize that there
is something wrong
with us is the
inability to perform
intellectually like
we once did. We
seemingly accept the
increasing pain, the
muscle spasms, the
insomnia, but when
we keep forgetting
our own phone
number, red flags go
up.
We lose things -
misplace others - on
a route we know, we
get lost - we forget
where we're going -
shopping lists lose
their importance
because we keep
forgetting to bring
them - we lose our
car in parking lots
time and time again
- we come home from
shopping and realize
we bought the exact
same things the day
before. We forget
friends' names. We
stop in
mid-conversation
because we've
forgotten what we
were talking about.
We start using
gadgets and date
books in order to
keep track of our
normal daily to-do
list. If we handle
our own checkbook,
we gradually have
more and more
trouble with it.
Even taking a shower
is a major effort
because we don't
remember whether
we've rinsed the
shampoo out of our
hair - we lose the
washcloth - we drop
everything - we
forget whether we
rinsed all those
hard-to-reach areas.
What were once
functions that we
handled without
thought, we now need
to consciously
review every aspect
of the process
before it occurs.
We laugh about it.
We learn to "cover"
the errors with
laughter. But we're
embarrassed and
silently start
questioning our own
sanity. We worry
about brain tumors
and Alzheimer's
because we know the
problem is far more
extensive than other
people are seeing.
As Janet, a
newsgroup member
said, "I can no
longer rely on me!"
If we tell our
doctor about our
problems, we are
often easily
placated by the
doctor's words.
"Everybody starts
having trouble as
they get older."
"No, you don't have
Alzheimer's - just
FMS." "Oh, you're
just depressed."
We take comfort from
such dismissals. We
really don't want to
believe that
something is really
wrong with our
brain.
So we joke about it
with each other -
further dismissing
its importance.
Someone once said,
"If it wasn't for
brain fog, I
wouldn't get any
exercise!"
But something is
wrong. This is not
the everyday
forgetfulness that
everyone experiences
from time to time.
This is a 24 hour,
seven day-a-week
continual struggle
to appear and act
normally. It's been
proven by SPECT and
PET scans of the
brain. It really IS
all in our heads -
and it's real.
Here's what our
doctors are saying:
Excerpted from
"Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome and
Fibromyalgia
Syndrome:
Similarities and
Differences" by
Muhammad B. Yunus,
MD, University of
Illinois College of
Medicine at Peoria,
Peoria, Illinois
Dr. Samuels: But
we're talking about
CFIDS or chronic
dysfunctional
diseases; you can
span every
physiological system
in the body. The
SPECT scan on the
brain shows flow and
function. If the
temporal lobes are
mismatched, you can
be sure there will
be trouble with
memory, recall and
concentration. If
the frontal lobes
are poorly lit, you
will see depression.
Excerpted from Dr.
Samuels Speaks
Cognitive
dysfunction is a
right temporal lobe
phenomena. Multiple
mood swings, trouble
sleeping are all
temporal lobe
abnormalities.
Temporal lobe is
responsible for
understanding what
we hear, retrieving
and restoring our
memories even though
the patient may feel
they have difficulty
with their memory.
The problem is
actually the
retrieval of this
information. The
card catalog is
there but the PWC
can't find the right
word. Not being able
to find the word or
you forget what you
are going to do, or
blocking, is a left
temporal lobe
phenomena.
Excerpted from a
lecture by Dr.
Michael Goldberg, MD
at the 6/1/97 CFIDS
Conference
Dr. Goldstein: CFS
patients are prone
to overestimate
their cognitive
abilities. Their
making of new
memories is
extremely fragile
and disrupted by
proactive
interference. They
do not benefit from
memory cues. The
making of new
memories is easily
disturbed by
increasing the
amount of
information
presented.
Tools for coping
with Brain Fog
There are tools for
coping with Brain
Fog and here are
just a few of them:
* Repeat yourself.
Repeat things to
yourself over and
over again.
Repetition will keep
thoughts fresh in
your mind.
* Write it down.
Whether you write in
a calendar, in a
notebook or on
sticky notes, if
you're afraid you
won't remember
something, putting
pen to paper can
help. (It not only
helps to have the
written reminder,
but the act of
writing something
down, helps "cement"
it in your brain!)
* Pick your best
time. If there is
something you need
to do that requires
concentration and
memory, such as
balancing your
checkbook or
following a recipe,
pick your best time
to do it. (This may
take some creativity
for those of us who
have children at
home or are trying
to focus with a
world that may run
on a different
schedule from our
"best time" lol!
What I had to do
when my children
were younger was
figure it was going
to take twice the
time it should to do
my checkbook in the
late evening ......
which is not my best
time but it is the
time when there are
no children mucking
about to distract
me.)
* Engage yourself.
Reading a book,
seeing a play, or
working a complex
crossword or jigsaw
puzzle can stimulate
your brain and your
memory.
*Continue to be as
active as you are
able, but be careful
not to overdo. Now,
how's that for a
balancing act? lol.
Physical activity
helps to stimulate
the brain, but in
M.E./CFS, too much
physical activity
brings on a relapse.
* Explain yourself.
Explain your memory
difficulties to
family members and
close friends.
Memory problems are
often made worse by
the stress of
embarrassment and
humiliation. Getting
a little
understanding from
the ones you love
may help.
* Keep it quiet. A
radio blasting from
the next room, a TV
competing for your
attention, or
background
conversation can
distract your
attention from the
task at hand. If
possible, move to a
quiet place and
minimize
distractions when
you are trying to
remember.
* Go slowly.
Sometimes memory
problems can result
from trying to do
too much in too
short a period of
time. Break up
tasks, and don't
take on more than
you can handle at
once. Stress and
fatigue will only
make the situation
worse.
* When you feel
yourself getting
flustered and the
"Fog" setting in
more densely, take a
break if you can.
Take a few minutes,
alone, to clear out
the fog and quiet
your mind. As the
activity, both in
our brains and in
the environment,
gets more frenzied,
our ability to
understand
diminishes.
Brain Fog is real.
It complicates not
only our ability to
function in the
world, but our
ability to relate to
others. The very
most important step
when one has brain
fog is to find
people who
understand what we
are coping with and
who will be
compassionate. If we
are trying to cope
with "friends" who:
* take offense when
our words come out
all wrong
* keep our minds
buzzing with too
much activity in
conversations that
switch topics over
and over
* insist on
conversations which
involve complexities
we're not able to
follow at times
We need to rethink
those friendships.
Our jobs are to
release some of the
unnecessary stress
in our lives so our
brains have a
quieter place in
which to function.
This alone, will
increase our
cognitive abilities.
