[EsthersDoll]

I haven't had a clear thought since before the accident I was in that gave me the injuries I acquired. That was about 18 months ago.

I miss thinking clearly.

I have read some people here say that anti-anxiety meds helped them get rid of brain fog. I'm very sensitive to prescription medication and my neurologist doesn't even want to give me anything to try anymore and frankly, after the side effects I experienced from the dozens of different drugs I did try I don't want to try any anymore! She suggested I try to use herbs and supplements. So I'm going to try some passion flower as an anti-anxiety supplement to see if it will help get rid of the brain fog I have even though I don't feel particularly anxious.

The fog has diminished a great deal over the last year and a half and has done so in steps. There was even a period of time where I felt dazed all the time - like I had just hit my head and the dazed feeling was going to shake off any second back into clear thinking. That was weird, I felt like that all the time for a month! And I was so disappointed when the outcome was more fog, albeit to a lesser degree.

Someone in another thread just mentioned that playing some video games gives them brain fog.

Well, I always have brain fog. I don't like it. Sometimes it gets worse, like when I've tried to do too much physically, but resting doesn't ever make it go away completely.

I'm hopping it just naturally continues to heal and go away in time.

Thoughts?
Experiences?
Advice?

Thanks!

[Mark in Idaho]

How serious have you been with vitamins and other nutrition help?

My brain fog can disappear completely for days then one day, I wake up miserable. I tie it to my sleep or lack of quality sleep and activities that overwhelm my brain.

[EsthersDoll]

Originally Posted by Mark in Idaho

How serious have you been with vitamins and other nutrition help?

I am very serious about my minerals and vitamins.

They are part of my daily routine. I am about to do some research on them because my neurologist wants me to take the B complex less often. She wants me to take them 3 times a week instead of daily, except for B12 which she wants me to continue taking sublingually every day.

I also take Omega Oil every day. (It's organic, because I'm one of "those" people. )

And I take CDP Choline and phosphatidylserine daily as well.

I just ordered some BCAA's to take to see if that will help too based on an article I read and posted in another thread.

[SpaceCadet]

If you can find something that relieves the brain fog, PLEASE let me know! I can't start school or go to work because of it.

I mentioned that playing video games brings it on - there are other things too. Doing anything that requires complex thinking, like taking tests or conversations with people - especially people I haven't talked to in awhile and have to "catch up" with them. Watching more than 20-30 minutes of TV. Movies - if I try to watch a movie and pay attention to what's going on, bam..fog. There are other things that bring on the fog that I can't think of right now, because I'm currently in "the fog".

You mentioned having the fog all the time. Well, awhile back, I bought a new video game...and I spent all day playing it, probably 8-10 hours. When I stopped playing I was stuck in the fog for like 5 days! I thought it was never gonna go away. I spent those 5 days just resting, not doing anything stimulating. Basically layed in bed all day, occasionally posting on this forum. It finally went away....and it only comes back when I do anything I mentioned above.

So my suggestion to you is, try to take it easy for a few days...by taking it easy I mean stay home (if you can) and rest. Lay in bed, find a quiet, peaceful spot to just clear your mind. That is how I got mine to go away (temporarily). And when it goes away I just take it easy and avoid the things that bring it back.

If you find any strategies of coping with the fog or find a cure or treatment, let me know...really....PM me if you have to. This is the most debilitating symptom I have.

[EsthersDoll]

Originally Posted by nwsmith1984

So my suggestion to you is, try to take it easy for a few days...by taking it easy I mean stay home (if you can) and rest. Lay in bed, find a quiet, peaceful spot to just clear your mind. That is how I got mine to go away (temporarily). And when it goes away I just take it easy and avoid the things that bring it back.

Yeah, I don't think that's going to work for me... but thanks for the advice!

This has been ongoing for 18 months!

I didn't work or drive for over a year; the first six months of that I was on some pretty hard core bed rest and since then I've gotten colds where I was in bed for several days at a time, etc. and nothing makes it go away, even resting for a few days at a time.

I think it may be something that's re-wiring itself, or healing itself, since it's just been improving itself slowly over time.

[SpaceCadet]

Well, if its getting better, that's a really good sign.

Maybe we are talking about 2 different fogs...lol. I call mine the "dumb dumbs" because, well...that's how I feel. Just slow and dumb. Makes it impossible to talk to anyone. And trying to think through it is like thinking through molasses.

I think mine is getting better too. Its not lasting as long when it comes and its getting easier to think through it ...

Like I said, if you find a solution let me know! Sorry I couldn't be of more help to you. Everyone's injury and symptoms are different.

Good luck!

[Klaus]

I find that lying down with two big ice packs, one on the front and one on the back of my head, will often reduce or get rid of brain fog.

No idea how or why this works for me, unless it is somehow related to inflammation in the brain which is cooled down by the ice.

Might be worth a try.

[EsthersDoll]

Originally Posted by Klaus

I find that lying down with two big ice packs, one on the front and one on the back of my head, will often reduce or get rid of brain fog.

No idea how or why this works for me, unless it is somehow related to inflammation in the brain which is cooled down by the ice.

Might be worth a try.

Ooooh, what an interesting idea! I haven't tried to ice my skull since I had iicp about a year ago, I'll try it again and see if it does anything for me, thanks!!

[SpaceCadet]

Just out of curiosity, why is it when I'm under the effects of a Benzodiazepine, my brain fog greatly reduces? Also...I'm able to tolerate being on the computer or watching TV for longer periods of time.

Is it because it's making me "not care" about the brain fog, or is it slowing my brain down to where it's not processing everything as fast as it usually does...therefore I'm not becoming overloaded as fast? I wanna say it's the latter, but I'm not so sure.

It's confusing because you would think that a drug of it's kind would make the brain fog worse...but it doesn't (for me at least).

Thoughts?

[EsthersDoll]

Originally Posted by nwsmith1984

Just out of curiosity, why is it when I'm under the effects of a Benzodiazepine, my brain fog greatly reduces? Also...I'm able to tolerate being on the computer or watching TV for longer periods of time.

Is it because it's making me "not care" about the brain fog, or is it slowing my brain down to where it's not processing everything as fast as it usually does...therefore I'm not becoming overloaded as fast? I wanna say it's the latter, but I'm not so sure.

It's confusing because you would think that a drug of it's kind would make the brain fog worse...but it doesn't (for me at least).

Thoughts?

I think anxiety is thought to be a cause of brain fog and Benzodiazepine is a drug that reduces anxiety.