Brain Fog
 

Over the last few years, as my RSD has gotten worse...so has my ability to focus, read, think, etc. I'm very forgetful and scatter brained, easily distracted, and it's getting worse. Like...if the tv is on, my boyfriend's talking, and my daughter's playing...I can only hear one of those things at a time...and that's assuming my thoughts don't drift somewhere else where I end up hearing none of them. I'll turn on a movie, then my Facebook notifications will ding...and an hour later I realize I haven't seen ANY of the movie that is on 5 feet away from me. People will ask me questions and I answer a minute or 2 later (when it finally registers with me that I was asked a question). It's all getting worse.

Does anyone have any suggestions on ways to fight this? I feel like my brain is deteriorating. I see the doctor on next Thursday and I plan to discuss this at the appointment...but figured I would ask here and see if you guys had any suggestions or ideas on things I could try/bring up with the doctor.

HI Catra,

Brain fog is so frustrating. I had it really bad when my pain was at it's worst and remember being horrified to be unable to remember things I'd known for years, like the combo to the back gate or God forbid my sister's married name at one point! I am sorry you're having to deal with that.

If you haven't had vitamin b levels checked or a complete blood panel in a while those would be easy things to check, just in case.

I think you have to add motherhood into the equation as well. Even with the best children and with mothers who are in perfect health, keeping up with little ones and the work to care for them gives the sharpest women brain fog. Stress and discomfort on top certainly don't help the wiped out at the end of the day feeling many Moms of young children experience.

I hope your doctor has some good ideas on this. Hang in there Mom. Give yourself credit for ALL the things you do every day. :hug:

Checkout Micheal Moskewitz Neuroplastix, watch his animations. I cannot say for 100 percent this is what helped me, but I believe it contributed. I watched them at the gym while I pedaled on the stationary bike. I started doing this in Sept. 2016. I realized in Dec that I could handle more imput and my pain had become more manageable.

Just so you know this disease does limit your stamina even after you improve. I spent three hours with a friend yesterday, after shopping at a few local stores. I was so tired from this that I went to bed at 9 and slept until 4 this afternoon. I dont know how you manage with children, because you have to live in the now, not in the later when you are up to it.

I wonder if I have Brain Fog?? Sounds awfully familiar. :confused:

Thanks guys...I will definitely ask my doctor to check my Vitamin B levels...they were very low back in August and I did 3 months of B12 shots every 2 weeks...but never noticed a difference. Doesn't hurt to check though...as I do feel like it's worse now.

I'll check out those animations...I wouldn't have thought of something like that! That's an easy enough thing to try on my own. Yes...it's hard with a little one because she has to be the number one priority in the moment. She's in daycare 40 hours a week and that helps a lot because then she's only home for about 2 hours before bedtime on those days and I usually have someone around to help...but not always. Those couple of hours are so hard sometimes...but getting a little easier the last few months as she gets more self sufficient...but she's still just 2.5 and needs a lot of help. Sometimes I just have to lay on the couch and I tell her mommy hurts and needs to rest...and she's almost always good and plays independently during those times...but it makes me feel awful.

Thanks for the suggestions and if anyone has any other ideas...let me know. I'm making my list for the doctor...because without a list I always forget to ask things. :(

Has anyone heard of this? It's being promoted on FB as the answer to non-drug pain relief from CRPS. Miss Understood: The Oska Pulse Trial — Pain News Network

I try to read a little each day to keep my mind focused on something. I also write things down so I don't forget to do them. Hope you find some relief soon. Hugs.

Thank you for posting about this...I will be asking my doctor about it tomorrow and what he thinks. I can't afford it right now...but if he thinks it may be helpful then I will put it on my list of things to try if/when LTD gets sorted out.

Looks a lot like a TENS machine, just maybe a more "updated" version of it. Those things never worked on me. :(

It does look similar to a TENS but also different because there are no wires and it seems to work over a larger area. TENS did work pretty well for me until my RSD spread. Once the area wasn't able to be surrounded by the electrodes, it was not longer effective like it was when the pain was localized to one area. So I would be curious if this would work better since it doesn't have electrodes that need to surround the area of pain? I did notice on the bottom of their website it says the device is FDA approved for leisure and wellness...not to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Not that that means it won't help, there are testimonials from people with CRPS that say it helped them (at least a little), for what those are worth in an online setting. When I have the money I may try this out...anything is worth a shot. I tried a similar device and it wasn't very effective...and it stopped working at all rather quickly...but it was 1/4 the price at only $100 so it was easier to just give it a try (I also had money coming in at the time...which makes all the difference in the world).

Hi Catra,
I also experience difficulties with brain fog so much so that I asked for Neuropsych testing when I was having outpatient rehab years ago after some failed nerve surgery. The results came back saying I had superior intelligence but my attention and processing speed was affected by pain, medication and fatigue. Often things don't go in the first place. I have to make a very conscious effort with those little things like have I locked the car and will always check twice. To and outsider it must look like I have I have OCD but they're the sort of things that are affected by my brain fog and have I taken my medication? So I use a medication weekly dosette. I find since I need the medication (Try and reduce when I am doing better, changed opiods for LDN)and I can't change the pain for now the best way of managing the fog is using cues eg diary, phone alarms, medication dosette,repetition,memory techniques)
Booklover

I have so much trouble with brain fog. In May I forgot to pay the rent. Seriously. Not as in, I kept meaning to write the check and not doing it. As in completely forgot it needed to be done at all.
When applying for SSDI they did some of those mental ability tests on me and I couldn't do them, it almost HURT to try.
Yesterday I did some filing at home, just filing bills into the cabinet and the zillions of papers from worker's comp into their box. Took about 30 mins. It WIPED me out. I broke out into a sweat, couldn't think anymore, felt almost dizzy.

If I'm tired, or trying to do one thing, I can't try to pay attention to anything else. I miss things, forget what was being said etc. I also fall asleep at the drop of a hat if things are complicated (I try to read the news on my computer, sometimes it makes me fall asleep).
I hate it, and I hate not being believed when I try to explain it.

Yes...all of these things exactly. It's so frustrating. I know my boyfriend gets mad at me sometimes for things like he's talking to me and I don't hear, or I drift off in the middle of what he's saying, etc...but I seriously can't help it! I don't like being this person and I hate to see how frustrated it makes him too. :(

Yesterday was the first time in 3 years I was able to read a book from cover to cover. For me this is a positive sign that my brain is repairing itself, due to the combination of regular exercise, LDN and Micheal Moskewitz' graphics on Neuroplastix. But, there was a price for this pleasure, I was so tired after reading I couldn't do anything, but crash.

That's fantastic! I have been able to start reading a little again...but only shorter books meant for 9-11 year olds or so. Anything geared higher and I just can't...even some of these ones I just can't...but I have been able to find some really engaging books for those ages. I still have to take breaks every chapter or so...sometimes sooner...but I have finished a couple of books this week (they are obviously very short). I am hoping that by still trying to read even a little that it will help me.