Brain Fog

[Bill Loveridge]

Hi every one,
                  I'm still fairly new to the SjS forum, even though I've been suffering for over 8 years, with no medication and still awaiting my first appointment with a rheumy. I take it that the term "Brain Fog" which I have come across a lot, is the feeling that my sharpness of thought as gone and my brain is in a dream and my head is in a world of it's own. I get these feelings when I'm tired, fatigued and suffering general malaise. do many of you feel the same.

Kind regards

Bill

[harrigan]

Bill, I'm sure everyone has their own version of brain fog and you will soon be reading versions with symptoms you recognise and others you're glad not to know yet!  What you describe sounds like how I feel - sort of blunt, disconnected and vague, lacking in memory and recall generally.  I'm hoping the plaquenil I started last month will help.

Good luck to you in sorting out your 'fog' and all the otjher Sjogrens 'gifts' - keep posting, Ailsa

[ohiolady]

Bill,

It seems most people with Sjogren's complain of brain fog.  It is especially scary when you've always been an annoyingly detailed person.  I'm sure some others will come along and share thier experience and you will some how feel a little better knowing you are not the only one.  At least it makes me feel a little more normal.

Anna

[Scottietottie]

Hi Bill 

yeah - brain fog is really common. It's like thinking through treacle. Paperwork that used to take half an hour turns into a two hour slog. Memory retention goes out of the window.    I even forgot how to get out of my car one day. An initial test for possible dementia left me in the clear I'm glad to say - but still be-fogged. Plaquenil helped me a lot with it.

Hope its not too lo9ng till you see the rheumy.

Take care - Scottie 

[Epson]

Bill,

Welcome to the world of the mentally confussion, your description of brain fog is spot on.  I went to a neurologist to help me with my brain fog which was helpful, but still have the occasional loss of memory and may have to increase my medication. 

[SassieCat]

Hi Bill,

My description of brain fog would be this:  I am normally a very detail oriented person and can generally put tasks into order and accomplish alot.  When I have brain fog or fibro fog, I notice that when I speak words can come out backwards.  Such as turn left may come out turn right but I mean left.  I catch myself doing this alot somedays.  Also I will start to say something and suddenly I don't know the exact word that I need to say, I have to stop and rethink to remember it.  Tasks which normally come easy such as certain codes used for work I have to stop and think.  Things that I usually can recite off the top of my head with ease.  I was so used to being able to memorize all the little details and now I have to stop and rethink and second guess myself alot.

I have been on plaquenel and it has been a while since I've had trouble with the fog.  But I sure do relate to how you feel and what you're going through.  Best of luck to you!

SassieCat

[lesleyjoy]

Hi, I get this too, where the wrong word can come out or the first letter of the second word gets put at the beginning of the first word...and then I can forget a word or name, then remember it seconds later  It's the main reason I don't teach full time
I have thought about dementia as well, but I'm not willing to go down that road quite yet 

Cheers Lesley (NZ)

[beverley]

Dear Bill,

Brain fog - yep, present and correct, even with Plaq and I still teach with it.  My worst time is planning my teaching when my mind just goes completely blank.  I have got slower and slower over the past few years but I now know that when I am in that state I have to walk away for a while and think about something else.  You will learn to cope with it (if you haven't already - 8 years is a long time especially without meds) and sometimes it will put you in hysterically funny situations.  Well they will seem funny later!

Beverley

[dbab]

Not being able to "find" words seems to be a big problem for me also.  It's funny, I have always had a good vocabulary.  I liked looking up rarely used words and use them.  My husband would call me a walking thesaurus because I always knew an usual word that I could use for a common one.  Can't do it anymore.  Now I can't even "find" the common words.

I also lose my train of though mid conversation a lot.  That is a tough one because I feel like I'm trying too hard when I'm speaking with someone that I'm always trying to think of what I need to say instead of listening to what they are saying.  Then when it's all done, I have no idea what they were trying to tell me.

And driving too... good thing I don't go to many strange places, my autopilot brain has helped me get home lots of times when my mind just wasn't functioning right.  Scary!

[KYMOM]

WOW!  The more I read on this site the more I see myself.  Forgotten words and names.  Going downstairs and forgetting why I went in the first place.  Need to retrace my steps to jog my memory.  Tonight one of the teens found an empty jar in the frig that I thought I put in the trash.  Didn't know what to think about the mind.  Nice to know it's not just me.  Roxanne

[JJ]

If it weren't for brain fog they'd say i had no brain at all.....


JJ

[kimbo]

I went to my reumy yesterday for a 2:pm routine appt. I had to pee pee so bad I thought I can not hold it until after my appt to give the traditional urine sample.

The lady at the reception desk looked at me then looked at her computer and said you have an appt May 4th at 2:pm. I smiled at her and thought "Brain fog moment"....... Oh sweet relief, I get to go peee. Then I went shopping, good day anyway.

kimbo

[beverley]

Kimbo,
who says brain fog blocks innovation?!

[Scottietottie]

My latest brain fog moment. I've forgotten my bank card PIN. I've only been using it for the last 25 years! Duh!

Scottie 

[Katybarstool]

Scottie

I did that too - I keyed in my buirglar alarm code and wondered why ti wouldn't give me any cash

Kathyx