Oh brain fog, oh brain fog...

[eyeamdry]

I have read many times about brain fog on this forum.  It causes people much frustration.  I guess I am beginning to see this little monster.  Maybe its because I take so many meds and get so little exercise.  I find myself grasping for words that i should know.  I ask my husband, but he's worse than me.  No help there.   The computer is a marvelous invention for help in googling a similar word etc. 

One problem may be that i'm a fast typist and my brain just doesn't work as fast......er, when it comes to a word that won't come out.  One word that I'm taping by my computer and taping by my phone is economic stimulus.  I have had several occasions recently to use this word and needed to, but it just wouldn't come.  I thought of "surge", but knew that wasn't it.  So now I have this taped up and i told my hubby to not make comments.  (He won't.)

I am going to my GP tomorrow for my annual, wonder if I should mention this to him.  Lucy

[KYMOM]

Lucy, Yes, mention it to your Doc.  Any symptom is another piece in your personal puzzle.  I keep a Dictionary/Thesaurus next to my computer.  Don't know what I'd do without it.  Have problems with words now but also with spelling at times.  It just won't come to me.  I am not that fast at typing but I notice that my fingers do not always find the keys like they should.  I just go back and correct.  Let us know what the GP says. Roxanne

[Patze]

Hi Lucy, will you be seeing your neuro soon?  I know the neuro is trying me on 1000 of B-12 and 1MG of Folic Acid.  I find that my exhaustion level is a bit better, so I guess that's a plus!    But I still have times where I know the word I want to say, but it won't come out.  It's so frustrating as I have to type a lot in my job.  But please do mention it to your GP, who knows, he might have a new idea that can help you.

Hi Roxanne, I know what you mean about spelling problems, boy isn't it fun - NOT!  I used to be a really good typist, but now a days I can barely type; more like think and then type, slowly.  I also am having some problems typing some words completely backwards, it's very strange!  The neuro hasn't figured it out either.  Hummm....

Take care -

Patze

[beachcomber]

I also have trouble with locating the words I want.  It is especially troublesome when I am standing up in front of my high school students and can't locate a word.  I just roll my eyes and blame it on "senior moments".  Since teenagers think anyone over 30 is ancient anyway--- they just grin and bear it.

My biggest problem though, is math.  I have always been good at *doing* math--- but not good at explaining it to others.  Now I find I can't do either.  So I choose some of my students that I know are pretty good at math to do the examples and they help others.  I just don't tell them why!  I also rely heavily on my calculator for tasks I used to be able to do in my head.

But that's okay.... I am not the only one with "brain fog".  Not too long ago the sour cream went "missing".  It was located the next day in the bread drawer.  And I wasn't the one who put it there!  Ha!

[eyeamdry]

My GP thinks my fog *may* be indicative of yeast problems.  So, fine, I go in tomorrow for a fasting blood draw and yeast is one of the things he's testing for.  We shall see.  Lucy

[Patze]

Please do tell Lucy when you have the tests back!  Have you ever got a diagnosis of what happened to cause your fall?


Patze

[hoping]

Always wondered why I was having more trouble spelling.  I've always been an excellent speller.  Then the recall started slipping.  I'm only 42, what's happening.  I've been scanned and checked for MS so much that we know that's out.  My friend with MS is sure it's MS as I sound like her at times.  It's worse when I'm tired, which is most of the day.  Now I can conclusively call it brain fog.  Is there any chance it will get better, maybe once this huge long flare gets under control?  Because I write for magazines and devotionals, lots of my stories are for kids.  I need my creativity and typing/spelling, knowing the best word, etc. for that.  One things for sure, my neuro would be clueless about it, don't think he knows much about SjS.

Too tired,
Later, Karin

[eyeamdry]

Please do tell Lucy when you have the tests back!  Have you ever got a diagnosis of what happened to cause your fall?

No, Patze, never did get a "reason" for my fall.  I did see the neuro and he did a decent workup and he knew what Sjogrens was (which impressed me).  He wanted to see me in 6 mos or 1 year.  I noted that he wrote "infrequent falls" on the insurance slip.  That was my 3rd fall in about 18 mos-24 mos.  Nothing lately, but do have weakness in legs and PN.  I do not believe it was the weakness that caused my fall.  Lucy

Patze, love your avatar.

[irish]

Lucy, It doesn't have to be weakness that causes falls it can also be (wait, I am trying to remember the word that always escapes me)........    ..........      ...............        ............ Yea!!! It can be the proprioceptive disorder that people with sjogrens suffer from. This is when we have trouble knowing where our body is in relation to other objects in our surroundings.. This can be the sky, the ground, a building, a curb, etc. It can make a person feel like they are dizzy, but if you suffer from it in enough different ways you figure out the body/ground relationship etc.

I started having this problem back in the early 90's and when I would drive to work and get out of the car to walk from the parking lot to my building I would have to look at the ground so I knew where to put my feet. I also noticed over the years that I do better in smaller spaces --- like at home where the walls are closer to together, or at my work place with the walls, etc.

When I go to Walmart, etc when I am in bad shape I have problems with the "space" issues that confuses my "honing" device---knowing where I am in relationship to the walls, floor, ceiling, etc. The carts are good for more than weakness as they help give your brain something to relate to. Irish

[lesleyjoy]

Hi Lucy,  I'm sure that medication and lack of excerise isn't the reason for the brain fog! I'm only on 10mg Doxepin and fast walk for an hour each day and I still get it  I believe it's just the curse of autoimmune disease grrr...
Please let me know if there's anything anyone takes that does improve Brain-Fog (other than plaquinel or steroids)!

Cheers Lesley (NZ)

[Patze]

Hi Lucy, I see a new ENT about my dizziness next week and I sure hope that I don't get dismissed like the last two.  I sure hope that this guy finds something as I'm tired of doing the "your problem isn't in my speciality" routine, it's getting old.

Hi Irish, that sounds like part of my problem (the spacial thing drives me nuts, and thanks for putting a name to it!  I hate to go into new "super stores" too)!  I'll mention it to the ENT and see what he has to say.

Take care -

Patze

[Linda196]

Patze, it's been my experience that either the neuro or the physiotherapist were the best ones to discuss proprioceptive problems with, but my orthoticist also had some great insights, and the last pair of orthotics he made me took it into consideration (please don't ask how, I haven't a clue) and as a result my walking balance has improved, and I feel more "connected" to the ground, if that makes any sense.

It may be a more common issue around here for whatever reason, but it's a commonly discussed problem, and often used in differential diagnosis think tanks.

[Billydude]

My trouble word of the day was "asparagus".   Served it at dinner but had not idea what the name of it was at the time.
Steve

[KYMOM]

My problem is not just with objects but with names.  I have always had a short circuit when it comes to names but it seems to have gotten worse in the last year or so.  People I have known for years, just can't recall their names. Roxanne

[hoping]

Me too with the names.  I can stare at a person forever before it may or may not hit me what their name is.  My spelling word of the day was Garanteed.  Still not sure if that's right. So I finally gave up, doubted if I had it right and moved onto another word choice.  How frustrating for a writer, journaler, and scrap booker to all of the sudden struggle with spelling, my once strong suit.  Will the Plaquinel help some of this brain fog and exhaustion and pain??  Still waiting on the enzyme test to clear so I can start the Imuran.

Karin