Fibro Fog, Brain Fog, and all the different names forgetfulness can go by with an autoimmune disease or chronic pain. What causes it? This is yet another thing with Fibromyalgia doctors can't agree on. Even as I type this I occasionally struggle with remembering what word I want to use. It can be a struggle with every day living and before I was diagnosed with Fibro I thought I was just losing my mind and couldn't remember anything. I have always been able to shove information in my head and remember it, so when I started struggling I began to lose my identity in a way. Finding out why I was having issues helped me find ways to work on making better and easier to live with. I can still be forgetful but now I know why and can make adjustments to help myself out.
While researching this article I found a post on arthritis.com about brain fog and wanted to share a few things from it:
50-80% of fibro patients report issues with mental clarity and forgetfulness
Fibro fog symptoms can be lessened with treatment for sleep problems, chronic pain issues, and depression, and an exercise routine.
What are some common complaints of Fibro Fog?
forgetfulness
trouble retaining new information
feeling like you can't think as quickly in chaotic situations
concentration issues
losing focus or train of thought during conversations.
Sound familiar? I know I struggle with these issues during stressful times and when I am tired. So what do we do to alleviate symptoms and try to normalize our lives? Try some of the following ideas (many of which I have used myself):
Yoga
Meditation
Cutting back on sugar, processed foods, and caffeine (yes, caffeine can cause us issues; refer to last weeks blog or podcast!)
Medication can be prescribed by your doctor
Get plenty of sleep.
Drink plenty of water.
Make lists to help remember what you need to do, or buy.
Exercise
Take breaks
Most of all....go easy on yourself. This isn't an easy thing and can take some time to get used to dealing with it. I found counseling helped me with the brain fog and anxiety that came along with it.
I also found when things get overwhelming for me that journaling helps a lot, and in turn helps my brain fog because I am able to alleviate some of my stress by putting it down on paper. This isn't an easy symptom of Fibro to deal with and takes some practice to retrain our brain, so again go easy on yourself!
References:
Arthritis Foundation. Fibro Fog. www.arthritis.org.
Villines, Zawn. "What to Know About Anxiety and Brain Fog". Medical News Today. medicalnewstoday.com (4/20/21).
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