All articles tagged with #brain fog
Perimenopause and menopause can bring cognitive and emotional symptoms—such as memory lapses, word-finding difficulties, anxiety, and sudden, intense anger—that many doctors don’t routinely discuss, often disrupting daily life and highlighting the need for greater clinician awareness and patient-provider conversation.
Valley clinicians report a rising number of patients with brain fog, a cluster of cognitive symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, and mental fatigue. While it’s commonly linked to COVID-19, it can also arise from stress or underlying conditions. Severe brain fog should prompt medical evaluation, and contributing factors may include poor sleep, dehydration, and a sedentary lifestyle.
Yahoo Canada Style argues creatine isn’t just for athletes: for women over 40, especially during/post-menopause, creatine may help preserve lean muscle mass and strength, improve balance when paired with resistance training, and could offer bone health benefits. There’s growing evidence it might aid cognitive function, memory, and mental fatigue, potentially easing menopausal brain fog. The EFSA suggests about 3–5 grams daily for older adults who train regularly, with five grams per day as a practical target. The piece compares popular powders (e.g., Jacked Factory, THORNE, Optimum Nutrition, PVL Creapure, Revolution Nutrition) and notes powders usually offer the best cost per dose, though gummies or capsules can work if you track dosage. It emphasizes third-party testing, avoiding under-dosed servings and additives, and consulting a clinician if you have kidney issues. Experts Dr. Michelle Jacobson and dietitian Stephanie Hnatiuk provide dosing context and caution that supplements are optional, not required for success in healthy aging.
Lori Taylor, a 60-year-old dietitian, describes living with autoimmune gastritis—the same condition Bryan Johnson recently disclosed—highlighting years of stomach issues, hair loss, brain fog, and iron deficiency before diagnosis. After tests showed elevated parietal cell antibodies and stomach inflammation, she began treatments including betaine hydrochloride to raise stomach acid, iron infusions, and B12 injections, which markedly improved her cognitive function and IBS-like symptoms. AIG remains hard to diagnose and may cause multiple nutrient deficiencies; Taylor notes Johnson's platform could raise awareness and accelerate research into better treatments.
The article explains that midlife brain fog can be caused by hormonal changes during perimenopause or by ADHD, with estrogen and dopamine playing key roles in mood, sleep, memory and focus. ADHD typically begins in childhood, while perimenopause-related cognitive changes appear later, but the two can overlap or even be present together. For those unsure, tracking symptoms over weeks (including pattern across cycles, sleep, work and home life) and discussing detailed examples with a clinician can help determine whether ADHD, perimenopause, or both, warrants specific support.
A small randomized trial found that prucalopride, a serotonin 5-HT4 receptor agonist used for chronic constipation, improved memory, attention, and executive function in adults with a history of depression after seven to ten days of treatment, with no significant side effects, suggesting potential repurposing to treat cognitive deficits in depression.
Brain fog—difficulties with focus, memory, and mental speed—appears to be rising across age groups and is linked to chronic stress, sleep deprivation, excessive screen time, sedentary lifestyles, dehydration, and post-infection effects such as COVID-19; it is not a disease, but addressing sleep, stress management, physical activity, hydration, and deliberate breaks from screens can help, while persistent symptoms should be evaluated by a healthcare professional.
Iron deficiency—affecting roughly one-third of menstruating women—can cause fatigue, brain fog, mood changes, and even shortness of breath, existing on a spectrum from iron deficiency without anemia to iron deficiency anemia. Screening isn’t routinely done, so many cases go undiagnosed; causes include heavy menstrual bleeding and GI diseases. Treatment may involve oral iron or IV iron, with the best approach depending on the person, and addressing the underlying cause is essential for improving quality of life.
Seattle father and former Garfield High School teacher Jesse Hagopian contracted COVID in 2022, and years of lingering symptoms like dizziness and brain fog led him to UW Medicine. Dr. Lindsey Knowles emphasizes treating both the physical and mental health aspects of long COVID, providing Hagopian with strategies such as pacing, self-care, meditation, and thought mapping that helped manage symptoms and prevent depression. Hagopian hopes others with long COVID know there is help and resources available.
A Swiss multicenter study of healthcare workers followed for up to four years after infection with ancestral SARS‑CoV‑2 found that up to 60% still reported at least one symptom four years later; fatigue, loss of smell/taste, and brain fog were most common, and while most symptoms waned over time, a substantial minority continued to experience long COVID, highlighting the need for long‑term clinical and occupational support.
A systematic review of 32 studies (25,325 participants) links pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ) and intermediate monocytes to slower processing speed, memory issues, and reduced mental flexibility after illness, with anti-inflammatory IL-10 and higher CD4+ T cells offering protection; practical steps to calm inflammation—sleep, stress management, anti-inflammatory diet, regular moderate exercise, and consulting a clinician about inflammatory markers—may help mitigate brain fog after viral infections.
A Dorset mother, initially told she had the flu, was hospitalized in 2024 after being diagnosed with viral meningitis. The infection triggered a functional neurological disorder, robbing her of mobility from the waist down and leaving her in a wheelchair for two years, with brain fog and eye spasms. She continues intensive physiotherapy, hopes to reclaim some movement, and advocates for greater awareness and resources for FND, acknowledging the long road ahead but emphasizing the importance of support for affected families.
A Dorset mother’s flu-like illness turned out to be viral meningitis, which triggered a functional neurological disorder that left her unable to walk for two years and dependent on a wheelchair, with ongoing rehabilitation and a push for greater awareness and resources for FND.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu discussed perimenopause and brain fog with nutritionist Rashi Chowdhary, who suggested starting the day with healthy fats, adding lion's mane mushroom, and using smart supplements like creatine and CoQ10 to improve cognitive function. Expert fact-checking by Dr. Ravina Patel highlighted the importance of a balanced diet and clarified that some claims, like the efficacy of lion's mane mushroom, lack sufficient scientific evidence, emphasizing sustainable and affordable health practices.
A doctor shares 7 practical tips to improve brain function and memory over 31 days, including adequate sleep, a nutritious diet rich in Omega-3s and antioxidants, focused tasks, reduced sugar intake, hydration, journaling, and regular exercise, with noticeable improvements within a week.