Brain fog

[ShambalaHambala]

Anyone else suffer from major brain fog? I used to be really quick, could learn very quickly and retain a lot of info. I feel unrecognisable now. I can't retain anything for more than five minutes, often struggle to have conversation as I can't concentrate, feel mentally fatigued all the time, want to sleep all the time even when I get a solid 7/8 hours. I just KNOW this isn't normal and am wondering if anyone else is similar? Considering asking docs for blood work but not sure they'll oblige

I had something similar almost a year ago, to the scary level of getting my house number wrong when giving someone my address, inverting the numbers of my phone number and even forgetting the year of birth of one of my children. It had started with not remembering the name of an actor (How can you forget Johnny Depp) or the capital of a common country.

I had my Omega 3 index tested and it should be between 8-12, mine was 3.8 and at 3.5 you have severe cognitive deficiency.
I had switched my diet years ago to a whole food plant base diet to reduce the 60% risk of cancer I have because of a genetic mutation, and I was eating plant based omega 3 ( flax seed, chia seeds, walnuts) in high amount as I knew body isn't efficient at converting plant ALA into EPA and DHA. Turns out despite eating 836% of daily need my body was converting zero and I was slowing making myself very sick.

I now supplement with EPA-DHA and test myself regularly. I am now around 8 but aim to reach higher.

It is a private test which cost $60 in Australia so roughly 30 pounds. I strongly recommend it along Vit B12 which also affect cognitive abilities. Everyone associates Omega 3 with the heart, but it is vital for the brain.

How is your diet?
This said, you should talk to your doctors about your symptoms not only to require blood work . . How old are you? He should be able to perform mental assessment performance test and refer you for additional test/specialist if your bloods come back abnormal.

I hope they do. I’ve had this a various stages and each time it has had a different, treatable, cause

Thyroid issues
Low iron
B12 /folate deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency (although I believe nice guidelines have changed and it is difficult to request vit D blood test now without multiple symptoms as it’s an expensive test)
Peri menopause

At one point I couldn’t find my way somewhere (I had been doing the walk for ove4 2 years) and had to wander aimlessly until I finally recognised where I was supposed to be.
Another time I couldn’t tell you my phone number -had it for 15 +years.
At my worst I was so fatigued I could barely function. Do speak to the Dr.

@legrandbleu that's interesting. I'm vegan (haven't been for long) but so try to get supplements elsewhere and take vitamin d. I think the vitamin d I am taking is too low a dose though, I'm also Caribbean so more likely to have a vit d deficiency.

I have an 18 month old and suffer with anxiety but I just know deep down that there's more to it. I've always had anxiety and know it well. It's been much worse than it is now. 18 month old is fine and usually only wakes up once at night so I'm not massively sleep deprived.

@idododoidadada sounds similar. I forgot my pin number. The one I use over and over and over again all the time. It just left my brain. I never remembered it and had to order a new card.

@ShambalaHambala if you are vegan you MUST take vitamin b12 supplement. Are you taking it?

In the first years of me being vegan, I was only taking b12 because I had read several nutrition books, taken nutrition courses and had my diet reviewed by a certified dietician, but nutrients on paper or even on plate do not always translate in nutrients in the body. Now I take several supplements, vitamin D like you are doing, but also calcium+k2, zinc, iodine drops, and iron.
Malnutrition is very common amongst vegan. Have bloods taken for B12, Vit D , iron, and Omega 3.
Selenium is covered with 1 Brazil nut a day,

@legrandbleu I will admit that I don't take any of those things. I need to but am struggling financially so haven't had the money to buy supplements. I will make sure when I get paid that I buy some. Stupid me. I don't know that the GP here in the UK will do bloods for me but one can only try.

The most important one is B12. and this one is very cheap. Try to alternate between methylcobalamin (this one often comes in mouth melts or spray) and cyanocobalamin . You need 1000ug (one thousand micrograms ) per day.

Algae based EPA - DHA (I buy DEVA) , not fish oil capsules unless very high quality and they are expensive

Vit D should be 1000- 2000

Iron depends on your levels.

GO to your doctor and say you fear you have been damaging your health with a vegan diet and would like to test: b12, Vit D and iron ( and possibly omega 3, who knows it might be covered ny NHS) . Explain your symptoms.

Meant to add @ShambalaHambala . Don't take a multivitamin as often to stay safe they have very low amounts of minerals and vitamins. I have seen multivitamins with only 10 ug of B12 when you need 1000 ug.

Also rethink your diet if it can improve. Vegan doesn't mean anything. The word says what you are not eating - animal products - but doesn't say what type of diet you are following: the 50-shades-of-beige one heavy on bread, pasta, pizza, the vegan junk Doritos, Oreos, or the Frankenfood one with fake food invented in a lab so the fake burgers, fake yoghurt, fake sausages, and so on.

A whole plant based diet focuses on lentils, beans, coloured vegetables, whole grains and so on.
And even on such an amazing diet, I was severely and dangerously malnourished. It might be my genetic defect altering my metabolic response, but still it shows you NEED to supplement and check.

Supermarket own brand of vitamins are quite cheap and here in Australia are often on special at 50% sale.
You shouldn't however save money on your health. Avoid one takeaway a week and the same money covers your supplement for a month,

I had similar symptoms which turned out to be an underactive thyroid. Blood tests are definitely the way forward whether it is this or something else. It often gets missed in women with kids as lots of the symptoms match those of being a parent - fatigue, brain fog, anxiety for starters. Hope you get it sorted - it definitely sounds like something isn't right.