Brain fog isn't normal, is it?

[PleaseNoDontBeSickAgain]

I'm 37 and have only just realised that what I've had for most of my adult life is brain fog. I have problems with memory and focus and it's been getting worse throughout my life, to the point where I'm just a bit fed up now.

I get migraines once or twice a year, and usually find once they've lifted, I feel so clear headed. I had my last migraine a couple of days ago, which is what's prompted my post. I discovered about 6-7 months ago that I'm gluten intolerant (not coeliac), and wonder if this could be a factor. But I've completely cut out gluten for 6 months now and noticed no improvement at all.

Mumsnetters, what do I do? I can't get an appt with my GP for love nor money, and even if I could I don't think there's anything they could do. I eat well, I exercise, I don't drink or take drugs. I have other health problems too (who doesn't) but won't list them all here... Any similar experiences here?

Do you drink coffee?
Have trouble sleeping?

Thanks for replying. I only just started to drink coffee, after my 2nd baby, but only decaf as I can't handle caffeine any more. I occasionally have trouble sleeping but normally I'm a very heavy sleeper.

I could have wrote the same post. Still get the brain fog. Wondering if it could be per menopause related

The other health problems are probably relevant here as a lot of health issues can have brain fog as a symptom if you are not well.

I appreciate that you may not want to post them.

Otherwise:
Check iron and vitamins (GP will do)
Any chronic fatigue or pain? That will usually give you brain fog.

@user1471427614 have you had this all your life too? I've wondered about peri but I don't think that would've taken 20 years and my youngest is only 16 months, and it's not got worse since he was born, I don't think.

@Octavia64 oh poo, I do need a GP appointment then, don't I. That won't be easy. No chronic fatigue but I do have chronic pain, but only since 2018, so doesn't explain the time prior. I think I may have low iron as I bruise like a peach and always have done, but blood tests have shown I'm within normal range for iron (although on the low end of normal). Do you think this might be worth exploring then?

I appreciate your input!

Yes I have but took decades to realise. Only put it all together when my eldest started having terrible stomach ache and other lovly loo related issuses with headaches. Its better now I've cut gulten out but not gone....but I'm mid 40s which is why I'm thinking pre menopause

No, normal, but for many, brain fog is. It might even be something as simple as a hormone imbalance, something that for me, HRT corrected. However, and to be fair, once our bodies so through puberty, our hormones can be disrupted at any point thereafter from all manner of things from stress, pregnancy, some kind of illness to menopause. Add in your migraines and recent trouble sleeping to the mix and to me, that suggests that hormones. Asking for a female blood panel is a good place to start, and if the GP isn't helpful, find a women's health specialist who understands the female endocrine system.

I would have a chat with a GP just to be on the safe side

It maybe your monticondria. Lots of research out there but with brain fog it's hard to think straight to read and digest.
Eat plenty of animal fat and protein and keep a diary. You should see a pattern of when it's at its worse.
Look into your hormonal contraceptives and chart how this is/ is not contributing and present all findings to GP.

These have massively helped me. I take these and lions mane. Changed my life.

I'd also recommend vit D daily.

Hi, I had brain fog in my 20s until my late 30s - I just thought that was how I was!

As I approached my 40s (had 2nd child at 35), I was really struggling at work with focus and decided to get fit so I started kick boxing, cut out dairy and red meat and started taking B12. No idea what helped (I suspect it was kick boxing) but after a few months, I noticed I could focus and work was easier. I realised I had had brain fog only once it was gone.

10 years on and it hasn't come back even though I stopped kick boxing around 6 years ago (I now play tennis), I still don't have much dairy/ red meat and take B12 on and off.

It's great you realised you have it OP. GP sounds like a good place to start, good luck!

We were talking about this at work the other day, life isnt 'normal' and is that affecting how humans function in our society.

If you work full time, with kids, the pace of life just isnt 'natural', the huge level of stimulation, over stimulation, the foods we eat, the lighting around us, the amount of things to hold in your brain all the time etc etc. I really think that lots of us dont have brains that can manage it.

Thanks all - I think I'm going to have to queue up outside my drs surgery at 7:30am tomorrow to get an appointment. Wish I'd had the self awareness to get this sorted before the NHS fell apart!

The NHS range for iron/ ferritin is usually far too low to be healthy.

Ah that's interesting about NHS iron / ferritin ranges, thank you. My husband noticed some pretty huge, angry bruises on my thigh this eve that must've appeared today at some point, though I've no idea how. So that could explain that I guess.

I spoke to a GP today (!) and listed all my symptoms, and she's arranged a blood test for iron, hormones, thyroid, diabetes and some others I've forgotten. Amazing - I feel like I'm one of those people who gets more out of the NHS than I contribute (which makes me feel guilty for using them...). Hopefully it'll show something obvious!

she's arranged a blood test for iron, hormones, thyroid, diabetes and some others I've forgotten.
Low levels of:
Vitamin D
Folate
B12
can all cause brain fog as well as thyroid & iron issue. I hope you get to the bottom of it. Just don’t accept ‘normal’ for iron (or anything!), like pp said the levels accepted are pretty low. Iron needs to be about 70 for health hair growth yet gets marked as normal at 15 sometime. Make sure to look on the nhs app to see what was tested, what your figures are and how they compare to the labs reference range. Try to boost anything lowish up towards the top end of normal. You can still be symptomatic at the low end of normal for lots of things. I hope you feel better soon.

Heya did you ever get to the bottom of this and did anything help? Struggling terribly with focus at work!!

Sadly not. My tests all came back "normal" so I was told it's probably just "one of those things", which is obviously very unsatisfactory. If I ever win the lottery I'm getting SO many private medical tests. No one would ever know I'd won because they wouldn't see where I'd spent it, but I'd feel it every day. I'd definitely speak to your GP and arrange some tests if you can though - hopefully you'll have more luck than me.

@PleaseNoDontBeSickAgain you should ask for the actual numbers and compare them against the guidelines. My ferritin was "normal" and I was experiencing awful symptoms, it was only 1 or 2 points above the threshold. You can buy prescription strength ferrous sulphate OTC and after a few months I was so much better. In my experience if your results are normal the lab stamp then as normal/ no action and the dr doesn't even look at them. It was only by checking the actual numbers over 2 sets of bloods o could see that they were low, and were dropping as well.

Thanks @thenewaveragebear1983 . I already supplement with ferrous sulphate and do feel the difference for doing it. Never thought to check my other results though so maybe I'll do that too. Though I'm not sure I'd know what to do about other low results but it's a starting point I guess!

Have you ever been assessed for any sleep disorders OP? Also things like ADHD can cause brain fog. Hope you get to the bottom of it anyway - it's a horrible feeling to not be able to think clearly no matter how hard you will yourself to.

If it was ADHD that can be affected by hormones and hormonal changes too and a lot of women have more severe symptoms when they get to peri-menopause. (I think someone mentioned peri on the thread but was just skim reading so not sure what you answered and you are quite young for that - sorry for not reading properly! I will go back and check now.)

Heya just on this, mine has become a bit better but 1) I HAVE to put away distractions when working, otherwise game over (though on mumsnet right now, so not doing too well :D) 2) Mine where more to do with tension type headaches and basically low level inflammation. I took a NSAID for a few days- week and it did help. My migraines and stiff neck have picked up quite a bit and because i get visual symptoms my GP freaked out a bit and sent me an urgent referral to neurology but I don't know why, they're very in line with migraines. Anyway, not had that appt yet but honestly think the migraines/brain fog symptoms are all around low grade inflammation from screen use and sitting down all day. My brain fog is not as bad on days when I am not working. So I am just trying to take more breaks and ibuprofen if it's really bad. Hope that helps anyone struggling.

Have you had your B12 levels checked?

Was popping on to say ADHD can cause brain fog/lack of focus. If you have any other symptoms it might be worth getting assessed. It’s quite a misunderstood condition. If all other blood tests are coming back fine…