Struggling to cope with brain fog and memory loss

[SoupBrain]

It's a long one sorry. Not sure if anyone will actually read it but....

I'm in my late 30s and my brain fog is so severe I'm worried I'm going to lose my job. I struggle to follow conversations and can't remember most of what was said at the end of them. If I take notes, I can't adequately communicate at the same time. Either way it's wrecking my capability at work. I've also forgotten so much of my vocabulary. Verbal communication is a particular struggle as I've lost my recall skills and can't think on the spot. I feel stupid most of the time and barely recognise myself any more. Trying to mask this at work is burning me out.

I struggle to socialise and hold down friendships for the same reason. I don't know if it's early perimenopause, but I don't have many other symptoms. Years ago I had Wernicke's encephalopathy due to anorexia, which was temporary and something I fully recovered from as far as I know, but I sometimes wonder if the memory loss is related as I had acute neurological issues at the time. However this was overseas and my health records haven't transferred over.

I have anxiety and chronic sleep deprivation, but memory is still difficult even when these are in an ok spell. I've also have zero physical or mental energy for years. I can't remember what it was like to have get-up-and-go. I've had blood tests since this started, but they're fine. Yet my life is disappearing. I don't like leaving the house as I panic and no longer feel like I'm part of the world. I also get debilitating dissociation in public, I think related to historic trauma.

I can't set this out properly to a GP. When I've been before, the appointments are rushed, it's always a different doctor, there are communication difficulties and I can't explain myself. I'm on SSRIs that aren't helping. I've been put on a computerised CBT course for anxiety which is about as much help as a chocolate teapot, but this is the only mental health support available to me on the NHS and I can't afford private healthcare. Perhaps there is nothing wrong with me anyway.

If anyone made it to the end, thank you. I'd welcome any advice or experience anyone has. Is this normal? People talk about brain fog, but everyone around me seems sharp as a tack by comparison. I feel too young for my life to be winding up like this, but I'm struggling to see how things will ever improve.

Menopause (or pre) can cause it.
Fibro/ME can cause it.
Lupus or other auto immune can cause it.
Anti depressant meds can cause it.
Low iron can (under 70, 100 is optimal).
Low B12 can cause it (needs to be around 300).
Low folate can cause it.
Chronic insomnia can cause it.

Double check your bloods aren't in the lower ranges and are optimal rather than "fine".
Talk to your GP about help with insomnia and depression as both can be a sign of needing hrt. Write down, in bullet points, your symptoms and what action you would like eg different SSRI or try HRT or help with insomnia or recheck bloods and see if they are optimal (post here with results and lab ranges).

As someone who suffers from multiple causes of brain fog, it flipping sucks. It's almost feels like you are suffering from dementia at times 😕

Print out your post and take it to your GP.
There could be any number of physical reasons for your symptoms.

I watched some infuriating advice for women about GP appointments - write it down, and take a supportive person.

You've already written the basis of what you need - strip out the emotion/unnecessary bits and end it with - what tests can be done to find out what's going on? What needs to be ruled out?

OP this sounds really hard. Very difficult to advocate for yourself when your are suffering from limitations on memory and cognition. maybe you could just put your OP into an AI app and ask it to give you a checklist of things to ask the GP.
If you have any other physical symptoms don’t forget to mention those as well so they can start to narrow down the possibilities.

I had this. It was scary. Get your bloods checked. Mine was very low ferritin (iron stores) - improved with iron tablets which are cheaper to just pay for over the counter than get on prescription

Liver fibrosis can also cause some of these symptoms. I have advanced fibrosis and I get all these intermittently including brain fog.

The advice to write down your symptoms and take a support person with you to the GP is a good one. They can advocate if you lose the track of the conversation.

Thank you everyone. I'm sorry so many of you have struggled with this too. It helps that you're all saying the same thing and I realise I should have probably done this sooner. Some helpful advice here. I don't have a support person, but I will book an appointment and take a factual checklist, which is a good idea.

I'd also be very grateful for any advice anyone has on how you've coped at work. I've never encountered anyone in the workplace who seems as impaired as I feel, or even close, which adds to the spiralling anxiety over being useless and fear of getting fired. But they must be out there if others here have experienced the same. How do you hold down a job if you can barely sustain a conversation?

@LittleGreenDragons I so relate to your dementia point and feel relieved to hear someone else say this as it gives me hope that this isn't the case!

@SoupBrain I told my line manager and that I was seeing a doctor about it. Then updated when I had medication and said it will take several weeks but should start to improve. (It did)