Brain fog - OK or something else?

[Twoboos]

So for a while now, I've been having brain fog. Especially not being able to remember simple words. Ex: Last night I was trying to say "laundry basket" and it wouldn't come to me. I could picture one in my mind. I was holding my hands out as if I was holding one. I finally ended up saying "washing basket" and then changed over to laundry basket. DH was stunned. I can describe the thing, picture it, know where it is in my house, can think of a word that's close (ex: I could come up with onion and scallion but couldn't get to shallot) and yet can't think of the actual word. This probably happens a few times a week? I haven't really been keeping track, maybe I should.

DH thinks this is the start Alzheimer's. (My grandfather had it.) He is panicked and insisting I see the Dr and get a referral to a neurologist. I feel like she's not going to refer me and tell me to take a vitamin, exercise and get some more sleep.

Overall I usually feel crappy/tired/cranky, but all my bloodwork comes back fine (even thyroid ;)). A couple of years ago I lost a lot of weight by doing nothing at all (don't hate me!!), and I had a lot of hairloss. I never found out why that happened.

Honestly I probably do need some sleep, but who doesn't. I get about 6-7hrs, but typically with frequent wakings by DH who can have insomnia.

So, what do you think?

[egoldber]

I think you're exhausted and need more sleep. For most people, 6-7 hours is simply not enough, not to mention this is a time of year when people are typically doing more than ever AND it's dark so early and you feel even sleepier than usual.

[niccig]

More sleep.

I do have thyroid problems and I get the brain fog when it's off, but I also get bone weary tiredness even after slept 9+ hours.

Try sleep and see if that helps.

[wendibird22]

Hmm...unexplained weight loss, fatigue, crankiness, hair loss, and brain fog are all symptoms of gluten intolerance and celiac. I didn't have the unexplained weight loss (darn it!) but I had all the others and then some before going GF.

[Globetrotter]

Well, it's a good thing you had your thyroid checked before reporting here :rotflmao:

Just fyi, I was told my thyroid levels were "normal" despite having several symptoms, but it turned out I had undiagnosed thyroid disease. The new normal is different so now an informed doc will treat the symptoms, not the numbers.

I do agree that sleep is VERY important. I have similar brain fog when I am sleep-deprived but it has gotten better since starting my thyroid meds. In my case, it's more of a general fuzzy memory, opening a new email and forgetting the reason for it, forgetting names, etc.. which could also be age related.

Since you have had other unexplained symptoms in the past, I would continue to push for an explanation (not necessarily thyroid, of course!).

See if sleep helps and go from there.

[brittone2]

As someone who trends toward the insulin resistant end of the spectrum (although never officially diagnosed that way, my insulin response is not normal, and I have PCOS, so yeah, on that continuum for sure), I get brain fog after eating more carbs. It is one reason I don't! I know it can also be a celiac sign like a PP said, but then I often wonder how many insulin resistance and celiac issues are intertwined (i.e. someone has celiac but is also IR (since neither condition is rare), and therefore sees additional benefits when they cut out gluten or reduce overall carb consumption).

Any metabolic syndrome types of diagnoses in your family? eta: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/ms/ There's also evidence that blood sugar, diabetes, insulin resistance, etc. can impact the likelihood of Alzheimer's, so having a family history of that would make me look at blood sugar/insulin resistance stuff a bit (not meaning that you have Alzheimer's or dementia, but it is possible to be someone with insulin resistance and so forth with that type of family history). Oh, and FWIW, fasting blood sugar, etc. is often not adequate to diagnose insulin resistance. And you don't have to be overweight to have it (lots of thin women have pcos and or IR). Obviously not trying to diagnose you by any means, just trying to give you things to run by your care providers.
http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/03/insulin/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22329651
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23069842
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20837822

It could definitely be lack of sleep too. If it is a sudden change, I'd watch more carefully though, especially if your DH is finding this is not typical for you. Is the change in sleep a recent thing, or have you always functioned on 6-7 hrs but now are noticing it affecting your word finding ability?

[wellyes]

Hmm...unexplained weight loss, fatigue, crankiness, hair loss, and brain fog are all symptoms of gluten intolerance and celiac. I didn't have the unexplained weight loss (darn it!) but I had all the others and then some before going GF.
:yeahthat:
DH has gluten intolerance and a few other digestive issues that presents as brain fog. He had those symptoms plus bloating and painful joints.