Head.

[Fuzzyhead]

Anyone else's head always one of their main issues? When my head feels a bit clearer I feel loads better in general. Last few days my heads awful and it makes me really fatigued and feel off balance and foggy headed. I just feel so shattered x

 

[hangininthere]

Yes, my head is a main issue. My brain fog holds me back big-time.

On the rare occasion my body feels up to getting up and moving and getting something done, when my brain fog is extra bad, I still can't get up and get anything done. Hate when that happens.

My head is rarely relatively clear. My body rarely feels able to get up and move.

The natural antidepressant St. John's Wort capsules help me feel more clear-headed, and give my body more energy for a brief time before I'm laid out flat with Post Exertional Malaise, but it gives me side-effects - raises my high blood pressure and also makes me unable to sleep. So I'm usually too afraid to take it. I need it every day, though.

The St. John's Wort doesn't help though when I'm in a flare or having post-exertional malaise. Nothing works then but to rest and ride it out.

Patti

 

[hangininthere]

Yesterday I needed to do the weekly shopping, and had rested in bed all week like I need between weekly grocery shopping.

Well, my brain-fog was so bad I couldn't get it in gear to go.

I had even taken St. John's Wort for a few days prior, thinking it would surely get me up and going, but no dice this time. Real severe brain-fog holding me down.

Before shopping, I usually take two amino capsules right before I leave, to help me think better.

Yesterday, my brain-fog was so bad that I took four amino acid capsules that have added vitamin B-6 in them, and lo and behold it cleared up my thinking and I was able to shower, dress, and go for groceries.

I haven't been eating hardly any meat in the past year, even though I used to be a big meat eater, it doesn't taste good to me anymore.

I know meat contains essential amino acids. Protein.

So I'm going to take the high dose of amino acids on shopping day from now on. It worked within minutes.

Some of the amino acids in the capsules are an exitotoxin. Exitotoxins are supposed to be not so good for you. But on occasion I need my foggy brain revved up just to sharpen my thinking so that I can get something important done.

Patti

 

[Shoshana]

Sorry you are both having these issues. There are so many head issues. I struggle with many.


@hangininthere
I thought of suggesting to you, Patti, maybe take some b-vitamins, and are you getting some other proteins in your foods, such as any type of nuts or nutbutters, or any type of dairy products like yogurt or cheese, maybe eggs if you eat those. Seeds? Quinoa? Dried peas (split peas) or beans?

 

[hangininthere]

Thanks, Shoshana.

Once again, I had severe brain fog yesterday and today and couldn't put my words into writing to reply. Then just now took some amino acid capsules and a St. John's Wort and within minutes perked up and can think straight to put my thoughts into writing.

I must definitely have some nutritional deficits. My diabetes medicine, Metformin, is known for causing low B-12 vitamin. And the Nexium acid-blocker I live off of is known for causing low magnesium.

I get so tired of taking tons of pills and don't keep up with them as I should. Especially the B vitamins and magnesium now.

Thanks for the reminder. I better get crackin' on my nutrition.

Right now though, I think I'll keep on these amino acids full-time, instead of saving them for once a week shopping. And take my magnesium and B vitamins.

I have Depression and CFS. Hard to tell which is causing the brain fog. Mine lately must be from depression and under-nutrition, since the St. John's Wort and amino acids are helping.

A note on magnesium: Years ago I was stuck in a supplement-induced depression. I had taken one dose of Cat's Claw and immediately went into a depression that didn't go away after discontinuing the Cat's Claw after that one dose. (I had the same depression reaction from one of the artificial sweeteners decades ago, but the depression lifted immediately after discontinuing). Three months into the Cat's Claw induced depression, a member on my other CFS forum suggested I take a high dose of Magnesium for depression and it worked miraculously. Not only snapped me out of the depression, but improved my brain fog in the morning.

For years, I would wake up and lay there for a couple of hours in such a brain fog, unable to get up and move, just lay there for hours in a daze. After the high dose magnesium - I woke up alert and could get up right away (meaning I could pull myself up to recline on pillows and get on my computer in my bed like I do every morning). I took the high-dose magnesium for a year. That was several years ago, and I have still woken up alert every time - until recently. Gonna get back on the high dose magnesium again, along with B vitamins and amino acids.

I'm trying to think to tell you the foods I eat that you listed, but can't exactly remember. I eat cheese and drink glasses of milk and on cereal. I shouldn't drink milk because it spaces me out. Eggs don't taste good to me anymore, either.

All I can remember at the moment is I had a processed microwave dinner of chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy a few days ago. And one with chicken and rice and gravy last night. A turkey pot pie last week. Eat meatless spaghetti with two slices of Provolone melted on top. And ate a ton of BBQ chip chop ham sandwiches twice in the past month. And deli-made chef salads and Caesar salads with meats in them. But a lot of times I just have a big bowl of side dishes sans meat, such as stove-top stuffing and sweet potatoes and coleslaw or macaroni salad. I eat a lot of bananas.

Patti

 

[Shoshana]

HI Patti, good to hear from you and your feedback.

Sounds like you are doing some good things, and eating some good foods.

I think it would help IF you could lower the Nexium a bit, so you would be sure to have enough acid to break down proteins and dairy foods that you eat.
And IF you could just try to be sure to get some types of protein, more often, whichever kinds you can digest and that appeal to you. Even small amounts, a few times a day. Or a bit larger amounts, more, if you can.

Have you tried some vitamin d ? If we already mentioned that, sorry that I forgot.

 

[hangininthere]

Without the Nexium like clockwork, my throat burns unbearably, stomach acid coming up and choking me, that's why I started taking it. There's something bad going on with that, probably a stomach ulcer or hiatal hernia or both, but I'm too chicken to have a scope test down my throat. I just take garlic or Pau d' Arco for an antibiotic. Weird how even Nexium doesn't stop that stomach acid from forming. I know I'm playing with fire being on it continuously, but can't bear going without it. I'm not willing to stop my chain coffee drinking like I need to, etc.

Whenever I take a multi-vitamin it nauseates me and I quit, even the kind without iron. I'm sure I must be low on vitamin D, but it alone makes me feel sick all over too. I need to take a multi vitamin/mineral though, I should try again, since I've recently discovered that Pepto Bismol calms my nausea like magic. Would have to take the Pepto a couple of hours after the nausea so it wouldn't block the vitamins. I suspect I'm a slow-metabolizer, because most supplements and medications build up in me and make me feel sick all over. I have to pace most supplements.

I took digestive enzymes for a while a couple of years ago, before my acid reflux got severe. Then quit because some of them made my acid reflux burn worse. Since I'm now on Nexium, maybe I can take them again. I've got tons of bottles of everything.

I think I'll just start eating meats again, that's the easiest. I've had a hankering for some chicken paprikash all week, even though I know the chicken won't taste good to me. I'll just eat meat anyway, whether it tastes good or not.

Before this past year, I always ate a ton of meat every day, like three times a day because of trying to block the carbs from hitting so hard on my diabetes. I still had the brain fog just the same, though. But I'll get back on meat again. Will have a hamburg pattie today and daily that I have on hand for starters, til I go grocery shopping next. Getting back on meat will help my diabetes that has been running high because of all the carbs. I love these Max amino acids capsules, though. They are really filling the protein gap.

Thanks for your input, Shoshana. I know all about eating organic and healthy, but can't afford it and have to have instant foods loaded with cwap, which aren't good for man nor beast. I won't even feed my elderly cat I took in recently from my Mom the foods I eat for an added treat she would love, because she's never eaten people food and has lived longer because of it.

Very unfortunately, I chain-smoke - heavily addicted - so am poisoning myself terribly anyway, which contributes to my brain fog and acid reflux and fatigue immensely.

When I feel toxic sickly through and through and brain fog, I take a charcoal capsule to soak up the toxins and it revives me so I can rest in bed more comfortably.

Aspirin also helped my brain fog before. My brain and spinal cord feel inflamed like I've read about CFS. The aspirin calms the inflammation down and clears my head so I can rest more comfortably.

I always forget to take these supplemental helps regularly. Need to, though.

One of the supplements I can take every day with no problems is Kelp for iodine, for a sluggish thyroid level that can cause brain fog.

Patti

 

[Shoshana]

HI Patti,
I understand. A person cannot do all of the healthy things, or make a lot of changes. Maybe just a couple of small changes would help you do and feel a little better.

Like you said, maybe eating more meat would help you, with your particular situation.
And I understand about the Nexium and acid reflux, and pepto bismal, etc, that you spoke about.

I too have found the charcoal capsules very helpful at times.

I truly do not know much about the diabetes diet, but that is important , I know. To try to follow at least the most important part of it, whatever that is.

Those 2 things might be enough to try to do, for now.

By the way, I found vit d and a lot of vitamins and supplements too bad for my digestion as well.

The only vit d I ended up with, is a liquid dropper bottle of it. It is pretty expensive. I do take it anyway, because, myself, I know my vit d is very very low, and I cannot drink milk or go outdoors, so I don't get any. Vit d fights depression as well as helps with other health needs like calcium and bones. So I feel I really need it.

And also btw, I cannot digest those multivitamins either, and they always have some very cheap difficult-to-digest and difficult-for-the-body-to-use ingredients, so I don't really recommend those either.

I would just choose the individual ones that you think you need most. IF they are forms that do not upset your digestion more.

Just my ideas.

I send my caring and support, whatever you do or don't do.

 

[Shoshana]

BTW, I love the picture in your avatar. What is it from?

 

[hangininthere]

So glad for your caring and support and understanding, when you could've been openly disgusted with me for smoking and coffee and processed foods. You are a very kind person.

I just now had a hamburg pattie, which tasted good slathered in steak sauce. Am grocery shopping tomorrow and will get a bunch of whole meats.

Tell me what liquid Vitamin D you get and I'll try it.

I can't get any sun either, because of my 'mild' skin cancer (meaning not the deadly fast-spreading kind so far). Plus I'm bedridden and can't get outdoors anyway. Vitamin D is said to be good for preventing cancer, or in other words, lack of enough vitamin D can let cancer get a foothold. I just recently started drinking milk which usually has Vitamin D added, even though it bloats my abdomen way up and is loaded with natural sugar which is bad for my diabetes. I shouldn't drink much milk and usually don't. Love yogurt and cheese, though.

My avatar is a painting after the poem 'The Lady of Shalott'.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_of_Shalott_(painting)

It's a poem that a severe CFSer can really relate to concerning The Lady's isolation.

There are a couple of different versions, here's one:

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45359/the-lady-of-shalott-1832

 

[Shoshana]

Thanks for that nice reply, Patti.

The vit d I get is from designsforhealth.com

Like I said, it is expensive, but I will say it does last a pretty long time,
and I just feel it is important for me, personally....

and instead of taking multivitamins or cheap vitamins , with a lot of stuff I cannot digest, or tht do give me head pain and/or colon/stomach distress, and so they really don't help me.... instead of that, I find something I CAN tolerate, that I truly think is helpful, .... I prefer to buy one or a couple of items of high quality that I believe helps me, than numerous ones that I feel don't.

However, it IS expensive, and who knows if it will agree with you or not. Or if it is the most important for you.

And there might be something else, more important for you to prioritize for you, such as the protein. Or something that helps you directly with the diabetes or something.

Thank you for appreciating that I understand and feel supportive, and I choose to accept others, rather than criticize. We all have things that can be criticized, different ones, and most of us have had enough or too much criticism, for our imperfections or our differences. Or our problems, or our decisions.

That is a beautiful painting. I will look at those interesting links you gave.
Maybe I will remember the poem after I see it.

 

[Shoshana]

Extremely moving and beautiful, ....

and is truly a metaphor for our lives. Both the painting and the poem. Amazing.

Thank you for the sharing, Patti.
I am glad I asked about your avatar!


(If the original poster comes back, then again, i am sorry you are having these head problems, fuzzyhead, and I do apologize to fuzzyhead, for diverting this thread. It was not intentional, and sometimes an original poster does not return. It was posted back on dec 5th. SO that is one reason I let myself divert some, to/with, a more recent poster on the thread. When fuzzy did not reply to the post replies. But once again, I am sorry if I did divert the thread. Very much good sharing and info and ideas though, that we too have shared here)

 

[hangininthere]

Yes, some tips about brain fog in this thread. I might make a brief reply here of a recap of things that have helped me with brain fog, for quicker reading - or edit and add it to my first reply here for quick reference. Then if anyone interested reads further, they'll see the details.

Kelp pills
Charcoal capsules
Multi-Amino Acids capsules
Meat protein
Aspirin
Magnesium
B Vitamins
St. John's Wort capsules
Lithium Orotate pills

The over the counter lithium orotate helps sharpen me up usually. Nothing was working all the way recently, though, since I needed Amino Acids/Protein/Meat.


Is this the Vitamin D you get? At $26, it's close to the top of my doable price range which is about $30 for me, can do, thanks. That's about what I pay for a big bottle of high-dose B-Complex vitamins and a big bottle of Probiotics I took for a good while before recently switching back to just acidophilus which gives me the same good results at half the price). Will think it over whether to try the liquid D or not.

• Hi-Po Emulsi-D3™ 1 fl oz (30 mL)
• Product Size: 1 fl oz (30 mL)
• Servings Per Container: 1,000

 

[Shoshana]

I am not 100% certain if it is the same or not, mine does not say Hi-Po on it. Oh, maybe that means high potency and is ....higher potency.

Ok, I am not feeling too sharp, right now.

Mine says "Emulsi-D3 Synergy "
Mine is a 2 fl oz bottle, it has vit k with it, and the liquid base (called other ingredients) is vegetable glycerin, deionized water, vit E, olive oil, medium chain triglicerides.

 

[hangininthere]

Awwwww, thanks for checking yours. I know how much work that is with CFS fatigue and brain fog!

Patti

 

[hangininthere]

I found it, you're right - expensive. Gonna try again my cheap D3 capsules that made me feel sickly. I have so many tons of supplements here. Or maybe try a cheaper liquid if I see one on my regular site I buy from. Thanks again for checking!

Patti

 

[6666]

Anyone else's head always one of their main issues? When my head feels a bit clearer I feel loads better in general. Last few days my heads awful and it makes me really fatigued and feel off balance and foggy headed. I just feel so shattered x

Me too, exactly! Resting it is the only thing that really makes me feel better.