Anyone have brain fog as their ONLY symptom?

[ABlueTurducken]

I have what I believe is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I've had all the relevant blood work and testing done, and nothing significant ever shows up. I just recently was seen by a PA at the Stanford Chronic Fatigue clinic and she didn't really know what to say when I said that my only symptom seems to be brain fog. What I mean by that is, if I force myself to exercise, my body can perform, and additionally, I actually seem to feel better after exercise. However, on a day-to-day basis, I feel exhausted even with treated sleep apnea and plenty of sleep. Does anyone else out there experience this? If so, have you sought treatment? What worked? What didn't? For those of you that don't experience this, your opinions are welcome as well. Thanks!

 

[Firefly_]

Sounds like a horse of a different color to me, er umm, looks? You'll get much more articulate responses than mine from other members but in my opinion FWIW I'd say keep looking cause that's not very normal in this population.

I can't "force" myself to perform exercise and anything I do over my energy envelope (cooking, shopping, etc) leaves me like a limp dishrag with a trip to the bathroom like climbing a mountain. Honestly, root for it to be almost anything but CFS!

 

[roller]

5 years back i would have said the same.
i just need to get rid of that brainfog. then life will be easier and i can do things and i can work and all is not so exhausting anymore.

of course there was an avalanche of other stuff, like pain, tiredness, skin, nausea etc.
but this was not important. i can deal with this.
im a really tough cookie.
our perception may get into the way of finding the cause.

if your body is messed up, then your brain is.
that is the way/direction things work.

but i also have these extreme 'cycles', as you may have too.
this seems in contrary to many here, that report sort of a 'static' disease/symptoms.

 

[JES]

Brain fog, along with anxiety, was one of my first CFS symptoms. I think you have much better hope of treating brain fog rather than full blown CFS that many of us here have. The anti-inflammatory approach documented by Hip in this thread has helped many, as have the methylation protocols mentioned in various threads. Finding the right treatment can take long, but the less sick you are, the better hope you have of improving.

 

[wdb]

Anyone who has brain fog as their ONLY symptom would almost certainly not meet the diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS.

PEM is usually considered the most important symptom to differentiate ME/CFS from the multitude of other conditions that can cause severe long term fatigue.

Post-Exertional Malaise: There is an inappropriate loss of physical and mental stamina, rapid muscular and cognitive fatigability, post exertional malaise and/or fatigue and/or pain and a tendency for other associated symptoms within the patient's cluster ofsymptomsto worsen. There is a pathologically slow recovery period–usually 24 hours or longer.

 

[strophy]

Hi, there. My symptom is exactly like yours. (which is also the only one) I am free of any physical and psychiatric symptoms.

I have never considered myself as an CFS patient, but the coping strategy is somewhat similar so that's why I come to this forum regularly.

How serious is your symptom and what is your activity level? It's very bad in my case and I struggle everyday. I have no job and not even dare to have one, even it's a part-time. I've been like this for 8 years and there was once serious worsening of the symptom.

As far as I know, post-mtbi fatigue is very similar to what we have. You may want to search about it. But I have no history of concussion. My triggers were extraordinary ones. I wonder what was your trigger.

 

[ABlueTurducken]

Does this sound like an intestinal overgrowth of Candida to anyone? I've been doing some reading about it and brain fog/mental fatigue is one of the major symptoms...