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Why does inositol make my brain fog worse?

necessary8

Senior Member
Messages
134
I've been taking 1-2g of inositol for sleep each night, for which it works very well, and 100-400mg during the day for anxiety and low mood, for which it also works remarkably well.

But it makes my brain fog way worse. It makes me crash much easier from mental activity.

Does anyone know why? Is it some deficiency? Can I fix it somehow? I really don't want to give it up, cause it helps me a lot. But I want my cognitive function back.
 

Lolinda

J'aime nager dans le froid style Wim Hof.. 🏊‍♀️🙃
Messages
420
Location
Geneva, Switzerland
60% of supplemental choline is consumed by gut bugs even in healthy people. I do not have data on inositol, but it wont be better. Now, there are doctors (e.g. Prof Meirleir) who cure a part of the CFS patients by eradicating bad bugs in the gut (and some of these didnt know they have gut probs!). So from here on it is IMO no good idea to take such things orally. I did that long time ago and noticed always improvements at first, then deterioration after a while (incl brain fog).
All people are different, but for me the big difference is taking things transdermally or orally. Taking supplements orally isnt a good idea because bugs are superb at consuming isolated / processed nutrients (and not so good at consuming real food, which btw gets decomposed into elementary nutrients often only in the very last momont before resorption, think brush border enzymes).
My gut is unfortunately so sick, that even real food containing the inositol, choline, etc wont work, though damage is slower than from oral supplements. But transdermal works: Zero brain fog, only benefits. Here my first successful transdermal lecithin self-treatment. But its a hassle as granules do not resolve well. A more simple thing I found out meanwhile: distribute a teaspoon of NOW sunflower lecithin powder on skin (e.g. a thigh when sitting) and rub it in with "magnesium oil" (Mg-Cl bath crystals resolved in water. The Mg-Cl helps resorption, because it dilates skin blood vessels, the water resolves the lecithin. Buy a good quality cleaned Mg-Cl bath salt, otherwise it will eat your skin... :eek: )
And yes, there you have also choline included, let that combo be extra beneficial or not, I need both. :)
 
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Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,385
Location
Southern California
@Daffodil - Interesting link! I've been taking non-GMO soy lecithin for several years, it noticeably helped my memory when I first started it, and I think is still helping. I have been taking inositol at night for a few years for sleep, and it definitely helps, though I don't take it during the day.

I don't have brain fog, the inositol has not caused me any mental impairment. I take 2 to 3 grams at night. So now I'm wondering if perhaps the lecithin, which is high in choline, and which I was taking before I started the inositol, has helped in this regard.

@necessary8, I recommend you read @Daffodil's link and consider taking lecithin. This is what I take, I take 2 softgels a day: https://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-premium-lecithin-non-gmo-1200-mg-180-sgels