Newbie Thoughts on Brain Fog

[DLTooley]

I’m a newbie to this group, but have had some success with self management and been engaged with the ME Global page for maybe 9 months.

I have had my best success clearing brain fog and am hopeful this will help with my fatigue and PEM issues.
My theory is that you can manage to reduce brain fog as you can pace to reduce PEM. My theory is that the mechanism of this is that conscious brain fog is caused by the same thing as dysautonomia.
The two supplements that have helped the most have been the mushrooms cordyceps and lions mane. I’ve also gone to a diet very heavy on organic produce.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

The two supplements that have helped the most have been the mushrooms cordyceps and lions mane. I’ve also gone to a diet very heavy on organic produce.

How are you deploying the mushrooms?

I just spent days recovering from the mistake of eating a bit of uncooked red pepper.

How long have you been dealing with your Brain Fog?

 

[DLTooley]

How are you deploying the mushrooms?

I just spent days recovering from the mistake of eating a bit of uncooked red pepper.

How long have you been dealing with your Brain Fog?

Is it ok to mention doses on this forum? Cordyceps is mildly stimulating so I do that mornings. I do lion’s mane twice a day. Both are low doses. I purchase bulk from a known good supplier.

My onset was 2013, so 8 years. I’ve been doing cordyceps for two years and the Lion’s Mane going on one.
Biggest mistake I’ve made recently was elderberry, it’s an immune system stimulant so, at least for me, was having negative effects as well as positive.
I do love my veggies.

 

[Mary]

Is it ok to mention doses on this forum?

It's fine to do this, as long as you're just saying what you would do, or that you've read that such and so is a good dose. The only time an issue arises is if you tell someone else what they should do - we can't do that, as we are all different!

 

[Rufous McKinney]

My onset was 2013, so 8 years. I’ve been doing cordyceps for two years and the Lion’s Mane going on one.
Biggest mistake I’ve made recently was elderberry, it’s an immune system stimulant so, at least for me, was having negative effects as well as positive.

Ah, elderberry syrup is in the fridge for a cough event, but i too was nervous about using it on an ongoing basis.

so aren't many of these mushrooms also, in theory, immunestimulating? Or do you feel they operate more like adaptogens (they make the needed adjustments).

***
My husband operates a local Supplement Cornucopia. He's got a real addiction to all supplements. He doens't eat much in the dept of real food.

So he just pulled Performance Mushrooms packaage- out of his massive stash and handed it to me.

The concern: this is a dehydrated powdered mix of 4 mushrooms (Laird's Superfood, around $16.00/ 3.17 oz).

So its CHaga, Cordyceps, Lions mane and Maitaki. The latter is described as Strengthens Immune function.

Thinking- I should not take this because of the maitaki.

 

[DLTooley]

Ah, elderberry syrup is in the fridge for a cough event, but i too was nervous about using it on an ongoing basis.

so aren't many of these mushrooms also, in theory, immunestimulating? Or do you feel they operate more like adaptogens (they make the needed adjustments).

***
My husband operates a local Supplement Cornucopia. He's got a real addiction to all supplements. He doens't eat much in the dept of real food.

So he just pulled Performance Mushrooms packaage- out of his massive stash and handed it to me.

The concern: this is a dehydrated powdered mix of 4 mushrooms (Laird's Superfood, around $16.00/ 3.17 oz).

So its CHaga, Cordyceps, Lions mane and Maitaki. The latter is described as Strengthens Immune function.

Thinking- I should not take this because of the maitaki.

What I read about Elderberry was that it helps to prevent infections, but the immune stimulation is not good when you are sick.
I’ve been very sick twice in the last few years. I know I was taking elderberry during the second, I don’t remember on the first. I was also having lots of mild respiratory symptoms. Those eased up when I stopped.
I’m not comfortable classifying mushrooms. I do half a teaspoon of the cordyceps once, in the morning, and half a teaspoon of the lions mane twice. I use KOS brand bulk. I prefer individual supplements over the mixes as I can dial in the dose.
Ashwaghanda is an adatogen I do. It is stimulating, but it also puts you to sleep. I can only tolerate 1/4 teaspoon without being wired the next day. It tastes awful.

 

[DLTooley]

Is it ok to mention doses on this forum? Cordyceps is mildly stimulating so I do that mornings. I do lion’s mane twice a day. Both are low doses. I purchase bulk from a known good supplier.

My onset was 2013, so 8 years. I’ve been doing cordyceps for two years and the Lion’s Mane going on one.
Biggest mistake I’ve made recently was elderberry, it’s an immune system stimulant so, at least for me, was having negative effects as well as positive.
I do love my veggies.

I just spent days recovering from the mistake of eating a bit of uncooked red pepper.

That might be the pesticides on the pepper, not the pepper itself.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

not the pepper itself.

It was organic. I only buy organic red peppers.

No its: raw vegetables are a problem for my digestion.

My health improved alot, upon decided to cease eating salads. The more salads I don't eat, the better I feel.

 

[DLTooley]

This disease is so strange. Salads are my diet summer, but I’m trying to eat more seasonally.
Big honking salad with a little bit of meat or tempeh and a quarter cup of nuts co roasted with a healthy oil dressing. I’m in bodily nirvana.

 

[Emmarose47]

I'm not sure I get brain fog which is weird because people talk about it a lot and I'm heavy with all the other CFS symptoms ...
Im fine using pc , reading etc ...I'd even go so far to say as I'm better at retaining things than I was before housebound ..
I'm not complaining or being ungrateful I just somehow think I should have it ..
I did start hrt and this has helped a lot ..mi did have lot brain fog before

 

[Sledgehammer]

I used to have such an excellent memory, now I can even remember what was said 5 minutes ago.
For me and others this must be very frustrating. I put it down to sleep depravation that comes with this illness.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

I did start hrt and this has helped a lot ..mi did have lot brain fog before

May brain fog not be a big deal for you. Make it So.

Mine is rather lousy now, but wasn;t for a very long time, so thats nice.

All this mental stuff is really strange. I have a type of memory for the long ago that many many don't have. For whatever reason, my older brother literally has almost no memory of our childhood, and so baby sister just tells stories around him, and he gets so mad. Hence I was sure I was supposed to write memoirs

I have a high level for facial recognition, which is why I was particularly able to be a biologist. A type of one. I could ID thousands of species of this or that, and simply remember it all, and don't ask why..

so even today, I can, for instance, spend most of the day not being able to remember the movie last nite. (the last time this occurred, the reason I could not recall was the movie was SO very bad, it had nothing memorable in it whatsoever, I then recalled at 6:09 PM 24 hours later.)

And my husband, older, cant remember so many of the names and specifics so I fill all that in. I remember all that still. I recognize all the actors, actresses, lecture on the last five things we saw them in . Husband ???

Yet- it just abruptly arrests, in my case. And it seems more tied to concentrating. STaying on a topic Seeing it thru,getting to the end of the paragraph.

I often don't make it to the end of the paragraph, energetically. Puff.

So something about HOLDING all that together- energetically at times I think...it puffs.

But of course this is likely neurological, inflammatory, etceteras