24 replies to this topic

[Newtoitall]

This is a question to those, who HAD memory issues, brain fog, ect. and have since Solved zed problems with a gluten free lifestyle, or... w.e it was that solved zed memory issues for you =D

Keep in mind, I'm looking to see if there is any..Stories of triumph not..depressing tales of ongoing struggles.
not that my heart doesn't go out to those people, it does, I just need to know if anyone's licked this xD

[Austin Guy]

When I get glutened my short-term memory is terrible. Very ADD-like. I can look at a phone number, turn away and not remember any part of it. I think of something I need downstairs and when I get down the stairs I have no idea why I'm there.

This is almost completely eliminated when off gluten.

[kareng]

This is a question to those, who HAD memory issues, brain fog, ect. and have since Solved zed problems with a gluten free lifestyle, or... w.e it was that solved zed memory issues for you =D

Keep in mind, I'm looking to see if there is any..Stories of triumph not..depressing tales of ongoing struggles.
not that my heart doesn't go out to those people, it does, I just need to know if anyone's licked this xD

Saw the part of the title about " read the other posts". I'm just dying to say, " but I forgot what they said!".

Thank you. I feel better now.

I was having a very hard time thinking, remembering, concentrating and finding the words I wanted. It has resolved gluten-free. I think a good portion of it for me, was the fact that I was very anemic. Oxygen wasn't getting to my brain. When I was able to absorb iron, etc, & the anemia resolved partway, I could think better.

I started " exercising" my brain. I played word games & other computer games. I started posting on the Psilly thread. I could write my thoughts and use various words when I wrote. Then I started talking to myself. That forced me to practice speaking. ( really, I'm talking to my dog if anyone notices).

I still forget the word I want. But, who doesn't occasionally? I have to remind myself that it's normal sometimes. Hope that was a hopeful story!

[IrishHeart]

My brain "on gluten" was nothing like my brain "off gluten". I was like a "stoner" before I was DXed. An anxious
vaseline-brained stoner. Gluten not only acts as a nuero-toxin, but malasorption creates multiple vitamin and mineral deficiencies and neurotransmitter disruption and so, once the body is RID of it and you ABSORB nutrients once more, you should
stabilize. (says here in the directions.....)

You want a happy story!....ok!
I am almost back to "normal"-- before "gluten head" appeared. I am just over 7 months gluten free and YES!! the brain fog and short term memory issues (and almost all the other brain issues I developed ) have resolved in time

I had this strange feeling like I was sleep- walking in my own life for over 2 years. I did things, but later wondered how I did them or looked back on things as if they were "unreal". I became sad, quiet, inarticulate, confused, easily frustrated... and felt "dark". I am normally a very happy, vivacious, chatty and super-organized person. I kept saying to my husband, I feel "surreal" and he would reassure me I was all right. (good thing he never doubted me--I am sure it sounded like I was a total whackjob ).


I would walk into the kitchen to make dinner and have to THINK about what the hell I was doing in there. It made me frustrated and I would actually burst into tears because I couldn't handle more than one pot on a burner on the stove. Forget doing the bills!!--that simple task took all of my concentration and I made mistakes all the time in the checkbook. If someone were giving me NEW information, I had to write it all down. And ask them to repeat it again.....it was so embarrassing, frustrating and frightening. I had vivid, scary dreams. My brain was working overtime all day/all night. I am the trivial pursuit queen in the family, so imagine my concern when I couldn't recall even simple things--like what I had done the day before!!!
I had trouble reading because I couldn't concentrate or retain what I had just read. This is my passion; I used to read 3 books at a time! I had trouble articulating and had to search for words (I was an English Prof. who spoke in front of large lecture halls without notes EVER ...and then, this happened to me. It made no sense! ) What the hell was going on??
Most of 2008-2010 is "smashed together"...
Often, I would have to hold on to my husband's sleeve when I went out in public because I felt "overwhelmed and scared" and I could not walk straight. (I have never been shy or afraid of anything in my whole life!)
I ruminated on topics over an over and did not know why.
It was nuts!
I made myself watch/read things that were humorous or made me THINK--so I would stay upbeat and sharp.It was not easy.
I tried to meditate--hahahaha! no way...
and worst of all....I had to stop driving for fear I could not react quickly enough. That really did me in.

When I started researching what was wrong with me, it was very difficult as I had to read things over and over again. I repeated myself while talking and in my writing....I KNEW I was doing it, yet couldn't seem to stop it.

I had MANY scary neurological issues I won't depress you with---but I will say this---THEY ARE NEARLY ALL GONE NOW!!!

I still have a hard time with all that "weirdness" as it seems like it's "compacted" time I lost somehow. That was the scariest sensation I ever dealt with in my life and I do not wish to ever experience it again. It's like being on LSD. Really.

I KNOW when I am accidentally glutened because the first thing that I notice is....I feel strange and "cloudy" in my head ....and I wonder oh no, who slipped me the drugs??

Hang in there!!! It GETS BETTER!!!
I just learned yesterday from follow up lab work that my B-12 and
folate and iron deficiency anemias are resolved --
Hooray-for ABSORBING ONCE MORE!!Welcome back, little villi

and with it, my brain function is returning....whew! (obviously...look how chatty I am again.. )

The rest of my symptoms...recovery is ongoing, but getting my BRAIN back is AWESOME!!!
Best wishes!

[GlutenFreeManna]

My memory had gotten to the point where I could not read a book. I would forget what I read as soon as I read it and get lost in the words if the sentence was too long. I couldn't look at an adresses or phone number and remember it for ten seconds even if I focused very hard. I didn't remember dates or even what day it was. There is about a 2 year window of my life in which I remmember very few things. I often burned things when I cooked because I would start a pan on the stove or put something in the oven, walk away and completely forget that I was cooking. Twice I left a pot of water boiling and it boiled dry so the pan was ruined. It's a miracle I never burned the house down. I frequently lost my keys and other things, I locked my keys in my car (once with it running) about 4 times in the course of one year and locked myself out of my home 3 times. It wasn't safe for me to drive (dr took away my license due to seizures) for about a year of the worst part of my illness otherwise I probably would have kept doing that.

Now my memory has improved to the point where I can read again. I still can't sit and read a book for a long time though. After abotu 15 minutes of sustained reading my mind is very tired. It's like I can feel my memory trying to rebuild itself. I keep practicing though and hope to get back to where I was one day. I was a straight-A student throughout high school and college who loved to read (considered majoring in English); losing that ability really hit me hard.

My husband has noticed a huge improvement in my memory too. I would forget things I saw very quickly--for example there was a new grocery store being built along the route to church. Every single Sunday for many weeks I commented to my husband, "Oh look they're building a new HT." He would then gently say to me, "Yes dear you pointed that out to me last week, don't you remember?" I didn't remember even seeing that grocery store, let alone pointing it out every week. He told me I often repeated stories to him as well. I don't do those types of things anymore. I remember when I see something new and don't mention it again. I know when I have told him something and don't need to re-hash the same story. With the exception of a few slips now and then I feel like my memory is almost back to what it should be for a 30-something.

[Skylark]

For me it was getting on the right amount of thyroid.

I had awful brain fog this spring, couldn't remember things, couldn't even do simple addition. (Like 12+8=20) I remember driving home from a concert and although I knew the route perfectly well, I suddenly had no idea how far I'd gone, or which of the 3 highways I was on along the way home. I couldn't remember which exits I had taken. Getting out the door for work was a nightmare. In the course of two weeks I forgot lunch, cell phone, wallet, laptop charger, and coffee in various interesting and challenging combinations. Not to mention my constantly lost car keys. About the only thing I didn't forget was my head and only because it's firmly attached.

Adding just a little more T3 hormone totally cleared out the fog in a matter of days.

[T.H.]

I had memory issues where I'd be driving and forget where I was or where I was supposed to be going, couldn't find words, etc...

I think the one thing that bothers me the most is that it was like my brain wasn't making memories. I've had this for over 20 years, and I just remember tiny pieces of it. I barely remember any of my children's infancy (although, ahem, that might have something to do with the lack of sleep, LOL). I was always fuzzy headed and had a hard time focusing and thinking. Depression too, actually.

All gone now, if I'm very, very good on my diet. Most of it turned out to be gluten, but some of the fuzzy headed thing turned out to be food allergies, too. I get no hives, I just feel like I have the flu and I want to crash, and have trouble thinking.

I cannot remember how long it took to resolve...which isn't surprising, eh? I think it was a couple months for it all to really disappear...once I'd figured everything out.

But it's one of the reasons that I can stay on the diet, really. I feel like I've suddenly regained myself, like I wasn't existing for all those years, really. And I don't want to lose that every again, you know?

[gabby]

True story (not one word of exaggeration):

Before going gluten-free, I was known as the queen of lists. I made lists of things I needed to remember and carried these lists and consulted them all the time. If something wasn't written down on one of my lists, then it got forgotten.

After going completely gluten-free, my memory improved so much that now, one of my many nick-names is 'elephant brain.' Honestly. I've got a super-sharp memory. Unless I get glutened, in which case it feels like my brain is filled with cotton, and I can't remember my own phone number. It takes a good 3-4 days for the brain fog to lift after a glutening. Then I go right back to elephant brain.

[Austin Guy]

True story (not one word of exaggeration):

Before going gluten-free, I was known as the queen of lists. I made lists of things I needed to remember and carried these lists and consulted them all the time. If something wasn't written down on one of my lists, then it got forgotten.

After going completely gluten-free, my memory improved so much that now, one of my many nick-names is 'elephant brain.' Honestly. I've got a super-sharp memory. Unless I get glutened, in which case it feels like my brain is filled with cotton, and I can't remember my own phone number. It takes a good 3-4 days for the brain fog to lift after a glutening. Then I go right back to elephant brain.

I hear you about lists. I had lists all over the place and even a master list for my lists. My wife gave me a notepad one Christmas with a drawing of Santa on it and the quote on it was: "I made a list, checked it twice and forgot it!"

[melikamaui]

I was another list maker. My husband has teased me about it for 20 years. Now I find I don't need them anymore. However, I will say that dairy and sugar also act like gluten for me. I get foggy and forgetful when I have any of my "toxic three" as I like to call them.

Does anyone know where the memory portion of the brain is?

[Skylark]

Does anyone know where the memory portion of the brain is?

Hippocampus, mostly. Amygdala and striatum may also be involved but it's less clear.

[Bowilove]

Wow. I am still in the process of figuring out whether I have celiac, but I totally relate to the memory loss or brain fog. I am only 27, but recently my memory has been so bad that I was starting to think I may be getting alzhiemers. I make lists for each day, can't remember things even when it's important info that at the time I KNOW I will need to remember it later. I didnt know bad memory was part of celiac. Now I have one more of the symptoms to add to the list.

[cougie23]

Wow...can definatly relate to all of the above! was so bad...I was stuttering! couldn't recognise streets in the town I've lived in all my life!...forget what I was saying or what was said as it was spoken! yikes!...but Most of its better...still finding OTHER culprets though...you guys know the deal!(for you newbies...beware Dairy,soy,nightshades...not everyone mind you...but alot of us have problems with those..for others its corn..sugar..frutose.) LOL! but it is getting better! I agree you have to get passed the malnoutrishon part though! I'm still severely calcium defeicent and vitemen D as well...causing joint and mucsle spasms muscle ticks,bone pain.but things are allways getting better!(the problem with malabsorption is you can take truck loads of vitemens but only absorb alittle...I think my gluten/dairy/soy free vitemen D's are making me ITCH!...just can't win!LOL!) But I don't lose my keys HALF as much...and I can compleate my sentences...LOL!THE FOG IS LIFTING! Hang in there NEWBIES!IT DOES GET BETTER!

[Newtoitall]

Wow...can definatly relate to all of the above! was so bad...I was stuttering! couldn't recognise streets in the town I've lived in all my life!...forget what I was saying or what was said as it was spoken! yikes!...but Most of its better...still finding OTHER culprets though...you guys know the deal!(for you newbies...beware Dairy,soy,nightshades...not everyone mind you...but alot of us have problems with those..for others its corn..sugar..frutose.) LOL! but it is getting better! I agree you have to get passed the malnoutrishon part though! I'm still severely calcium defeicent and vitemen D as well...causing joint and mucsle spasms muscle ticks,bone pain.but things are allways getting better!(the problem with malabsorption is you can take truck loads of vitemens but only absorb alittle...I think my gluten/dairy/soy free vitemen D's are making me ITCH!...just can't win!LOL!) But I don't lose my keys HALF as much...and I can compleate my sentences...LOL!THE FOG IS LIFTING! Hang in there NEWBIES!IT DOES GET BETTER!

Oh noez lol not the sugar and dairy :'o I have these vicious addict like cravings for those, I was worried it was candidia for the longest time but then I told myself to stop being silly and admit I was just refusing to give them up...still haven't perhaps I should o.o but then.. I'm left with so little xD

[cougie23]

Oh noez lol not the sugar and dairy :'o I have these vicious addict like cravings for those, I was worried it was candidia for the longest time but then I told myself to stop being silly and admit I was just refusing to give them up...still haven't perhaps I should o.o but then.. I'm left with so little xD

You have alot...you just have to explore new ways of getting it!...check out our FOOD thread...lots of healthy ideas there..lots of ALTERNITIVES! LOL! You can still have sweets just less refined! your body will get used to it after a while...the cravings will die down! Also...you may not have problems with alot of these things...but it is just a sugestion of what OTHERS have problems with! might not affect you..but it does give you an Idea if glutenfree doesn't seem to be enough!start by checking out the threads on NIGHTSHADES..our most commonfood sensitivity next to gluten!
Try eliminating one at a time...see what happens how you feel! Or like I did...pay attention to how you feel after you ate it...like potatoes...or Tomatoes(marinara,tomatoesauce)...Peppers,eggplant(makes me vomit now...didn't use to!)I'd get a horrible stomacheache and bloating...so now Idon't eat it and feelbetter! I substitute sweet potatoes( in stirfry, frenchfrys..ect.)and it worksfine...I actually like them better,sweeter less dry!Now that I'm more healed I seem to bedoing better with salsa and raw tomatoes...still havn't worked the nerve up to try marinara...I had extreamly paifull experience last time! But you get the Idea!Checkout the "other" food sensitivities thread...good place to start! Don't worry...besides Gluten...alot of sensetivities change as we heal...some don't...but Everyone is different...different symptoms...different sensetivities!Just Hang in there and get better!LOL! One day at a time!