Brain Fog Recovery.

[Estes]

On 4/21/2014 at 9:12 AM, jpt2014 said:

Just thought I'd update for anyone else searching on this topic who may see this post.

 

In my 8th month gluten-free and enjoying the continued settled stomach, will stick with it.

 

Still have brain fog and phlegm, but still hopeful it will lift in time.

 

Seen head and ENT doctors, had all manner of head scans and blood tests. Nothing abnormal found.

 

For the past 7 days I've tried an elimination diet, just veg (not potatos, tomato), fruit (not citrus), rice, sea salt and oil.

It is very boring.

Felt worse for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th day, just back to normal fog/phlegm levels now.

I'm sticking with it to see what happens.

The fog came on slowly so I expect it'll be slow to go.

 

Good luck to anyone else who's having issues, especially the above people who posted.

I say cut the rice.  Seeet potatoes are ok.  Look at the AIP food lists.

[Peaceflower]

3 hours ago, Estes said:

I say cut the rice.  Seeet potatoes are ok.  Look at the AIP food lists.

Rice can have a similar effect to gluten on your brain, with the gluten like starch.  Sweet potato is a complex food like potatoes so although I don't strictly rule it out, some people would still have a problem with it... nothing to do with the AIP food list.

[NightSky]

This is the diet I have been on! It got rid of the horrendous brain fog. I do not eat anything processed. I cook everything from scratch and have a gluten-free home. My health has improved ten fold and I had the diet assessed by a medical professional and it's nutritionally complete. The research I found suggests there is a range of reactivity with some reacting to smaller amounts of gluten than others so a grain-free diet in particular can benefit some who are still symptomatic on a standard gluten free diet. It was an adjustment to begin with but so happy I stuck with it.

[Scuff]

Perhaps try a whole foods elimination diet? I felt amazing after 8 wks on Whole30. Brain fog is back now, though, as I'm back on gluten for testing. 

[Margarita]

On 10/9/2013 at 4:19 AM, greenbeanie said:

Welcome!

 

My brain fog took a good three months to improve. My long-standing diarrhea, night sweats, and insomnia improved within days of going gluten-free, but impaired memory and coordination difficulties actually seemed to get slightly worse before they got better. Then I suddenly realized one day that I hadn't walked into any door frames or forgotten what I was doing in quite a while. It was great!

 

I have celiac in the family but no clear diagnosis myself, so I can't say definitively that my neurological problems were due to gluten. However, I was hospitalized for ataxia in the past, and doctors never found an explanation then. All of my previous memory and balance problems are slowly but steadily improving now, after almost four months gluten free. I have been completely strict, with a gluten-free household (celiac daughter), no restaurant food except occasional Chipotle salads, and almost everything cooked from scratch at home. I definitely do not feel like my brain fog is gone or my memory is normal, but it's improved enough that I can carry on a normal conversation without forgetting what I was saying in the middle (unlike before). The neurological improvements seem to parallel improvements in rashes I've had for 30 years - that is to say, much slower than improvements in the digestive symptoms, but more or less steady improvements at this point.

 

My advice is to stick with it for at least a few months, even if you see no obvious improvement in the brain fog at first. Hopefully the brain fog will lift soon. Good luck!

I find all your comments to be informative, relatable and encouraging. Right now I'm in a bad place with brain fog, ataxia, aches, and all that jazz and even though I've been gluten free I still get reactions and I feel I'm not getting much better. Reading your comments gives me some hope.

[1desperateladysaved]

Allergies were a big part of brain fog for me.  Now I eat to cater to them based on what Teri Cochrane nutritionist in Reston, Virginia has recommended.  IF you have a bunch of phlegm; that would make me think you may have allergies as well.  You might read Teri Cochrane's Wildetarian cookbook or take her online quiz to see if you have problems with certain families of foods.  (sulfur, fats, proteins)  Teri called this list the three biggies and I had to cope with all of them!  I haven't been on much, but was called in when someone posted on this thread.

Another suggestion that I have is to look up Draining lymph on YouTube.  Lymphatics for Life Dry Brushing Made Easy.  First I pump near my neck and then I feel movement in my throat.  As I brush my head, ears and neck I feel lymph draining through my throat.  I never knew I had a lymph system but when I started working on it I feel better and better.  Lymph system is pretty much the garbage disposal of the body and living with garbage isn't good!

 

Dee

[Margarita]

33 minutes ago, 1desperateladysaved said:

Allergies were a big part of brain fog for me.  Now I eat to cater to them based on what Teri Cochrane nutritionist in Reston, Virginia has recommended.  IF you have a bunch of phlegm; that would make me think you may have allergies as well.  You might read Teri Cochrane's Wildetarian cookbook or take her online quiz to see if you have problems with certain families of foods.  (sulfur, fats, proteins)  Teri called this list the three biggies and I had to cope with all of them!  I haven't been on much, but was called in when someone posted on this thread.

Another suggestion that I have is to look up Draining lymph on YouTube.  Lymphatics for Life Dry Brushing Made Easy.  First I pump near my neck and then I feel movement in my throat.  As I brush my head, ears and neck I feel lymph draining through my throat.  I never knew I had a lymph system but when I started working on it I feel better and better.  Lymph system is pretty much the garbage disposal of the body and living with garbage isn't good!

 

Dee

Me clearing the phlegm in my throat casually reading your comment like O-0

[TrishaRabbit]

On 10/8/2013 at 3:11 PM, jpt2014 said:

Hi all,

Does anyone suffer with brain fog?

If so how long did it take to go after you ceased eating gluten?

 

I have had brain fog for a long time now, pretty much solid for the last 3 years.

I am desperate to get rid of it.

I've tried all sorts to shift it and recently read about the links to gluten intolerence.

 

For 5 weeks so far I have been gluten free.

After 2 days my unpredictable stomach issues (gas, bloating, loose output etc) which I thought were just the way I am have cleared up completely and I now have a near perfect stomach for the first time I can remember.

The change here has been incredible and it's great but it is the fog I am desperate to clear.

 

After 5 weeks I have seen no change at all in my levels of brain fog.

Has anyone had any experience of this or can offer any advice.

Thanks all,

SD

 

 

Since it is winter time i find that low vitamin D levels affect my brain fog too...try a good multivitamin or D3 supplement and drink enough water. 

[trents]

Hi, Trisha.

Just wanted to make you aware you are responding to a post that was made in 2013. I doubt if the OP is actively following this thread.

[Ucat]

Sounds like you may have to try a very strict clean diet to make sure the brain fog goes away and then add a few foods at a time to see what brings it back... My brain only ever felt normal on a raw food diet and a raw juice fast; but it also felt better (not as good) on a strict diet of fresh fruit, fish, raw vegetables, some nuts and seeds, eggs and tofu.

You may have to look at the bigger picture too: If you have a lot of stress in your life, environmental allergens, not enough fresh air/ daylight/ exercise/ downtime, etc. - they all may play a role. You may have a 'movement deficiency'! Ferritin levels (deficiency in iron storage) also may be an issue, etc. Do you have enough relaxed times/ laughter in your life, etc. Think back to any times when you didn't feel brain fog and what was different then (just being younger doesn't count as many health issues (incl. celiac gene) can get triggered at certain age).

I can do many things to make me feel better, and the more I do (from the list of things that work) the better I feel. But, the only thing that made a huge difference to how my brain felt was the raw food diet and/or the raw juice fasts. Worth a try, just to see if you can feel better. But even then you have to be careful not to include processed foods like agave syrup, or raw dairy, foods including gluten, etc. 

I'm just suggesting this extreme option so that you can feel better, narrow down the list of culprits, and then you can add foods in and see how they affect you.

[1desperateladysaved]

Not sure if anyone mentioned this, but I get sinus pressure in my forhead (with viruses) and that does return me to the fog.