Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Brain Fog Please Begone

Serielda

By Serielda
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

Serielda Enthusiast
Serielda
Posted

As of the past week or so, I have noticed some issues with brain fog. Granted I am still very new, and still healing however the brain fog can be very annoying. Does anyone know of any mental exercises or such to help improve clarity when I am dealing with that. I have toyed with the idea of using some puzzle apps to see if that helps. Thanks again for ideas and input.

 

Serielda

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

Ah yes....the dreaded brain fog (or...as we like to call it   "brain FROGS"in honor of a sweet girl who once made a typo in a PM to me ) When I gently pointed out the beauty of her typo and why it was funny, she laughed her head off. Thus, Brain Frogs were born. ^_^ 

 

Hon,

You will experience many things as you start you gluten-free life. The healing path is winding, weird and fraught with "oh man....what is this now?"

Don't let it get you down okay? my motto is "Every day is a healing day."

 

Are you taking a good G F multivitamin? probiotics? drinking lots of water? Did you have your B-12 and folate levels checked? low levels of those can be associated with some fuzzy thinking 

 

You can always benefit from keeping your brain challenged of course, but do not fear that it is permanent. One of the most frightening

symptoms I had was impaired cognitive skills. It seemed surreal, truth be told. But, it all reversed in time.

 

Hang in there! You're going to be okay.

GottaSki Mentor
GottaSki
Posted

Welcome Serielda!

 

The dreaded Brain Frogs....I have a very close relationship with these little guys ;)

 

Good news is mine visit much less often these days :D

 

Listen Irish...she tells it like it is.  Early days are not a time to let the brainfog get you down...I know it's hard, but focusing on it can make it worse.  Use your energies to find new recipes or take a walk outside -- both will help you feel better -- and yes it simply takes time.

 

If you haven't seen it, perhaps stroll over to the Dinner Thread -- we like to chit chat like we are sitting around each others kitchens while sharing what we eat:

 

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/75238-the-whats-for-dinner-tonight-chat/page-567#entry920718

 

Or if you are felling down...stroll over to the Silly Thread -- we all go there when we need a laugh or two to lighten our day:

 

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/98288-the-funny-pages-tickle-me-elbow-the-sequel/?p=920576

 

Hang in there -- it gets much better :)

Serielda Enthusiast
Serielda
Posted
  • Author

Thank you IrishHeart,

Yes I do take vitamins, I alternate day to day Rainbow lights woman's one, and B complex. As a Vegan, I am very vigilant on the importance of vitamins.  The womans one is gluten-free,  and has a probiotic matrix, and the B Complex is also gluten-free. As for a probiotc drink I usually will drink KeVita's coconut Mojito as it has also Blue Ocean minerals to it as well as the probiotic.  Also I do drink a lot of water. Also I have cut my  caffeine way down as well.

 

Thank you for the encouraging words, as  this seems overwhelming at times. My  husband has been very supportive as in removing gluten from his diet due to fears of cc.

 

 

Ah yes....the dreaded brain fog (or...as we like to call it   "brain FROGS"in honor of a sweet girl who once made a typo in a PM to me ) When I gently pointed out the beauty of her typo and why it was funny, she laughed her head off. Thus, Brain Frogs were born. ^_^ 

 

Hon,

You will experience many things as you start you gluten-free life. The healing path is winding, weird and fraught with "oh man....what is this now?"

Don't let it get you down okay? my motto is "Every day is a healing day."

 

Are you taking a good G F multivitamin? probiotics? drinking lots of water? Did you have your B-12 and folate levels checked? low levels of those can be associated with some fuzzy thinking 

 

You can always benefit from keeping your brain challenged of course, but do not fear that it is permanent. One of the most frightening

symptoms I had was impaired cognitive skills. It seemed surreal, truth be told. But, it all reversed in time.

 

Hang in there! You're going to be okay.

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

What I want to know is - if everyone keeps displacing their Brain Frogs - where are the poor homeless creatures going?  cause I don't want them coming to live in my head again!

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

 

 

Also -coconut mojito?  Yum!

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

 

 My  husband has been very supportive as in removing gluten from his diet due to fears of cc.

that is awesomely sweet of him. Mine did that, too...I did not ask, he just did it.

 

Not everyone needs to do that, of course....but it is an added bonus. 

GottaSki Mentor
GottaSki
Posted

What I want to know is - if everyone keeps displacing their Brain Frogs - where are the poor homeless creatures going?  cause I don't want them coming to live in my head again!

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

 

 

No worries there...with the amount of peeps eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) these guys have plenty of places to live ;)

 

S -- Glad you have a supportive Hubs..I've got one of those and it really is a great "fast-forward" when transitioning to living gluten-free.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


BlessedMommy Rising Star
BlessedMommy
Posted

What I want to know is - if everyone keeps displacing their Brain Frogs - where are the poor homeless creatures going?  cause I don't want them coming to live in my head again!

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

 

 

Also -coconut mojito?  Yum!

ROFL!!  :D

Gemini Experienced
Gemini
Posted

Cutting back on caffeine may be causing some of the extended Brain Frog visit!  Coffee is actually good for mental clarity.......2 cups and no more every day works wonders for me.  :)

notme Experienced
notme
Posted

What I want to know is - if everyone keeps displacing their Brain Frogs - where are the poor homeless creatures going?  cause I don't want them coming to live in my head again!

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

 

 

Also -coconut mojito?  Yum!

they WERE in the pool................... (say in jason lee 'earl' voice>  turns out, they hate chlorine!  (actually, pretty sure they vamoosed as soon as we took the cover off)  

 

i didn't realize how foggy my brain was until it started to clear up.  it manifested itself in Not Making Decisions = disorganization.  if you know what i mean.  i couldn't sort through paperwork, i couldn't organize the clutter in the laundry room, i couldn't decide how much $ to contribute to retirement, blah, blah.  i finally feel like i'm tackling things (FEELS GOOD!) and making pro-active decisions.  also, combined with more energy, my house is looking better/more organized.  i'm even painting :)  <couldn't decide what colors, so....... no painting, kwim  :(

GottaSki Mentor
GottaSki
Posted

they WERE in the pool................... (say in jason lee 'earl' voice>  turns out, they hate chlorine!  (actually, pretty sure they vamoosed as soon as we took the cover off)  

 

i didn't realize how foggy my brain was until it started to clear up.  it manifested itself in Not Making Decisions = disorganization.  if you know what i mean.  i couldn't sort through paperwork, i couldn't organize the clutter in the laundry room, i couldn't decide how much $ to contribute to retirement, blah, blah.  i finally feel like i'm tackling things (FEELS GOOD!) and making pro-active decisions.  also, combined with more energy, my house is looking better/more organized.  i'm even painting :)  <couldn't decide what colors, so....... no painting, kwim   :(

 

 

Hey...I had these particular frogs too!  So nice to be up clearing out the piles of crap that accumulated from the froggy decades..um ya, mine started in my early 30s and I'm in the last year of the 40s.

GottaSki Mentor
GottaSki
Posted

Cutting back on caffeine may be causing some of the extended Brain Frog visit!  Coffee is actually good for mental clarity.......2 cups and no more every day works wonders for me.  :)

 

Gem is wise...every time I removed caffiene to see if coffee was part of my problem, I got worse.

Adalaide Mentor
Adalaide
Posted

Cutting back on caffeine may be causing some of the extended Brain Frog visit!  Coffee is actually good for mental clarity.......2 cups and no more every day works wonders for me.  :)

 

Not only that, I've seen a recent study that says moderate coffee consumption decreases your risk of diabetes. This talks about other things, like lower risk of Parkinson's, liver disease and better cognitive function. Open Original Shared Link

 

God I miss coffee.

9TzE8byac.gif

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

seems there is good news and bad news about that coffee and brain function connection (there's a surprise)

 

Open Original Shared Link

beth01 Enthusiast
beth01
Posted

Brain Frogs, that is priceless.  I am with Karen, they can go live in someone else's brain.

 

I find that doing something that is going to challenge my brain helps. Two years ago I could do a 5 star Sudoku in the paper in less than ten minutes, now I can't finish them at all. I stick more to the one and two star ones to cut back on my frustration, but they are getting a lot easier the more I do them.  Do a crossword, a word find, or something along those lines to get your brain moving more.

 

As for caffeine, I am not sure what to think. I used to live off the stuff and no longer have it very often.  But when I do, watch out.  My brain goes a million miles a minute and won't shut down.  It's really bad when the "frogs" are there and the caffeine makes them go into overload, I am a bumbling mess! It is getting better with time and I can actually speak in full sentences now with out all the gluten frogging my brain.  I really love that frog thing lol.

glutenfreegrump Newbie
glutenfreegrump
Posted

So glad to hear that brain fog is actually a symptom!! My husband was just diagnosed & after reading all this it makes me finally understand what the hell his problem was! lol I would get so upset with him being sooo absent minded. Good to know there actually is a reason for it! ha ha :) 

beth01 Enthusiast
beth01
Posted

As to your name glutenfreegrump, I am assuming your husband is also on the grumpy side.  You will notice that slowly diminishes as the diet goes better. I would read the newbie threads on here and read about cross contamination.  Good luck in both your struggles ( it becomes a team effort ), it's an uphill battle the first year.  But things will get better, they just take time.  Hopefully soon the frogs will move on and the absent minded husband will be a thing of the past.

athomp34 Newbie
athomp34
Posted

I find that lots of water and a good workout helps clear my head. It is really hard but 30 min-1 hour of light cardio makes a big difference for me and was essential during the first few months.

 

On a side note, I didn't completely get rid of the brain fog until I eliminated the gums. Just something to consider if you still don't feel well and are certain it isn't cross contamination :)

GottaSki Mentor
GottaSki
Posted

I find that lots of water and a good workout helps clear my head. It is really hard but 30 min-1 hour of light cardio makes a big difference for me and was essential during the first few months.

 

On a side note, I didn't completely get rid of the brain fog until I eliminated the gums. Just something to consider if you still don't feel well and are certain it isn't cross contamination :)

Forgive me....in my opinion if your head clears with exercise, additional water or slight dietary adjustment....

Consider yourself very fortunate to have never experienced the level of dysfunction we are speaking to ... We always try to lighten serious bodily dysfunction...but this does not mean we take any of these matters lightly.

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

yeah, an hour of light cardio during the first few months after diagnosis would have been impossible for many of us, but if you can do it, kudos!

 

The brain fog I was talking about? was serious cognitive impairment that was caused by malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies and I was hardly walking at the time. We laugh about it now,because we have recovered.....but back then, it was not very funny at all. 

 

Glad you can do it, though!

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

Hi Serielda,

 

Since you are vegan, you might want to check out creatine supplements.  You may find you thinker thing works better with a creatine supplement.  But I believe it will also improve with more time on the gluten-free diet.  As your gut heals and can absorb nutrients better, your body will be able to heal better.

 

@athomp,  Thanks for the info about gums affecting you.  I hadn't heard anyone say they affected brain fog before. :)

beth01 Enthusiast
beth01
Posted

Yeah an hour of light cardio, lol.  I can hardly walk around the block right now with all the vitamin deficiencies and my body trying to starve itself... I laugh about the brain fog now because it really doesn't do any good for me to cry about it.  And besides I don't sound like such a bumbler anymore, just a little.

notme Experienced
notme
Posted

On a side note, I didn't completely get rid of the brain fog until I eliminated the gums.

 

but i likes my gums!  they holds my teeths in  ;):D :D :D

beth01 Enthusiast
beth01
Posted

lol notme!

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

but i likes my gums!  they holds my teeths in   ;):D :D :D

 

 

you knucklehead....go sit in the corner with your chex and toothpick...right now, young lady...i mean it....don't make me come up there

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Scott Adams's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      49

      Supplements for those Diagnosed with Celiac Disease

      Hello, @asaT, I'm curious to know whether you are taking other B vitamins like Thiamine B1 and Niacin B3. Malabsorption in Celiac disease affects all the water soluble B vitamins and Vitamin C. Thiamine and Niacin are required to produce energy for all the homocysteine lowering reactions provided by Folate, Cobalamine and Pyridoxine. Weight...
    2. Florence Lillian
      - Florence Lillian replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      11

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Hi Jane: You may want to try the D3 I now take. I have reactions to fillers and many additives. Sports Research, it is based in the USA and I have had no bad reactions with this brand. The D3 does have coconut oil but it is non GMO, it is Gluten free, Soy free, Soybean free and Safflower oil free. I have a cupboard full of supplements that did not agree...
    3. catnapt
      - catnapt replied to catnapt's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      2

      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      highly unlikely NOTHING and I mean NOTHING else has ever caused me these kinds of symptoms I have no problem with dates, they are a large part of my diet In fact, I eat a very high fiber, very high vegetable and bean diet and have for many years now. It's considered a whole foods plant based or plant forward diet (I do now eat some lean...
    4. cristiana
      - cristiana replied to hjayne19's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      21

      Insomnia help

      Thank you for your post, @nanny marley It is interesting what you say about 'It's OK not to sleep'. Worrying about sleeping only makes it much harder to sleep. One of my relatives is an insomniac and I am sure that is part of the problem. Whereas I once had a neighbour who, if she couldn't sleep, would simply get up again, make a cup of tea, read,...
    5. SilkieFairy
      - SilkieFairy replied to catnapt's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      2

      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      It could be a fructan intolerance? How do you do with dates? https://www.dietvsdisease.org/sorry-your-gluten-sensitivity-is-actually-a-fructan-intolerance/
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,353
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    ace14219
    Newest Member
    ace14219
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Supplements for those Diagnosed with Celiac Disease

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @asaT, I'm curious to know whether you are taking other B vitamins like Thiamine B1 and Niacin B3.  Malabsorption in Celiac disease affects all the water soluble B vitamins and Vitamin C.  Thiamine and Niacin are required to produce energy for all the homocysteine lowering reactions provided by Folate, Cobalamine and Pyridoxine.   Weight gain with a voracious appetite is something I experienced while malnourished.  It's symptomatic of Thiamine B1 deficiency.   Conversely, some people with thiamine deficiency lose their appetite altogether, and suffer from anorexia.  At different periods on my lifelong journey, I suffered this, too.   When the body doesn't have sufficient thiamine to turn food, especially carbohydrates, into energy (for growth and repair), the body rations what little thiamine it has available, and turns the carbs into fat, and stores it mostly in the abdomen.  Consuming a high carbohydrate diet requires additional thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  Simple carbohydrates (sugar, white rice, etc.) don't contain thiamine, so the body easily depletes its stores of Thiamine processing the carbs into fat.  The digestive system communicates with the brain to keep eating in order to consume more thiamine and other nutrients it's not absorbing.   One can have a subclinical thiamine insufficiency for years.  A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine causes an eighty percent increase in brain function, so the symptoms can wax and wane mysteriously.  Symptoms of Thiamine insufficiency include stunted growth, chronic fatigue, and Gastrointestinal Beriberi (diarrhea, abdominal pain), heart attack, Alzheimer's, stroke, and cancer.   Thiamine improves bone turnover.  Thiamine insufficiency can also affect the thyroid.  The thyroid is important in bone metabolism.  The thyroid also influences hormones, like estrogen and progesterone, and menopause.  Vitamin D, at optimal levels, can act as a hormone and can influence the thyroid, as well as being important to bone health, and regulating the immune system.  Vitamin A is important to bone health, too, and is necessary for intestinal health, as well.   I don't do dairy because I react to Casein, the protein in dairy that resembles gluten and causes a reaction the same as if I'd been exposed to gluten, including high tTg IgA.  I found adding mineral water containing calcium and other minerals helpful in increasing my calcium intake.   Malabsorption of Celiac affects all the vitamins and minerals.  I do hope you'll talk to your doctor and dietician about supplementing all eight B vitamins and the four fat soluble vitamins because they all work together interconnectedly.  
    • Florence Lillian
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Florence Lillian · Posted

      Hi Jane: You may want to try the D3 I now take. I have reactions to fillers and many additives. Sports Research, it is based in the USA and I have had no bad reactions with this brand. The D3 does have coconut oil but it is non GMO, it is Gluten free, Soy free, Soybean free and Safflower oil free.  I have a cupboard full of supplements that did not agree with me -  I just keep trying and have finally settled on Sports Research. I take NAKA Women's Multi full spectrum, and have not felt sick after taking 2 capsules per day -  it is a Canadian company. I buy both from Amazon. I wish you well in your searching, I know how discouraging it all is. Florence.  
    • catnapt
      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      By catnapt · Posted

      highly unlikely  NOTHING and I mean NOTHING else has ever caused me these kinds of symptoms I have no problem with dates, they are a large part of my diet In fact, I eat a very high fiber, very high vegetable and bean diet and have for many years now. It's considered a whole foods plant based or plant forward diet (I do now eat some lean ground turkey but not much) I was off dairy for years but recently had to add back plain yogurt to meet calcium needs that I am not allowed to get from supplements (I have not had any problem with the yogurt)   I eat almost no processed foods. I don't eat out. almost everything I eat, I cook myself I am going to keep a food diary but to be honest, I already know that it's wheat products and also barley that are the problem, which is why I gradually stopped eating and buying them. When I was eating them, like back in early 2024, when I was in the middle of moving and ate out (always had bread or toast or rolls or a sub or pizza) I felt terrible but at that time was so busy and exhausted that I never stopped to think it was the food. Once I was in my new place, I continued to have bread from time to time and had such horrible joint pain that I was preparing for 2 total knee replacements as well as one hip! The surgery could not go forward as I was (and still am) actively losing calcium from my bones. That problem has yet to be properly diagnosed and treated   anyway over time I realized that I felt better when I stopped eating bread. Back at least 3 yrs ago I noticed that regular pasta made me sick so I switched to brown rice pasta and even though it costs a lot more, I really like it.   so gradually I just stopped buying and eating foods with gluten. I stopped getting raisin bran when I was constipated because it made me bloated and it didn't help the constipation any more (used to be a sure bet that it would in the past)   I made cookies and brownies using beans and rolled oats and dates and tahini and I LOVE them and have zero issues eating those I eat 1 or more cans of beans per day easily can eat a pound of broccoli - no problem! Brussels sprouts the same thing.   so yeh it's bread and related foods that are clearly the problem  there is zero doubt in my mind    
    • cristiana
      Insomnia help

      By cristiana · Posted

      Thank you for your post, @nanny marley It is interesting what you say about 'It's OK not to sleep'. Worrying about sleeping only makes it much harder to sleep.  One of my relatives is an insomniac and I am sure that is part of the problem.  Whereas I once had a neighbour who, if she couldn't sleep, would simply get up again, make a cup of tea, read, do a sudoku or some other small task, and then go back to bed when she felt sleepy again.  I can't think it did her any harm - she lived  well into her nineties. Last week I decided to try a Floradix Magnesium supplement which seems to be helping me to sleep better.  It is a liquid magnesium supplement, so easy to take.  It is gluten free (unlike the Floradix iron supplement).  Might be worth a try.        
    • SilkieFairy
      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      By SilkieFairy · Posted

      It could be a fructan intolerance? How do you do with dates?  https://www.dietvsdisease.org/sorry-your-gluten-sensitivity-is-actually-a-fructan-intolerance/
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.