Brain Fog

[Corkdarrr]

The first week I went gluten-free, one of the most noticable symptoms to lift (other than constant stomach pain) was the brain fog. I think...see, I have a really bad memory, too.

Regardless, the first time I glutened myself after going gluten-free, brain fog was one of the most noticable symptoms that came back (other than the digestive horrors). It was like I really couldn't function. Simple tasks. I was trying to type numbers into a computer. After four tries of doing it wrong, I let someone else do it. Something wasn't connecting. Forgetfulness, clumsiness...you all know the story all too well.

I've only been gluten-free for about three and a half months, so I know I have a LOT of healing left to do. But has anyone ever given up on the hopes that being gluten-free will cure everything and anything? I mean, maybe it's just me - part of my charming personality. Maybe the person that I am just happens to enjoy staring at walls, shiny objects, and fixed points in space.

I'm just frustrated. I don't remember being so spacey all my life. But that could be attributed to my astonishingly poor memory...It's like one giant, inattentive and forgetful loop. I'm only 25!

Courtney

[Judyin Philly]

COURTNEY--

I'VE BEEN gluten-free FOR 16 MONTHS AND YESTERDAY

my hubby and I were doing dinner..he was cooking for him self as we found soy in the ff we always used grrrrrrr....so i had soup...well....i was going to put the ff back into the freeze with the special pinch clip we us on p/chips and he says'

""" JUDY WHAT ARE YOU DOING??? I LOOKED DOWN AND HAD PUT THE FROZEN FF IN THE CEREAL/ CHIP DRAW.... AND CLOSED IT

NOT THAT'S BRAIN FOG...STILL WAITING FOR MINE TO GO AWAY.

HANG IN THERE

JUDY

[Corkdarrr]

So either it takes a really long time to go away, or we're just a bunch of airheads!

[Aerin328]

Courtney,

I've been gluten-free for almost 4 months and I'm still dealing with brain fog. I asked the same question on this forum and was told by several others it's the "last symptom to go away." I've read it takes 1-2 years to completely recover! I was told by one fellow celiac "6 months at the very soonest; average is 1-2 years."

Don't lose heart! Things do get better as time goes on. We just all must be patient, patient, ever patient.

Christian

[kbtoyssni]

I've been gluten-free for 14 months and although my brain fog is much improved, I do occasionally still get it for no good reason. All of a sudden I'll just draw a giant blank on very simple things. I do, however, suspect other food intolerances so that could be the reason.

[Guest adamssa]

hi Courntey!

I have had the exact same experience of having brain fog go away...and then return! while i agree with everyone that it's important to know it takes a long time, i would urge you to also make sure there are no other contributing factors. i found out that mine is caused/aggravted (at least this time) by functional hypoglycemia. yeast could also make it worse, as well as a "toxic liver," and vitamin deficienes. i've found that treating all of those has helped. i have to say that when it's gone away and come back, i suspect it's something other than the celiac (at least that has always been the case for me.

goood luck,

Sara

[Guest adamssa]

by the way, are you still having digestive issues, and if so what are they? if you could describe them, that might clue us in to whether or not something else is making things worse.

[Corkdarrr]

by the way, are you still having digestive issues, and if so what are they? if you could describe them, that might clue us in to whether or not something else is making things worse.

Per the elimination/detox diet I'm doing, my digestive system hasn't felt this good in ten years! It's amazing. I was tested by Enterolab and found out I am casein intolerant as well, but I have eliminated most everything to figure out what else could be potentially giving me problems. I start adding things back in in about two weeks.

I'm just having a lot of difficulty trying to sort out what's what - everything is so intertwined and connected in some way or another. And I don't have a *good* doctor down here that I can work with. I've been doing stuff via email with my kinesiologist back home. But there's only so much she can do through email.

My main goal right now is to find someone who will test my thyroid levels using ALL the hormones, not just the T4 and TSH. This is proving to be quite a challenge. I have a hunch that if I can get my thyroid in order, a lot of other things will fall in place.

Thanks for all the support - I'm just having a very discouraging day.

Courtney

[Guest adamssa]

hi again,

i think that you are probably on to something with the thyroid thing. i remember that when scouring other posts someone mentioned that getting their thyroid in order helped a lot with the fog.

glad that the elimination diet is helping with your digestive system a lot! awesome that you have the willpower to stick with it. i know how dull it is when hardly anything even tastes good, because i have been doing something similar lately. it helps but is so hard to stick with...

best,

Sara

[kristend]

Wow! glad to know that others have the same problem. I thought it was me and that this feeling would never go away! I have been gluten free (at least trying) since May and have little stomach/digestive symptoms but this brain fog/memory loss is the worst. I'll have conversations with people, or a fight with my boyfriend, and they will "repeat" something I said and I'll have no idea I said it, or I'll accuse them of making it up. But in reality its just my brain fog. I feel much more at ease knowing that it will eventually go away! Thanks everyone!

[brendygirl]

Yeah, I'm a teacher and I was at work until 10PM working on editing the video announcements I do every week. But the brain fog (I'd been glutened the day b4) made EVERYTHING go slower. But I didn't feel that guilty about it because the other teacher who works on it with me kept forgetting wires and things too!

ALSO, I have left hand dumbness. Often without reason, I will drop something that my left hand is holding.

It makes me feel like an alien.

[schuyler]

Courtney,

I've been gluten-free for about 10 months, and I still have brain fog. I am so spacy sometimes that it drives me crazy! I have only been this way for the past few years.

But, I have an excuse for being an airhead... I'm blonde.

Danielle

[Turtle]

I too have this brain fog/memory issue going on. I've been trying to research this online to get more information but haven't come across much. I've been gluten-free almost 2 years and for me the two things that effect me the most are the brain fog/memory stuff and fatigue. It's so WEIRD! I know that many people say their symptoms such as these improve once they go gluten-free but mine have not. If anything they are more profound. Anyway, if anyone comes across any further info about this brain fog/memory stuff please post!!

[Rebecca47]

Well at least we should know that we are not crazy, because to many of us have the same problem. I can hardly type some days because all letters get messed up. I thought I was having senior moments, but now it just part of the celiacs I believe. My son calls me crazy woman (in a good way) he teases me says I am getting old. i have been gluten-free since Aug of this year, sometimes I think I'm better and then sometimes I find my self rambling. Let's all pray it gets better.

[covsooze]

The other thing that causes brain fog for me is tiredness, so if you've got a sleep problem, that might also contribute. Hopefully, a lot of things will clear up with you doing the elimination diet. Let us know how you go with sorting your thyroid.

Susie x

[The One]

After I eat something containing gluten I get such bad brain fog and my memory on an everyday basis is so horrible! sometimes I think I may have alzeimer! ;D but I do notice it is worse after eating gluten, I usually become very passive, staring a lot while nothing is really going through my mind, and if something is on my mind its very slow thinking. I also get very irritable, I get angry at nothing, just generally irritable, either that or I get horrible anxiety or panicky.