Brain Fog

[kyga2]

Lately I have had serious trouble remembering things, and not just things like where I left my car keys. For example, the other day someone mentioned a co-worker and I had no idea who they were talking about. None. I clearly was supposed to know who this person was so I puzzled over it a day before I realized who it was, a person I have known for three years and worked with multiple times.

I also have trouble feeling like I'm understanding what's going on. People will say things, and I will not be able to put it together logically. I will have no idea what they are talking about.

My husband says this is normal because I'm 35. However, I feel like I am developing dementia or something and it's scary. I'm trying to figure out if this could be gluten related. I am gluten free but tests were inconclusive on celiac. I admit that I am not hard core about it (share a toaster, etc) so I wonder if this is it.

So if you have 'brain fog' that was helped by going gluten free, what was it like?

[WheatChef]

Your brain shouldn't magically start shutting down by the time you're 35. In general 35 is pretty young for our species! Brain fog is a common result of gluten intolerances yet there are additional issues/intolerances/dietary practices/maladies that can cause it obviously.

Brain fog for me lifted quite drastically after going gluten free. Where I once was unable to get through reading a book or paper without inadvertently reading over the same line multiple times before realizing what I was doing I could then easily finish papers and actually retain a lot of the knowledge contained within. This wasn't an automatic improvement however. While there were major gains in cognitive functioning in the first month and a half after going on the diet, these gains are still steadily improving now at the 9 month mark. I actually have a decent chance at remembering someone's name now!

[Kay DH]

My celiac panel was negative, and my 1 endoscopy biopsy was negative this year, but the tests were also flawed. My celiac symptoms started after the flu a year ago. When I get minor cc, mostly my GI tract purges, but if there is major cc then I also have brain fog, mood, lethargy, other GI problems, and such. It takes 4-5 days after being glutened for my brain fog to go away (once when fogged I forgot to set the parking brake, and my car rolled back and hit another). I am a research scientist, and mostly live in my brain, so the brain fog is irksome. I became a lot more sensitive to gluten when I went completely gluten-free in January; even labeled gluten-free that is "processed in a plant that also processes wheat..." can be enough to nail me. That said, if you want to see if it is gluten that is getting you, then go completely gluten-free for at least a week and see how your brain does. That means no shared cutting boards, toasters, or processed food. Keep track of how you feel, and your symptoms. If the fog lifts one day, then it is probably gluten. Gluten hits everybody differently, for some people more neurologically that others.

[Skylark]

Memory loss is NOT normal at 35. Your husband might be trying to make you feel better, which is kind. I had thyroid "brain fog" recently. I was forgetting things, and I couldn't remember names, details about work, or where I was supposed to be when. I had an awful time trying to focus on anything, and I had trouble writing because I couldn't organize my thoughts. It really interfered with my work. Getting on the right dose of thyroid medicine cleared my mind back to normal.

[cassP]

no, that's not normal for your brain at 35!

my brain is better off gluten- but i am still having issues- most likely to the recent discovery that i have been Hypothyroid for at least 4 years. (you should have your thyroid checked- as gluten can cause thyroid issues).

also- look at vitamin deficiencies, etc.

& last- i just read recently an article about Gluten & Brain issues- how they have actually found TTG antibodies stuck like a "plaque" on brain tissue- gross.

[Courtney101]

Brain fog for me is one of my worse symptoms. I have a very repetative job, that I should know how to do off by heart. But it has gotten to the stage where I have to concentrate extremely hard to make sure I correctly do tasks which I have probably performed hundreds of times. It's frustrating because I often make simple mistakes that just shouldn't be made.

I too have to read things several times because I just can't take in the information. I have a terrible memory. For example never remembering movies I've watched, or even not remembering I've seen the movie in the first place. My friends told me the other day I had seen a particular movie with them twice, I have no memory of either occassion let alone the actual movie.

I also have really weird episodes every now and then which are difficult to explain, but I'll do my best. It's like I become very sensitive to the light and feel disconnected to everything that's going on in the world. Things appear kind of fuzzy, and sometimes I get a little dizzy. The worst thing though is the disconnected feeling. I feel like an observer, rather than a participant in my own life. It's a scary feeling because I don't feel 100% "with it" and I hate the thought of not being in control. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I assume it's gluten related, just like extreme brain fog or something.

Also, I'm only 20, so there's no way in hell this is normal...

[flutterby]

I used to have problems with this all the time, and still do even after going gluten-free. I had thought it was reactive hypoglycemia because it would always happen an hour or two after eating, for example, a breakfast with carbohydrates (read: bread). I would get irritable, confused, unable to think properly, unable to make simple decisions.

This weekend I started a challenge diet, and I only lasted two days as all of those symptoms came back. I started forgetting basic words in Spanish (I'm bilingual), the names of organizations, etc!

Still, if it is a continuing problem it may be worth talking to a neurologist. MS is apparently related to Celiac Disease and it also causes memory problems.

[kyga2]

I too feel weirdly disconnected from the world at times. The way you describe it is not exactly how I have experienced this disconnection, but I was interested to hear about it. I have chronic vertigo; it can't rock in a rocking chair, bounce, or shake my head because I get symptoms. Whether or not this is related to the gluten thing I don't know. I was starting to think I had a social phobia or something, because of this disconnection. There still may be, but after getting really serious about gluten free I will see if any of this improves.