Can't think straight and memory shot

Thankyou for your reply , so hard to believe that I can actually know what to do but just don't think I can do it , like looking at my cup and feeling that you don't know how to make a cuppa , then you just do it , looking in the mirror and thinking it's hard to comb your hair and what's the point , getting in the car and feeling a knot in your stomach (even when someone else drives) . I honestly feel like I've lost the plot . Blurry vision doesn't help at all . My god can this really be anxiety and depression ?

I found yesterday when my wife drove that the cars had passed us before I'd managed to read the full number plate , so not like me !

Hi yes, that was the same as me - literally stood in front of the food i was about to prepare, forgetting what I was cooking then going onto 'auto-pilot' and doing it anyway without much thought process. My speech slowed and I slurred a bit.  I hope it helps for you to know that others have had teh same experience.  I still have my anxiety symptoms and from research and speaking to my doctor, these will fade after about 2months or so.

The side effects should fade before that though, and your brain fog should clear - at least it did for me.

It's so weird , keep thinking it's impossible to be anxiety / depression , more like a brain tumour or something , the word finding , concentration and feeling of unease and worry does get overwhelming , not entering into conversations or thinking of things to say is so scary , thinking about not knowing what to say when asked a question or the phone rings , then 5 minutes later not knowing what you said ???!!! X

Gary, it is like you are describing exactly how I feel. I also seem unable to make any decisions without feeling so overwhelmed, I just want to disappear. You feeling any better?

I have been taking 20 mg for 11 weeks and I feel all those symptoms. If you don't mind me asking, how much are you taking and for how long?

I feel the same but im not even sure... Like im ok i guess.. But i feel like i am scatterbrained and im in school and i feel overwhelmed by my classmates and my appearance not so much my looks but my social skills.. Most of the time i feel like i dont want to talk to any body i dont feel much amusement from social interactions and i become very awkward... And all of it i see it i carefully look at myself and try to understand how i am percieved by others it leaves me awake at night (not extreme i dont really know judt a little?) and during school sometimes i cant focus enough i seem to just daze off not extremely i am doing ok with my classes but i feel like im missing something like there has to be something with me even though i have friends i have little faith in my social skills i recently moved and i made new friends i still tense up around them worrying if they will become bored around me or if i seem too distant and rather rude i dont know i cant even understand exactly what i am feeling and i do just sort of let everything in my brain melt if im not doing something i would just sink into a sort of mind state where nothing matters and like im thinking about things but idk i just relax and free my mind of stress like i dont get stressed i get nervous a little but then i calm down but i dont reallt because i end up not doing anything bold and feeling like i look weird in front of my classmates i honestly feel like i dont belong and i guess alot of people feel like that too but it just doesnt leave my mind i honestly dont understand what im feeling or what im going too its like there is so many factors that just sort of make me not ok and idk i also feel like my brain has turned to mush and when i was younger i was smarter and more alert and more bold and now i feel more tense and like i dont know anything or not enough all of it bothers me so much and i just ugh i feel alone in my thoughts not that everyones going to understand me and stuff i just feel alone in my mind with my thoughts like i used to think too much and then my brain just turned to mush and now i dont feel strong and i feel alone and im sorry if all of my writing is all over the place and unorganized i am just somewhat worried and confused? I honestly cant even understand like i dont know what im feeling not even now and its hard to choose things and be really sure about my decisions

hey there , i was just reading your message and felt like it was me who wrote it . do u still have this thing ? or your much better right now ? hope you answer me very soon

Would love to keep this thread going. I have had memory lapse and brain fog symptoms for over 8 months now. At worst, like tonight, I hear some words on TV (watching the news) that I question whether or not I know it. Then spend countless minutes ruminating over these words, looking them up to verify, then feel ashamed and stupid that I had to do that; feel anxious that I couldn't hold a conversation with that reporter because of not being able to fully grasp what was said in the moment. I feel so dim witted compared to what I used to be. Moreover, I lack confidence when speaking or writing because I'm not "sure" I'm using the right words in the correct context. Over the past 8 months, I would say I look up 25-30 words on average per day. The ones with multiple (different) meanings cause the most anxiety, because I apparently have convinced myself that I cannot retain all of them. It's gotta be an OCD, but I cannot find "vocab hoarding" anywhere. I am seeing a CBT now (only 1 appointment), so hopefully that'll help. No meds yet, but I am really tempted to give Lexapro a better chance than I did 2 months ago (when I quit after just 4 days because of the side effects).

I want to hear more on how you all are doing. If you have any advice for my, I would most assuredly be in your debt. Thank you..

Brian

Wow, I am surprised to come across some people who understand what I am going through. The last few months have been getting worse for me specially at work. People will be talking to me, and I'll nod my head as though I understand, but I don't. This especially has me worried when I have to repeat what the other person says to someone. Reciting is now one of my biggest fears. I recently have to look up words that I know already, and struggle to read, write, and communicate. It is embarrassing, and extremely stressful. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed I shut down, and can only do mindless task, like sleeping. I actually dropped out of college for this reason. Ive tried a few types of medication but have also stopped due to side effects.

Like Brian I'd like to hear how those who struggled how you are feeling and what advice you can give. Hope all is well - Ash

Hi Ashley,

Thanks for your response, though I am sorry to hear of your symptoms. I can honestly say I know *exactly* how you feel! Like others have noted, I have some 'better' days, while the 'not so good's days are becoming less frequent and less severe. I don't know what the tipping point was/is (still don't). I do know that as a shift worker, I'm probably predisposed to the lightheadedness and brain fog that comes with the territory of not getting enough sleep. (Trying to sleep soundly during the day, which messes up your circadian rhythm).

Right now I am about ready to go in to midnight shift 3 of 7. Having these issues (more or less) since May 2016, I have been able to quell the anxiety somewhat, which helps. Also, I've learned that when the brain fog gets really bad, it's best to just let it happen, and not try to compound the problem by quizzing yourself on a particular subject matter or by looking up words that you think you forgot. It's been my experience that your mind can play tricks on your far more easily when you get into that 'brain fog' state. Just accepting the condition and moving on with life is good temporary tool to employ; however, it says nothing to how we got here in the first place.

I too am looking for answers, looking for wisdom. I'm 46 years old, no neuro issues, blood work came back fine (other than elevated cholesterol and triglycerides), and I am 2.5 weeks post sinus surgery. So what's going on? Is it really is not letting go (I.e. anxiety-based), or is there still an underlying issue we haven't addressed yet? I should also point out that I've gone with a GF diet for about a week now. I'm not convinced this is a gluten intolerance or "gut" issue.

Hey Brian,

Oh no, I am sorry to hear about your sinus surgery, was it nasal polyps? Has your doctor mentioned anything else this might be? I noticed in a previous message you were starting cbt. How has that been going? Have you done any other therapies? Or medications? How do you deal with the brain fog, say at work and you need to react? Sorry for all the questions.

Like you I'm not too sure where mine came from, besides my health, which isn't terrible. Im unsure how it started. I also try and avoid gluten it seems to help a bit with my skin, but that's about it for me. I'm a 25 y/o, with no neuro issues to date (I have a few issues psychically), I have low/average blood pressure of 97/60, and blood work has been good as well. Two days ago, I started meds for depression, something I do have I won't deny that.  My pyschical sysmpoms are uncontrollable bladder(very rarely), and I randomly have this one finger gets a zap(thought it was a pinched nerve). The bladder seems to be the same, but that zap started to be more frequent, a year later it turned into pain, that pain doesn't go away, specially if I hit it off of something. I had to give up a few things I enjoyed because of it. I've had x-rays done on that hand and nothing. Around the same time my hand started 'the zap', I developed muscle spasms, one was so bad in my abdomen I couldn't walk for a few hours (I am a very hydrated person, I get told I drink too much water lol). I get them on the back of my head a lot as well.

Now in the past two years, specially this year I've been extremely depressed and anxious. I'm confused more, fatigued, and my memory seems nonexistent.

Hi Ashley,

Thanks for the response! The CBT is going alright I believe, but I've only had 3 sessions thus far. As far as the sinus surgery goes, apparently I'm healing well (ahead of schedule), however 3 weeks post-op I am still congested quite a bit, most likely because I've picked up a cold that I can't seem to shake.

Getting a solid 7-8 hours of sleep had been tough of late since I can't breathe well through my nose. The good news is my doc prescribed me trazadone recently, which I gotta say, works quite well for me as the past 3 nights I've averaged about 8 hours of sleep.

Here's what I've noticed though, and I wonder if you or anyone else can explain it. When I'm having insomnia issues, the brain fog, lack of being alert seems to be at a minimum. However, once I get the sleep back to normal, that's when I get the "out of it" feeling and brain fog during the day. Admittedly, I have a cold, so that could explain a great deal of why I feel more malaise today. Still, I do find this "cycle" interesting, and perhaps not coincidental.

When the brain fog is as prevalent as it is today for me, I feel so dim-witted. I have to think twice (or more) about words and phrases I already know, and it takes a great deal of restraint not to google search the vocab. (when I do, that triggers a perpetual OCD -- constantly looking up words and ensuring I know all their meanings). On days like today, I'm also more apt to draw a blank when I hear something that I would normally pick up right away. Scary stuff.

Meanwhile, I don't feel anxious at all, and I've caught up on my sleep. Weird. It's either running on fumes with insomnia and very little (if any) brain fogginess, or I'm sleeping well at night and living with dizziness and brain fog during the day.

Hey Brian. I noticed the same. But the issue here is that I have been highly intelligent my entire life. I have or rather had a 158 IQ putting me in MENSA. I waited for a day where I felt clear and took an approved test and scored a 124. That's not possible. I kinda knew already that even on a clear day my mind just is not focusing or working in any area the same. I don't have anxiety or depression and laugh and joke around allot. By all accounts I'm the most positive person I know. I even get headaches when trying to push through and force myself to be able to think at a normal speed. It's scary stuff. I'm going to insist on having them do a full series of checks. I've been struggling with this for years now and can remember when it first came on. It was basically instantaneous. I was fine and myself one day and then this. Best I could come up with would be something along the calcium channels in your brain. Specifically altering excitatory works. Maybe over working or the opposite. But did once see this show that I can't remember now and the woman had the same exact symptoms as myself but hers were brought on by pesticides. Weird right. But doctors thought it was completely psychological and even diagnosed her schizophrenic. One doctor after years finally found the issue. Treated her and she says it was like waking up. Which to me it feels like my brain has not done in years. We should talk more and go over what they checked with you and with myself and see if we can't find a way to get this fixed. Two partially working brains work better than one.

Hi John,

Thanks for the response!  I've had a bit of a setback these past few days, which doesn't really help me in terms of getting more clarity because it's not like recent setbacks over the past 8 months.

It has taken a long while, but I've got the anxiety part under control. Pulse down, deep breathing, etc.  Sleeping better at nights (thank you trazadone!)  Because of all this, the "out of body" feeling (fuzziness/brain fog) is neglible these days because (likely) I'm no longer overdoing the shallow breathing and (thus) having too much CO2 in the system.  The "object amnesia" is better -- though my mind will continue to ruminate as I still struggle with fact checking OCD.  Not memory -- fact checking.  As in, "are you sure you know what that word means, and you're using it in the right context?  You better look it up."  Or look up obscure object names, especially ones that you have to think about (like the "hook and eye or catch" part of a pair of trousers.  Trivial stuff like that...yet extremely excruciating, especially when you've got a whirlwind of words up there that you've heard throughout the day that you are jotting down later when you can.  There's the added fear of not being able to communicate as eloquently as I once could, especially if I'm spending several minutes each day looking up words.  Surprisingly, I can get through conversations fine (without the dreaded "big pause".  Also, I also don't seem to have this issue when I'm writing (like I am now).  Right now I'm no doubt living in fear -- convincing myselft that I will forget or already am forgetting words and need to "hoard" obscure vocabulary in the 0.00001% I will need to use these particular words (and not their simpler, easier to remember synonyms) someday.  True OCD.  That may be my issue at this point...all psychological.  I *would* like to get a better (more complete) blood panel relatiing to the thyroid.  I will keep you posted... thanks for keeping us posted!!!

Hi Brian, Ashley and John.

Just been reading through your messages and it's left me very relieved that's it's not only me that's suffering from this 'brain fog'.

It came on suddenly a few weeks ago, I believe it's due to stress and overthinking. I haven't got an overly stressful life but I do put a hell of a lot of pressure on myself when it comes to knowing things. One of the main symptoms of the brain fog is always having to try and think of words when having even the simplest of conversations with a family member, for example. Another major symptom is also concentration, sometimes I can't concentrate for more than five minutes at a time. I could sit all day just staring at the wall. I feel like a zombie sometimes. I also have no history of anxiety or depression. I'm a very happy guy, it's just the stress and pressure I put on myself that I feel may be doing this to me.

Anyway, I hope you all find a cure to this because it really is an awful thing. Especially when there's no answers anywhere. It seems that something's work for one person and not for another. Please keep posting any treatments/cures that have eased the symptoms for you.

Also, I really don't want to see a doctor about this, I'm a little embarrassed to be honest. I don't mean to offend, that's just my view.

Thank guys,

Tom

Spot on. Brian..how about your short term memory...and your thinking process....are they been affected too...And is it anxiety and depression for you ??