PMR, Prednisone, Brain Fog

You didn't mention what time of day that you first notice this neurological symptom.

It's common to feel "groggy" first thing, but is this occurring all day long, or does it start to make itself known at some point after waking, hours later?

I sometimes skip my morning coffee and even breakfast if I have not been feeling alert in the morning, I'll have just a few nuts to eat and try to get some light exercise.  Sometimes it seems like the mornng jolt from coffee and breakfast is something I need a break from, unless I'm planning to start early with serious work or exercise.

This sort of "fasting" has been a part of medicine from all cultures going back thousands of years, so there must be something to it and is sometimes proves useful for me.

Again though, if you can just keep track of what time of day that your symtoms start, this can be a good start.

I've been on prednisone at 20mg, and later tapered from 15mg to no 2mg, and at no time did the prednisone seem to cause any neurological sluggishness or memory fade.

Hello Kathy,

I know what you mean. I was started off at a high dose of Prednisolone 30mg.  Many a time I felt as if I was in a foggy place,not quite all there!  Memory was not Good and sometimes going to speak, what I was going to say did not come out right. 

I am now on 7mg too and I have to say most of fog has disappeared,but not all,but I am not worried about it.  You could always check with your doctor to put your mind at rest. Medicines affect us all differently.

Regards,

Barbara

 

Hi    kathy.  if its any help. i have been on pred,  4.5  years   and have noticed over the  last couple of years  i find it hard to remember stuff.  so  i have to really think harder than normal. but then i remember.   it is anoying  sometimes when asked which islands  i visited on a cruise   and cannot remember straight away.  but later in thr conversation i remember.  now  down to 1.5 pred.    so learning to live with it

It may be the stage you have got to - where your adrenal glands have to start to take up the slack again and produce cortisol. Low levels of corticosteroid in the body don't contribute to perfect functioning! Brain fog as such is often not listed - but fatigue is and fatigue also encompasses brain fog for some people and there are sites that include the term brain fog.

Hang around at 7mg for a few weeks before you try another reduction, however slowly you reduce, and see if it improves as your body gets used to the new dose. If it does - then it is likely to be that. 7mg is often a sticking place in a taper. It's like a zip that is sticking at one place - you can often get past it by going slowly!

Kathy, are you on any other medications that can brain fog? Specifically, sleeping medications like alprazolam, diazepam, Ativan etc. These are notorious for memory impairment without pred.

i once was a patient sharing a breakfast table with an elderly lady who actually looked demented. She had been given a sleep aid in the previously mentioned category because she had trouble sleeping from body aches. I suggested trying paracetamol instead of the sleeping aid. The next morning she was a chipper as can be.