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Moxie
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I hate to keep saying this as an answer to literally every question, but... Keto diet. lol. When I'm running on ketones, I feel like a super-human.

I'm pretty LC but not keto.

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Are you getting enough sleep?

Hard to say. I could easily sleep for days if my family would let me. My thyroid is fine (I do take meds for it) I'm just a low-energy person I guess.

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I eat low carb, which did help me somewhat when I struggled with this same thing. Also, I don't know if this is true for you, but I was recently diagnosed with major depressive disorder. I'm on medication and see a psychiatrist and therapist now, and these things have greatly improved my concentration.

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I had a family member complain of constant brain fog (among other things) and it turned out to be Celiac.

 

I feel you, though.  I have always been low energy my whole life and I feel like I spend a lot of time and effort compensating for it.  I've never had any blood work or anything else come back abnormal.

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I'll just echo everyone else: iron, vit. D, low carb-ish (whole grains and fruit, yes, processed food, no), and exercise in the morning: run, walk, or yoga.

 

If I start the day well I have more energy. We're also cutting back on screen time and adding more books and reflective time.

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I went through a period some months ago when I felt like I was losing my mind.  I couldn't think straight, couldn't remember anything.  What has worked best for me:

 

- lower carb diet (not keto, I do best when I eat some whole grains)

 

- daily vitamin D (400 i.u. as suggested by my  kidney specialist based on blood work)

 

- daily vitamin B complex (something I buy at Costco, bunch of B vitamins)

 

- daily 400 mg magnesium citrate  (preferably one in the morning, one at night; sometimes two at night for a total of 600 mg)

 

- lots and lots of water throughout the day, preferably with lemon squeezed into it, and starting from about the minute I get up (lemon recommended by my kidney doctor, among others)

 

- dextrin fiber powder (brand name Benefiber, but I buy generic) to help with chronic constipation (the water helps too)

 

- some downtime daily

 

- daily walking, preferably right after drinking first glass of water in the morning, plus more walking throughout the day

 

- I attempt 8 hours sleep,but I don't always get it

 

Helps so much.  

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There are any number of potential causes for this - lack of sleep, deficiency in some vital nutrient, hormone imbalance, thyroid issue, stress, depression - honestly, the list goes on. I think you'd be better off speaking to a doctor (and possibly a therapist, if you think it might be something psychological) about this.

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I got diagnosed with Vit D deficiency when I told my doctor that I was getting worried about my memory and concentration problems.  It was very unexpected because I had been taking Vit D supplements for years.

 

I've also heard that Vit B-12 deficiency can lead to a feeling of brain fog.  So you might have that checked too.

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I went through a period like that. I turned the corner after sleeping 10 hours a night for a month. Things I do to prevent a recurrence (which I also did alongside sleeping for 10 hr/night to get out of it):

 

*light therapy from Sept-Apr (I have problems with SAD, and untreated it really makes the brain fog and low energy so much worse).

 

*daily exercise (outdoor walk and some stretches; I want to add in some strengthening work)

 

*vitamins (omega 3s, a multi, and a B complex)

 

*relatively low-carb, high protein, moderate fat diet (carbs, esp without exercise, make my brain go all mushy)

 

*more sleep than I used to get (I used to aim for 7-8 hours, but now I aim for 8-9)

 

Also, when I start to feel foggy/tired while doing sedentary "uses brain more than muscles" things, and it's probably not a "need sleep" matter, I try to get up and do something fairly mindless but relatively active (and useful). For me that's usually house-related chores - put away the dishes, straighten the table, put away a load of laundry or something. Bonus if I can go do some simple outdoor chore and get some fresh air and light. I'm not always very good at doing this, but it helps a lot when I do. I find that for me (where depression is often my biggest enemy), I can get into a vicious cycle where I'm unable to think so I quit doing thinking things and so become less able to think; likewise I feel low energy so I quit doing things that take energy and so become even more low energy. Breaking the cycle by forcing myself to get up and *do* something mindless but active (instead of going to a even-less-thinking-required *sedentary* activity) helps me in both mind and body.

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there are a number of things.

 

when I have no (or very very little) gluten and zip sugar, my head will clear.

 

also - thyroid/adrenals can cause brain fog.  brain fog is cliche for them.

 

I'm trying magnesium l-threonate to see if it helps dudeling with cognitive function.

and i'm biting the bullet with nicotinamide riboside  - I'd used it before, and it helped.  

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Ok, so I'm going to up my vitamins (from zero). What kind of B do I take? Isn't that the one that should be liquid? And how much D? I was on prescription D years ago so that could be the issue.

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You should get your bloodwork done. Easy to tell how much to supplement when you know where you are.

 

Yes, don't just guess or decide based on what other people do.  

 

Just as an example:  I take only 400 i.u. of Vitamin D3 daily. Lots of people take way, way more than I do.  I took more for a while.  Then I started having regular bloodwork due to kidney stones/infection.  My doc said to back way off on the D.  It wasn't necessary for me to take so much, and actually it was harmful based on my blood chemistry.   

 

You should see your doctor, describe your symptoms and ask them to check vitamin levels. Ask what they are checking for and if, for example, they don't order a test for Vit D, ask why not.  If the doc asks why you want specific tests, don't tell them that a bunch of women on the internet told you to.  Say you did some research that led you to those particular questions.  :-)

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High calcium can be an issue, too. If your D is low and your cal is high, it's a sign of parathyroid disease. I'm getting mine out on June 5. Sooo ready for the fog to clear. 

I didn't know this, but calcium facilitates the electrical transmissions in your brain--too much and they don't work right. Who knew. 

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I have very bad brain fog at times due to my lupus.  I take Cerefolin which is a special pill of B vitamins formulated in a way that is better absorbed by the body, methylprednisolone (low dose), and Strattera (non stimulant ADHD medication).  It is helping but I still have days which are bad= but less than before,  The worse thing is that I can't even remember certain events when I am really fogged up.  It became so bad that my family had me checked out for dementia and brain damage.  I check out fine- I don't have any sort of dementia and when I am not having brain fog, I have an extraordinary memory.  In fact, because I am so different with brain fog and when I am not fogged, I was misdiagnosed as bipolar at one point- even though I do not have any depression nor anything like mania- just my normal ADHD hyperness (which is much, much lower key than any mania and doesn't involve irrational thinking or any really poor choices) and my lupus brain fog.  

 

 

I would urge you to get tested because brain fog can be from any number of physical causes as well as things like depression.

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I swear, I've been in a head fog for years. At this point, i don't even watch shows where they talk too fast (Gilmore Girls) because I literally can't follow them. Anybody ever fix this issue?

This may not solve the problem, but might solve the symptoms.... Captions. We love captions for this very reason.

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