# Extreme brain fog/mental lapses



## Aerose91 (Jun 1, 2013)

Hello, this is my first time posting. I actually found this board because while searching my symptoms I came across an old pos here from someone who described almost exactly what I'm experiencing. His name is Opus 131, does anyone know if he is still active here?

Anyway, I'm beginning to get very frightened about these symptoms and want to see if these may be explained by hypothyroid. Quick background- I came down with bad adrenal fatigue about 2 years ago. With that came slight hypothyroidism but no major symptoms from it. I was taking hydrocortisone, Pregnenalone and DHEA at the time. Then my doctor gave me Ativan for the anxiety- it was a horrible choice. After only 2 weeks I had terrible cog fog so I stopped it and went into horrendous withdrawals. Now, 11 months later I have been recovering but am still in post withdrawal syndrome. 
This new situation started 2 months ago. I was still having trouble sleeping because my cortisol rythems were out of whack so I took 1 pill of phosphaditylserine. All hell broke loose from there. I immediately felt very sedated, like I was drugged. I woke up that night with a horrible panic attack but once that settled down I had this horrible brain fog/disconnection feeling, along with still feeling sedated. Now, I had derealization throughout my benzo w/d and this was much different. More of a depersonalization/severe short term memory loss. I was practically falling asleep while driving, eating, etc.. Also, my eyes became so sensitive to bright lights I could barely even go outside. My heart rate was very slow and I no longer had any anxiety- still felt drugged. 
Now as the weeks/months progressed the extreme tired was isnt quite as bad, my heart rate is a little better and I'm still tired but not as tired. However the brain fog/mental deterioration are still getting worse and the bright light sensitivity remains. I feel like the whole world around me is very dim, like I can barely experience what I'm doing and because of that I have very little memory. I still have my cognitive abilities enough to write this, and i remember who prople are, but i have no concept of time, can not feel what time of day it is and just generally wander around in a total daze. When this first hit i had total apathy but now 2 months in that is starting to give way to anxiety and depression. I am pretty frightened at how fast that is progressing wherase other symptoms have stabilized. Also, my tempurature actually went up when this started. Normally I ride around 96-97 and now I bounce between 97.5-98.6
Very few physical symptoms but the most pronounced are tiredness, headache and a raspy voice. 
I spoke to my doctor immediately about it and she suggested thyroid because of my memory problems. I have had blood work done and am awaiting the results this week. I will post them as soon as I get them. 
Do these symptoms sound relevant of hypothyroid? If so is this reversible? I've heard many say that they never really feel better after medication or that the severe mental symptoms sometimes do permenant damage. Has anyone else here experienced something this severe, or that progressed this quickly? Is there any hope for my mental recovery? I've been through a lot these past two years and i was finally gettig better, I don't want to believe that 1 supplement has caused lasting brain damage. I would really appreciate any help. Thank you.

Aerose


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## Aerose91 (Jun 1, 2013)

I'm really hoping someone can give me some hope. I feel like I'm about to come down with dementia.


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## TBRaysgrl3 (May 28, 2013)

There is always hope! Yes, some of your symptoms match up with hypothyroidism, but the problem many of us have had getting that diagnosis is that they are also symptoms of many it other possible conditions. I'm newly diagnosed myself, so I say wait for your test results and just do what you can to relax and make sure you are getting the best care from your doctor.

I went thru the whole brain fog, no short term memory thing myself last year. Eventually had to quit my job because I couldn't do it anymore. Because of that and fatigue, I was diagnosed with depression and out in Zoloft. That helped some, but I still didn't feel like me. Literally the next day after starting levothyroxine for Hashi's caused hypothyroidism, my brain finally felt clear again. So it is possible.

I wish you the best if luck, and I'm sure some of the more experienced members here will be along shortly to shed some more light on your symptoms. Hang in there


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## Aerose91 (Jun 1, 2013)

Thank you for the reply. 
It's been very difficult with this especially not knowing 100% what's causing it. It seems odd to me that the mental symptoms could progress this quickly. I feel like I'm already bordering in delirium/dementia. This is far more than just brain fog. It feels very close to if u to 4 or 5 days without sleeping (happened to me in benzo w/d). I have searched high and low and the results have been rather disenheartening- it seems that people who this happen this bad either never fully recover or have it permenantly. I am going to keep hope because thats all i have now. When my tests get back I will post them here and see what u guys think. I sure hope something comes up.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Aerose91 said:


> I'm really hoping someone can give me some hope. I feel like I'm about to come down with dementia.


Do you have any thyroid labs with ranges you could post?

You can order what you need online if you don't have any.

Brainfog is the worst part of hypo


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## Aerose91 (Jun 1, 2013)

Lovlkn said:


> Do you have any thyroid labs with ranges you could post?
> 
> You can order what you need online if you don't have any.
> 
> Brainfog is the worst part of hypo


I will have the tests back in a day or two and will post then.

This feels like more than brain fog. Like a had a total frontal lobatomy, or like I'm on some psychadelic drug.


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

Well, I would definitely bring up the brain fog, etc. to your doc. Something clearly isn't right. I would be _very_ surprised if your recent thyroid labs look good. Hormones that are out of whack can really wreak havoc, and not just mentally, but physically and emotionally, too.

Did this doc that you are seeing also give you the HC, Preg., and DHEA? Or was some of it RX, and the rest you did DIY? If you took that stuff long enough your body could certainly be dependent on it. I can say that I took Prednisone for a few months, and HC for a couple of weeks, and coming off of either of those was no picnic, to say the least. As I tapered down I could tell I had a mental deficit & memory problems, in fact, this even showed up on memory/cognitive testing. Things are better now, so I can say with total honesty that there is always room for improvement. It's a matter of getting things dialed in, especially hormones.

And I would ask for a referral to a good neurologist. They might not have all the answers, but they could at least try to discern whether or not this is something like dementia, etc. They can do things like an EEG or an MRI to rule out stuff, or send you for memory testing, and so forth. Something else you may wish to look into is Hashimoto's Encephalopathy (aka "SREAT") that can bring quite a few things to the table.

---Here is a cut-and-paste from another thread I just responded, too. I don't know how much of this stuff you have had run, but it would certainly be good to do.---

* TSH, Free T3, Free T4, TPO Antibodies, Thyroglobulin Antibodies, Reverse T3
* Liver Panel, CBC and CMP, A1C
* H. Pylori, Celiac Disease, Gluten Sensitivity (not one in the same as Celiac)
* Lyme Disease, ANA w/reflex, CRP, etc.
* Cortisol (in the form of a 24-hour take-home test, either urine or saliva broken up into 4 time periods)
* DHEA, Estrogen, Testosterone, SHBG, etc.

You absolutely need a doc who is well versed in hormones and thyroid issues. No question."

:hugs:


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## Aerose91 (Jun 1, 2013)

I got my results back, their not far off from where I used to be

5/28/13

TSH- 1.34
Free T4- 1.1
Free T3- 3.1 
Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies- <10

Now here is a test I had done on 6/25/12 after I already had adrenal fatigue but I had NO mental symptoms at all

TSH- 0.79
Free T4- 1.4
Free T3- 3.2
Thyroglobulin Antibodies- <20

I really don't know what's going on but my cognitive function is declining day by day, my doctor seems to think my thyroid is fine. Any thoughts?


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Could you post the ranges next to your results? That will give us the whole picture.


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## Aerose91 (Jun 1, 2013)

Sure.

TSH- 1.34 (range 0.40-4.5)
Free T4- 1.1 (range 0.8-1.8)
Free T3- 3.1 (range 2.3-4.2)
Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies- <10 (no range, just <10 is negative)

I also tested negative for Lyme and Epstein Barr. My growth hormone is slightly low but still in range (105, range is 63-373)


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## Aerose91 (Jun 1, 2013)

bigfoot said:


> Well, I would definitely bring up the brain fog, etc. to your doc. Something clearly isn't right. I would be _very_ surprised if your recent thyroid labs look good. Hormones that are out of whack can really wreak havoc, and not just mentally, but physically and emotionally, too.
> 
> Did this doc that you are seeing also give you the HC, Preg., and DHEA? Or was some of it RX, and the rest you did DIY? If you took that stuff long enough your body could certainly be dependent on it. I can say that I took Prednisone for a few months, and HC for a couple of weeks, and coming off of either of those was no picnic, to say the least. As I tapered down I could tell I had a mental deficit & memory problems, in fact, this even showed up on memory/cognitive testing. Things are better now, so I can say with total honesty that there is always room for improvement. It's a matter of getting things dialed in, especially hormones.
> 
> ...


My doc is the one who gave me the hormones. They were all prescription. I came off them over 8 months ago and had no problems. All of this just recently started after taking the phosphaditylserine. It crashed me somehow.


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## Aerose91 (Jun 1, 2013)

No one has any ideas on those test results? I'm really having a tough time.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Aerose91 said:


> Sure.
> 
> TSH- 1.34 (range 0.40-4.5)
> Free T4- 1.1 (range 0.8-1.8)
> ...


Here are my thoughts: when I look at these lab results, nothing jumps out at me that would cause the kind of brain fog you are describing. In my opinion, you and your doctor need to keep testing other things, because I don't think you've found the root cause of your issues yet. Your Free T4 is a bit low in the range, but not alarming. And your Free T3 is just about mid-range. I don't know...I'm just not seeing it yet.

Curious to see what others have to say, though. I'm no expert!


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

I agree with Octavia, and based on those additional thyroid labs you posted I don't see any big red flags. Something else is going on here behind the scenes.

Out of curiosity, how are your liver numbers and kidney function? You probably know that the liver is the main filter and detoxifier in the body. Having dealt with liver disease twice myself, I've seen/felt what a mess it can do. Fatigue, memory problems, cognitive impairment, and so forth. And I've seen firsthand what poor kidney function can do to someone, too. Worth looking at if they haven't already.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Aerose91 said:


> My doc is the one who gave me the hormones. They were all prescription. I came off them over 8 months ago and had no problems. All of this just recently started after taking the phosphaditylserine. It crashed me somehow.


If your phosphaditylserine is soy based, you have been taking a major goitrogen.


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## DrDon (Jun 6, 2013)

Brain fog is classic thyroid. It is becoming more and more common in chronic conditions. Medications play a big role, but there is a hormonal component there as well. Step one, make sure you are getting good quality sleep....are you?
Blood tests for thyroid function as it relates to overall health are still in the dark ages, don't let them fool you. The body temps you report are another indicator, keep your first thing in the morning temp in a log.

If you get the chance have them run a HGH level test on you, that would be interesting to see as well.

Most thyroid issues are really thyroid receptor problems on the cell wall, and not the actual organ. Stick to whole foods and lots of veggies and sea salt. No flouride or grains either.

Hope this helps,
Dr. Don


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## Aerose91 (Jun 1, 2013)

Thanks for the replies, guys

Yes I thought about the fact that the phosphaditylserine is soy based. However I only took 1, almost 3 months ago and I still haven't recovered.

I thought about the thyroid hormone receptors as well since my labs look somewhat normal. My diet is fantastic as I've had adrenal fatigue for a long time now so it's solely vegetables, lean proteins and complex carbs. I also stay away from all allergens. 
If it is a receptor issue can that be fixed? As in, will the body correct itself? I do sleep pretty well- for the past year I didn't because of anxiety related to adrenal fatigue/benzo withdrawal but as soon as I took that phosphaditylserine I have been sleeping like I'm drugged. Most days that is, with only the occasional day of anxiety. 
My HGH was 105 and a z score of -0.9. I had these levels checked before on 6/25/12 and my levels were 147 with and score of -0.3. 
My energy is moderate now, not horrible but not great, and the biggest symptom I have is this depersonalization/cog fog/memory loss and a hoarse voice. I'm kind of starting to loose hope that I may ever feel reality and be mentally sharp again. I feel like the longer this goes on the less chance I have at recovery.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Aerose91 said:


> Thanks for the replies, guys
> 
> Yes I thought about the fact that the phosphaditylserine is soy based. However I only took 1, almost 3 months ago and I still haven't recovered.
> 
> ...


Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm; get ferritin checked.

Ferritin (should be 50 to 100; the closer to 100,the better) 
http://www.thewayup.com/newsletters/081504.htm

And I am not fond of your results on the thyroid panel. Most of us feel best w/TSH @ 1.0 or less and the FREE T3 at about 75% of the range provided by your lab.

Something is afoot here and it could be exactly opposite of what you think.

Suggesting these tests because there are binding, blocking and stimulating antibodies to the receptor sites and that can really mess w/ the numbers in an insidious manner.

TSI
Normally, there is no TSI in the blood. If TSI is found in the blood, this indicates that the thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin is the cause of the of a person's hyperthyroidism.
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/thyroid-antibodies/tab/test

Trab
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17684583

Also..............did you say you did have an ultra-sound?


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## Aerose91 (Jun 1, 2013)

Andros-

What do u mean by it may be the opposite of what I think? As in not thyroid?

And no, I haven't had an ultrasound


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## davinuen (Jun 9, 2013)

OMG! i cant believe what i am reading !?! my symptoms are the same as Aerose91 i have felt like this now for almost 4 month
and it has ruined my life

(I am from and live in Sweden incase of grammatic errors) il do my best to explain my selv)
one day i woke up in the morning dizzy with brain fog and since then
it has gotten from worse to worse to worse to absolutely terrible where i can not function normally i feel always like if i am in a dream state i have extreme bad short memory and terrible puzzling long term memory i have really hard creating / making an idea and follow it . I have went to the doctors and took some bloodwork and everything looked fine exept for vitamin D witch i have quite low. my level of creativity and productivity is gone i cannot think anymore and i have a feeling of that i am going to disappear soon. i used to work as a webbdesigner and programmer i haven't worked sence 4 month ago so i tried going back to work after the second month ( it didn't worked) so back home again , after being like this for 2 month i went into an argue with my sister and that knocked more my cognitive function and also felt a bit confused , i waited for 3-5 days and the new condition didn't went away - so great! a new personal state to get used to

so.. i was getting used to being in this state of retardedness after the 3:month .until the last week when everything got worse after drinking almost 2 liters of soy lecithin milk from "Nido - Nestle
is got dizzy and even more fogged in the brain as if i was in a trance state of a weird mediation disconnected from you're body and only living minute after minute i cannot plan what i am going to do , my brain calendar is gone, i can't see anything positive because my brain doesn't let me think or plan in to the future. i have this weird depersonalization.
this is really hard and it have gotten me into a depressed state since the last week. i live from minute to minute its is like i am brain dead. i have no problem to recognize people and have no problem typing or anything to do with the movement.
so started to look in google for soy lecithin and it brought me to that it could be from hormones in my body. Why didn't i tought of it before i have gotten to 10 different doctors and so far no answer .
looking for virus, vitamins , brain damage and everything looked ok
they already scanned my head and neck on a mri also with contrast exept neck and and the didn't see any abnormality

i am 27 years old btw

here are my result

S-Testosteron : 10 (range 10 - 30) nmol/L
S-Testosteron bioactive 6,8 (range 6,3 - 16) nmol/L
S-T3, free (Dxl) 3,9 (range 3,5 - 5,9) pmol/L
S-T4, free(Dxl) 10 (rangs 8 - 14) pmol/L
S-TSH (Dxl) 3,0 (range 0,4 - 3,5) mE/L
S-TPO-ak 18 (range <34) kE/L


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## Aerose91 (Jun 1, 2013)

"i can't see anything positive because my brain doesn't let me think or plan in to the future"

I have this exactly! It's a complete disconnect from reality and it came on quick. Very, very scary.


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