Medication for Brain Fog?

[DizzyGirls]

My youngest daughter is having such a hard time with brain fog that it interferes with just being able to carry on a normal conversation.  She is so frustrated at not being able to think.  Has anybody had any success with medication or such?  Thanks for your help!

[kalamazoo]

Sadly mine has only gotten worse over the years and so has my memory. If you find anything let me know!

[Guest KiminOrlando]

Hi, Dizzy.

I feel for your daughter. When my brain fog was so bad I couldn't remember words to talk to people, they eventually found pernicious anemia in me. I was put on B12 and things got better enough that I could carry on a conversation. Have they checked her for pernicious anemia? 

I don't know if she has gastroparesis, but pernicious anemia often goes with that. If she does, oral B12 won't help.

My brain fog was so bad I couldn't even watch television because I couldn't follow the plot. It was embarrassing. I didn't drive during that time either.

I hope you find something to make it better for her.

Kim

[DizzyGirls]

Yes, my daughter does have gastroparesis.  It's not too bad right now, but she has episodes, like after a virus, when she has had to have an ng tube.  We do take a Super B Complex vitamin, but, maybe that's not helping.  I know that my mom gets B12 shots as she has pernicious anemia.  My daughter has had trouble with brain fog ever since she was little.  We homeschooled and I would work on flash cards with her.  It would frustrate her to no end because she had to think of the answer quickly, so we quit doing that.  But, she was doing high school Chemistry two years above her grade level and she got A's on most of her tests.  You just had to give her enough time to think in.  I need to have her B12 checked.  Thanks for the idea!!

[Guest KiminOrlando]

For the gastroparesis, have they tried Domperidone? It worked on me. I think you have to have a specific kind of gastroparesis for that med to work, and it isn't magic, but it made things better for me. It isn't FDA approved in the US so it has to be compounded. Some Gastroenterologist won't prescribe it for that reason. If you are not in the US, it is approved in many countries and relatively cheap. Canada and the UK for sure has it.

Kim

[looneymom]

Zoloft and Deplin were very helpful for my son. 

 

[TachyKathy]

I have POTS and have had amazing success with modafinil increasing my ability to focus and study at school.  

[DizzyGirls]

KiminOrlando - we tried to get Domperidone from a GI doc at a University that we go to for treatment, but she said that it's getting really hard to get in the UK and so almost impossible to get in the US.  She said she didn't want to prescribe that for my daughter if it's that difficult to get.  Sure seems like a lot of people are still on it, though.  She takes Reglan and that helps. 

Looneymom - Thanks for the suggestions.  I've heard of Zoloft, but not Delpin, so I'll have to look that one up!\

TachyKathy - Thanks for the modafinil suggestion.  I've not heard of that one either.  One to look up!

 

[yogini]

Paxil (an SSRI, like Zoloft) worked for me to improve all my symptoms, including brain fog and a whole host of other things. , It is more of a med used for treating dysautonomia, and not particularly aimed at brain fog.  Often if you find the right med or treatment - which might be an SSRI, florinef or a beta blocker or something else  - many symptoms will improve. 

There are also some drugs which dysautonmia patients take specifically to improving brain fog.  I think some people take ADHD meds, for example.  You might be able to find info about these by searching on the forum.