I think everybody is right in a way -- I have very bad Fibro Fog on days, where I have the same symptoms - loss of vocabulary, motor-skills decrease, and I am unaware of my surroundings: time passes, and I don't realize it. I have many other symptoms when this happens, but the doctors say it's more related to depression, ADD, and anxiety. But the answers they gave me to every problem? NOT ENOUGH SLEEP. I thought about it, and I get hardly any sleep: 3, 4 hours a night...that's it, IF I'm lucky. You know how sometimes when you are really tired, your eyes start to blur, or lose focus, and you can't concentrate on the TV show anymore? Not Fog, but just normal bedtime fatigue? I think it's the same idea. We are just too tired to function properly. We all need to force ourselves to get decent sleep, but that's the part I can't figure out how to do !!
As for dealing with it? Thank God I'm unemployed, because I don't deal with it well at all. I get very frustrated when I can't find words, or lose thoughts, so I just read, or something simple. waiting for the day to be over.....or TRY to sleep.
Renie,Alot of it does come down to sleep.
I know people who were tested for sleep apnea.I have no ins to be
tested.The doctor I just started seeing at a free clinic started me on paxil and mobic.
The paxil was knocking me out all afternoon after work.So I take it around six thirty.
It isn’t a cure all but it has been helping me sleep better at night.I still nap.
I see the doctor in about two weeks and we’ll see what he says.
Sorry so slow to respond. I've been on nearly every SSRI made in the past 15 years (Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa...) I am now taking Savella 50 mg twice daily which helps more than anything else I've had, but nothing is perfect. My full-time college schedule is what is killing me, but I suffer through because I know it will be worth it in the long run. I also take tramadol (as needed) to take the edge off of the pain when it gets too great. That adds to the fog, so I usually only take that at night. Thanks, though. I am lucky. Though I feel like crap most days, it seems more people have it worse or I just refuse to give up on life.
irishroots said:
Siobhan,
Are you taking any prescriptions?
I was recently put on paxil for mood swings.
I started taking it in the morning and was sleeping all aftrenoon after work.
I take it now around 6:00 pm.It sleep better and my eyes open at 6:00 am.
Every day.Its only been ninteen days and doesn't fix all of my problems but its
been a big change.
Hope this helps someone on here.
Joann
I've never done a sleep study or had one suggested to see if I have apnea. I'm glad the CPAP helps with your sleep and giving your brain the oxygen it needs.
Michelle
fibrokitty said:
I have heard sleep apnea is a big problem for folks with fibro. I just started using the CPAP machine for my sleep apnea and notice my thinking is clearer. It gives the brain some much needed O2 at night
Maria
I, too get the fog! Lavander & Peppermint work because Lavander is a grounding oil & peppermint is a stimulating oil. Lavander clears your head & Peppermint helps one to focus. Aromatherapy is a wonderful way to cope with what we have. One word of caution: Don't use these oils constantly! Otherwise your body will get used to them & they won't work as good.Rubbing Lavander on your forehead & temples is good for a headache. Lavender is also relaxing & promotes sleep. If you mix 10 drops of lavender & eucalyptus each into epson salts for a bath, it will make you feel so relaxed that you will fall asleep soon after! I feel like I am droning on & on. My family thinks I am nuts & is constantly on my back about this or that. I think my mother, in addition to arthritis & other "old age" illnesses, has fibro. She denies it from here to high heaven! It's like a "dirty" word to her! All I can say is "Thank God for Social Security Disability"! I not only have fibro, but also an AVM in my brain. So, the fog is d oubly bad! I had to move back in with my parents, after my husband died & my house went into foreclosure. Life insurance money doesn't go very far these days. Mine lasted for about three years, after refinancing the mortgage, hiring lawyer to change title on house, paying exhorbant medical insurance bill that was COBRA, didn't know about Medicare Advantage plan. The advice that I learned about is that if you own a house with your significant other, get the insurance that pays off the mortgage if one person dies. The lawyer for the builder who built our house, put the house in my husband's name only, but had my name on the mortgage. Tom never had the time to go to the courthouse to change that. He didn't want the insurance because he thought I would die before him & that it would be $360/month, when, in fact, it was $30/month. At the time, I didn't know that I could sign his name on this. He was an emotionally &verbally abusive alcoholic. I was on an up & down roller coaster with him. I think he was sick when I married him. (He had cancer all over when he died. Also brain cancer!) Sorry about going off tangent!
Hi Chris,
I'm so sorry you've had it so rough. It sounds like you're a tough cookie though ! Thank you for the information on the oils -- I never know what is for what, but this really helps. In addition to Fibro, I have 6 herniated discs in my neck and low back, which leads to almost constant headaches. I would love to try the lavender oils for that. And I DEFINITELY need focus for the Fibro Fog, those are the days I'm stuck on the couch because I can't figure out what to do with myself. Any sort of clarity would be welcome!
From what I've learned, Fibro is very common as a secondary disorder. I think a lot more people have it than we know about. My friend has Rheumatoid Arthritis, and was complaining of things yesterday that sounded more like Fibro symptoms. I told her I bet she does have it also, she said the Doctor mentioned that she does. We have a lot of people here who also have Rheumatoid, Lupus, Lyme -- anything that attacks the body; similar to what Fibro does. So I agree that your Mom probably has it.
I'm so glad you got your disability. So far, I've been too afraid to try, and now yesterday I found out that my old job, that has been carrying my policy on their group because I'm friends with the doctor, decided to cancel me in 20 days. SURPRISE !!!! So now I am in a panic, probably going to flare because of it, and still no idea what to do. If I contact BlueCross, and ask them to continue the policy but send the bill directly to me, as a private policy, my monthly premium for 2 of us goes from $1200 to $3600. No way can I do that. The $1200 was hard enough !
Sorry for going off on MY tangent -- I do it A LOT -- I usually warn people in advance! LOL !
Thanks for the info, and hang in there !!
Hugs,
Renie ♥
Thank you for this question. This is also a huge concern of mine. I'm an accountant and office manager for a small company. I find myself doing complex tasks when I feel more focused and clear. I file and do the mundane when my head feels foggy. My boss thinks I'm defiant not always doing what he wants in the order he wants. He is quite the micro manager with all of us. But I just do what will work so I can get the most done as accurately as possible. On fuzzy days accounting for stocks .... short sales....mergers...cash in lieu...suddenly everything is greek to me.
I also would like feedback as to what helps.
I just started Adderral and it’s helping fibro fog. Maybe your doc would let you try it? Best, SF
You can add to my message that Adderall helps me too -- Thanks Sunflower for reminding me!
Renie
Amber,
I have been taking Sertraline (zoloft) since 2007. My therapist recently increased the dosage. One thing I noticed is that I am having a somewhat easier time following what someone is saying to me. I never realized until the change of dosage just how bad my attention is. I knew my memory was bad but I did not know just listening to someone is connected to that. I went from a 50 mg to 75 mg. I just read that this medication is used for treatment of adult attention deficit. I am learning that changing dosages can improve symptoms. Last year I changed the dosage on my Lamictal and that made a difference in my depression. I feel lucky to have the therapist I have.
Thank you all for the reply to my question, this helps a whole lot just knowing that there are things I can try. Now it is just finding what fits.
Interesting… I also have a much easier time sleeping during the day. My husband bought me one of the alarm clocks that contains a bright light. As the light got brighter, I was able to sleep better and it was really odd! Instead of waking up I loved sleeping in the bright light!
Geranium said:
I find that also SarahW…much easier to nap/sleep during the day opposed to night. I also wonder why this is…but thankfully don’t work anymore so don’t feel the need to schedule myself. Another Fibro person told me some time ago to not worry about my housework b/c nobody is going to break in and steal it. That made me laugh at the time but now I just consider it a comforting thought.
SarahW said:I also am on disability so i have a bit more flexibility with “fog” days. But what I find most help is to get some sleep. Sometimes it is easier to fall asleep during the day for whatever strange reason. So i take a nap. I liked the eucaliptus suggestion too. I’ve tried that and it does help. I really don’t have many ideas on what triggers it. But my first line of defense always seems to be to sleep. Whatever time it is.
I am glad I read this today as am going to see doc today and will ask about the adderral, as nothing I have tried has helped with my fog, and have been on soooo many of the drugs that alll these guys try to give us to help but end up with nothing. Hugs kisses and prayers for everyone Pat
Adderal comes in extended release and regular strength. Recommend you try both. 20 mg of regular strength keeps me going from 8am until 2pm. The extended release isn’t as powerful but it sort of keeps me on track all day. I can concentrate and feel like my IQ is higher - LOL
Doc didn’t want me take any more than 20 mg per day. I Have problems with my heart racing sometimes and I think that is why he won’t prescribe a higher dose.
Hugs,
SF
My f-fog gets worse when I don't sleep well or enough, so I try to go to bed by 12-1am (if I go to bed earlier than that, I wake up in the middle of the night, unable to go back to sleep). Processed foods and certain other foods also trigger it, so I try to avoid them. Perfume, Cologne, cigarette smoke, and other toxix chemicals also trigger it (followed by severe allergic reaction) but they are more difficult to avoid in public. I cannot go into certain stores or walk down the laundry/clearning product isle for this reason.
My period seems to make f-fog worse. There's NOTHING I can do to improve it right before my period. I also pass out a day before. Fibro fog is one of the worst symptoms of FM. It is not only embarassing but it can affect your job. My profession is teaching and it is challenging to teach when I am trying to come up with a word, not remembering things, or worse, being spaced out!
Are you kidding?? $3600 monthly premium?! That's insane! Even $1200 is too much! I think they are trying to get rid of you. When I applied for BC through my husband's work, they denied me because of FM! I don't have health insurance, so I have to go to urgent care when something happens and pay out of pocket. I've been spending most of my paychecks (I have 2 part-time jobs) on my supplements and doctor's visits.
Being involved in a car accident (rear-ended at red light) made things worse. Not only it caused injuries, it triggered severe FM flareups. Now, I'm having to pay for treatments (PT and others) for my injuries on top of FM treatments. The other driver's insurance accepted full liability but they won't pay me until I finish all of my treatments. The health care system in this country is so messed up that no one can afford it. If you happen to be sick or get injured, you are screwed.
When I have severe f-fog, I seriously think I have mental retardation and become depressed. I have hard time thinking and talking (unable to form words). I love to read but I cannot understand a thing I am reading about. I love movies but I cannot even remember the main characters and following the story is sometimes impossible. This is when I feel so stupid and worthless but I have to keep reminding myself that I am not like this all the time and I will get better.
I try to think of the f-fog episodes as a brain vacation, so I don't feel bad about it. My brain needs a break just like my body, so it can go out on a vacation once in a while. I try to read something easy, light and funny. I watch comedy movies on Netflix with my husband. The best thing I can do when I have f-fog is to go for a light walk. My fog gets better after breathing fresh air and connecting with nature. I think even a healthy person would get foggy if they push themselves too hard. I think f-fog is our body's way of trying to tell us that it needs a break!
It is really interesting that many of the FM people sleep better during the day. I also sleep better in a daylight although I cannot do that anymore since I strated working. One of my favorite activities is taking a nap in the sunlight with my cats.
It's really challenging to sleep at night. If I don't take my sleeping pill, I would be awake until 6-7am no matter how exhausted I am from working. I have to stay awake until 12-1am so I won't wake up in the middle of the night.
I think someone should do studies on why FM people cannot sleep at night and can during the day. Do other sick people without FM experience this? If it's a trait unique to FM, it may help understand the causes of FM.
FibroChou I have it probably worse than you do. It's so discouraging to have to explain with so little to go on, that I don't even go there with them about it very often. I understand your concerns and disappointment.
Yes it's very true that pushing ourselves and/or not being able to sleep makes it worse.
Katherine
Just generally good nutrition, supplements and extra rest. You may need to lower your expectations which would help, too. Bless you Amber.