Cognitive issues!

[Ashfaren]

My doctor has suspected ME/CFS in me. He thinks all my cognitive issues are bcoz of it. I have memory issues, tiredness, slow thinking and processing, brain fog, low energy, etc. Lately i have developed depressive illness due to it. Anybody suffers from slow thinking, memory issues or brain fog? How to cope with this?

[ALKT]

everyone finds different coping strategies over time I would suggest always writing down the important things that absolutely have to be done within a set time and post these were you are going to see them until you can cross them out as done . I would also suggest checking out the science for M E website as it is one of the most active sites with plenty of valuable info and people with too many years of experience having this horrid disease between us .

[murtoz in reply to ALKT]

Yep. I write everything down. To do lists. Take notes during any call or meeting with doctors or otherwise so you can look things up after wise. Also dont be afraid to check your understanding during those meetings. I also have a ton of reminders on my phone or i would forget to do the stuff i need to get done.

Have yet to find anything that helps me with the slow thinking which for me is probably the most frustrating part of this, as I am in a very technical job and it is preventing me from doing my job properly. So for this I am in therapy to try and come to terms with it and that has already made a huge impact on my mood and how i feel.

[YASMINTINA]

Hello, I was diagnosed with CFS eventually with my fibro, memory does seem to be short term , I quite often go to do something and in seconds forget what I am doing, or leave a saucepan cooking and forget it’s on, stuff like that. Making notes I think is good because you can go back to it and re trace your steps or work through what you are doing, I did have depression but more anxiety which seems to come with these conditions for some people, I was eventually put on duloxtene which has stopped any of this and helps me through so much more. Chronic fatigue I found easier for me to cope with as not working now and can cope better taking day to day. I find the fatigue will come on quite quickly and I have to sleep to re boot myself again, sometimes it’s 2/3 hours in the afternoons some days not at all, but generally spend all my evenings resting for the next day with a good film or magazine. I’ve learnt to say no if something social is arranged if I can manage time out I certainly will attend , but if it’s an off day people have to understand I am not able, I found out the hard way dont put other people 1st and worry because it’s you that will suffer.

[Hidden]

Yes to all. However, the labels doctors give are mostly to make their lives easier.

It's important to have blood tests to check all your levels are optimum, not just in range. e.g. B12, Iron...

You must take a holistic view: lifestyle, diet, stress, medications taken etc.

You can get depleted really quickly in vitamins when you're under stress, emotional or physical e.g. after a virus. So make sure deficiencies are corrected. This takes time.

It's been a long road for me and now Corona has put a spanner in everyone's lives. Increasingly we'll need to be more self sufficient, as medical care will be sparse.