Fuzzy brains

[allotment-lover]

I am down to 3 mg of pred from 50mg, which has taken 2 years 3 months. Is it possible that the Pred is causing my difficulty in keeping a train of thought, and general brain fog at times? I do notice quite a difference from how I used to be. I would have thought the dose is quite low to still be affecting me that way. I am 70 so could it be that? Any help gratefull received.

[polkadotcom]

I'm 70 too, and find my attention span and short term memory very different now. Multitasking was one of my best skills - but no more!

I do think physical age has a lot to do with it as in my head I am still 29 and expecting to respond as I did then! Since I realised that I have deliberately slowed down and am finding things easier if I concentrate on just one thing at a time. I do get more done now in that way than trying to be a butterfly fluttering from job to job.

I hope this helps!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Both the illness and the treatment can cause brain fog! For some people even low doses have an effect while others recover much sooner.

GCA is a serious illness, pred is a powerful medication - you have been through a lot and it is over 2 years on. I went through a long period where I could NOT do two things at once, not even coordinate cooking a meal and getting the chicken and the veggies ready at the same time if someone even spoke to me. It has improved mercifully!!!! Fewer burnt pans now...

[11caroline29 in reply to PMRpro]

So glad to hear that someone else struggles with 2 things at once. Before Pred & pmr & gca I was the most organised person and multi tasking was no problem. Now I can only manage to think or do one thing at a time. At age 50 this is the most upsetting symptom of my journey so far. Unless that improves over time I question will I ever be able to return to work? I can only hope!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to 11caroline29]

It has for me - I had to continue working as a freelance translator in the earlier days and if someone walked into the room it disturbed me, never mind talk to me, it had never been a problem before.

Now I can have 3 forums open on the computer at the same time, have "chats" on Facebook with both daughters and a friend at once as well as reading other posts in between with the lag in the conversation, my memory is back to normal - some of the others comment on me remembering something about their PMR journey. Physically I'm still not where I was before PMR, but then, I'm 10 years older.

It does get better.

[allotment-lover]

Thanks for those replies, I will not give up hope. My bridge playing has really suffered apart from other things!