Brain fog? Loss of memory.

[ValleysBoy]

Hi AllI have been soldiering on with my PMR relying solely on pred for what is coming up to 4 years I think. I am sustained by reading all your requests and advice daily.

Sadly over the last year I have noticed I am having more and more difficulties locating a word I need to use. It could be an object, like a table, or a medicine like Biofreeze. I can see the object of my thought clearly but cannot locate the word. I keep worrying away at it and eventually, usually after 5 minutes or so I will locate the word.

Does anyone recognise this as a symptom of pred or even PMR. Is this part of what people describe as brain fog or am I on the way to dementia?

Thanks

Steve

[PMRpro Ambassador]

The best thing is to speak to your GP. It can be part of PMR, it can be associated with pred. You don't say what dose of pred you are on - but low doses of pred and adrenal insufficiency can probably also be blamed. The fabled "adrenal fatigue" is claimed to cause brain fog - so it is likely that the real case of adrenal insufficiency could do so too.

[ValleysBoy in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks PMR Pro. I am currently on 12.5mg, so not a low dose. I got down to 10mg and held there for 6 months on the advice of the Rheumatologist. In Feb I reduced to 9 and very quickly was hit by a flair taking me almost back to the start. I had to raise to 17.5mg to get a lid on it once again. Then have reduced to 15mg and then reduced by 1mg a month to now. PMR symptoms have so far been very well controlled, although I am still fatigued most of the time. But no real pain which is the main thing.The memory thing has come on gradually over the last year and seems to go in bursts. Sometimes I can go days without noticing the problem then I will have days with lots of incidences. Its really weird, and worrying. There is so much experience of everything PMR related on this list that I felt that maybe someone could say if they have suffered similar things and whether they went away when they got of the pred. Until now I have been pleased to suffer several side effects of pred to be pain free, but if this is one of its effects I need to try and do something to get of it, or as low a dose as possible, as soon as possible.

Many thanks

Steve

[Pr0jection in reply to ValleysBoy]

I have almost exactly the same issue and it is worrying when it happens. MY OH looks at me strangely when I'm struggling to find a word, and it can be a simple thing like identifying a plate, spoon. I'm 81, fit and active. I'm on 7.5mg, have been since October 2020. Mine also comes in bursts but it doesn't happen if I've had a decent nights sleep. I will still wake up periodically (bathroom breaks which have occurred since being on pred) but get back to sleep quickly. Last night, for example, I slept for 8 hours, and also had 2 hours sleep in the afternoon which is really unusual. If I have a restless night then locating words is much more of a problem. Do you have an active social life? We don't, preferring to spend time gardening, walking, sight seeing, etc. Sometimes, spending too much time alone can lead to memory issues, so I've been told. It can also be the simple fact of getting older - a friend of mine thought she had dementia. Her GP carried out a series of tests and told her that, in his opinion, it was part of the natural aging process. It didn't make her feel any better though! Hope you can get some good advice. Please keep us posted if you have any success. Thank you.

[SnazzyD in reply to Pr0jection]

Of course the GP is the first stop, but have you had Covid in the past year? That can cause brain fog, even after a mild dose of it.

[Hidden in reply to SnazzyD]

Can it? 💡I had Covid at the start of the year, never really recovered fully. I still wonder if the PMR/cognitive impairment is a legacy of the virus. I guess I'll never know. Wherever it came from it's moved in and I have to accept the fact.

[JeremyNZ in reply to ValleysBoy]

Hi. I have the same thing. But I was using a whole Zopiclone to sleep and when I cut this to a half my memory was noticibly better (Aphasia, remembering steps in a procedure). A lot. Are you taking anything other than prednisone that might be suss?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Agree with PMRpro-think you need to speak to GP

[Hidden]

alzheimers.org.uk/

The symptoms checklist on this site may help you sort out whether your brain fog is related to dementia or not. Normal aging, period of stress, medications, and physical illness can all mimic dementia and worry folks lots. The advice given by others to consult your GP is pretty sensible.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Yo, got lots if 'issues' but happily brain fog ain't amongst them....🤣🤣🤣. However the Alzheimers site is a very good one. From memory...haha.... it gives a checklist as to what is normal aging vs what might be Alzheimers.

[Zebedee44]

Hi, yes I suffer from the same problem, forgetting words and particularly names. I put it down to increasing age and social isolation. The brain fog of adrenal fatigue makes me feel generally blurry a lot of the time. I do mind games on my IPad to try and retain alertness. Some days are more difficult than others.

[Naim1]

Hi....I have this in waves. I have found that when I am trying my best to multi task or I am under pressure my noggin can't cope.

It is very frustrating!

I have to sit, be calm, reset & eventualy I can find the right words.

[Maisiek]

yes!my first week on zero Pred after 3 1/2 years - I’m aware of a 2 second delay before I can get a word and am exceptionally fatigued , but I do lead a busy life with church, grandchildren and gardening and I reckon 3 1/2 years with never more than 2-3 hours at a time must take its toll?

[Sheilamac]

Hello! My brain fog in my opinion was definitely related to my prednisolone and it improved quite a lot as the dose came down, but as it took my pain away I put up with it and started a page in a wee book with the words that commonly escaped me. I also did weird things like continuing with something even though I knew I wasn’t doing it right… I wasn’t sure I knew who I was for a while.

I have been off steroids since the end of 2021 and I noticed recently that my brain was not working right and on talking to the Pharmacist I have stopped several drugs which should not be prescribed to the elderly for fear of them developing Dementia as a result. Great!… Some were drugs like non steroidal pain killers like Ibuprofen but also Solifenacin and some other drugs prescribed for insomnia like antihistamines. Anyway, the point is that it isn’t just Prednisolone that does this. I have been off the offending drugs for about 1 month and am hoping that my poor old brain will recover. I believe that there has been a bit of an improvement so far.

[9lives]

hi , sorry to hear this, I find if I’m struggling to find a word, I tend to recite the alphabet, ABC etc. to jog my memory and in the hope that the word will come to.

Good luck

[Karenjaninaz in reply to 9lives]

I do that too!

[Pr0jection in reply to Karenjaninaz]

Me too!

[Floridafan in reply to 9lives]

I also do this and 9 times out of 10 it works! I don't give up though and eventually it will come to me, sometimes in the middle of the night! I should write it down though because by morning I've forgotten it again 🤣

[Raewynne]

Yes I'm coming up 4 years and second time round.I am definitely noticing my memory is not too good.Whether it's just part of the Tiredness and weakness from reducing.I hope it's not steroid induced dementia.God help me .I don't need any more awful things to happen to me.Hopefully may just be age related!

[AliDeJ]

Hello. My GP said it can also be due to Thyroid issues. Just saying...

[AtopicGuy]

Normal ageing plus any disease that causes fatigue explains 'brain fog' up to a point. If it's becoming more than an annoyance, you could seek a memory test from your GP.