Brain fog : Hi everyone Does anyone here suffer... - Thyroid UK

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Brain fog

Sandra49 profile image
14 Replies

Hi everyone

Does anyone here suffer from terrible brain fog . It's awful . Can't think of my words can't get them out . Can't even hold a conversation , it's so bad I avoid people because it's so embarrassing trying to hold a conversation. I was wondering if I increase my thyroxine it could help ?

My t4 is 17 ( 9 - 22 )

This is my worse symptom , I'm also post menopausal and still having hot flushes and am on sleeping pills .

I'll be so grateful for any replies

Thanks Sandra

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Sandra49
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14 Replies
Clutter profile image
Clutter

Sandra49, it's a very common and distressing hypo symptom. There's plenty of room for a dose increase which may, indeed, help.

Ask your GP to test B12 and folate. Folic acid can help with menopausal flushes and low B12 can cause night sweats.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/252...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/252...

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.

Sandra49 profile image
Sandra49 in reply to Clutter

Thanks clutter

My gp checked everywhere and said everything was in range and was fine .

Anyway I take b12 vit d and magnesium . I've also tried gluten and dairy free . So far nothing's really helped . I might try increasing my t3 .

Clutter profile image
Clutter in reply to Sandra49

Sandra49, being in range is not the same as optimal. Ask for the results and ranges and post them in a new question for comment.

_________________________________________________________________________

I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.

Linda-Frisco profile image
Linda-Frisco

Hi Sandra,

Yes, having brain fog is the worst thing ever! Not being able to think of the words we need certainly causes us to withdraw from conversations. Mine seems to come and go based on how much NDT I'm taking. My GP recently reduced my dose from 300 down to 90 and my brain is finally starting to feel "almost" normal again! When I was taking the higher doses the depression and brain fog was unbearable at times and no wonder - I was over drugged!!

What thyroid med are you taking? Do you have fatigue as well?

Hugs to you!

Linda

Sandra49 profile image
Sandra49 in reply to Linda-Frisco

Hi Linds thanks for your reply. I'm taking 125 mg thyroxine and 10 mg t3 , so I was wondering weather to increase my meds or lower them . My doc doesn't have a clue . I don't understand the NDT dosage , never tried that .

Yes I have fatigue as well , I tire very easily I'm also depressed and anxious.

Indiaza profile image
Indiaza in reply to Linda-Frisco

This is an interesting post. I've wondered about brain fog as a symptom either of too little or too much T3,.

Hello Sandra,

I suffered from horrendous brain and it can be extremely dibilitating.

It affected me quite badly, making me withdrawn and some days afraid to go out in case I forgot where I lived ! !. . It all sounds so crazy now.

Maximising nutrient levels and reducing thyroid antibodies by going gluten free helped me enormously but adding T3 to my T4 was the real catalyst that cleared the last bits. It still comes back when I'm stressed giving me a real inability to cope well under pressure. I am hoping this will improve over time and consider it adrenal issues which I am now working on.

You were medicating on T4 & T3 but advised in a previous post that you were stopping T3 as felt over medicated. However, your last post indicates you are now medicating T3 but have low thyroid hormone levels. I would recommend you work on optimising levels, especially T3 which is the biological hormone and therefore responsible for most of your symptoms.

I function best with a suppressed TSH and T3 in upper quadrant of range.

Can you supply T3 and TSH result complete with ranges?

Also did you ever get tested for thyroid antibodies TPOAb & TGAb?

Also get your D, Vit B12, folate & ferritin tested. Deficiencies in these are common in people with thyroid issues & may impair how thyroid meds work.

I hope you feel better soon,

Flower.

.........................................................................................................................................

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.

...........................................................................................................................................

Sandra49 profile image
Sandra49

Thanks flower

My tsh has always been suppressed 0.01 sorry don't know the ranges . Doctor has never tested my antibodies .im taking vit d supplements and b12 . Doctor said other tests were OK .

My dosage is all over the place . I keep changing going up or down , my gps not much help .

Thanks

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Sandra49

Sandra, never, ever take your doctor's word for anything. Always ask for proof! It's your legal right to have a print-out of your test results - with ranges. You need to see exactly what was tested and what the results were. 'OK' is not a diagnosis, it's an opinion. And your opinion might differ with that of your GP. :)

win_4ever profile image
win_4ever

Hello Sandra49, Sorry go hear of your brainfog as I too had it but I decided to give up drinking tea when I learnt it was contaminated with fluoride and aluminium. Whether it was the giving up the tea drinking can't swear to it but that was when my head started to clear. Hope you soon feel better. We can only share our experiences in the hope it can help some fellow sufferers. Good luck.

Sandra49 profile image
Sandra49 in reply to win_4ever

Hi thanks for your reply

Do you drink any kind of tea , I like earl grey and some herb teas but would stop drinking them if I thought it would help with my symptoms

win_4ever profile image
win_4ever

Yes I drink herb teas but the contaminant only affect the black tea and Earl grey tea is as far as I know black tea with bergamot infused. I only drink the herb teas that are not blended with black tea..

I hope that makes it clear. It worked for me but we are all different and have trial things out and see for ourselves. In fact I told my gp about my fogbrain disappearing with giving up tea because of the contaminants and he made no comment! Wasn't even interested in my fogbrain being got rid of.sigh!!!!!

Indiaza profile image
Indiaza

I'm new at this but from my experience, always being on D and having been told by my dr to take folate and B12, I didn't tolerate the Bs well until I got on T4/T3 combination, which I am still in the process of increasing. And I feel better and can tolerate the Bs. I'm also post-m and the brain fog for me gradually became debilitating with a constant impulse to try to "rub it away". Best of luck.

headinjuryhypo profile image
headinjuryhypo

Sandra, I am so sorry for what you are going through. I'd just like to say, bear in mind that brain fog can result from lack of other pituitary hormones than just thyroid stimulating hormone (you say this is low). Flower007 mentioned adrenal issues, and you might think about growth hormone as well (especially if you've ever had a head injury or a concussion). James Smith's story is interesting bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f45...

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