Brain Fog with CFS

I speak too many people suffering from CFS who complain of BRAIN FOG (fuzzy head, cotton wool stuffed brain, head in a cloud, head full of treacle, a net curtain over my brain and many more ways of describing it). The actual way you might experience brain fog is individual but the symptoms result in reduced capacity of brain function or cognitive impairment of some form. So you might find it difficult to perform a task that involves several actions, you might not remember something that happened recently, you might find it difficult to find the right word or find it impossible to even think about performing even a simple task.

The same brain fog is experienced during a bout of flu, with many infections, during a migraine, after a shock, during allergy reactions or whilst recovering from illness. It also is often experienced after taking particular medications. There seems to be some kind of block which prevents the chemical transmission of messages in the brain being clear, precise and timely. The symptom may come and go with no particular pattern, often sufferers feel they are carrying out tasks on autopilot without actually being there fully mentally.

Lift the fog

It would seem that the symptoms of brain fog are caused by hormonal changes in the brain, what we don’t know is why. The symptoms are often experienced by people suffering from thyroid deficiencies, high stress levels, allergies and poor diet, so it might be worth having a few tests done with your Doctor. With homeopathy we find that remedies that reduce inflammation often help lift the fog!

CFS Studies of Brain Fog

It is unfortunate that there are not many studies of brain fog, as researchers find that suffers tend to postpone testing until their head feels less fuzzy. Some people can carry on doing what they are doing if they go slowly and are not interrupted, others recognise it as a sign that they are going to crash or it is the beginnings of a migraine. A lot of people wake with a ‘fuzzy head’ and know they are going to have a difficult day.

Homeopathy looks at the individual symptoms of brain fog or brain fatigue in relation with other symptoms experienced at the same time. It also looks at the time of day it is worse and if there are factors or patterns which increase the probability of feeling the brain fog. As it is a symptom which is experienced with viral infections or during allergy reactions, some of the remedies used for first aid applications may help relieve brain fog in CFS sufferers.

Here is a brief list of some examples, you would choose which remedy to take based on how you experience the symptom and other symptoms you have:

Arnica:

fears touch, inability to perform work, confused, vertigo,

Apis:

whole brain feels tired, better on pressure, worse on motion, dull, heavy sensation

Gelsemium:

dull heavy ache with a bruised sensation, drowsiness, scalp sore to touch, desire to be quiet and left alone

Belladonna:

throbbing fullness in head, pain worse light, noise, vertigo, sensitive to the least contact

Here are some of the comments I have heard after taking a remedy:

“I feel like someone turned the on switch back on”

“I’ve had more energy and feel more alert than I have done in a long time”

“I feel more me”

If you would like to find out more about natural remedies which help your body reduce the brain fog feeling and give you a clearer perspective along your journey back to health please click here