Foggy Brain | Arthritis Information

I'm only on Prednisone, but more and more I'm finding that I'm losing my words, or can't recall how to spell a simple word for a few minutes. Am I just going nuts, or could this be because of the Prednisone?

More than likely, it is the RA, not the pred. We all have it, just one of the unfortunately pleasures that goes along with RA.

Hang in there....it won't get better

Lori

For me, it's from RA AND

God knows, I was fighting the "fog" but now, I'm embracing it. I'm not even trying to find the word I want. "What is that place we keep things cold?" "Oh yeah, the refrigerator" etc.

Lately I've found my number recall has become very bad - i remember odd bits of PIN or telephone numbers and not the rest. Pity you can't fill those in with 'whatsit' or 'thingy'!

Try doing memory exercises to see if it improves.

I seem to have forgotten how to spell, my grammar is shocking & my memory hopeless. All RA I think. When I write posts I often have to change words because I have forgotten how to spell them. I have always read a lot & was a really good speller, I could tell by looking at a word if it was correct or not - not any longer so if you read my posts & count the spelling mistakes this is why!I am constantly walking into a room to do something only to forget why I went there. It is so frustrating. What was I saying???? LOL

Well then, I'm not alone! I'm used to the menopause brain, lol, but I struggled for 10 minutes trying to spell "Jones". I actually wrote "Joans" cause I couldn't remember and was frustrated as hell. Definitely within the past month my mind is changing. This is the pits.

Thanks for writing back and letting me know that others suffer with this too!!!

Well I have had RA forever - about 30 years. I think the foggy brain, can't remember a damn thing, is menopause. I was smart even 5 years ago!

Thank you for posting this! I have been TERRIFIED because of these little episodes from time to time. I am sorry this can be part of arthritis and that so many of us are dealing with it, but am glad to know its likely to be that and not that I am facing some type of dementia at the age of 47. I guess I could also be in peri-menopause, but at any rate, I am glad to know there are other causes of brain fog, including these!

Nancy

Brain fog... I thought I could blame it on the meds! Actually some of my processing problems are due to the med I'm taking for my neuropathic pain. My pharmacist warned me that I may lose track of what I'm trying to say and that things may come out kind of gargled... oops I'm mean garbled. Nowadays when I go blank, my husband and kids try to fill in the missing words... it's like playing charades!

And now I hear from you that the RA's doing it too? ARGH!!!

Cassie... it takes me forever to post a message... I'm constantly changing things because I'm not making sense and fixing my spelling mistakes.

It's what we oldies call "living in the hereafter."

Go from one room to another and ask yourself "What am I here after?"

I think.

You are among kindred spirits.

You have "Brain Fog" !! I don't know really who coined this name, some years ago in chat or on one of the boards; also known as "Fibro Fog"

It seems to be partly caused by the disease, and our fatigue and sometimes sleepless nights - and partly because of our cocktail of meds. Many years ago I was started off on Naproxen when first dx'd, and my head felt as if it were stuffed with cotton wool. Not good when trying to cope with a responsible office job. Much later I asked the rheumy about it (was shy about asking questions in those days) and was told, Oh yes, Naproxen can cause that .... Thank goodness for the various arthritis boards and chat sessions which have 'trained' us to be more knowledgeable about the stuff we take, and to ask more questions of our docs and rheumys. After all, we are paying them!!!

Make lists, stick notes on fridge or by the coffee pot, use the pop-up M'soft calendar reminder ... just don't forget your sense of humour to get you thru the day

Lorraine

Thanks all! Lorraine, I'm sitting here thinking ... "duh....", can you believe I didn't even think it could be because I'm sleeping about 3 hours a night...This is exactly what I love about this board. What's right in front of me, can be figured out by someone else, lol, cause my brain is foggy.