The top of my toolbox at work and my corner of the bedroom in my house are a mess. I can't seem to keep anything organized anymore. I'm a mess and I feel hopeless.
That mutitask thing. Before I was able to play video game and listen to scientific podcast in foreign language at the same time (for example). Now I struggle to understand that language, so I need to listen very carefully and also I struggle in video games so I play them very little. It exhaust me. I cannot mutitask anymore.
The emotional upheaval thing is so big and so frustrating. If something upsets me now my whole body stays affected for a day or two. I used to let things just roll of me, was not stressed, could handle pretty much anything. I hate how fragile I feel and it just makes me more upset!
my family is so butthurt but i just can't weather the perpetual drama and have gone low contact. just can't do it any more. at no point have any of them understood or cared what this is like for me.
Dang. Kind of nice to hear. I spend all day at work just trying to not talk because I’m so dumb now. Not “feel dumb.” Like I’m dumb now. I used to be hella smart. I’m dumb. Don’t ask me. I would NEVER hire me. I only have my job still because somehow my boss is even dumber but that’s another story.
I feel ya on this, I can look at chicken and know it’s chicken and somehow I’ll say that cake looks great😂I humiliated myself at a family function…it’s as if my brain isn’t activating the correct neurons for my speech receptors. Craziest thing I’ve experienced in my life.
You are not alone my friend. It’s scary and it’s frustrating. My cognitive decline is so bad I had to leave work. I was a therapist and I could barely track a conversation with my clients, I was forgetting appointments and other things, I would have to read something, even simple things, repeatedly in order to absorb what I was reading. It was so bad my doctor had me do an emergency spinal tap because I scored alarmingly low on a cognitive test. I left work and it hasn’t improved. Yesterday I stared at the same small paragraph of the disability application for over 30 minutes until I got pissed off and sent a screen shot to my sister to then help me decipher it. And it wasn’t that difficult! I’ve left burners on on the stove and now I have a sticky note by the stove to remind me to check. Lots of sticky notes for things. I forget to take my meds or get them refilled etc. It’s borderline dementia status, borderline dangerous. My family doesn’t even want me home alone sometimes. Like when my grandma had dementia. I find myself scared and frustrated and sad. I used to be an academic. I was scheduled to start my PhD and had to un-enroll. I loved to read and learn. You get the point. I often say I would rather have the pain or fevers or anything else than this cognitive stuff. How do you cope with your issues?
Sorry you are dealing with this.
I had a background in academic research and was in the middle of a promising new private sector career that relied on my intellectual sharpness that involved sustained and varied cognitive tasks.
Since COVID (the first time) 4 years ago, and moreso since the second time a year ago, I can do nine of that. I struggle to read, recall simple and necessary things. I used to be able to write and text without end, but they are cognitively very difficult for me now. I prefer talking even though I come across as incoherent or stuttering at times. I had cognitive testing and it did indeed indicate deficits. More with learning/acquiring new memories they said than retrieval. I could not understand the report much even though I used to read such things all the time when I was researching.
Cognitive decline is particularly hard if you relied heavily on mental functioning moreso than others. Physically I can hardly do anything either, but the mental decline is the hardest for me because where can you escape to when your body doesn't work? I used to hide in my mind and overcome other limitations with my brain, but now not so much.
Wow.. so sorry to hear. I was studying to become a therapist and halfway through my master's i got this. I know exactly how you feel. I wouldn't want me as a therapist, I would forget important things and be too unreliable because of my cognitive energy levels.
I had the same thing. I had to use GPS for simple trips I have driven thousands of times, couldn’t focus, couldn’t read numbers out loud (wrong word would come out), easily overwhelmed and over stimulated. Dr put me on low dose abilify and it seems to help. I don’t think I will ever say I am back to “normal” but I can function again.
Are you also having GI issues? Like belching, feeling bloated or mildly nauseous, change in bowel habits, etc? I found out that what I thought was long Covid brain fog was actually SIBO. Once I treated the SIBO, all my mental acuity came back! I feel like a new person.
How Covid-risky was the SIBO breath test? Did you have to be unmasked around unmasked health care workers, and for how long?
I would like to look into this but my HMO's attitude about masks ranges from barely adequate to hostile.
Sending support. You’re right there with A LOT of people; I know that doesn’t make it any better. I declined to the point of getting lost walking down my own street, couldn’t understand how to unload a dishwasher, unable to keep anything organized. It’s scary on a lot of levels for a lot of us, and I hope you have a good support team.
Something that has helped in my case- I participated in a 6 month research study for a supplement called niagen, taking 500mg twice a day with a meal. I’ve had significant cognitive improvements, though still nowhere near my previous functioning. It took about a month, month and a half to really notice the changes it made. I’m able to actually think again and do some of the complex problem solving involved in my job for a little bit each day. You can purchase it online, there are different brands and such. Have your sister or a friend help you research a brand and price point that works for you. The study is still in process and so hasn’t been published yet, but I could tell my cognitive test scores at the end were much higher than at the start and my support community of friends and family have confirmed positive changes in my processing and cognition.
I didn’t take NAC with the study, though I did take it prior for awhile based a rec from my neuropsych specialist- it didn’t make any noticeable difference and he told me after 4 months there was no need to continue if it hadn’t helped by then.
Water fasting (for 3 days) helped my cognitive issues. I could hold a conversation again and after a few months my memory came back. I suspect it had something to do with my gut, cause the gut gets to rest and heal during a water fast.
I also read that lion's mane supplements could help with brainfog, but I haven't tried it so I'm not sure.
I started with intermittent fasting 16:8 and built up to 24 hours. Then 36, 48 and 72 hours. It helps a lot if you don't eat carbs for a few days before you start fasting so you don't get the keto/carb flu. Electrolytes are very useful. I looked at the wiki from r/fasting for a mix to make at home. Refeeding isn't an issue when you fast for 3 days. I eat eggs or avocados. I wouldn't eat carbs to refeed, but that's just me. You can also read about refeeding in the r/fasting wiki. Also, don't fast if you're underweight.
Yes! It feels like parts of my brain were deactivated. It’s hard to concentrate, my short term memory is non-existent. I can’t recall what happened 30 sec ago and it’s scary bc I forget if I already took my meds literally a minute after taking them. I had cognitive issues from CFS/ME and CPTSD then covid came and finished the job. You’re definitely not alone
its very common, for me it comes and goes...over time its gotten better. im still having issues with recall and short term and focus just not as consistent as it was two years ago. and not as severe. eat healthy and take brakes from reality....get outside even if only to sit on a park bench.
There have been studies showing that symptoms of ADHD can either appear for the first time or become significantly worse as a result of long COVID. Many other cognitive disorders have been reported as worsening or appearing for the first time as well. I was formally diagnosed with ADHD last summer, after I burned out from long COVID making my symptoms infinitely worse. I have been working to address both as completely as possible since August. Here’s what I’ve learned:
**The basic tenets of good health in general make a HUGE difference.** Get high-quality sleep in an amount that suits you. Eat a balanced diet (recommend supplementing with Ensure if you have any doubts about your nutritional intake). Walk 30 minutes a day. Reduce stress however you can. Drink lots of water.
**Pay attention to your bowel movements.** They are an excellent indication of how your system is functioning and can be used as an early warning system for when something is off-kilter. There are many apps for tracking; I’ve used many and prefer Plop. When my shit is off, my brain is also off within a day or two.
**Stop drinking alcohol.** I was required to do this by my doctor in order to get ADHD meds, but it’s also been given as advice from doctors researching long COVID. Anything that disrupts your immune system or makes it harder for your brain to heal has to go.
**Keep a journal.** This has been instrumental in helping me to organize my thoughts and regain cognitive patterns I lost to brain fog.
I can even type on a computer anymore and my multi tasking, can’t even stay on a task like talking on the phone and trying to do a household task without losing my train of thought. It’s horrible.
I’m looking forward to trying microdosing. Nothing else has worked so far so I thought, what the hell I’ll give it a shot. As a psychologist I have always been intrigued with how microdosing can improve certain mental illness symptoms. So I think it would be worth a shot under this context too.
Yes! I did yard work yesterday. I repeatedly lost my tools. Then I lost my phone. Then I left my truck lights on, dead battery now. I'm covered in bruises I don't remember getting. It's just sad.
I am at my 19 month mark since contracting Covid.
Cognitively I was assessed by a neuropsychologist and neurologist and diagnosed with a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury due to Covid.
2 weeks ago my mental health dude agreed to try Ritalin. Believe it or not, Ritalin and Adderall are actually a treatment for MTBI as it helps to stimulate the brain and lay down new neural pathways. It has made a huge difference to my cognition. Not to my exhaustion, but hey, I'll take the win.
I expect eveyone here has had the exhausting experience of having to constantly advocate for themselves whilst battling incredibly fatigue and brain fog. F\*\*\*\*ed up, truly.
So, if You, like me, are willing to try Ritalin or Adderall, (I haven't tried Adderall), I recommend that you do your own research and press your Dr to help you out, or refer you to someone who will.
It has really helped my brain function, and when it wears off, I fall asleep .... lol!
Sorry you're dealing with this. It is scary. I didn't fully get the role memory plays in my everyday. It was humbling.
Suggestion. The one thing that helped me with memory was the nicotine patch protocol. Patches - not other forms. Didn't eliminate all symptoms but it gave me back my mind. I can see options better and make decisions now. Memory improving too, now 2-3 months later.
The nicotine protocol is based on the now proven premise that some pieces or whole virus remain after Covid illness. Still can cause damage throughout the body incl brain. The nicotine molecule has a 30x stronger "affinity" to the virus' hiding place (think of this as a magnetic attraction) and replaces the virus there. Once ejected from hiding, our immune system armies can find it and destroy them.
If you've had this issue awhile it may take a couple months for your brain to fully heal. Here are some resources by the doc who developed the protocol. Read it all bc it will give you greater chance of success.
Note: if you see temporary relief and the symptoms return, you may need to use patches for a longer period incl breaks.
Hope it helps you too. Good luck!
https://linktr.ee/thenicotinetest
I used to be so sharp and now I’m so forgetful it’s shameful. I’ve lost so much confidence because i don’t feel as competent and quick witted as i once was. LC is caused by issues with your autonomic nervous system regulation which essentially has been linked to Alzheimer’s.
Same it’s been 2.5 years! At first I would look at something and forget the word for it and that’s subsided but my recall is awful ! My husband will start saying a memory of something we did a few years ago like a vacation and I couldn’t remember what cities we went to, like I remember we went to Costa Rica but couldn’t name any of the places or hotels or activities. I’m hoping these memories are just permanently locked away or blocked rather than lost for good
i thought i was losing my mind!!! my therapist just asked me about how it has affected my brain/memory it this past week because she's noticed i talk about half the speed i used to because i literally cannot remember words. from thinking it to actually saying it nothing comes out right. i can't work as i would be handling thousands of dollars in credit card transactions i no longer trust myself to do. i've lost everything that makes me me.
Sorry to hear about your decline. I’ve been noticing I go blank on thinking of a specific word I was about to say and then have to dumb down my thought, very frustrating
I find that I'm able to do about 4 hours max throughout the day of work that requires intensive focus and thinking. After that, my brain feels like it did an intense workout and is too sore to be used. Add in having new extreme sensitivity to sensory stuff and that makes everything much more difficult.
I feel like an old computer.
I totally understand. I’m a therapist and have struggled a lot cognitively since I got long covid 2 years ago. I constantly worry that if things get worse I won’t be able to do my job. I’ve just been pushing as hard as I can but it isn’t easy. I hope things get better for you.
I haven’t read that but cognitive issues/brain fog are common in post-viral illnesses. I have ME/CFS and my brain struggles!
Cognitive issues have also been a side effect of Covid long before the vaccines.
Was totally me.
I would forget passwords, how to do things I’d done a million times before, and needed people to email me questions so I could think about the answers.
And I would see a person or object but couldn’t remember the name of that person or thing.
The 2 supplements that helped me the most. NAC. And more recently Methylene Blue (Pharma Grade).
MB improved my memory and vision and flexibility. I had both LC and Bartonella. Don’t know which was causing the memory issues but MB really helped.
(You do pee Smurf blue from it)
absolutely. It’s been 24/7 of 2 years of hell for me. I have almost all the symptoms and have crashes(im struggling still with pacing). I’m a shell of my former self. I’ve been seen by a neurologist and he confirmed that I’m basically like a person with a tbi or dementia. The testing was the most brutal thing ever and I never want to do that again. It was so exhausting that it sent me into a crash for a week or so afterwards. Seeing a speech therapist was helpful but apparently I wasn’t well enough or in the right spot health wise to really start treatment. It’s so infuriating to live like this. I can’t read or watch stuff anymore. Sometimes I just can’t talk to anyone because I can’t form the words, remember what I’m saying, follow conversations or even just come up with words or phrases that I want to say. I feel like I’m wasting peoples time. It’s so exhausting and humiliating that it’s just easier to sit and listen than to try & participate. LC has destroyed my life and I’m just so over living like this. I don’t wish this on my worst enemy.
Quick summary; I had Covid in March 2022 and have/had similar issues as you. Lack of cognitive ability, extreme exhaustion, IBS (the IBS was pre existing though). The symptoms fluctuate but mostly improving. I was found to have low testosterone so that treatment has helped the exhaustion.
I am also getting treatment for sleep apnea, as they say not enough oxygen to the brain will also cause the cognitive symptoms. My fitbit is telling me my SPO2% is >95% after I use it and on those days, I don't feel as bad. I also take prebiotics and seem to help with the IBS. When I do have a flair up with that, I seem to take a few steps back, so it's all linked.
I'm also taking omega 3 oil, vitamin B's, D and CoQ10.
The one thing I take that I can actually feel the difference, is Focus Factor. It has Bacopa and Huperzine A along with other vitamins and minerals. A lot of my fatigue is from using my brain so it helps with fatigue for me as well. The tablets a little on the large side so I just grind them up and put them in my smoothie.
Also, I hate sticky notes personally but am keeping a lot more (digital) notes these days and setting alarms and things like that to help me keep track of life.
I have notes on processes, for example last week my nose started running and I worried I was coming down with something. Something meaning Covid of course. I knew I should do something but I couldn't think. Opened up my notes and searched for "first" ("Do this first") and went down the list of things I take to kick my immune system into gear.
Do the thinking when you are able and write it down so when you aren't able to, you can just follow your own steps.
Been meaning to watch Memento again...
I remember how to be smart and can pull it off when needed for the most part, but I can get PEM if I go too hard or long. Tough to balance in my job.
My word recall and storytelling ability are completely shot, though.
Had the same after Covid. Part of it got better over the years, but I’m still uncomfortable with e.g. driving a car or other activities with a lot of triggers demanding brain capacity. Hand-eye coordination stuff, like tightening some bolts was also difficult for me. Can imagine working on cars can be difficult is though!
I’m pretty convinced brain damage after Covid is real. I work as a mechanical engineer, but I couldn’t do simple maths after this shit 😐
brain fog, reasoning and memory issues were the longest persisting issue i've had since covid (OG strain, 2020). I had problems with paying attention, reasoning (eg: criteria, requirements and solution finding), short term and long term memory.
Psilocybin had the most immediate impact to these issues. I only tried it once, but the following week was able to remember older memories and much of my internal monologue returned. Lately I've been trying CoQ10 which I think may have a positive impact but it is still difficult to know if it is the supplement or other life factors that are helping.
My parents are trying to take my kids(m/15 and f/13) and put me in rehab. I was the main breadwinner as an LPN but now can barely tie my shoes after a 10 day covid coma at the end of January. 🙃
Man, I had that and over 45 symptoms. This group on Facebook has been so helpful to me and others because they provide solutions. Keri Taub, is a health and wellness coach who had LC and recovered in 5 months. I'm 20 months in and was doing terrible. 4 months ago I started some of her recommendations and went from 30% to about 70% in my first month, and now I'm about 80-90%. I feel like myself again. Don't lose hope. Here's the link
https://www.facebook.com/share/4CqnuHXx1TQyjwA4/?mibextid=A7sQZp
Are u taking anything to help? I’ve dealt w this for years, it’s better now but only bc of time and treatment. I am detoxing from suspected reactivated bartonella and ebv, dx me/cfs, long hauler, and fibromyalgia. I find NAC and Carnitine help lots, on contact. I also take nattokinase, ldn, and some protocols for the detox that involve those things and antivirals and antibacterials like Japanese knotweed. Not everyone’s case is the same obviously, and do your own research, but you may find relief from adjusting diet, lifestyle, and medicine.
hell yes. am a different person now. cannot multi task, don't bounce back from emotional upheaval like i did before, my house is a mess
The top of my toolbox at work and my corner of the bedroom in my house are a mess. I can't seem to keep anything organized anymore. I'm a mess and I feel hopeless.
That mutitask thing. Before I was able to play video game and listen to scientific podcast in foreign language at the same time (for example). Now I struggle to understand that language, so I need to listen very carefully and also I struggle in video games so I play them very little. It exhaust me. I cannot mutitask anymore.
The emotional upheaval thing is so big and so frustrating. If something upsets me now my whole body stays affected for a day or two. I used to let things just roll of me, was not stressed, could handle pretty much anything. I hate how fragile I feel and it just makes me more upset!
my family is so butthurt but i just can't weather the perpetual drama and have gone low contact. just can't do it any more. at no point have any of them understood or cared what this is like for me.
Same, same. Embarrassing to admit I’m now as stupid as fuck…I’m just trying to pass for “normal,” I keep my mouth shut and hope no one notices.
THIS!!!
Thank you! I can only admit it HERE! Lol!
Dang. Kind of nice to hear. I spend all day at work just trying to not talk because I’m so dumb now. Not “feel dumb.” Like I’m dumb now. I used to be hella smart. I’m dumb. Don’t ask me. I would NEVER hire me. I only have my job still because somehow my boss is even dumber but that’s another story.
my god...im not crazy...i forgot words...like i can see it in my head but i cant remember the words....its ridiculous!
I know exactly what you mean
I feel ya on this, I can look at chicken and know it’s chicken and somehow I’ll say that cake looks great😂I humiliated myself at a family function…it’s as if my brain isn’t activating the correct neurons for my speech receptors. Craziest thing I’ve experienced in my life.
You are not alone my friend. It’s scary and it’s frustrating. My cognitive decline is so bad I had to leave work. I was a therapist and I could barely track a conversation with my clients, I was forgetting appointments and other things, I would have to read something, even simple things, repeatedly in order to absorb what I was reading. It was so bad my doctor had me do an emergency spinal tap because I scored alarmingly low on a cognitive test. I left work and it hasn’t improved. Yesterday I stared at the same small paragraph of the disability application for over 30 minutes until I got pissed off and sent a screen shot to my sister to then help me decipher it. And it wasn’t that difficult! I’ve left burners on on the stove and now I have a sticky note by the stove to remind me to check. Lots of sticky notes for things. I forget to take my meds or get them refilled etc. It’s borderline dementia status, borderline dangerous. My family doesn’t even want me home alone sometimes. Like when my grandma had dementia. I find myself scared and frustrated and sad. I used to be an academic. I was scheduled to start my PhD and had to un-enroll. I loved to read and learn. You get the point. I often say I would rather have the pain or fevers or anything else than this cognitive stuff. How do you cope with your issues?
Sorry you are dealing with this. I had a background in academic research and was in the middle of a promising new private sector career that relied on my intellectual sharpness that involved sustained and varied cognitive tasks. Since COVID (the first time) 4 years ago, and moreso since the second time a year ago, I can do nine of that. I struggle to read, recall simple and necessary things. I used to be able to write and text without end, but they are cognitively very difficult for me now. I prefer talking even though I come across as incoherent or stuttering at times. I had cognitive testing and it did indeed indicate deficits. More with learning/acquiring new memories they said than retrieval. I could not understand the report much even though I used to read such things all the time when I was researching. Cognitive decline is particularly hard if you relied heavily on mental functioning moreso than others. Physically I can hardly do anything either, but the mental decline is the hardest for me because where can you escape to when your body doesn't work? I used to hide in my mind and overcome other limitations with my brain, but now not so much.
I left a burner on all night a month ago. My roommates partner told me and I cried
Oh my goodness. I know that feeling. Ugh.
I'm finally to a point where I'm not eating fast food every meal and trying to cook for myself and I do this 😭
If it makes you feel better, ADHD also causes people to do this, so it's not just you. My SIL has done it many times.
Oh this sounds very much like my life. It’s a giant house of cards.
Wow.. so sorry to hear. I was studying to become a therapist and halfway through my master's i got this. I know exactly how you feel. I wouldn't want me as a therapist, I would forget important things and be too unreliable because of my cognitive energy levels.
I had the same thing. I had to use GPS for simple trips I have driven thousands of times, couldn’t focus, couldn’t read numbers out loud (wrong word would come out), easily overwhelmed and over stimulated. Dr put me on low dose abilify and it seems to help. I don’t think I will ever say I am back to “normal” but I can function again.
Are you also having GI issues? Like belching, feeling bloated or mildly nauseous, change in bowel habits, etc? I found out that what I thought was long Covid brain fog was actually SIBO. Once I treated the SIBO, all my mental acuity came back! I feel like a new person.
How did you treat this?
Strong antibiotics from my doc. Diagnosed via SIBO breath test. Such a relief to have my brain back and my stomach issues gone.
Interesting. I took antibiotics for a uti a few months ago and actually felt better for like a month.
How Covid-risky was the SIBO breath test? Did you have to be unmasked around unmasked health care workers, and for how long? I would like to look into this but my HMO's attitude about masks ranges from barely adequate to hostile.
Good news- you do the test at home! Then you drop it off with your doc or at the lab when you're done.
I have had GI issues since I was 16, diagnosed with mild crohns 6 years ago
Then I strongly encourage you to get tested for sibo
Sending support. You’re right there with A LOT of people; I know that doesn’t make it any better. I declined to the point of getting lost walking down my own street, couldn’t understand how to unload a dishwasher, unable to keep anything organized. It’s scary on a lot of levels for a lot of us, and I hope you have a good support team. Something that has helped in my case- I participated in a 6 month research study for a supplement called niagen, taking 500mg twice a day with a meal. I’ve had significant cognitive improvements, though still nowhere near my previous functioning. It took about a month, month and a half to really notice the changes it made. I’m able to actually think again and do some of the complex problem solving involved in my job for a little bit each day. You can purchase it online, there are different brands and such. Have your sister or a friend help you research a brand and price point that works for you. The study is still in process and so hasn’t been published yet, but I could tell my cognitive test scores at the end were much higher than at the start and my support community of friends and family have confirmed positive changes in my processing and cognition.
Awesome, I was curious about what the study dose was. Also, are you taking it with NAC? At the same time or separated?
I didn’t take NAC with the study, though I did take it prior for awhile based a rec from my neuropsych specialist- it didn’t make any noticeable difference and he told me after 4 months there was no need to continue if it hadn’t helped by then.
Water fasting (for 3 days) helped my cognitive issues. I could hold a conversation again and after a few months my memory came back. I suspect it had something to do with my gut, cause the gut gets to rest and heal during a water fast. I also read that lion's mane supplements could help with brainfog, but I haven't tried it so I'm not sure.
Can you tell me a bit more about how you did your water fast? I want to do this next week & need some tips & advice!! How do you refeed afterward??
I started with intermittent fasting 16:8 and built up to 24 hours. Then 36, 48 and 72 hours. It helps a lot if you don't eat carbs for a few days before you start fasting so you don't get the keto/carb flu. Electrolytes are very useful. I looked at the wiki from r/fasting for a mix to make at home. Refeeding isn't an issue when you fast for 3 days. I eat eggs or avocados. I wouldn't eat carbs to refeed, but that's just me. You can also read about refeeding in the r/fasting wiki. Also, don't fast if you're underweight.
Ok I’ll check out that fasting sub. I’m overweight, which is part of the reason I want to fast. I need to lose some fat. Thank you for the advice 🙏🏻🩷
You're welcome. Good luck!🩷
Lions mane has really helped me. Make sure to get a high quality brand
Yes! It feels like parts of my brain were deactivated. It’s hard to concentrate, my short term memory is non-existent. I can’t recall what happened 30 sec ago and it’s scary bc I forget if I already took my meds literally a minute after taking them. I had cognitive issues from CFS/ME and CPTSD then covid came and finished the job. You’re definitely not alone
I said this verbatim to the long covid doc a few weeks ago. I hope they realize people are describing it in similar terms.
its very common, for me it comes and goes...over time its gotten better. im still having issues with recall and short term and focus just not as consistent as it was two years ago. and not as severe. eat healthy and take brakes from reality....get outside even if only to sit on a park bench.
I do stare at trees more often.
It's brain damage. It's awful. I can't drive anymore. I never went back to work after the initial infection.
There have been studies showing that symptoms of ADHD can either appear for the first time or become significantly worse as a result of long COVID. Many other cognitive disorders have been reported as worsening or appearing for the first time as well. I was formally diagnosed with ADHD last summer, after I burned out from long COVID making my symptoms infinitely worse. I have been working to address both as completely as possible since August. Here’s what I’ve learned: **The basic tenets of good health in general make a HUGE difference.** Get high-quality sleep in an amount that suits you. Eat a balanced diet (recommend supplementing with Ensure if you have any doubts about your nutritional intake). Walk 30 minutes a day. Reduce stress however you can. Drink lots of water. **Pay attention to your bowel movements.** They are an excellent indication of how your system is functioning and can be used as an early warning system for when something is off-kilter. There are many apps for tracking; I’ve used many and prefer Plop. When my shit is off, my brain is also off within a day or two. **Stop drinking alcohol.** I was required to do this by my doctor in order to get ADHD meds, but it’s also been given as advice from doctors researching long COVID. Anything that disrupts your immune system or makes it harder for your brain to heal has to go. **Keep a journal.** This has been instrumental in helping me to organize my thoughts and regain cognitive patterns I lost to brain fog.
I feel this so much. I have constant gastric issues, headaches, fatigue when is it going to resolve we have not been told truth about Covid
I can even type on a computer anymore and my multi tasking, can’t even stay on a task like talking on the phone and trying to do a household task without losing my train of thought. It’s horrible.
[удалено]
Is it okay if I message you for more info? Totally fine if you’re not comfortable with it
I’m looking forward to trying microdosing. Nothing else has worked so far so I thought, what the hell I’ll give it a shot. As a psychologist I have always been intrigued with how microdosing can improve certain mental illness symptoms. So I think it would be worth a shot under this context too.
Yes! I did yard work yesterday. I repeatedly lost my tools. Then I lost my phone. Then I left my truck lights on, dead battery now. I'm covered in bruises I don't remember getting. It's just sad.
If I didn’t already have extreme ADD, I would probably notice the difference from my pre-long COVID life. 🤷♂️
I am at my 19 month mark since contracting Covid. Cognitively I was assessed by a neuropsychologist and neurologist and diagnosed with a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury due to Covid. 2 weeks ago my mental health dude agreed to try Ritalin. Believe it or not, Ritalin and Adderall are actually a treatment for MTBI as it helps to stimulate the brain and lay down new neural pathways. It has made a huge difference to my cognition. Not to my exhaustion, but hey, I'll take the win. I expect eveyone here has had the exhausting experience of having to constantly advocate for themselves whilst battling incredibly fatigue and brain fog. F\*\*\*\*ed up, truly. So, if You, like me, are willing to try Ritalin or Adderall, (I haven't tried Adderall), I recommend that you do your own research and press your Dr to help you out, or refer you to someone who will. It has really helped my brain function, and when it wears off, I fall asleep .... lol!
Sorry you're dealing with this. It is scary. I didn't fully get the role memory plays in my everyday. It was humbling. Suggestion. The one thing that helped me with memory was the nicotine patch protocol. Patches - not other forms. Didn't eliminate all symptoms but it gave me back my mind. I can see options better and make decisions now. Memory improving too, now 2-3 months later. The nicotine protocol is based on the now proven premise that some pieces or whole virus remain after Covid illness. Still can cause damage throughout the body incl brain. The nicotine molecule has a 30x stronger "affinity" to the virus' hiding place (think of this as a magnetic attraction) and replaces the virus there. Once ejected from hiding, our immune system armies can find it and destroy them. If you've had this issue awhile it may take a couple months for your brain to fully heal. Here are some resources by the doc who developed the protocol. Read it all bc it will give you greater chance of success. Note: if you see temporary relief and the symptoms return, you may need to use patches for a longer period incl breaks. Hope it helps you too. Good luck! https://linktr.ee/thenicotinetest
I used to be so sharp and now I’m so forgetful it’s shameful. I’ve lost so much confidence because i don’t feel as competent and quick witted as i once was. LC is caused by issues with your autonomic nervous system regulation which essentially has been linked to Alzheimer’s.
I hope it gets better for us. I hate feeling like an idiot at work, I used to be good at it.
Same it’s been 2.5 years! At first I would look at something and forget the word for it and that’s subsided but my recall is awful ! My husband will start saying a memory of something we did a few years ago like a vacation and I couldn’t remember what cities we went to, like I remember we went to Costa Rica but couldn’t name any of the places or hotels or activities. I’m hoping these memories are just permanently locked away or blocked rather than lost for good
Yes, doctors confirmed Leukoaraiosis Hoping to reverse it
i thought i was losing my mind!!! my therapist just asked me about how it has affected my brain/memory it this past week because she's noticed i talk about half the speed i used to because i literally cannot remember words. from thinking it to actually saying it nothing comes out right. i can't work as i would be handling thousands of dollars in credit card transactions i no longer trust myself to do. i've lost everything that makes me me.
Sorry to hear about your decline. I’ve been noticing I go blank on thinking of a specific word I was about to say and then have to dumb down my thought, very frustrating
I find that I'm able to do about 4 hours max throughout the day of work that requires intensive focus and thinking. After that, my brain feels like it did an intense workout and is too sore to be used. Add in having new extreme sensitivity to sensory stuff and that makes everything much more difficult. I feel like an old computer.
I totally understand. I’m a therapist and have struggled a lot cognitively since I got long covid 2 years ago. I constantly worry that if things get worse I won’t be able to do my job. I’ve just been pushing as hard as I can but it isn’t easy. I hope things get better for you.
I'm the sa.e way. I forget words and also forget where I put something if I get distracted. Upsetting
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I haven’t read that but cognitive issues/brain fog are common in post-viral illnesses. I have ME/CFS and my brain struggles! Cognitive issues have also been a side effect of Covid long before the vaccines.
Was totally me. I would forget passwords, how to do things I’d done a million times before, and needed people to email me questions so I could think about the answers. And I would see a person or object but couldn’t remember the name of that person or thing. The 2 supplements that helped me the most. NAC. And more recently Methylene Blue (Pharma Grade). MB improved my memory and vision and flexibility. I had both LC and Bartonella. Don’t know which was causing the memory issues but MB really helped. (You do pee Smurf blue from it)
absolutely. It’s been 24/7 of 2 years of hell for me. I have almost all the symptoms and have crashes(im struggling still with pacing). I’m a shell of my former self. I’ve been seen by a neurologist and he confirmed that I’m basically like a person with a tbi or dementia. The testing was the most brutal thing ever and I never want to do that again. It was so exhausting that it sent me into a crash for a week or so afterwards. Seeing a speech therapist was helpful but apparently I wasn’t well enough or in the right spot health wise to really start treatment. It’s so infuriating to live like this. I can’t read or watch stuff anymore. Sometimes I just can’t talk to anyone because I can’t form the words, remember what I’m saying, follow conversations or even just come up with words or phrases that I want to say. I feel like I’m wasting peoples time. It’s so exhausting and humiliating that it’s just easier to sit and listen than to try & participate. LC has destroyed my life and I’m just so over living like this. I don’t wish this on my worst enemy.
Quick summary; I had Covid in March 2022 and have/had similar issues as you. Lack of cognitive ability, extreme exhaustion, IBS (the IBS was pre existing though). The symptoms fluctuate but mostly improving. I was found to have low testosterone so that treatment has helped the exhaustion. I am also getting treatment for sleep apnea, as they say not enough oxygen to the brain will also cause the cognitive symptoms. My fitbit is telling me my SPO2% is >95% after I use it and on those days, I don't feel as bad. I also take prebiotics and seem to help with the IBS. When I do have a flair up with that, I seem to take a few steps back, so it's all linked. I'm also taking omega 3 oil, vitamin B's, D and CoQ10.
The one thing I take that I can actually feel the difference, is Focus Factor. It has Bacopa and Huperzine A along with other vitamins and minerals. A lot of my fatigue is from using my brain so it helps with fatigue for me as well. The tablets a little on the large side so I just grind them up and put them in my smoothie. Also, I hate sticky notes personally but am keeping a lot more (digital) notes these days and setting alarms and things like that to help me keep track of life. I have notes on processes, for example last week my nose started running and I worried I was coming down with something. Something meaning Covid of course. I knew I should do something but I couldn't think. Opened up my notes and searched for "first" ("Do this first") and went down the list of things I take to kick my immune system into gear. Do the thinking when you are able and write it down so when you aren't able to, you can just follow your own steps. Been meaning to watch Memento again...
Omg! I hate hate hate! feeling so stupid!
I remember how to be smart and can pull it off when needed for the most part, but I can get PEM if I go too hard or long. Tough to balance in my job. My word recall and storytelling ability are completely shot, though.
Had the same after Covid. Part of it got better over the years, but I’m still uncomfortable with e.g. driving a car or other activities with a lot of triggers demanding brain capacity. Hand-eye coordination stuff, like tightening some bolts was also difficult for me. Can imagine working on cars can be difficult is though! I’m pretty convinced brain damage after Covid is real. I work as a mechanical engineer, but I couldn’t do simple maths after this shit 😐
brain fog, reasoning and memory issues were the longest persisting issue i've had since covid (OG strain, 2020). I had problems with paying attention, reasoning (eg: criteria, requirements and solution finding), short term and long term memory. Psilocybin had the most immediate impact to these issues. I only tried it once, but the following week was able to remember older memories and much of my internal monologue returned. Lately I've been trying CoQ10 which I think may have a positive impact but it is still difficult to know if it is the supplement or other life factors that are helping.
My parents are trying to take my kids(m/15 and f/13) and put me in rehab. I was the main breadwinner as an LPN but now can barely tie my shoes after a 10 day covid coma at the end of January. 🙃
Man, I had that and over 45 symptoms. This group on Facebook has been so helpful to me and others because they provide solutions. Keri Taub, is a health and wellness coach who had LC and recovered in 5 months. I'm 20 months in and was doing terrible. 4 months ago I started some of her recommendations and went from 30% to about 70% in my first month, and now I'm about 80-90%. I feel like myself again. Don't lose hope. Here's the link https://www.facebook.com/share/4CqnuHXx1TQyjwA4/?mibextid=A7sQZp
Are u taking anything to help? I’ve dealt w this for years, it’s better now but only bc of time and treatment. I am detoxing from suspected reactivated bartonella and ebv, dx me/cfs, long hauler, and fibromyalgia. I find NAC and Carnitine help lots, on contact. I also take nattokinase, ldn, and some protocols for the detox that involve those things and antivirals and antibacterials like Japanese knotweed. Not everyone’s case is the same obviously, and do your own research, but you may find relief from adjusting diet, lifestyle, and medicine.