Coping With Brain Fog, Looking for Answers

"It's a moment where the public and the medical community are realizing that this is real."

"This is what happens after certain infections."

Akiko Iwasaki, professor of immunobiology, Yale University

"'Am I like the others? Are  you seeing people like me?' I get that question every time."

"I say, nearly always 'Yes. You're not alone'."

Dennis Kolson, neurologist, Penn Neuro COVID Clinic, University of Pennsylvania

Harvard Health Blog

 

During the summer of 2021, 65-uear-old Navy veteran, Edwin Hall from Fulton, Mo., spent twelve days in a medically induced coma with COVID. He needed help breathing from a ventilator. While in ICU doctors discovered probable stroke signs. Now, a year and a half later, he tries to cope with brain fog. A condition that makes him feel, he said, "lost". He was forced to retire early, as a result of the recurring symptoms.

Another victim of long-COVID, 52-year-old Colorado Springs resident Dave Nothstein, is still capable of working, but he does so remotely, for an automobile dealership. He is able to work only sufficient hours weekly to pay for his insurance. He was diagnosed with long-COVID in March, at a time when his brain was so fogged he was making carefully detailed lists to enable him to get through the day.

"As silly as it sounds, it included 'make sure to eat breakfast', 'make sure to feed the dogs', 'get the mail', 'do the laundry', 'do the dishes', he said ruefully. 

People suffering from chronic fatigue (myalgic encephalomyelitis), fibromyalgia, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, Lyme disease and depression can also be affected with brain fog, according to experts. Patients after undergoing  chemotherapy may also report brain fog, described often as "chemo brain".

 

Symptoms can have "an adverse effect on occupational, familial and social lives and can result in diminished quality of life", even while the severity and duration vary from person to person, explained Jeffrey Wefel, professor and chief of neuropsychology, at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. 

After four rounds of chemotherapy for ovarian cancer Angela Hernandez, 36, of Houston, fought through months of brain fog in 2018. "You know when you dream and then you wake up and you can almost remember what you were dreaming about, but then as the seconds pass, the dream gets further and further away. That's kind of what it felt like all the time."

Some people suffering brain fog use words like haze, slow, drunk, lost, in describing the brain fog they experience. Certain chronic illnesses have plagued people for years with brain fog. Joined now by a new wave of people with long-COVID. 

 

According to research, a majority of people experiencing long-COVID symptoms reporting brain fog, are beset with a collection of symptoms, including impaired attention, concentration, memory and processing speed, explained Dr. Iwasaki, co-author of a review article on COVID-19-related cognitive impairment.

Dr.Iwasaki and Michelle Monje, a professor of neurology at Stanford University, examined over 100 studies relevant to cognitive dysfunction following COVID, concluding that a likely common cause is lung inflammation causing inflammation in the brain moving on subsequently to dysfunction of neural cells.

Kelsey Botti's experience began with a concussion from a snowboarding accident in 2012. A 32-year-old physical therapist from Pittsburgh, Botti was diagnosed with POTS, a syndrome characterized often by a fast heart rate, low blood pressure, and frequent dizziness, light-headedness and fainting and in some instances, brain fog.

"I wanted to cry because I was so thankful someone was helping me, and I had a diagnosis and a direction, and then I also wanted to cry because the person that I was, was completely gone", she said. She had undergone months of treatment including medication and a controlled exercise regimen to build her tolerance.Despite bumps and emergency-room visits, her symptoms have improved.

"If they don't find the right medical team to understand them, [in their search for a health professional who recognizes that even while the patient looks healthy, they feel terrible], they will pull away from health care and access health care less, so there are less opportunities for them."

Robert Wilson, neurologist, Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute