18 replies to this topic

[CasualObserver]

Obviously a lack of sleep causes brain fog, but what is the molecular basis for it? I constantly have brain fog due to a lack of sleep, but it is releived if i take alcar. Does that mean my brain fails to replenish its store of alcar during the night, 
or is there some other reason for it? Also I've read here that alcar is a pro-oxidant, but i've also seen studies that show it is an antixidant. Which is it? Cheers.

[ajnast4r]

Obviously a lack of sleep causes brain fog, but what is the molecular basis for it? I constantly have brain fog due to a lack of sleep, but it is releived if i take alcar. Does that mean my brain fails to replenish its store of alcar during the night,
or is there some other reason for it? Also I've read here that alcar is a pro-oxidant, but i've also seen studies that show it is an antixidant. Which is it? Cheers.

how much do you take

[lucid]

Brain fog is a term for the "woolly" sensation of a physical obstruction to clear thinking in the brain, often extended to apply in general to neurocognitive symptoms experienced by many people who suffer from neuroimmune diseases such as ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, Lyme disease and multiple sclerosis, amongst others.

It can be symptom manifest of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or clinical depression.

The term brain fog is also often used to describe the relevant symptom or symptoms of inattentive ADHD or resulting from chemotherapy.[1].

Brain fog involves persistent or episodic cognitive dysfunction, and may be associated with forgetfulness, confusion, slowed thinking, distractability, depersonalization, the inability to remember the correct words when speaking or writing (dysphasia or aphasia).

Brain fog is so named because the sufferer can feel like a cloud literally surrounds him or her that reduces the speed at which things can be recognized or clearly seen. Brain fog may promote feelings of detachment (depersonalization), discouragement and depression.

Brain fog can be brought on by upregulated cytokines, neurotransmitter misregulation, cell-mediated autoimmunity causing inflammation in the brain, brain plaques (white matter lesions), brain vasculitis or brain trauma amongst others.

Hypothesis for mechanism of brain fog depends on the underlying disease. Different studies have indicated malfunction in different parts of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Glial cells may play a role. Sometimes the cause is not established.

Depression, lack of sleep, heavy drinking or drug use, or heavy mental exhaustion will quickly contribute to brain fog. here is a website that details many of the causes:
http://www.jigsawhea...fog-causes.html

Brain fog may be the result of:

* Adrenal fatigue syndrome – The adrenal glands fail to produce key hormones that effectively regulate the body’s stress response. As a result, adrenal fatigue syndrome can cause brain fog symptoms due to the body’s inability to handle stress effectively.

* Insomnia / sleep deprivation – Sleep is crucial for optimal brain function. Lack of adequate sleep can affect mood, cause depression, anxiety, and clouded thinking.

* Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) – Chronic fatigue syndrome is known for its overwhelming fatigue. CFS affects concentration, short-term memory and disrupts healthy sleep patterns.

* Nutritional deficiencies – Nutritional deficiencies can affect brain function, due to a lack of nutrients necessary for optimal brain function. Deficiencies of magnesium, vitamin B-12, and amino acids can cause significant brain impairment such as lack of concentration, short-term memory loss, attention deficit, and spaciness (or lack of focus).

* Candidiasis – Systemic yeast overgrowth can cause depression, anxiety, sudden mood swings, lack of concentration, headaches, drowsiness, and/or fatigue.

* Autoimmune disorders such as fibromyalgia or multiple sclerosis (MS) – Fibromyalgia and MS are both nervous system disorders that affect brain function, leading to, in many cases, overwhelming fatigue, depression, and anxiety.

* Chronic viral infections such as Epstein-Barr, Lyme disease, hepatitis, cytomegalovirus – Viral infections can reach the brain and can significantly disrupt thinking and mood.

* Parasitic organisms found in the brain - Parasitic infections such as tapeworm can invade the brain and cause symptoms of acute mental illness such as depression and psychosis in more than 65% of cases. Parasitic infections outside of the brain that can produce psychiatric symptoms include giardia, ascaris psychosis, trichinosis, and Lyme Disease, among many others.

* Heavy metal toxicity - The most common heavy metals that humans are exposed to are aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. These often accumulate in brain tissue and are difficult to excrete in many cases. Some people—especially those who suffer from chronic conditions—cannot excrete neurotoxic heavy metals efficiently and a build-up occurs, causing brain fog symptoms.

* Reduced blood flow to the brain due to circulatory problems – Lack of blood flow to the brain disrupts brain function. Thick blood can also slow down blood flow to the brain, causing brain dysfunction.

* Blood sugar issues such as hypoglycemia or diabetes – Uncontrolled blood sugar levels can cause significant symptoms such as depression, anxiety, fatigue, and clouded thinking.

* Overuse of artificial sweeteners and MSG – Artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame and flavor enhancers are considered excitotoxins, meaning that they are toxic to the brain, and can disrupt brain function.

* Allergies and food intolerances such as to gluten and lactose – Many patients who are lactose and/or gluten intolerant find that their brain function often suffers as a result of allergies to these substances.

* Leaky gut syndrome – When the gut becomes more permeable, larger particles escape into the bloodstream and may pass the blood brain barrier, causing a wide variety of mental symptoms such as mood disturbance, depression, anxiety, fatigue, lack of concentration and focus, and short-term memory loss.

* Side effects of prescription and over-the-counter medications – It’s always important to double check with your pharmacist for medication side effects that can disrupt brain function. Many medications have side effects that disrupt mental health and may cause symptoms ranging from depression, anxiety and agitation, to severe conditions such as psychosis and suicidal ideation.

* Constipation – Brain fog may be caused by bowel toxicity due to inefficient digestive system that is not able to effectively eliminate toxins from the body.

* Menopause – Many women experience brain fog due to fluctuating hormone levels during perimenopause and menopause. Lowered estrogen levels may cause mood fluctuations and unclear thinking, depression, and anxiety.

* Sick building syndrome (fumes from new carpets, paints, insulation, chipboard, wood treatments, pesticides, carbon monoxide, poor ventilation) – Chemicals used during construction and for building fumigation may cause significant brain impairment in individuals sensitive or allergic to these chemicals.

Here is another site discussing brain fog: http://www.drlwilson...s/brain_fog.htm
It makes bold claims which I haven't heard before like aspartame contributes to brain fog... Perhaps ill investigate later.

[CasualObserver]

300-400mg day. I've only used it twice btw. thanks for the info lucid

Edited by CasualObserver, 09 January 2008 - 03:20 AM.

[niner]

Great list, lucid. Thanks for that. I have another trigger that causes at least transient brain fog in me; sinus inflammation. This can be brought about either by inhaled allergens or an infection. Allergens seem to act so rapidly that I think there may be more going on there than just a sinus issue. The mention of upregulated cytokines in the wiki may have touched on it. Allergens were mentioned in the list you posted, but they seemed to focus on food allergens, while everything that I'm allergic to is inhaled. I have heard that there is some tissue in the nasal passages that provides a chemical access to the brain in which the normal blood brain barrier does not apply. This would be significant in the case of inhaled small molecules, although most allergens are not small.

[krillin]

Great list, lucid. Thanks for that. I have another trigger that causes at least transient brain fog in me; sinus inflammation. This can be brought about either by inhaled allergens or an infection. Allergens seem to act so rapidly that I think there may be more going on there than just a sinus issue. The mention of upregulated cytokines in the wiki may have touched on it. Allergens were mentioned in the list you posted, but they seemed to focus on food allergens, while everything that I'm allergic to is inhaled. I have heard that there is some tissue in the nasal passages that provides a chemical access to the brain in which the normal blood brain barrier does not apply. This would be significant in the case of inhaled small molecules, although most allergens are not small.

When I worked in a moldy building, everyone who was honest said that they were sleepy there. I had to take caffeine pills to function until the mold started giving me anxiety. IL-6 (one of the cytokines you and Lucid mentioned) may be to blame.

I'm in a cleaner climate now, so I no longer have fatigue or anxiety issues. But I still get instant muscle tension whenever I breathe air with allergens. (i.e. whenever I'm inside. I'm that sensitized now.) I don't think that the triggers actually get to the brain. They set off the trigeminal nerve which then dumps neuropeptides into the brain.

Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1999 Dec;160(6):1943-6.
Nitric oxide and proinflammatory cytokines in nasal lavage fluid associated with symptoms and exposure to moldy building microbes.
Hirvonen MR, Ruotsalainen M, Roponen M, Hyvärinen A, Husman T, Kosma VM, Komulainen H, Savolainen K, Nevalainen A.
Division of Environmental Health, National Public Health Institute, Kuopio, Finland. Maija-Riitta.Hirvonen@ktl.fi

Epidemiological data indicate that living or working in a moldy building is associated with increased risk of respiratory symptoms and disease related to inflammatory reactions, but biochemical evidence linking cause and effect is still scarce. The staff working in a mold-contaminated school, and a reference group without such exposure, were studied. Nasal lavage was performed and health data were collected with a questionnaire at the end of the spring term, after a 2.5-mo summer vacation, and at the end of the fall term. Here we show that concentrations of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and nitric oxide (NO) in nasal lavage fluid were significantly higher in the exposed than in the control subjects at the end of the first exposure period. These inflammatory mediators decreased to reference group concentrations during the period when there was no exposure and the production of NO and IL-6 increased again during the reexposure in the fall term. Reports of cough, phlegm, rhinitis, eye irritation, and fatigue paralleled the changes in the measured inflammatory markers. These results point to an association between inflammatory markers in the nasal lavage fluid, the high prevalence of respiratory symptoms among the occupants, and chronic exposure to molds in the indoor environment.

PMID: 10588610

Where did they find anyone insane enough to agree to be injected with cytokines?

Can J Appl Physiol. 2004 Aug;29(4):411-8.
Acute interleukin-6 administration impairs athletic performance in healthy, trained male runners.
Robson-Ansley PJ, de Milander L, Collins M, Noakes TD.
UCT/MRC Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Dept. of Human Biology, Univ. of Cape Town, Newlands, South Africa.

Fatigue is an inevitable consequence of physical activity; yet its biological cause remains uncertain. During exercise, a polypeptide messenger molecule interleukin-6 (IL-6) is actively produced. Previously, the administration of recombinant IL-6 (rhIL-6) induced a heightened sensation of fatigue in healthy humans at rest. In contrast, anti-IL-6 receptor antibodies reduced the symptoms of chronic fatigue. In the present study, athletic performance during an exercise challenge consisting of a 10-km running time trial was significantly impaired in trained male runners following the administration of a low dose of rhIL-6 compared to the placebo trial.

PMID: 15317982

[liorrh]

its sad to see some member post some alternative health shaman-voodoo site as reference and other's applauding him.

"brain fog" is as an exact diagnosis as "heartache". please describe your symptoms more clearly. slow processing speed? inattention? inability to focus? what kind of starndasitation or diffrentiation are you making to at least attempt and distingiush this effect of alcar?

[CasualObserver]

Ok i have pretty all symptoms you suggest plus lack of motivation. Alcar pretty much relieves all these symptoms at least to some extent.

EDIT: forgot to mention, bad memory as well (as you can tell!)

Edited by CasualObserver, 10 January 2008 - 03:48 AM.

[krillin]

Here's a purported anti-fatigue immune modulator that at the very least provides for some interesting reading. carbobenzoxy beta-alanyl-taurine AKA COBAT AKA Taurox

It does set off some alarm bells: the studies haven't been published anywhere that I can find them and it's labeled homeopathic. But the product sheet almost apologizes for its having active ingredients, and positive anecdotes are scattered across the web.

This is the opposite of classical homeopathic theory, where the more dilute a substance, the stronger its action.

[edward]

Here's a purported anti-fatigue immune modulator that at the very least provides for some interesting reading. carbobenzoxy beta-alanyl-taurine AKA COBAT AKA Taurox

It does set off some alarm bells: the studies haven't been published anywhere that I can find them and it's labeled homeopathic. But the product sheet almost apologizes for its having active ingredients, and positive anecdotes are scattered across the web.

This is the opposite of classical homeopathic theory, where the more dilute a substance, the stronger its action.

Wow looks way to good to be true, did you look at the graphs of their double blind trial... 96% of the patients at the 6x dosage had a response (89% at the 8x dosage) versus 26% of the placebo.

So this stuff is taurine bonded to beta-alanine? You think that bond would be broken by digestion? I mean basically we are talking a peptide of some sort here right?

Regardless I would love to try the stuff, cant seem to find a price though.

[graatch]

Very nice thread.

I would like to stress (as lucid's first clipping did) ADD-Pi.

[mikeinnaples]

So is ALCAR, whats the deal with pro-aging v. anti-aging?

Wife is taking 1.2 grams a day at 118lbs ....I am taking 2g a day at 200lbs.

[mikeinnaples]

So is ALCAR, whats the deal with pro-aging v. anti-aging?

Wife is taking 1.2 grams a day at 118lbs ....I am taking 2g a day at 200lbs.

Oops wrong thread. I guess I have brainfog myself this morning.

Edited by mikeinnaples, 02 May 2008 - 01:20 PM.

[krillin]

So this stuff is taurine bonded to beta-alanine? You think that bond would be broken by digestion? I mean basically we are talking a peptide of some sort here right?

Regardless I would love to try the stuff, cant seem to find a price though.

i-Herb has both the drops and sublingual pellets.

[edward]

So this stuff is taurine bonded to beta-alanine? You think that bond would be broken by digestion? I mean basically we are talking a peptide of some sort here right?

Regardless I would love to try the stuff, cant seem to find a price though.

i-Herb has both the drops and sublingual pellets.

Have you tried it?

[krillin]

So this stuff is taurine bonded to beta-alanine? You think that bond would be broken by digestion? I mean basically we are talking a peptide of some sort here right?

Regardless I would love to try the stuff, cant seem to find a price though.

i-Herb has both the drops and sublingual pellets.

Have you tried it?

No, and I don't have plans. Not fatigued, never ever sick for more than an evening, and I don't think I'm reacting to allergens in my current environment. (It looks like mechanical abrasion from dust is doing the vanilloid receptor stimulation.) The only time I've had histamine symptoms here is when I gave low dose naltrexone another try last June. The [substance P, glutamate, CGRP? Not sure what to blame.] prevents endorphins from inducing muscle relaxation and making me high, but not from making allergies worse. Once, Lyrica allowed LDN to work in any environment for a few weeks before tolerance set in. But in June, Neurontin + LDN did nothing nice. Even the combo of Neurontin + Amantadine which works for muscle tension didn't allow LDN to work when I tried it in January.

[muzzlecough]

I've had brain fog and sleep issues and blood sugar and general a-holeness my entire life. For me, those are all related. I don't know the mechanisms involved, but in me one factor strongly influences the others. Based on my experiments on myself, I'd guess that for me brain fog is tied to acetylcholine.

For a total of 4 years, I've tried Paxil and Effexor. Both drugs had major side effects: constitation, zero physical endurance, loss of drive and motivation, suicidal thoughts. Both didn't quite cut through the fog and both damped down some of the positive emotions. I didn't get angry as often but I also didn't get as passionate as when off the drugs.

About four weeks ago I started taking 30 grams of lecithin and about 3 grams of piracetam. I spread this into two or three smaller doses, one in the morning, one in evening. On the third day, the change in me was so noticable that my wife and I were amazed. Many times throughout the day, we're still amazed that I can think and nothing sets me off. I have enough brain power to last through the day without much (if any) caffeine and without any Provigil. Brain fog made me crabby. Now, even when I'm tired, I choose not to be a dick. I never had that choice -- never, not on the meds. My sub-par memory has also improved a little bit.

I doubt everyone will experience as dramatic results as I have. Not everyone needs as dramatic results as I mine. In all, the lecithin (choline) / piracetam has made me a normal person for the first time in my life. After 40 years of being a mess, I'm f-ing ecstatic about this.

Edited by muzzlecough, 03 May 2008 - 09:55 PM.

[Lurker]

I believe "Confusion" is the most appropriate word to describe "brain fog", although i think most people who suffer from "brain fog" also experience anxiety, inability to focus, difficulty with memory, and motivation problems.

[Joe Cohen]

The cause and foolproof solution to curing brain fog.