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Real members of MyFibroTeam have posted questions and answers that support our community guidelines, and should not be taken as medical advice. Looking for the latest medically reviewed content by doctors and experts? Visit our resource section.

Is it normal for fibro fog and cognitive function to suddenly worsen?

A MyFibroTeam Member asked a question 💭
St. John's, NL

Ive noticed a sudden decrease in my ability to remember names, the word for something, spelling, and my attention span. Im 37 and Ive had no change in meds or doses. No change in condition. Ive been off work for 10 months due to a reocurrence of a back injury. No new stressors. No depression or anxiety. I cannot think of an explanation other than blame it on fibro
Carrying a conversation is very difficult. I know what it is I want to say, but my recall for names and words for things is awful.… read more

March 28, 2019
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Answer Summary

Members rallied around someone experiencing a sudden worsening of fibro fog, with many sharing their own struggles with word recall,... Read more

Members rallied around someone experiencing a sudden worsening of fibro fog, with many sharing their own struggles with word recall, forgetting names mid-conversation, spelling errors, and the fear that comes with losing abilities they once relied on professionally. Several members offered practical insights, including that gabapentin can worsen memory issues, brain-supportive vitamins and supplements may help, and that cognitive symptoms can come in waves or deepen with age, though the underlying sharpness often remains intact. A recurring theme was the frustration and fear of these symptoms, especially for those in demanding professions like nursing and teaching, balanced by deep relief in knowing they are not alone and that fibro fog is a recognized part of the condition rather than early dementia.

A MyFibroTeam Member

wow I so understand what you are saying and sadly reading what you have said says I've had this illness for years & year's ( Iv'e just turned 55 )but got dieonosed just 5 yrs ago x

April 12, 2019
A MyFibroTeam Member

I joined this forum in the middle of the night (last night) due to all my medical issues just compounding to a level that I truly believe I have lost my mind! Mentioning the name forgetfulness and the SPELLING issue - Oh my goodness! I have tried to joke away the symptoms but I am a school teacher :( I have 148 students this year (high school math) and it's all I can do to not call a student by a different name. Students from previous years - I don't even try because my brain will just fail to remember names.

I was a Spelling Bee winner in my adolescent years and took great joy in my ability to spell complicated words. Now - I have to think carefully before writing on the whiteboard or writing a handwritten note because my mind will not spell the words correctly. It's such an embarrassment and something my doctors just waved off. But, there is an extra dose of anxiety when your job requires your brain to remember and it just doesn't do that at times!

March 30, 2019
A MyFibroTeam Member

I have been experiencing exactly the same problem and having to double check everything over and over again I even forgot to go to work the other week

March 28, 2019
A MyFibroTeam Member

Yes you just described what happened to me almost to the day that I turned 41. I had never been spacey or forgetful and I remember laughing with a girlfriend about it never having an idea for over a decade more that it was fibromyalgia based. At least YOU have the benefit of knowing that it's fibro, I had no idea and I struggled with it and doctors just told me it was depression like no big deal it happens to all of us. It happened again when I turned 50. Each time it was like going deeper and deeper into a fog or like going off a cliff and never regaining that ground again. Saw YouTube videos that describe the frontal lobe and brain inflammation as the root cause but I haven't found anything specifically that reduces brain inflammation let alone specifically targets the frontal lobe.

March 28, 2019
A MyFibroTeam Member

I think I need to stop Gabapentin. It doesn't help with pain anyway.

April 16, 2019

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