I heard fish oil works well for this…
To clear mental fog – use Spike! Now available in Shooters.
Mmm plugs
How much sleep are you getting per night? Do you sleep in regularly, work in shifts, or keep a chaotic schedule? Waking up later in the day than normal can cause feelings like you describe.
Pursue other options, but in the meantime learn how to meditate. Most types of meditation develop the ability to concentrate intensely, which sounds right up your alley.
If you want more help on this, PM me. I’ll give you some pointers and some resources to check out.
try more cardio. doing cardio above a certain threshold increases blood flow to the brain and helps with mental fog.
meditation.
stress relief. balance work/life/relaxation. too much stress can cause mental fog. this summer i was really stressed but didn’t even know it! i guess if a person is stressed out for quite some time they take that as a normal mode of functioning when they have to work. a doctor gave me a naturopathic med called relora and a week later i was way more relaxed.
healthy diet with enough omega 3 fatty acids. maybe see a dietition to get the diet finetuned for you. also, look at your diet. you may be allergic to something and not even know. to find out, eliminate a potential allergen such as milk from your diet for a week or two, then slowly reintroduce. if it causes sx, then you are allergic.
if you try these things and they dont’ work , definitely go see a dr. some dr’s don’t want to prescribe tests etc, but just keep shopping around till you find one whose willing. also, emphasize the measures that you’ve taken so far. umm…some of the advices re dr’s won
t be necessary if you’re from the states.
[quote]CLewis wrote:
I think SkyzykS and some others may have a point. It probably is true that most people walk around in a fog. Maybe I’m just weird because I actually realize it.
I am not a risk-taker. I’m too far in the other direction. I think SkyzykS is right. Like many people, I’m always analyzing what I’m about to say and do. That moment I was referring to happened when I was walking back through the water after I’d just had sex on a dock where I could have been caught. At the time I didn’t think it was related - to be honest, I thought it was love. Perhaps just stopping the internal chatter and doing what you want for once is the key.
I’m not sure if it helps at all, but I might as well be honest. I’m saying this because you asked, not to blow air up my own ass. Yes, I graduated from one of the top universities in the country. I’ve always done well on various measures of intelligence. I don’t know how much that really proves, but I do know I catch on quickly and don’t feel thick.
Sounds like I need SkyzykS therapy…
SkyzykS wrote:
Do you ever do anything that lets you know that you are in fact ALIVE?
Stuff that gets the blood flowing, heart pounding, adrenaline rushing, “holy shit I almost died” kind of stuff?
Cause I’m prety sure a lot of people are walking around in a fog of sorts. Just droning through every day life, reading whatver they read, watching the boob tube, and going thrugh the motions of life.
I can’t speak for anybody else, but if I don’t do something that challenges mortality every so often, I get a little “Foggy” too.
[/quote]
I find it prety interesting that you identified with that. What is more interesting is that people are recomending everything from a blood panel to a freakin overhaul of the psyche, meds and therapy.
Holy Moley!
Find something that thrills you and DO IT!
It doesn’t have to be extravagant, just something that enlivens the senses.
Wow, a lot here. Thank you guys for actually taking it seriously. It probably is a combination of things.
To Answer Dietary Questions:
Today I drank three times as much water as usual. (I also went to the bathroom almost every hour - going to take my body some time to get used to it.) I already take fish oil, just moved to Flameout recently, we’ll see how that goes. Working on my diet.
Stress:
Seriously considering meditation, I tend to put myself under a lot of stress and take on too much responsibility.
To Answer Medical Stuff:
I don’t think this is anything that I’m willing to go to any kind of doctor over. It isn’t that serious. I have talked to doctors in the past (including a shrink once, it was free in college) and find the majority to be unhelpful. I had a “general” blood test once in college and everything seemed normal. Had my thyroid tested (middle school?) and was normal (got it because I’ve always have felt a little lethargic). Have slightly low blood pressure. Occasionally (rarely) get dizziness and nausea with “cold sweat” and see spots. I think it is related to my nutrition on that particular day. Occasionally get car sick - I thought I’d be over it by this age. Don’t think that’s related.
Suggested Supplements:
Is it lame to be wary of Spike? I hate taking stuff. I don’t even drink coffee (hate it), just green tea occasionally. Would like something that would give me the mental stamina to get through the day without killing me.
Qs on Sleep:
In high school I slept 10 hrs a night. I got 9 hrs in college - I tried getting less in college and I would end up exhausted and fall asleep during the day. I’m trying to shoot for 8.5 hrs, but so far this has just made me feel groggy.
Just to clarify - I hate the idea of taking stuff like meds but obviously I do take Surge, protein bars, etc. I just don’t want to get into a situation where some med or supplement gives me a medical problem instead of helping me with one.
[quote]CLewis wrote:
…Occasionally (rarely) get dizziness and nausea with “cold sweat” and see spots… [/quote]
This is pretty much what happens to me when my blood sugar gets too low or high. I’m a type2 diabetic. Not saying that necesarily has anything to do with this, just tellin ya. The symptoms are similar, though I haven’t had this issue for a while now.
–Tiribulus->
This is sort of a tangent, but has anyone heard of a blow to the head causing problems with concentration, short term memory problems, etc. lasting 2 months?
That sounds like you might want to see a doctor.
This is also a little off-topic, but Power Drive sounds a little better to me than Spike or HOT-ROX. Is that good when you’re feeling run down?
[quote]apayne wrote:
This is sort of a tangent, but has anyone heard of a blow to the head causing problems with concentration, short term memory problems, etc. lasting 2 months?[/quote]
[quote]apayne wrote:
This is sort of a tangent, but has anyone heard of a blow to the head causing problems with concentration, short term memory problems, etc. lasting 2 months?[/quote]
Yes, you’ve had some sort of brain injury and it would’ve been most beneficial to see a doc as soon as you noticed the problems. Does anyone else in this frickin’ thread realize that the brain is subject to the same laws of physics, chemistry and biology that any other organ or body part is? I appreciate the philosophical/religious debate to define mind/body/soul, but c’mon!
To the OP - normal people don’t see spots. This further confirms that you should see a doc - I’d suggest a good neurologist now instead of a psychiatrist. You seem like a smart guy, and although it seems like you don’t have a strong science background, you should be able to search through academic literature to the point to realize that your symptoms could be serious.
In fact, your intelligence could be hurting you, as you are probably better at coping with your problem than a normal person, and might never receive the treatment that they would. So go some more docs, or drink water and eat fish oil and take supps until you die of a brain tumor or Lyme Disease (Kinda kidding, but also kinda serious.)
I usually have to be in danger of death or permanent disability before I go near a doctor, but this guy may have a point. You may be better safe than sorry when it comes to your brain man. Also some of the testing you mentioned isn’t that recent. It’d be a real tragedy to wind up with serious problems that could’ve been averted if caught earlier.
–Tiribulus->
[quote]apayne wrote:
This is sort of a tangent, but has anyone heard of a blow to the head causing problems with concentration, short term memory problems, etc. lasting 2 months?[/quote]
Sounds like a nasty concussion.
Take some time off from rugby?
[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
apayne wrote:
This is sort of a tangent, but has anyone heard of a blow to the head causing problems with concentration, short term memory problems, etc. lasting 2 months?
Sounds like a nasty concussion.
Take some time off from rugby?[/quote]
I wish it had been rugby, I’ve been out since May after ACL reconstruction.
What happened was I had a fall of about 25 ft. For the first week I couldn’t concentrate on a task without getting distracted. Since then it has gotten better but I still notice that I am not able to think the same as before. My friends have actually made remarks that it seems I am getting dumber.
I definitely hear what you’re saying. Don’t get me wrong. The reason I said I wasn’t interested is, in part, because these symptoms are not recent, especially when it comes to feeling foggy. I remember feeling foggy as a child. That is why I got tested. In addition, seriously, the symptoms are very minor.
The reason I have had those tests in the first place was just to find out if there was something wrong with me. At a certain point I realized that almost everyone wonders if there is something wrong with them. When the tests kept coming back normal, I figured I was just being neurotic and probably was normal. As I said, I’m pretty sure that the seeing spots episodes just happen when it’s a hot day and I didn’t have enough to eat that morning. When I lay down I feel better. It doesn’t happen often.
If you still think I should go to a doctor, maybe I’ll consider it. But again, I really doubt this is a brain tumor or lyme because I’ve always seemed to have had it.
[quote]HoratioSandoval wrote:
To the OP - normal people don’t see spots. This further confirms that you should see a doc - I’d suggest a good neurologist now instead of a psychiatrist. You seem like a smart guy, and although it seems like you don’t have a strong science background, you should be able to search through academic literature to the point to realize that your symptoms could be serious.
In fact, your intelligence could be hurting you, as you are probably better at coping with your problem than a normal person, and might never receive the treatment that they would. So go some more docs, or drink water and eat fish oil and take supps until you die of a brain tumor or Lyme Disease (Kinda kidding, but also kinda serious.)[/quote]
Not to be a hypocrite, but why haven’t you been to the doctor?
Maybe consider supplementing with fish oil, creatine and an L-carnitine mixture.
In particular acetyl-L-carnitine arginate has supposedly been shown to help stimulate nerve cell growth (or healing or reconnecting depending on how you look at it). Acetyl-L-carnitine and propionyl-L-carnitine can also have effects on mood, energy and so forth.
I don’t know about the “strength” of any such effects, but it can’t hurt to try. Also, supplements such as these are useful to take around the time of a possible injury (AS WELL AS SEEING A DOCTOR DAMMIT) because they can protect cells from certain types of damage during reduced blood flow (ischemic injury).
Your brain is as important as your body, don’t be afraid to learn about it as well…
[quote]apayne wrote:
What happened was I had a fall of about 25 ft. For the first week I couldn’t concentrate on a task without getting distracted. Since then it has gotten better but I still notice that I am not able to think the same as before. My friends have actually made remarks that it seems I am getting dumber. [/quote]
I didn’t think you had hit your head… didn’t you hit your jaw more than anything?
Of course, there could still be some trauma. Get your ass to a doctor.
[quote]apayne wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
apayne wrote:
This is sort of a tangent, but has anyone heard of a blow to the head causing problems with concentration, short term memory problems, etc. lasting 2 months?
Sounds like a nasty concussion.
Take some time off from rugby?
I wish it had been rugby, I’ve been out since May after ACL reconstruction.
What happened was I had a fall of about 25 ft. For the first week I couldn’t concentrate on a task without getting distracted. Since then it has gotten better but I still notice that I am not able to think the same as before. My friends have actually made remarks that it seems I am getting dumber. [/quote]
That realy is very serious. Any fall from above 30 feet is considered lucky to be alive.