Clarity, focus, energy...everyone hopes for them daily, but what if you have Fibromyalgia related "fog"? You're probably desperate for a brain fog remedy. How can you get through every day without feeling like you're moving through a sticky haze? The good news is that you have options. Keep reading for a simple solution...
What
is
Fibro-fog
anyway?
It's actually a symptom of something bigger called Fibromyalgia. If you're reading this chances are you either have fibromyalgia, think you may have it, or maybe you're doing some research for a loved one.
The anatomy of
Fibromyalgia
The CDC describes Fibromyalgia as a condition that causes widespread pain, sleep problems, fatigue, and often psychological distress. Obviously this description barely even scratches the surface of Fibromyalgia, but it's a starting point.
Fibromyalgia affects all aspects of the person living with it. Although chronic pain is one of the most debilitating symptoms of Fibromyalgia, there are a whole range of others like:
- Tingling or numbness in hands and feet like little pins and needles
- Extreme muscle stiffness in morning
- Headaches, including migraines
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Painful menstrual periods and other pain syndromes
- Extreme sensitivity to light, and/or loud noises
- Cognitive problems with thinking and memory (sometimes called "fibro fog")
A high Level of BDNF is remarkable, because Fibro-sufferers are high on the depressive scale. Patients with depression, along with Alzheimers patients, test LOW on BDNF. But in this study, it indicates that both serum BDNF and S100B were higher in the Fibromyalgia patients with lower Pain Pressure Threshold.
The difficult diagnosis
Let's face it, Fibromyalgia symptoms are all over the place. They can vary with increasing or decreasing intensity over time. They often resemble other conditions or problems. Many times each symptom is looked at by the doctor as a single issue.
Fibromyalgia sufferers have notoriously been told, or made to feel, as if "it's all in your head" when they seek a doctors help for their constant complaints... you're probably nodding your head, because you've been there.
In the past millions of Fibromyalgia patients were misdiagnosed as having inflammatory type arthritis like rheumatoid or lupus, chronic myofascial pain, or smyalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.
Even today it's estimated that it takes an average of five
to seven
years for a Fibromyalgia patient to get an accurate diagnosis. Can you imagine dealing with all of the different symptoms for that long?
There really is no "catch all" test for diagnosing fibromyalgia. It's based on your symptoms, how you feel, and the doctor ruling out all other conditions.
There is also a blood test called called "FM/a", that is covered by Medicare and some private insurance companies.
The test is quick and simple. A blood test with high sensitivity, similar to an HIV blood test. It identifies markers produced by immune system blood cells in people with Fibromyalgia.
One symptom in the range of symptoms is commonly and lovingly (I'm just kidding) called Fibro fog.
Fibro-fog has been described with the following symptoms:
- Mental and physical fatigue
- Short-term memory loss
- Forgetfulness
- Difficulty retaining new information
- Confusion
- Difficulty carrying on a conversation
- Inability to focus or concentrate
- Easily distracted
- Lack of alertness
It can be incredibly debilitating. So much so, that sometimes it helps to see the humor in it...or go crazy. If you deal with enough pain for a long enough time though, you may just want to embrace the crazy. Hey, no ones judging.
You know you have fibro-fog when...
-
- You're pulling your hair out, trying to find the mayonnaise so that you can make the kids school lunches, and where do you find it? Sitting open, next to the cat food, in the cupboard... Food poisoning anyone? That's OK though, at least you replaced it in the refrigerator...with your hairspray.
- You walk in to the kitchen to make your husband a snack...and you walk back out. You walk into the kitchen to make your husband a snack...and you walk back out. You walk into the kitchen....
- You heard what just came out of your mouth, but you had no idea it was actually coming, or how it got there.
- You're talking to your yoga partner on the phone, promising her that you're on your way for your session, just as soon as you find your phone...
- English is your first language, you just can't remember how to use it right now.
- You REALLY need your reading glasses, to read the phone number on the back of your gas bill, and guess where they are...yup...on the old noggin.
Check out this post by "The Mighty" who reached out to the followers of the National Fibromyalgia Association's (NFA) Facebook page. They asked people with fibro-fog to describe how it feels, to those who had never heard of it. Over 1,000 people responded. You'll love their humor and honesty.
Fibro-fog is very real, and it can be good for a chuckle, up to a point. Living with it daily though, can make you want to stay in bed and not bother getting up.
What if you could change that, to the point where not only will you want to get up and jump out of bed to greet the day, you will also have sharper focus, build the best memory possible, and have less stress and anxiety, sound good?
1 little change that will make a BIG difference with fibro-fog...
Let's take a look at how nootropics can help your brain be it's brightest.
Huh? Noo-what?
Nootropics.
What are nootropics you ask? ( because you're smart and seeketh the path of knowledge...that's what I like about you.)
Well the original definition as coined by the father of brain pharmacology and mental performance research, Dr. Corneliu Giurgea, is that they are any drugs, supplements, nutraceuticals, and functional foods that help improve mental functions.
BUT- they should also include 6 specific characteristics:
- Help you focus and think more clearly
- Help how efficiently your brain processes thoughts
- Protect your brain against physical or chemical injury
- Enhance your learning ability
- They should not have the usual side effects of other psychotropic drugs, like sedation and loss of motor control
- They should be non-toxic, or extremely low toxicity
These amazing nootropics may be exactly what you need to pull aside the curtain of fibro-fog, based on those 6 characteristics.
Let's take a look at two of the most widely researched, and respected nootropics when it comes to the symptoms of fibro-fog.
Super nootropic#1 is an all natural supplement
Bacopa Monieri, or Brahmi as it's been known and used forever in Ayurvedic medicine, is a plant that grows in wet-tropical areas usually.
It has been effective, either alone or in combination with other herbs, as a memory and learning enhancer, sedative, and anti-epileptic.
Bacopa's memory-enhancing effects have been attributed to it's saponins (bacosides, bacopasides, or bacopasaponins). Bacopasaponin constituents have been shown to facilitate mental retention in avoidance response in rats.
Check out these 3 double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled studies. They show memory enhancement, stress reduction, retention of new information, and improvement in memory impairement.
Memory Booster
A trial in 46 healthy volunteers 18â60 years old by Stough et al. evaluated their performance on a series of cognitive tests after 5 weeks, and then 12 weeks. The subjects were given 300âmg of B. monnieri extract daily. The investigators reported significant improvements in measures of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) and in State Anxiety.
Another 3-month study, of 76 healthy adults, 40â65 years old, showed the positive effects of Bacopa, on the retention of new information in delayed recall of word pairs.
A third trial in those over 55 with age-associated, memory impairment: After 3 months of treatment, showed more improvements at 12 weeks on subsets of the Wechsler Memory Scale. Even after they had stopped taking the Bacopa Monnieri for 4 weeks , there was no loss of improvement.
Wow...cognitive improvement in verbal learning, retention of new information (memory enhancement), improvement in memory impairment. These are all things that people with fibro fog will benefit from.
Super nootropic#2, is an astounding focus supplement
Rhodiola Rosea, is an herb. It's root has been used for thousands of years in both Asia and Europe for many different ailments. Thousands of years...
Let me stop here for a second, to tell you the same thing I tell my 8 year old, when she gives me that "soul destroying look" as soon as I tell her that I want her to try a different food, from a different culture,(she did it with Sashimi, and now she eats twice as much as me).
Something that has been used by an entire culture for thousands of years deserves a try. There's a reason why they use it.
The use of Rhodiola for medicinal purposes can actually be seen as far back as 77C.E. where the Greek physician Dioscorides documented it's use in his medical text De Materia Medica. He refers to it as "rodia riza".
It's what's known as an adaptogenic, which I find fascinating. Websters Dictionary describes it as "a nontoxic substance and especially a plant extract, that is held to increase the body's ability to resist the damaging effects of stress and promote or restore normal physiological functioning".
So basically they're used to improve the health of your adrenal system, the system that's in charge of managing your body's hormonal response to stress.
Here's another definition from Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, that fits fibro-fog perfectly. Adaptogen: "A substance that helps the body regenerate after being fatigued or stressed."
Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Stress and fatigue cure?
Let's look at Rhodiola's effect on stress.
In a clinical double blind trial for stress reduction (4), that included both genders, the conclusions were as follows.
Rhodiola " significantly reduced the symptoms of depression in persons with diagnosed depression, with only partial dose dependence noted."
The degree of improvement ranged from
(HAMD rating scale)
To
reduced symptoms with higher doses..
Those are amazing numbers, up to half of study participants.
So far so good. Onto one of the worst parts of fibro-fog, something that crushes you daily. Fatigue.
Let's look at some notes from 2 studies that showed a substantial reduction in fatigue, and improved mental performance.
These are only 2 studies, there are a lot out there, showing how amazing this all natural nootropic is, but these two are pretty interesting because of the test subjects. Check it out.
Study #1 - Military Cadets
In military cadets performing regular military night duties, 5 days of supplementation of rhodiola (370 or 555mg of SHR-5) was able to significantly reduce total fatigue and improve well being when measured 2 hours after supplement ingestion and again at the end of the trial. Capacity for mental work significantly increased relative to placebo.
Study #2 - Healthy Physicians
"In otherwise healthy physicians, supplementation of rhodiola at 170mg (4.5mg salidroside) for 2 weeks (double blind crossover) was significantly antifatigue as assessed by a total fatigue index and was able to improve performance on work-related tasks by approximately 20%"
...is everyone seeing the same thing that I am? These natural, non-toxic supplements were tested on willing doctors, and military cadets, and they were proven effective as a significant stress reducer and fatigue booster, free of side effects.
What if you could have these two wonder nootropics, together, in a powerful, proprietary, anti -"fibro-fog" formula? What if there were other goodies, perfect for targeting your fibro-fog, all included in that one formula? Things like:
Gingko Biloba: Another super nootropic, studied for hundreds of years in France, Germany and China for it's for its effective
anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, platelet-forming, and circulation-boosting effects- all of which benefit the fibro sufferer. Check out what Dr. Oz's frequent guest, Dr. Axe has to say about Gingko biloba here.
In this article by fibromyalgiatreatmentgroup.com, " 8 Proven ways for solving fibro fog naturally", they cite their favorite supplements for improving mental clarity and focus, and it's no surprise that rhodiola rosea, bacopa monieri, and gingko biloba are at the top of the list.
Let's look at one vitamin as well, B-12 (as methylcobalamin) :
This is a very specific vitamin. B-12 helps people who have a deficiency. Low levels of vitamin B-12 are more likely in people over age 50. Vitamin B-12 is also more common in those with certain conditions, like digestive problems (fibromyalgia) and some types of anemia. Low vitamin B-12 can cause fatigue, weakness, memory loss, and other problems with the nervous system-(fibromyalgia, and fibro-fog.)
All of these supplements should be looked at as high quality brain food. They can help you fight back, and give you some control over your fibro fog, both safely and effectively.
Obviously that sounds like something you want, so what if we could put them all together?
We did, in MindBoost Day, by Simple Smart Science. All of those supplements for memory and concentration plus fatigue fighting, with the necessary amounts, in one patented, proprietary formula.
Add to that, a 120 day money back guarantee, and the question "What can I do to beat my brain fog", suddenly goes poof.
Mind Boost Day, by Simple Smart Science.
This is it. A perfectly created formula, with the best nootropics and essential vitamins, already tested for your fibro-fog symptoms.
There is no "magic fix-it button" for Fibromyalgia, and it's rainbow of symptoms, but taking your daily MindBoost may help lessen the burden.
Now it's your turn. Do you know someone who's dealing with fibro-fog, and you think it could be of help them? Please share this with them. What's your story? Comment below.
Content Toggle Headline
Fibromyalgia- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Science of Fibromyalgia- The Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research / National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Increased plasma levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in patients with fibromyalgia. - National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Family study of fibromyalgia and affective spectrum disorder. - National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Effects of a Standardized Bacopa monnieri Extract on Cognitive Performance, Anxiety, and Depression in the Elderly: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial - Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Discovery and resupply of pharmacologically active plant-derived natural products: A review - National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Clinical trial of Rhodiola rosea L. extract SHR-5 in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. - National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Rhodiola rosea in stress induced fatigue--a double blind cross-over study of a standardized extract SHR-5 with a repeated low-dose regimen on the mental performance of healthy physicians during night duty.- National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine
A randomized trial of two different doses of a SHR-5 Rhodiola rosea extract versus placebo and control of capacity for mental work.- National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine
