Crohn's is making me stupid

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tmgread

Joined
Jul 16, 2010
Messages
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I've been fortunate since Crohn's hit this year in that I haven't had much pain.
My worst symptom has been loss of energy. Even though I do have D, it's not as life changing as fatigue. But the scariest part of the illness for me has been cognitive decline. At first, I thought it was just being scatter brained or something, but it's getting ridiculous. I've asked a few of my friends if they have noticed and they admitted that they had. I'm just not very smart anymore. I'm always forgetting things - I mean numerous times a day. I have to read something twice and sometimes I still can't comprehend. It's like I'm in a fog. Has anyone else dealt with this problem? Are they any solutions?
Thanks.
 
What medications are you on? Sometimes the "hazy" feeling can be a side effect. Fatigue would be the main offender here I'm thinking, it's hard to focus when you're so tired.
 
I take 2 Lialda pills a day. I've also gained a lot of weight that I didn't need, which makes me feel even more sluggish and out of it.
 
I hear ya. I was on pred for 13 months and I swear I was dumber each day. I just felt like I wasn't as "quick" anymore, I let thing slip thru the cracks, where I used to be really on the ball.

It could be meds, or lack of sleep, or inproper nutrition, or all of the above!
 
It's true that I haven't been sleeping enough and apparently I'm not getting enough nutrition since I'm low in vitamin D and B. Hopefully, it will get better. My family members don't seem to get it. They accuse me of not paying attention when really, I've just already forgotten about whatever we were talking about.
 
!! I have been feeling the EXACT same way lately. I think it is due to both Budesonide and fatigue. I'm not as quik at work anymore and multi-tasking? Fuhgeta-bout-it! I feel as if I just can't keep up and so very forgetful! I suggest taking a nap if possible and ? if someone has an answer fill us forget ones in..maybe a few times lol
 
I too have problems remembering things. I thought it was just me getting older. It really bothers me that I can forget things so easy. I do make lots of notes at work, and put things on my calendar to remind myself.
 
Oh my gosh, that is to true about multi-tasking. I used to do it effortlessly, but I wouldn't even dream of trying now. Notes and a calendar are good ideas. I've never been particularly organized, but that has to change now.
 
Brain fog - yeah, I have it. I think.... if I'm remembering correctly.... :p

Mine kinda comes and goes... some days are better than others. I make tons of lists - it's the only way I can get anything done. I have severe fatigue, too - sleep doesn't help. Sleep doesn't help the brain fog, either.

My vit. levels and thyroid were normal.

If somebody has a magic bullet - spill the beans already!!!!
 
I seem to have great intentions but trying to get myself organised somedays seems all too hard. We shouldn't put extra pressure on ourselves we have enough crap(pardon the pun) to deal with. I have had a bit of nutrition training and put it down to nutritional deficiencies. Currently on prednisone and I think it makes it worse.
 
I wish there was a way to find out more about nutritional deficiencies. I've only had B and D tested, and they were both low. It makes me wonder about what else I might be missing.
 
Not sure where you are located. I am in Australia and here there are private labs that provide all sorts of tests. Blood tests are not always the most accurate as it only tests whats floating in the blood and not what is stored in cells. There are heavy metal tests where they test some hair for mercury and other toxins, there is also urine tests. I have had these at various times through my naturopath. Good Luck
 
This seems to be a common theme... and I don't think it is down to the meds. Some few months before I got ill I'm certain my brain function dropped, I'd forget things from meetings despite it being really simple and often fundamental to what I was supposed to be doing. I'd also get easily distracted. so work took longer than it should have done. Not good. Some of the meds also knock down the thinking too; like methotrexate which is cytotoxic.
I'm not on vitamin supp's as I can't tolerate the maltodextrin that so many contain, but find if I had marmite (on toast) regularly I do manage to be a little 'brighter'. Whether it's psychological I dont know, or wishfull thinking of the extra B vit's making a difference I wish I could determine.
My conclusion is that it's par for the course with Crohn's. We know that inflamed tissues wont be working so well at absorbing the nutrients, so it follows that if say you have Crohn's in your teminal ileum that B vit and iron absorption will be down.
 
Pleased I read this thread as I was actually thinking of contacting the GP over this very issue.

I found myself saying to someone the other day "could you speak slower" it wasn't cause of there clarity, i just wasn't getting it and only yesterday i was standing at a cashpoint and the chap using it in front of me, brushed past me and said Hi, he was my neighbour!! and i never noticed him. When i got back in the car, i said to my 14 y.o stepson that our neighbour was at the cashpoint and he said "yeah I know, I told you that before you got out the car", jee I felt stupid!

Just 2 examples of something that is starting to become an issue, as i'm normally so observant and reasonably intelligent, that this just isn't me, i don't think i'm performing well at work either, very forgetful and not so engaging, not happy with myself at all.

So Tmgread, I'm experiencing something similar, if I do go to the Docs I'll see what they say and if they say anything other than "you're just thick" :lol2: I'll share it with you.
 
Hi Rossy. I'd be interested too! I need to get back into work and brain function/etc is going to be an issue.

Where abouts in Scotland are you?... I'm interested to know what the IBD services are like in the central belt, Glasgow - Edinburgh....
 
for "normal" forgefullness, i put post it notes everywhere. eg. notes for school will be stuck to the back of the front door. a reminder to go to the post office to get some stamps will be a post it note on the door as well.
 
beth said:
Where abouts in Scotland are you?... I'm interested to know what the IBD services are like in the central belt, Glasgow - Edinburgh....
Click to expand...

Hi,
I'm just outside Dundee, bit further north than the central belt, so can't speak of IBD care down there but i imagine it will be at least pretty good.

I go to a clinic at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee where there's alot going on into the research of IBD. Actually i think NE Scotland has a high prevalence of IBD. I work in an office numbering 18 people with amazingly 3 of us having IBD: procitis, UC and crohns:eek2: So the Docs up here see a lot of it and are really very good.

cheers
 
tmgread said:
I've been fortunate since Crohn's hit this year in that I haven't had much pain.
My worst symptom has been loss of energy. Even though I do have D, it's not as life changing as fatigue. But the scariest part of the illness for me has been cognitive decline. At first, I thought it was just being scatter brained or something, but it's getting ridiculous. I've asked a few of my friends if they have noticed and they admitted that they had. I'm just not very smart anymore. I'm always forgetting things - I mean numerous times a day. I have to read something twice and sometimes I still can't comprehend. It's like I'm in a fog. Has anyone else dealt with this problem? Are they any solutions?
Thanks.
Click to expand...

It might have to do with vitamin deficiencies- possibly iron or zinc? Those are both really important for brain function, and are IBD patients commonly have deficiencies in them.
When I was in the hospital with a flare for the first time, they gave me iron and it seriously felt like my brain had come back after the longest time of having lost it.
You should ask your doctor if you might need supplementation.
 
I would say, your age, your vitamin Deficienies, and B12 levels are important brain function factors,, having your b12 levels would be a good idea. Anyone who drinks alcohol can also have their brain cells reduced and do not return. Meds create alot of fogginess too. Some who have perimenapause also have memory problems. If you are serious about it , talk to your doctor. Good luck!
 
Also if you have Crohn's in the ileum, you should look at your salt intake. If you don't add salt to your food, you may not be getting enough, as it is mainly absorbed in the ileum. So that may be why marmite helps. And the B vitamins certainly won't hurt!
 
I have this really really bad too. It is so frustrating - like your real brain is trapped within this odd forgetfull, stupid brain that never seems to go. I'm 7 months on from diagnosis and know i am getting worse and am so scared that this is it for the rest of my days, and lets face it nature will only make things worse.

If anyone ever finds somthing that gives some sort of relief at all, please share it. I've had asacol, aza, prednisolone, pentasa, b12, iron tablets - as yet NONE have helped - so depressing. I just pray that something would make my brain normal
 
Man, I guess I'm not so stupid after all. Same here. Can't focus on the task, forget what people have said , work is harder. Only thing I never forget is who I'm married to and where the bed is. When I'm flaring that is. Been better lately, all my counts are up, so that may have a lot to do with it.
 
I've noticed cognitive decline, also - more so in the last couple of years. Can't focus, am forgetful, etc. etc. I've blamed it on aging, lack of sleep, maybe vitamin deficiency (altho I do load up on vitamins), menopause, all the prednisone I'd been on over the years, my love for wine, etc. I'm afraid to mention it to the doc for fear of being dx'd with something like AD (which my mother suffered from). I'm mostly med-free right now, except for xifaxan, so can't really place the blame there. Perhaps for us IBDers it's a matter of having gone through so much for so long - stress from pain, surgeries, meds, etc. I guess I'll mention it to the doc next time and get tested for B12 and D, it's a start... Oh, what a relief to hear that I'm not alone in experiencing this (altho I feel bad for all of you for being in the same boat)!
 
When I was first ill at the start of this year I had this really badly too. I couldn't remember stuff and it really hurt to have to use my brain! I found just having a conversation with a friend to completly wear me out. All this was before I started any meds so I know it wasn't that. It's kind of good to know that I'm not the only one who suffered with it...
I used to get so frustrated with myself about this.
Since being on pred though I've noticed a marked improvement. Maybe it's because my energy levels have improved.
 
Omg I'm so glad I found this post!! I've had crohns for the last 6 years and I've not worked as I've had children but I just recently returned to work and I'm embarrassed at how dumb I am!!! I'm so upset I really used to be smarter! I'm currently on inflixamab infusions and a pre med of hydro cortisone and not only have I put in weight but I'm fatigued and DUMB. It's actually depressing and no one understands me, except you guys :) I'm gona try a bit b complex and hope that helps.
 
I was experiencing these symptoms to the point where I nearly lost my job. After a series of tests, they found my B12 was very low. Even though I take a multivitamin, I wasn't absorbing it. I now get an injection once a week. I'm good for about 5 days and then begin to go down hill, but this has helped a lot.


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B12 deficiency can definitely cause symptoms of fatigue, forgetfulness and confusion and anyone with Crohn's in the terminal ileum (even if you still have it) is particularly at risk. It can happen to anyone though - it runs in my family and no one else has/had CD - so it's always worth testing for anyone with these symptoms and should definitely be checked for Crohn's patients.

I do think that with Crohn's we all have a few other things that might be going on too though. Pain levels for me definitely affect how much information I can take in and how quickly I can process it - at the extreme, when the pain is unbearable, I really feel like I can't even hear what someone is saying to me because my brain just can't process anything more than the pain. And I feel like lower levels of pain will still have an effect, albeit to a lesser extent.

Some of the meds I've been on in the past made my head feel foggy - or so I believed at the time - and fatigue and malnutrition will never help either. But I also think it's something about the gut-brain connection - my doctors kinda roll their eyes when I say this but I definitely believe it. I think if normal healthy people's guts are sending lots of information to the brain, then just imagine the kind of information that is being sent by a Crohn's gut. I think no wonder our brains are distracted and overloaded.

Of course, even if that's true it doesn't really help the problem, and it all comes back to getting the disease as well under control as we can. I miss feeling like my brain worked properly though.
 
I have days when I am extremely on the ball and feel like I can do anything and do it well. Other days I can barely get my words out and feel incompetent. Scary how it can change from one day to the next!
 
I get real bad brain fog! I recently got an ostomy and when I was arranging my supplies I realised Id left a bag out, so I grabbed it to realise it was the bag attached to me! Duh!
 
I have been wrecked from crohns and steroids for 16 years, but I am very happy to say I dont feel any dumber from it! Holy crap if stupidity becomes a symptom I am REALLY in trouble!!! :eek2:
 

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