My father has been in a flare up for one year , he is currently on Humira and it seems to help a little. He complains he has mind fog and can't think clearly or make decisons correctly. He thinks he has Alzheimer's but I believe it's from the medication and just the depression from Crohn's. Also he is 72. Please I would like to know if others suffer from this to show him he's not the only one.
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Mind fog- how many of us suffer
- Thread starter JasmineA9733
- Start date
- Location
- Scotland, UK
Hello Jasmine, I'm sorry to hear that your father is ill. You should consider seeking advice from a medical professional if you are both worried about the potential for Alzheimer's.
What I will say is that, yes, I have experienced something like what you describe. For me, lack of concentration and general sluggishness in thinking was most pronounced when experiencing prolonged bouts of pain. In general, the longer a flare lasted, the worse the "foggy" effect would become. I suspect that the concurrent low mood, malnutrition, lack of sleep and fatigue contributed to this. Perhaps symptoms like these may be contributing to the problem you describe.
I personally did not perceive any such effects from taking Humira. I found that the effect lessened as the Humira worked to reduce the inflammation and symptoms improved.
Personally, I found this to be a particularly distressing effect of the disease. I greatly appreciated assurances that this symptom would almost certainly lessen as inflammation was brought under control. Providing reassurance in this regard may be helpful.
For a more objective account, here's a press release detailing research into this. It's certainly not just him reporting cognitive symptoms! You can find the actual paper in the references, if you'd like to read it - https://www.ueg.eu/press/releases/u...s-impact-of-crohns-disease-on-brain-function/
I hope he begins to feel better soon. Best wishes.
What I will say is that, yes, I have experienced something like what you describe. For me, lack of concentration and general sluggishness in thinking was most pronounced when experiencing prolonged bouts of pain. In general, the longer a flare lasted, the worse the "foggy" effect would become. I suspect that the concurrent low mood, malnutrition, lack of sleep and fatigue contributed to this. Perhaps symptoms like these may be contributing to the problem you describe.
I personally did not perceive any such effects from taking Humira. I found that the effect lessened as the Humira worked to reduce the inflammation and symptoms improved.
Personally, I found this to be a particularly distressing effect of the disease. I greatly appreciated assurances that this symptom would almost certainly lessen as inflammation was brought under control. Providing reassurance in this regard may be helpful.
For a more objective account, here's a press release detailing research into this. It's certainly not just him reporting cognitive symptoms! You can find the actual paper in the references, if you'd like to read it - https://www.ueg.eu/press/releases/u...s-impact-of-crohns-disease-on-brain-function/
I hope he begins to feel better soon. Best wishes.
Cat-a-Tonic
Super Moderator
I agree with what was said above. In addition, I'd like to add that with dementia/Alzheimer's, typically the person doesn't recognize that they have any sort of memory loss or mental decline. So it's good news that your father is concerned about possible mental decline, because that means it's likely not dementia nor Alzheimer's. For what it's worth, my grandma has what I believe is moderate Alzheimer's, and most of the time she thinks she's just fine and doesn't understand why we put her in a memory care facility. When I once gently told her that she sometimes has a hard time remembering things (which is a massive understatement), she snapped at me, "I remember things just fine!". So based on what you wrote, I think your father is likely okay and it's probably the flare or the medications or vitamin deficiencies or a combination of all of the above that's causing his brain fog. I'm not a medical professional, but that's my experience anyway.
Bufford
Well-known member
- Location
- Northwestern Ontario
I feel the same way, I have difficulty remembering things, experience mind block, and a general feeling of lethargy. Its worse during flares, but it remains low level much of the time.
This may be an interesting read for you.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160824140049.htm
New research published in the UEG Journal has found that Crohn's disease sufferers experience slower response times than matched individuals that do not have the disease.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160824140049.htm
New research published in the UEG Journal has found that Crohn's disease sufferers experience slower response times than matched individuals that do not have the disease.
I know I have brain fog.
I was diagnosed with Crohn's 14 years ago and suffered from significant and worsening brain fog symptoms for the past 7 years or so. A couple of years ago I started an experimentation process during which I tinkered with every dietary variable I could think of, and experimented with literally dozens of supplements to try to alleviate this issue, and the thing that has helped me the most has been reducing my fat intake.