How to explain brain fog to loved ones
Hello, I just joined today, looking for answers. I'm 51 and have had migraines once to twice a week since I was 10. I have a constant throb above my left eye that never goes away. My main trigger is low pressure. When it rains I get migraines, or if I go into a very air conditioned building I immediately get aura. I might be the most caffeinated person ever lol, as it's my only relief. Lately my memory is getting fuzzy, I'm forgetting words(couldn't remember chaperone this morning) and I guess whole bits of conversations. This is really causing trouble in my personal life. Is this common? A lifetime of migraines must cause some damage. I don't know how to explain that I'm not being dismissive or dishonest, I really don't remember. Thank you
, welcome to the migraine.com community! We are glad you're here. I'm sorry to hear that you've lived with migraine disease for such a long time. It is a difficult journey. Migraine is a complex neurological brain disease that impacts our lives in many ways. You mentioned brain fog as one of your most troubling symptoms. Here is a link to my husband's article about his experience with that.
https://migraine.com/living-migraine/aphasia-brain-fog
He also suffers from weather-related migraine attacks. Here are a couple of links that speak about that experience from my husband and Holly.
https://migraine.com/living-migraine/diamox-for-weather-related-attacks
https://migraine.com/living-migraine/unavoidable-weather-trigger
My husband has found that Namenda and magnesium L-threonate help cut some of the brain fog and cognitive issues he experiences. Have you seen a headache specialist for treating your migraine attacks yet? That puts you in a much better position to manage the attacks and symptoms effectively. It is also a good idea to track or document your attacks from start to finish. This will help you see any patterns and find possible triggers you may not have considered. It is also a great tool to share with your treating doctor(s). When you live with migraine disease, it can be challenging to find others who understand what you are experiencing in your social circles. In my opinion, family support is very helpful, but many of us do not have that available. This community is full of people who understand migraine and its symptoms. We are here to share our experiences and support each other. I'm very glad you found our community! I'm sure the community will help guide you if you have specific concerns or questions. We can't offer medical advice, but our span of experience can help you find effective treatment options with your doctor(s). Warmly, Cheryl migraine.com team
I'm sorry to hear that you've been dealing with migraine for several decades now. I can relate in that I started getting migraine around the same time in my life. At the time I was told by my neurologist that it's rare for a kid to get such debilitating migraine, but there I was... and you were too. It's a long time to deal with pain.
Having brain fog enter the mix certainly doesn't help either. It's a challenge because other people think that they forget things too, so they think that you're having the same experience, but the reality is, brain fog is different from the occasional moment of forgetting a persons name.
I have not found adequate words to describe the feeling either. I do often say that it's a physical sensation, because my brain physically feels cloudy, versus just not remembering something in the moment.I see Cheryl has shared several resources with you and I hope that you find them helpful. Most of all, I'm so happy that you found your way to this community. I hope that you post as often as you feel inspired to do so. We're here to support in any way we can.
Best
Alene, moderatorThanks for the replies. I'm really frustrated as I've always been the "ask him" guy and now I'm afraid to talk to anybody about anything in depth. If it's not a passing conversation I kind of run away. I used to go to a head pain/neurologist but had little help. That was 15yrs ago so I should try again. I will try the supplement and hope for a prescription. I'm getting desperate and I am glad I swallowed my pride and found you all. Thanks again
I get brain fog too. Usually I have an eidetic ( near perfect) memory but these days I feel like a complete idiot. I often don’t remember client sessions even when they share big things( I’m a psychotherapist). I really feel dumbed- down. This is NOT medical advice but I’m wondering if, although it’s tempting and very human to do so, thinking about the brain fog as permanent damage might be undermining your psyche, I struggle with the issue of thinking I’ll be permanently incapacitated very frequently myself, so don’t think im judging you or telling you what to do. I really really understand. But when I go to the doomed, despairing place it only makes me worse. Finding hope in the midst of enormous suffering may very well be THE existential life question. I wish I had a better answer for you but you are definitely not alone. Brain fog is horrendous. Hard to say but for me possibly the worst symptom. In the short time I’ve been on this forum I’ve found a lot of support and comfort, thank you for finding us and for having the bravery to post. 
Great points! I just listened to an interview talking about aging, migraine and memory issues. The gist of it was while migraine, memory issues, brain fog, anxiety and depression may travel together, they may not be necessarily correlated. Focusing on treating migraine may help cognition issues.
Thank you for sharing your support and wisdom, much appreciated!
Hoping today is a low pain day, Nancy Harris Bonk, Patient Leader/Moderator Migraine.com Team Member
