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Comment by taylodl | Hacker News Reader

What do you mean by brain fog? What symptoms are you experiencing?

"It’s a type of cognitive dysfunction involving:

- memory problems - lack of mental clarity - poor concentration - inability to focus

Some people also describe it as mental fatigue. Depending on the severity of brain fog, it can interfere with work or school. But it doesn't have to be a permanent fixture in your life"

How long does the fog take to clear? Is it possible to do higher cognitive work until the fog sets in and then do more menial work until the fog clears? What kind of cycle time would that be?

It appears and clears randomly during the day. I usually do what you just suggested, but its still impossible to do any real work.

Have you seen a doctor? I'm thinking a psychiatrist as it sounds like you may have a brain chemical imbalance of some kind. Hope you can get this figured out.

Yeah, been to numerous docs. I found out I had a bacterial infection from Mycoplasma Pneumoniae, which I treated, and it slightly helped. I also found out I am hypogonadic, which I started Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) for about over a month ago. Both of these could cause brain fog, depression, anxiety. I also suffer from chronic rhinitis (turbinate hypertrophy), and meds such as antihistamines and nasal steroid sprays dont treat it. I've been to over 30 docs in the past 2 years, and this is so far what I got. I treated maybe 70% of the brain fog. So many docs just said its all in my head, especially GPs from the NHS UK... Oh they were so wrong. I also went to a psychiatrist and a psychologist, the former diagnosed me with "internet addiction, adhd, and depersonalization" and the latter said that nothing is wrong with me mentally and that I need to fix my physical health issues first. Apparently brain fog is a symptom that can be caused by many different things, and most docs really dont know what to do about it. I am pretty sure if I was in the US I would solve this pretty quickly there as docs are much better.

Have you ever tried "alternative medicine"? I mean method like drinking apple juice for 3 days to clean your guts etc. Or drink only wgetable coctails? I've never tried those, however I've seen hundreds of comments from different users claiming that such method helped them where traditional medicine couldn't. I won't share links here because those YouTube videos are not in English but I'm pretty sure you'll be able to find similar in English.

Anyway - good luck!

Well, shit. You basically just described me (brain fog, depression, anxiety, borderline low testosterone in the 200s they won't diagnose, permanent nasal congestion). I don't have an answer, I'm just watching my life slip between my fingers in slow motion. I have obstructive sleep apnea and hypothyroidism, you could get tested for those if you haven't been. The CPAP is more or less useless for me but it helps some people. External observers have noted an improvement since my thyroid hormone replacement therapy, but I still mostly just want to die. Good luck. (I'm in the US, that didn't help.)

Your hypothyroidism could be the cause for your hypogonadism. My testosterone level was 400 ng/dl and I still had to do Testosterone Replacement Therapy. If your testosterone levels dont reach 600+ after being for 2-3 months on hypothyroid meds (also cut down on weight), then you should start TRT for sure. Google defy TRT clinic, they give TRT to anyone who has levels under 550 ng/dl. Also, for your nasal congestion, its highly likely your hypothyroid issue is causing it, again, after taking the hypothyroid meds for 2-3 months check if its improving, if not, get a CT scan of your nasal and sinus area. Oh, also, before you start TRT, docs need to see whats causing it, if your prolactin is high then that could be the reason. I suggest you go look up /r/testosterone on reddit for more details.

I actually did an at home sleep apnea test and it says I am fine. Gonna go to a lab next time.

Lets help eachother with this, lets keep in touch, you can find me on reddit at “thehedonistvagabond”

I generally dont believe in alternative methods, but I have tried some dieting and over the counter stuff. It didnt help at all. Thanks for the input though!

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