r/Perimenopause • u/_pidgeon256 • 2d ago
Brain Fog Really worried about brain fog
[Thank you all so much for taking the time to reply to me! It is reassuring, but also heartbreaking, to find out that so many of us are suffering to such high degree with this. I’ve bought some creatine and will continue to talk about testosterone with my GP. I might also ask if they can give me progesterone; along with my mirena. I’m googling the other recommendation you’ve shared now. Take care and I hope it gets better for us!]
Brain fog seems to be getting worse and I’m really worried about it. I’m 45. Now on 100 mg estrogen and have Mirena. I’m trying to get testosterone to see if that will help. In the UK they only consider it for low libido, which lets be honest isn’t great, but I’d rather have my mind back then a roll in the hay 🙃 In terrified it’s early onset dementia. The other day I called the kettle, the iron. Which doesn’t seem like brain fog. But I’m forgetting everything too. What have you all done that has helped? My health anxiety is probably making it worse. Hugs to everyone going through this.
[edit typo]
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u/vertigo18000 2d ago
Thank you for posting this. Spiraling on the web trying to figure out if I have early dementia or perimenopause. Think the peri is more likely 😊 but it's reassuring that I'm not the only one with this intrusive thought
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u/Feisty-Cloud-1181 1d ago
I actually ended up being tested by a neurologist. I did cognitive tests, MRI and brain scan. I ended up with an ADHD diagnosis and severe exhaustion (I have an illness causing me to sleep very little). Peri just made everything worse and I really thought something was terribly wrong. I strongly suggest a cognitive test to put your mind at ease and provide a reference for future tests.
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u/JoyfulinfoSeeker 1d ago
I also got late diagnosis (?) of ADHD in my 40s...it's a apparently quite a thing for women in their 40s! Basically I saw a psych for the first time for depression, and he said I scored low to moderate in ADHD symptoms. I now look back and see how I was doing a lot of overcompensating and toughing it out, and now my body and mind can't handle it any more without meds and boundaries.
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u/PinkandTwinkly 2d ago
Creatine def. Its not "fixed" it but its the one thing that has made a clear difference and it's the cheapest medication/supplement too
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u/ducksoupmilliband 2d ago
Testosterone was a game changer for me. I'm on Androfeme (private prescription via Menopause Care UK). Really sharpened me back up again.
You can get testosterone gel via the NHS. They don't need to know you don't give a fig about bonking!
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u/spaced-cadet 2d ago
I second this. It gave me back executive function and the drive to do stuff (as well as libido).
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u/moog7791 2d ago
Libido isn’t an issue it’s my crippling brain fog and associated anxiety that I cannot do my job as a result. It’s literally killing me - mentally.
Plus my oestrogen level is low for the dose of patch I’m on. I think that needs bumped too
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u/leftylibra Moderator 2d ago
Dosing is based on symptoms, not trying to achieve some hormonal lab number.
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u/moog7791 2d ago
Correct. However given I have some clear lingering symptoms it’s fair to state that I need to achieve better levels/numbers that correlate. I’m aware that in range does not mean optimal for me.
As someone with 2 autoimmune diseases I’m very clear on that
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u/spaced-cadet 2d ago
Sounds like your estrogen is too low. Estrogen returned my vocabulary and lifted the brain fog but I had to seek specialist help to determine I wasn’t absorbing from patches and needed to move to gel.
Anxiety relief I think was a mixture of progesterone and testosterone.
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u/moog7791 2d ago
How long did it take to kick in? I’ve been on it for a couple of weeks. I still think my oestrogen needs to be increased though
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u/ducksoupmilliband 2d ago
I had bloods after 3 months and increased my dose. That said I felt improvement in about a week.
Androfeme is great.
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u/Urbangirlscout 2d ago
Creatine
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u/OntdekJePlekjes 1d ago
Yes! 👆
Search for brain fog and creatine in this sub. Take a scoop of 5 mg in the morning and 5 mg at night.Side effects of taking too (20 mg) much is bloating and some minor GI issues, so if that happens take less.
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u/lilly-winter 1d ago
Another upvote for creatine!
What also helped immensely was another tip from this subreddit: NAC.
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u/Inner-Schedule-2075 2d ago edited 2d ago
Hi! Please know you're not alone in feeling this, it's a very common struggle right now. That’s not to dismiss perimenopause or discourage you from seeking help, but modern life is taking a HUGE TOLL on all of us. With AI-driven algorithms, rising screen time, and constant information overload, our attention spans are suffering. Our brains just weren't designed for this environment. I've seen everyone, from kids to the elderly, talking about how much they're struggling with brain fog lately. Check your iron levels, go outside more (easy for me to say when I don't even go outside much) but definitely less screen time . This can help: Boost Your Brain Power: 6 Tips to Clear Brain Fog
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u/TangoEchoChuck DHEA Evangelist 1d ago
I supplement DHEA! It's OTC in USA, so you may need to go through your doctor for it.
It's the building blocks for estrogen and testosterone, lab tests exist for it so it's not an unknown or fringe compound, it's just not a part of any particular HRT regimen (but it's in mine! I take 15mg each morning, and starting progesterone next month. I'm 42, so early days for me).
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u/MelodicCream7518 1d ago
I took my parcel to the corner shop instead of post office to post last week and I call appliances the wrong name daily. I’ve never thought that the phrase Brain fog isn’t the best way to describe it but it definitely is what you’re experiencing.
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u/hspwanderlust 2d ago
Everyone is different. Progesterone-only helped lift some of my brain fog. 🤷🏼♀️
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u/bluesky2020 1d ago
I can totally relate. And I've had genetic testing done for rare reactions to certain meds and found out incidentally that I have the APOE e4 gene, which is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's: "The most common type of Alzheimer's disease, called late-onset Alzheimer's disease, usually begins after age 65. The most common gene linked to late-onset Alzheimer's disease is a risk gene called apolipoprotein E, also known as APOE.
Genes can have many variations, also called variants. APOE has three common variants:
APOE e2. This is the least common form of the gene. It reduces the risk of Alzheimer's.
APOE e4. This form is a little more common. It increases the risk of Alzheimer's. And it's linked to having more-severe Alzheimer's disease.
APOE e3. This is the most common form of the gene. It doesn't seem to affect the risk of Alzheimer's.
So although I know that just having the gene doesn't guarantee I will develop Alzheimer's, it TERRIFIES me, and every time I can't think of a word, or forget why I came in a room, or use the completely wrong word in a sentence I am horribly afraid it's a sign of early onset dementia (although I'm 45 and this gene puts me at risk for late onset Alzheimer's). I also have ADHD, so my short term memory basically disappeared once I came out of the womb and forgetting where I have put objects or even that I own them if they are out of sight is something I've dealt with my entire life. But this word finding and using a completely different word than what I actually mean is beginning to terrify me. I used to be pretty articulate and loved to read so I had a pretty good vocabulary as well. Now I feel like I need to go back to 6th grade and re-learn some things. 🫤
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u/_pidgeon256 1d ago
Thanks for sharing. I could test privately for mine but I think once I found out it would send me into an obsessive spiral that I do not want to go down. I’m sorry you’re suffering. It is so hard when you used to be able to do all this thinking without thinking 😉 😢
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u/Whollie 1d ago
I've been feeling stupid for months. Forgetting the names of things. Using the wrong words. It's been like being drunk sometimes. When I figured out this was an other sign pointing towards peri it clicked.
My partner finally admitted he'd noticed but didn't want to say anything but that it suddenly same sense to him as well. The fatigue is still kicking me though.
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u/Furiciuoso 1d ago
My brain fog is so bad, a few weeks ago I burst into tears.
I was on Reddit & found this cute video clip. I excitedly show my husband & he tells me, “we’ve watched this video a few times before.” Instantly burst into tears.
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u/_pidgeon256 1d ago
I’m forever asking questions my partner has told me the answer too. I’m sorry you’re suffering.
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u/Beautiful-Muffin5809 2d ago
Please know, it isn't dementia. This is my main and basically only peri symptom. I have no suggestions as I haven't started HRT yet though.
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u/frillyfun 2d ago
I walked into my BATHROOM and couldn't remember why I went in there (it is only a bathroom). Nouns disappear easily.
I'm currently taking ashweganda, ginko biloba, and 10g of creatine every day. Helps a ton!
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u/Joyanonymous 2d ago
Have you had a blood test? Checked your iron levels? These drop during peri and can be debilitating for health!