Memory/cognitive problems and CFS

I have had CFS which has gradually worsened for many years now. One of the most annoying and seemingly untreatable symptoms is gradual memory loss and difficulty thinking. For me normally i would get ups and downs where i could think clearly and remember stuff and other times when it felt like my brain was on holiday and no matter what i did i could not think of things i knew well and would find it difficult mentally to do things that on a good day i would do with ease.

Its kind of like going in and out of a stupor or something.

Recently it has worsened and stopped going up and down and is now just down...that is i feel like i am permanently stuck in this mentally dumb brain fog and i cant get out of it no matter what i do. I feel as though my brain just wont wake up anymore and refuses to work...on rare occasions i suddenly feel like i've woken up and everything is clear etc.

I'm finding its severely impacting my life now, more so than physical fatigue symptoms. I cant function at all without reminders and notes.

Does anyone else get this kind of thing as part of CFS? Is there anything which can help? I've tried various memory supplements to no avail.

I think if mine gets any worse im not sure what will happen...i feel like ill just go into a coma or something because i just wont be able to function.

I completely understand what you're going through. Sorry to hear that you're dealing with this as well, but I'm relieved to know I'm not the only one having this problem! It's extremely frustrating to deal with and very difficult to describe also. I don't know if it's just because it's hard to explain or because I have such a hard time being able to take my thoughts and put them into words. I even have difficulty saying the simplest things some days. It's almost like I know what I want to say but it's gets scrambled in my head before I can verbalize it!! I would say for at least the last 4-6 months I have been having trouble with cognitive impairment. I'm honestly not sure because I can't remember! I too rely on notes and lists daily in order to remember what it is I have to do. I was diagnosed with CFS about 1 1/2 years ago and have been on Adderall ever since. Prior to getting my sleep study, I had a full physical to rule out other causes for my fatigue. Now that my memory and thought process is having a significant impact on my life like you, I've started seeing a new primary care physician to see if I can figure out why. She didn't feel that my symptoms were caused by or a side effect of the Adderall so she ordered some blood tests. Yesterday I found out I have a Vtiamin D deficiency, which can cause cognitive impairment. Apparently she told me this a month ago and asked me to start taking a supplement but I don't remember her telling me that. I even looked back over my notes and could find everything else we discussed but nothing about the Vitamin D deficiency! (I was also slightly anemic and had elevated liver functions. I've been taking iron supplements and had an ultrasound to confirm my liver was functioning properly.) She has referred me to a neurologist but I don't have an appointment scheduled yet. She said that she'd like to take more blood in 3 months because that is how long it will take to see results from the Vitamin D supplement. I called my previous doctor's office to see if my Vitamin D levels had been tested prior to being referred to a sleep specialist and they weren't. So I'm hoping that the deficiency was the reason I was so tired in the first place and has just gotten severe enough now that it's causing the cognitive impairment.

I'll keep you posted on any new developments, but I'm hoping symptoms will subside within the next 3 months because of the supplement and that I may even be able to quit taking Adderall.

Just curious, have you ever had any problems with "out of body experiences"? That's something I've been experiencing for the last month or so as well. They aren't really extreme, just kind of like my brain takes a time out and I feel kind of disconnected from myself. Not physically, just mentally. I also feel a little dizzy, not to the extent that I think I'm going to pass out, but kind of similar to the feeling you get when an elevator starts or stops.

I apologize if this post was hard to follow, but I think you can relate to having a hard time conveying thoughts!

Look into overnight sleep study. A neurologist is referring me.