Fibrofog

Recently I was having fibrofog so severely that I couldn't even remember my street address. I literally had to find a recent letter in order to be sure that what I was typing was my correct address. Fibrofog is a very real symptom, and when we are going through it, we may feel as though we have lost our minds.

Fibrofog is a cognitive deficit, meaning that we can have problems with concentration and short-term memory. Both of these brain functions are greatly affected by sleep deprivation and neurotransmitter deficiencies. We may have difficulty learning and retaining information, processing information quickly, and recalling information spontaneously. For example, my temporary loss of memory for my street address was caused by fibrofog. We can also have difficulty finding the right word, following a conversation while thinking of what to say next, or even reading a book. Organizing, planning, setting goals and carrying out actions to meet these goals may also be difficult for us.

During a fibromyalgia flare, the fibrofog may be more apparent to us as it generally is more severe during these times. We may feel that we are in a state of utter confusion, and it can last for hours, weeks, or even months. Those of us who live with frequent and severe flares of pain and fatigue also experience more fibrofog. Many people have had to quit jobs or school due to the combination of severe flares and fibrofog. It is one of the least recognized and most serious symptoms of fibromyalgia. All of our other symptoms are magnified by fibrofog, and we often forget to do the things which minimize our physical symptoms. This places additional stress upon us which can lead to a flare, and thus more fibrofog. For example, I may forget to slowly stretch my legs before getting out of bed, and when my feet hit the floor, the pain and weakness reminds me very quickly that I'd forgotten to stretch.

Fibrofog is also very frustrating because when we are experiencing it, we can't express ourselves well. Words just don't come together that make sense, and trying to carry on a conversation with another person becomes a major obstacle in communication. Thoughts expressed by others can fly right over my head, and although it is sometimes funny, it is also very frustrating to me. I do not consider myself to be able to understand everything that is said to me, but when I notice that I am having even greater difficulty following a flow of conversation, I feel like others must think that I've very stupid. However, just knowing that my brain sometimes doesn't work right helps me to maintain my sense of self rather than think that I've lost the capacity to think and understand.

Most of us have learned just to accept these foggy times, and we tend to laugh at ourselves as strange thoughts come out of our mouths, or we think we have put things in one place and then find them in another. However, some of us take a lot of unintentional abuse from other people who are totally unaware of our confused state of mind and the reason behind it. Would a person with a speech defect be laughed at as they struggled to find the right words? Maybe by children who didn't know better, but not by other adults because it sometimes happens to us.

In order to deal with fibrofog, it does help to have more organization in our lives. This won't eliminate problems, but it does help us to keep things simple in our lives. Making lists, and then remembering to check the lists or remembering to carry them with us to the store is useful. Sometimes just sitting down and thinking of what we have to do and what needs to be taken with us can help us to sort through the fog. Going through drawers and closets regularly to get rid of unneeded clutter helps us to keep our lives simple. Besides, we just might find something that we lost a few months ago.

Sensory input like noise, lights, and interruptions can increase our fibrofog. Having a teenager blaring loud music throughout the house isn't helpful for us when we are already experiencing confusion. I can write and think with light piano music playing, but sometimes even that can distract me. Driving a car with music playing while in a severe fog isn't a wise decision. Recently I was driving in a town that I didn't know well, and I found myself losing my sense of direction. Granted, my sense of direction has never been good, but I found that I had to turn off the radio in order to concentrate on where I was going. I was also under a great deal of stress at the time, and was searching for a particular building. By the time I returned home, my brain felt like it had been left somewhere else.

Constant interruptions by the phone, family members, and friends can leave us feeling not only frustrated with what we are trying to do, but also it decreases our ability to concentrate. Before I developed fibromyalgia, I could do several things at the same time and have complete control of their outcome. But now, if I'm trying to write or work online and I'm interrupted by either my family, the phone, or online friends wanting to talk, I have to decide which is more important for me to do at that time. My ability to do several things at one time just doesn't exist anymore. My spelling deteriorates, and my thoughts make no sense to me. I do keep a good dictionary near me, but if I do decide to chat online with someone, I have found myself misspelling many words. It is not that my mind is going faster than my fingers can type, but rather that I'm in a fog.

Keeping our sense of humor during times of fibrofog is a challenge, but most of us seem to be able to laugh at ourselves when we are communicating with another person who really understands what we are going through. We not only end up laughing about the silly things we've said or done, but we also feel that it is all right for us to have these foggy times. However, when we are trying to communicate with someone who doesn't understand our fibromyalgia, it only becomes more frustrating for us. Our relationships with family members can suffer, but we do have the choice to decide with whom we feel safe in sharing our personal lives. If our families ridicule us for our fibrofog, then we can choose to avoid conversations with them during severe fibrofog episodes. Sometimes it is our friends who also have fibromyalgia who give us the most support, and sometimes it is a special friend who cares enough about us to learn more of what we go through on a daily basis.

In order to deal with our fibrofog, we first must attend to our pain and fatigue. Stress, anxiety, anger, depression, and disorganization all compete for our attention. They interfere with the processing of information and other mental activities. Dealing with our emotions in a constructive manner can help us to reduce the severity of fibrofog. And if all else fails, just laugh.

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