Just food for thought (pun intended) ... but it's possible that some loss of cognitive function that we are attributing to HCV may be due to other factors.
Not saying that HCV has no effect on our brains, indeed it does ... just that we may sometimes be making things worse by taking certain meds.
I thought the following article was interesting because the drugs mentioned are fairly common and often prescribed and/ or over the counter meds that some of us take daily. One study done in 2013 with over 3600 people, along with other perspectives on this.
I had a pretty strong episode. Of it this week. People i see.all the time for 25 years i couldnt remember their names it was like it was stuck in my head. Had it before treatment. Not during.
basser said
Jul 1, 2015
hi all.was starting to think i had alz.but if i think how my memory was before i cleared virus its worlds apart.this time last yr it was'nt unusual to go out and have to come back home 3 times to get things i had forgotten.and the brain fog was awful.am now nearly 7months px and things have improved greatly.still have my off days but nothing compared to how it was.my main foe at this time is depression.but after living with the virus for yrs and the powerful meds needed to clear it its no wonder my system is all over the place.am sure i will feel more upbeat as things settle down. best of health to you all william
Groupergetter said
Jun 30, 2015
Hey VwC, yes brain fog is pretty common w/hcv. I sometimes wonder if I have a brain. I also have short term memory issues. I'm just 8 weeks post eot and certainly hoping my cognitive function will improve. Be well
Tig said
Jun 30, 2015
Many of us experience significant brain fog before treatment and some even noticed an increase in it during treatment. Lord knows I did. It's very common and unfortunately is something many healthcare providers fail to share with the HCV patient. We often find out on our own and then find ourselves dealing with it on our own. I found out more info on this forum regarding it, than anywhere else.
The A2M is part of the Fibrosure test, I never had that test performed, so I have no idea what mine was at any point of care. Is there a possibility, with advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis, an elevated A2M wouldn't be that unusual? That's more an idea to consider than an explanation. I think as your fibrosis stage improves, so will the A2M.
I noticed that it took a full year after SVR for my mind to clear up to what I consider normal for my almost 59 yo brain. I wouldn't think that ALZ related dementia is something to worry about at this point. Many things improve following SVR and I think that considering you just achieved that goal, you should give recovery time to happen. It'll come, so try to give it a chance before allowing worry to seep into the mix. For those still pre or actively treating HCV, experiencing brain fog is not unusual at all. I hope your doctor can shed some additional light on this for you.
Michaele said
Jun 30, 2015
please disregard my post about ALZ I MADE AN ERROR ON INFO Michaele
Michaele said
Jun 30, 2015
Hi Vet, I was just wondering about something similar to that. I was trying to research why my Alpha 2-Microglobins have elevated about 60 points since my1st FibroSure nearly a year ago, liver disease does cause elevation . I had a 2nd done 6/22/15 ; 12 POst EOT. I read that an elevated Alpha 2-Microglobing is 1 of the things they check for in late onset ALZ . It is such a large protien that it doesnt get released in the urine /or something like that. And can build up in the brain and it reek havoc with other nasty things that that need not be hanging around up there / or block good things from doing their function . I know these arent techincal terms , but you can understand what Im saying. I told my daughter, she said everyone forgets things once in awhile . I may not have the energy I used to have but Im still pretty functual . She also said forgetting someones name is not the same as forgetting everything about them/ not recoginizing them. This may not make either of us feel less anxious , but it does explain mind fog , as the liver releases this proteim . I never was good with names . LOL MIchaele This is alot more complicated than I can understand . I hope I havent missled anyone with my rambling , but there is a correlation.
-- Edited by Michaele on Tuesday 30th of June 2015 09:24:26 PM
-- Edited by Michaele on Tuesday 30th of June 2015 09:25:16 PM
-- Edited by Michaele on Tuesday 30th of June 2015 09:26:10 PM
VetwithC said
Jun 30, 2015
It just occured to my foggy mind that a lot of my symptoms [pre-TX, during-TX, and early post-TX] are very similar to alz/dementia. Having care given my father for 5 years before his death at 92, I witnessed dementia advance in his aging [but once sharp] mind and it's not a pretty sight. Just wondering if others are experiencing the same, and will it pass? or am I just being paranoid? [symptom of dementia].
From reading a lot of the posts on this forum, it seems that others may be...............If so, then is there any thing we can do to lessen it?
Just food for thought (pun intended) ... but it's possible that some loss of cognitive function that we are attributing to HCV may be due to other factors.
Not saying that HCV has no effect on our brains, indeed it does ... just that we may sometimes be making things worse by taking certain meds.
I thought the following article was interesting because the drugs mentioned are fairly common and often prescribed and/ or over the counter meds that some of us take daily. One study done in 2013 with over 3600 people, along with other perspectives on this.
http://observer.com/2016/04/can-your-mood-elevators-and-allergy-meds-cause-dementia/
Dave
hi all.was starting to think i had alz.but if i think how my memory was before i cleared virus its worlds apart.this time last yr it was'nt unusual to go out and have to come back home 3 times to get things i had forgotten.and the brain fog was awful.am now nearly 7months px and things have improved greatly.still have my off days but nothing compared to how it was.my main foe at this time is depression.but after living with the virus for yrs and the powerful meds needed to clear it its no wonder my system is all over the place.am sure i will feel more upbeat as things settle down. best of health to you all william
Hey VwC, yes brain fog is pretty common w/hcv. I sometimes wonder if I have a brain. I also have short term memory issues. I'm just 8 weeks post eot and certainly hoping my cognitive function will improve. Be well
Many of us experience significant brain fog before treatment and some even noticed an increase in it during treatment. Lord knows I did. It's very common and unfortunately is something many healthcare providers fail to share with the HCV patient. We often find out on our own and then find ourselves dealing with it on our own. I found out more info on this forum regarding it, than anywhere else.
The A2M is part of the Fibrosure test, I never had that test performed, so I have no idea what mine was at any point of care. Is there a possibility, with advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis, an elevated A2M wouldn't be that unusual? That's more an idea to consider than an explanation. I think as your fibrosis stage improves, so will the A2M.
I noticed that it took a full year after SVR for my mind to clear up to what I consider normal for my almost 59 yo brain. I wouldn't think that ALZ related dementia is something to worry about at this point. Many things improve following SVR and I think that considering you just achieved that goal, you should give recovery time to happen. It'll come, so try to give it a chance before allowing worry to seep into the mix. For those still pre or actively treating HCV, experiencing brain fog is not unusual at all. I hope your doctor can shed some additional light on this for you.
please disregard my post about ALZ I MADE AN ERROR ON INFO Michaele
Hi Vet, I was just wondering about something similar to that. I was trying to research why my Alpha 2-Microglobins have elevated about 60 points since my1st FibroSure nearly a year ago, liver disease does cause elevation . I had a 2nd done 6/22/15 ; 12 POst EOT. I read that an elevated Alpha 2-Microglobing is 1 of the things they check for in late onset ALZ . It is such a large protien that it doesnt get released in the urine /or something like that. And can build up in the brain and it reek havoc with other nasty things that that need not be hanging around up there / or block good things from doing their function . I know these arent techincal terms , but you can understand what Im saying. I told my daughter, she said everyone forgets things once in awhile . I may not have the energy I used to have but Im still pretty functual . She also said forgetting someones name is not the same as forgetting everything about them/ not recoginizing them. This may not make either of us feel less anxious , but it does explain mind fog , as the liver releases this proteim . I never was good with names . LOL MIchaele This is alot more complicated than I can understand . I hope I havent missled anyone with my rambling , but there is a correlation.
-- Edited by Michaele on Tuesday 30th of June 2015 09:24:26 PM
-- Edited by Michaele on Tuesday 30th of June 2015 09:25:16 PM
-- Edited by Michaele on Tuesday 30th of June 2015 09:26:10 PM
It just occured to my foggy mind that a lot of my symptoms [pre-TX, during-TX, and early post-TX] are very similar to alz/dementia. Having care given my father for 5 years before his death at 92, I witnessed dementia advance in his aging [but once sharp] mind and it's not a pretty sight. Just wondering if others are experiencing the same, and will it pass? or am I just being paranoid? [symptom of dementia].
From reading a lot of the posts on this forum, it seems that others may be...............If so, then is there any thing we can do to lessen it?
Just wondering.............