Posted by LeadingZero on September 13, 2004, at 15:53:59
In reply to Re: seeking insight with brain fog/depression/sleep... » mike lynch, posted by SDA on September 9, 2004, at 15:32:51
I've definitely felt the cottonhead experience and brain fog before. I'm also with you on the head/neck position thing.
You never quite know for sure what causes these things, but I suspect in my case it is migrane. On the third day of my sleep deficit binges, I'd get some really bad visual migranes to where I can't see-- not blackness but rather boiling static. Noise would really agitate me, and sometimes I would start vommiting. This would last a few hours.
People experience migrane differently, and for me it's different than it was 12 years ago when I first started 'seeing' things.
Now I get much less severe migranes that cause brain fog, small-regional pain that is agrivated by movement, and an irritable personality-- but they can last a few days.
Spending a lot of time on computers has also given my neck a strange natural position that I think reduces bloodflow. I tend to want to lean forward and tilt my head up to see the screen. I do this espeicially when I'm hyperfocsing. After a while, I get brainfy. My vision starts to flash.
Things that seem to help me when I get this way:
Ibuprofen. Getting oxygen-rich blood to my head, one way or another. Getting up and walking around a bit. Doing neck excersizes.The migrane medications seem to make things worse for me-- they're ususually vesoconstrictors. I need more blood to my head, not less. I was glad to see that Doc Amen recommended ibuprofen-- because it's an anti-inflamitory and may reduce swelling in the brain-- now I have some explanation for why it always helped me.
I now also do the power yoga regimen, and it really helps out-- but the whole shmeer isn't necessary for me to get some relief. I've gotten some relief from being foggy by belly breathing while laying on my back, hugging my knees into my chest and tucking my chin in for about five minutes. Another thing is the breathing deeply while bending forward (like touching toes) and letting my head hang. Spending a couple of mintues in my cube doing the actual yoga postures is even more helpful, but I'm trying to be simple and helpful here.
On top of migranes, I have ADD, dysthymia, and some compulsive tendencies. I have been on stimulants a few years, Zoloft, Prozac and Straterra. Right now I'm not on anything, but that may change.
Best wishes,
-LeadingZero
poster:LeadingZero
thread:289897
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040909/msgs/390382.html