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  • #1

    Brain Fog

    I remember reading somewhere about brain fog after surgery. I did not seem bothered by this until recently. Has anyone else suddenly developed brain fog - very slow to process information, difficulty processing information and finding the words to express self verbally? Does it go away?

    I hope this is part of the healing process. It is driving me nuts!

    Kari

    3 1/2 months post-op
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Kari, I have definitely been foggy since surgery (about 2 and a half months ago). I JUST started being able to read books again. I tried to do some needlepoint the other day but put it down again when I couldn't figure out the directions. I blame it on pain meds, a general lack of mental stimulation (too much daytime TV), and just the overall trauma of such a big surgery.
    Chris
    A/P fusion on June 19, 2007 at age 52; T10-L5
    Pre-op thoracolumbar curve: 70 degrees
    Post-op curve: 12 degrees
    Dr. Boachie-adjei, HSS, New York

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    • #3
      Ha-Ha! I'm 3.5 months post-op, and just this morning I did about 6 things that were the most brain dead things I could do. I found myself yelling out loud: "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" It's not your imagination - the brain fog has happened to me after every surgery, although I thought I was over it by now. Thanks for helping me lighten up a little.
      FeliciaFeliciaFelicia
      10/24/00 posterior fusion T4-L4 at age 57
      8/5/05 posterior surgery for spinal stenosis at L4-L5; laminectomy and fusion
      5/14/07 posterior revision with fusion to sacrum
      2/11/08 anterior discectomy L5-S1, and reinforcement of fusion with plate attached to L5-S1
      3/9/2011 and 3/11/2011 revision surgery with Dr. Lenke, St. Louis - complete revision and fusion with instrumentation from T1 to sacrum, one lumbar osteotomy.

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      • #4
        Kari-
        I had the same problem for months afterwards- just feeling very foggy and slow-I am 9 months post op now and I see a big difference. But even after I got off the pain meds at 3 1/2 months I still felt "slow" for quite awhile. I wonder if it takes a long time for the anesthesia to work it's way out of your system?
        Cathie

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        • #5
          I didn't know there was a term out there for that! YES, I have been experiencing this also. I have sort of been forcing myself to read books when I am laying down, and if I turn on the TV, I try to watch a little news before switching to the "lighter" TV This might have a little to do with the brain being a muscle also, and it certainly atrophies with this surgery!
          31 year old female
          55* (day of surgery) thoracic curve w/compensatory lumbar
          T4-T12 on Aug 15, 2007
          MRI, pre-surgery
          Xray, 3 mos. post-op
          Machu Picchu, 8 mos. post-op

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          • #6
            I am having major issues with "Brain Fog". I am Five months post op and have been feeling this way since about 2 months out. It is terrible! I went back to work a month ago, and I still trying to figure out how to do this job I have been at for two years!

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            • #7
              The brain fog is normal and it goes away. I had brain fog too. I am at 7 months post op and I am feeling better. I went back to work two months ago and it took a few weeks before I got up to speed. At first I could only handle one thing at a time, now I am back to multi tasking.

              Sue

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              • #8
                Brain fog revisited

                Thanks to all of you who have posted about your post-surgery brain fog experiences. That will be one less thing to be surprised about when it occurs. I always have been very sensitive to pain killers - the stuff the dentist uses, at a low dose, lasts for 5 or more hours. And when I had an endoscopy several years ago, I was still loopy and saying stupid things at work 24 hours later!
                I better write some scripts beforehand, as I plan to start doing some work as soon as I can comfortably sit at my home-office computer.
                As of 12/25/07, age 62, 100* thoracic kyphosis, 73* L1-S1 lordosis, 37*/25* compensatory S-curve scoliosis. On 12/26/07, Dr. Boachie @ HSS NYC did 11 hours ant. & post. procedures, fused T2-L2, kyphosis now 57*, scoli 10*. Regained 2 1/4 inches in height!! Improving every day.

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                • #9
                  Brain fog??? Yes.

                  Specific medications make it worse: valium, ativan, xanax are notorious for memory impairment (I personally did not take these after surgery) but that is part of their pharmacological actions. I did take gabapentin which was the only thing which helped the nerve pain while healing---narcotics didn't touch it. It required tapering off.
                  I also felt a loss of confidence for many months afterward even when taking tylenol/aleve only.

                  I do NOT have brain fog now.
                  Original scoliosis surgery 1956 T-4 to L-2 ~100 degree thoracic (triple)curves at age 14. NO hardware-lost correction.
                  Anterior/posterior revision T-4 to Sacrum in 2002, age 60, by Dr. Boachie-Adjei @Hospital for Special Surgery, NY = 50% correction

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                  • #10
                    It goes away????



                    J/K

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                    • #11
                      I used to love the word jumble puzzles and bought 2 books to work on after my surgery. I could not unscramble and solve even ONE of them!! I got mad and threw them in the trash. My self-confidence went into the trashcan too, but I have been able to finish a couple of easy reading novels. I think it is starting to lift a little with me, and my mood is little brighter. I read on here awhile back that one member could only stand to read People magazine and visitors made her nervous. That's how I feel, too ! and I have become a talk show junkie. It is so nice to put a name to the condition, I don't feel quite so depressed about it! I hope everyone else gets better too. Thanks for posting about it. LIsa
                      Lisa age 47
                      T curve 69 degrees
                      L curve 40 degrees more or less - compensatory
                      fused to from T-3 to sacrum
                      anterior and posterior surgeries completed June 1, 2007
                      pushing hard in recovery !!

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                      • #12
                        Hi Kari,

                        You have already gotten great information in this post but I just have to chime in. I guess I never called it brain fog, but I was unable to concentrate on things.

                        I couldn't read, I couldn't watch movies, I even tried to crochet, and it looked so bad it was almost funny. The only things that kept my focus after surgery was unfortunately the bad news stories of 05' and stupid game shows.

                        I think it comes from a combination of our pain and the meds we take. It really does go away eventually!!!

                        Shari

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