This might be the lupus "brain fog." Whenever my lupus attacks my head area, it badly affects my eyes, ears, and brain. My eyes are always dry, but get really bad during those times until it affects my vision, causing my sight to become faded shades of gray. Then it diminishes my hearing to the point of momentary hearing loss in at least one ear. And my brain gets to the point that I think I'm starting down the road of dementia. When that happens, I take extra of a natural anti-inflammatory called InflamericZyme, plus Lauricidin, olive leaf extract, and white willow with feverfew. Also, I try to eliminate grains, dairy, refined sugar, and corn. Each time it has worked. But when I spoke to my doctor about the incidents, she said that I was lucky and to call her when it happens again.

Because you have stress from a new job, the stress might be making your lupus flare. Are you currently taking any medication for your lupus? If so, it might need adjusted. So maybe you should call your doctor's office and ask for suggestions. And if your work hours interfere with your doctor's office hours, you might go to a walk-in clinic for help. Best wishes to you, venicetomorrow. Keep us informed of your progress.

I have been diagnosed with SLE for over ten years and there is one thing I know for sure, getting enough rest is critical in managing this illness. As our disease changes so does our need for rest, so what you are used to getting by on, may simply not be enough right now.
I hope you get feeling better and back on track soon!

The first time I got scary brain fog, plaquenil eventually took care of it.
Three years ago I got super brain fog with a seizure. Plaquenil is helping somewhat, but I am taking two aspirin a day, and that seems to help significantly, but not completely. Aspirin helps your blood flow into your head.

I hope it helps.

I too have lupus and have strange and occasionally significant memory loss. I don't causes my memory problems, so it might just be coincidental. Either way, I know how much these lapses upset me, so my Internet hug will be very sincere!

As for practical advice, my therapist advised keeping an on-line calendar, and that does help me. On-line means both that I can access it almost everywhere, and I *can't* lose it! Obviously it doesn't help with everything, but at least I don't panic about missing or forgetting things like dr appointments anymore. I use google's calendar, but there are lots of options available. Either way, I wish you the very best! I hope it gets better!

I've had my share of memory loss events in the last 4 months. I have to put notes everywhere and I too keep a calendar on my laptop so I don't forget appointments. Carry all the appointment cards in my folder in my purse and hope for the best to be where I need to be.

I think it is part of lupus, but I guess I could be wrong. All I know is that I've never felt so lost before I was diagnosed with the lupus. Hope you learn a way to keep track of things for yourself. Good luck.

Hello venice,
It sounds to me (as another SLE/MCTD-sufferer) as if you are completely overworked and overexhausted and by giving you a memory loss, your body and brain tell you that you need an urgent break from it all.
Please listen to your body and take a break and try to relax for a time and you will see that everything gets back to normal again.
Your name "venice" in itself is an inspiration...
Best wishes from Kristina.

The brain fog can be scary if you're not used to it. The first few years I had lupus, it was very scary for me forgetting a lot of things. I am like a computer brain type person. So it was like a brain transplant for me! You just have to go with the flow. If you are having a "flare" it will be more pronounced having the brain fog. But keep calm, and just let things try and flow as best they can. That's all you can do.

Hi AnnNY,

"Three years ago I got super brain fog with a seizure." grabbed my attention as I too had this issue. And...am having this issue. No one seems to know what to do about it other than up my plaquenil and steroid dosage...but it's scary.

Did you continue to have seizures with them? Or was it a one time event? Mine doesn't seem to be a one-time event....unfortunately.

Hopefully, it will be a one time event, but I take Klonopin for sleep. If I stop it and don't sleep, I start hallucinating music. Apparently, this might be a temporal lobe seizure.

Have you been tested for Hughes disease? According to Dr. Hughes, there is a seronegative version of this. (My titers fall slightly below positive). In the US, very few doctors believe in this. I have been trying to try anticoagulation for two years, but no one will let me try. They actually gave me heperin in the hospital and that seemed to revive me, but I didn't notice, nor did any one else. So, I believe there is a treatment that I can't get. Personally, I think warfarin is less dangerous that prednisone, but the doctors here are wussuses.

Here's the list of blood tests, but in the US they also want you to have a PE or stroke or miscarriages, which they call "an event." Having a seizure and going blind (for 10 minutes) were enough of events to me. And I'd really be treated before having a stroke, not afterwards.

http://www.hughes-syndrome.org/about-hughes-syndrome/blood-tests.php

You can check out the rest of the website for info.

I hope this makes senses. I'm having post Thanksgiving fatigue. Not good for brain fog.

I'd really RATHER be treated....

I have experienced the same memory issues, but maybe even more severe...It's so annoying, I will often forget what I was even *thinking* about, not even when I am talking to someone...just in my own thoughts! I mean it also happens when I am in conversations with others, but also with my own thoughts, it's quite frustrating. I'm still trying to figure out what makes it worse and better so I will have more control, so I'll keep yall posted...

Just another thought: my therapist suggested I look into on-line "games" for brain development, and I ended up signing up for two years on lumosity.com. I paid for the premium program, but they offer games for free too. Anyway, I've only been using it for about a week now, so I don't know if it will help, but I hope it will. Certainly, I'm starting out being terrible with everything, which almost pleases me. I've had such a hard time explaining to people how much I feel I've lost!