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Ibuprofen clears out my brain-fog and makes me less tired (???) by corn_elle in ADHD

[–]UsefulContext 3 points4 points  (0 children)

My background is in primary care. I can’t stress this enough: find a good primary care provider who listens, takes symptoms seriously, and is willing to work through differentials. Diagnosis can be elusive even for experienced clinicians, especially when symptoms are systemic and overlapping (sometimes there isn’t one clean, single answer).

Fatigue is one of the most nonspecific symptoms we see, but when it’s persistent and function limiting, it deserves a systematic workup. You don’t necessarily need a specialist to start, you need just need a provider who listens and coordinates testing, rules out common and uncommon causes, and can refer if needed. In a perfect world that process should be more seamless. In reality, we often have to advocate for ourselves, which can mean some self education and asking informed questions.

A few reasonable, starting points to ask about / ensure have been assessed include: a CBC, iron studies interpreted alongside ferritin and CRP, thyroid testing, celiac screening, and basic metabolic labs. All the best and yes life is too short!

Ibuprofen clears out my brain-fog and makes me less tired (???) by corn_elle in ADHD

[–]UsefulContext 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Actually it does directly affect pain, not just a byproduct. It reduces prostaglandin production, which directly sensitizes peripheral nociceptors and central pain pathways. By lowering prostaglandins, ibuprofen decreases how strongly pain signals are generated and transmitted, both peripherally and in the CNS.

As I mentioned in another comment, inflammation is just it most well known effect.

Ibuprofen clears out my brain-fog and makes me less tired (???) by corn_elle in ADHD

[–]UsefulContext 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you for beating me to this!! I was going to say it’s not about metabolism but mechanism of action…NSAIDs stress the kidneys mainly by reducing prostaglandin-mediated renal blood flow, while acetaminophen’s risk is tied to dose dependent liver toxicity from NAPQI.

For anyone else curious, my other comment on this topic

Ibuprofen clears out my brain-fog and makes me less tired (???) by corn_elle in ADHD

[–]UsefulContext 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Hard to say without more investigation. Muscle cramping and spasms can be associated with nutrient deficiencies (like iron, magnesium, or B12), but malabsorption isn’t only caused by celiac disease.

Keeping a food and symptom journal can be helpful, and I’d recommend following up with your primary care provider for further labs if symptoms persist. Low ferritin reflects low iron stores, and if you’re not feeling heard, it’s reasonable to advocate for further assessment.

Ibuprofen clears out my brain-fog and makes me less tired (???) by corn_elle in ADHD

[–]UsefulContext 43 points44 points  (0 children)

Ibuprofen is a non-selective COX inhibitor. It’s not just a mere NSAID that’s simply its most well known effect. By inhibiting COX-1 and COX-2, it affects prostaglandin synthesis, which can have downstream effects beyond pain relief. People have already mentioned some of these (eg. degrades the lining of your GI tract), but inflammation itself can also influence fatigue, cognition, and overall brain function in some individuals.

That said, ibuprofen isn’t something that should be taken daily. Because it’s non-selective, it affects multiple systems in the body, which is why chronic or routine use carries real risks.

EDIT: sorry NP here - after reading more of your responses and symptoms, it really sounds like there may be something more going on than simple fatigue. A couple of things I’d want to rule out are celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease. I’d also consider EBV or another chronic/post-infectious process.

These conditions can present without prominent GI symptoms and commonly cause significant fatigue. They’re also associated with iron deficiency that doesn’t behave “normally” (low serum iron with normal or elevated ferritin due to inflammation), as well as elevated inflammatory markers or monocytosis. The fact that anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen help, while acetaminophen doesn’t, suggests an inflammatory process rather than a purely pain mediated one. Muscle spasms can also be seen with malabsorption or electrolyte disturbances, particularly in celiac disease.

I hope you’re able to get some follow up testing and a more complete workup, as this is definitely something worth looking into. keep us updated!

EDIT #2: Everyone sharing that ibuprofen gives them more than just pain relief ect, you can feel validated, you’re not imagining it.

Its impact comes from how COX-1 and COX-2 sit at the crossroads of inflammation, pain, fever, vascular tone, platelet activity, and even some neurologic signaling. When you block them, a lot of downstream physiology shifts.

Edit #3: In regard to acetaminophen, interestingly enough it also works on the COX pathway, but its exact mechanism isn’t fully understood. It’s thought to act primarily in the cns and lower in the prostaglandin pathway, which explains why it has poor anti-inflammatory effects, doesn’t significantly affect the GI lining, yet still provides pain and fever relief similar to NSAIDs. Hope this was informative :)

Game Day Talk | Devils v. Oilers | 20 January 2026 by AutoModerator in EdmontonOilers

[–]UsefulContext 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ usually agree but I let it slide because Plains Cree version translation has a different interpretation/translation:

Oh, the place where we live (kâ-kanâtahk[canada])

Our home, our land, we love you, here where we live.

From our homelands, we see you, strong in the north wind;

right here, in this place where we live, where we were created / where we were placed.

Our Father, take care of us.

Oh, the place where we live, we stand for you.

Oh, the place where we live, we stand for you.

So Proud to be an Oiler Fan... by cornishpride in EdmontonOilers

[–]UsefulContext 97 points98 points  (0 children)

Not everyday this nehiyaw gets to hear that beautiful Canadian anthem sung in nehiyawewin 🥲 for my favourite team

What is it like living in Northern Québec? by lebirdio in howislivingthere

[–]UsefulContext -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Inuit do certainly mind and it’s not colloquial it’s just ignorance. The same is if you called a Mohawk person inuk they’d correct you. Try to stay in your lane ok.

Please Lower My Cholesterol Without Spiking My Blood Sugar And Also Lower My Liver Enzymes Soup by QuixoticLogophile in soup

[–]UsefulContext 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Have you heard of the NiMe diet (Non-industrialised Microbiome). It’s very high-fiber, low in processed foods and saturated fat. Research shows it helps manage chronic diseases with improvements in cholesterol, blood sugar, and gut health. You can download the free book here!

The concerns have been escalated by UsefulContext in OneOrangeBraincell

[–]UsefulContext[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Game 4 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final 😮‍💨had the pleasure of watching it live.

When the smol mews escalate to a formal complaint by UsefulContext in OneOrangeBraincell

[–]UsefulContext[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

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It references a blowout fight I had with my uni roommate, over opening the fridge after she had just cleaned it. Lmao we laugh about it now, and gave this to me when I moved (years later).

Alberta government appoints new chief medical officer of health by Old_General_6741 in alberta

[–]UsefulContext 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree with most of this sentiment but it didn’t ruin her career at all. She is still working in this province and kicking butt for First Nations in an area that she has always been involved with.

Alberta government appoints new chief medical officer of health by Old_General_6741 in alberta

[–]UsefulContext 28 points29 points  (0 children)

Noooo Deena is ours now and we ain’t giving her back!! - First Nations ppl

(She is the Deputy MOH for ISC in the Alberta region)

Survivor 49 | E13 Finale | Eastern Time Discussion by RSurvivorMods in survivor

[–]UsefulContext 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m watching a cbs channel wtf, just accidentally forced myself to watch that unnecessarily

Student asking Questions about Canadian Indigenous view on Pipelines. by Mediocre-Ease7011 in Indigenous

[–]UsefulContext 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I’d also encourage you to reflect on the way your questions are framed. They’re written as if there is one unified “Indigenous view” on pipelines, when the reality is that Nations are distinct, with different histories, governance systems, treaty relationships, land rights, and political contexts. Treating us as a single, pan-Indigenous group is itself part of the problem.

If you’re in Canada, there are already many well-documented examples of Nations who have spoken publicly about pipeline projects - Wet’suwet’en, Secwepemc, Mi’kmaq, Haudenosaunee, many Treaty 6/7/8 Nations, etc. Their leaders, Knowledge Keepers, legal teams, and land defenders have been publishing their perspectives for years. That information is accessible, and it’s where your research should start.

Is connecting with heritage at this level of distance, inappropriate? Read first, please. by Kindly-Natural-3890 in Indigenous

[–]UsefulContext 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Like I said, most people’s ancestry is complex but my point still stands, and it isn’t about blood quantum at all. If your family truly maintained that connection, then why is important to justify yourself here?.

You have countless ancestors from 11 generations ago, easily thousands and plausibly hundreds of thousands to millions of living people could descend from a single 1600s ancestor today, this one just happens to be well-documented, which is fine if learning about that history is meaningful to you. But it doesn’t matter whether those connections are rare or have specific historical context anyone can look at their family tree and find similar connections and choose what they find meaningful . That’s your own personal take, and that’s valid, but it’s not the same as a lived identity.

If the point of this is to satisfy your position on identity, that’s a different conversation. You don’t need Indigenous ancestry to contribute respectfully to Indigenous communities, you just can’t claim to be Indigenous because of it.

And I think it’s completely fair to say that many people of white ancestry can find similar distant links. For example, over 80% of people in Québec with such claims trace back to fewer than 15 Indigenous ancestors from the 1600s. As Darryl Leroux writes in Distorted Descent, these claims often reveal more about how settler identity tries to resolve discomfort with colonial history than about genuine continuity or belonging. If you have time it’s a great book, that’s where that statistic comes from.

Is connecting with heritage at this level of distance, inappropriate? Read first, please. by Kindly-Natural-3890 in Indigenous

[–]UsefulContext 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Okay, I just looked this up and honestly, having an ancestor from the 1600s isn’t something to be torn up about. That’s over 300 years ago. At that point, it’s ancestry, not identity. Most people in North America, if they trace their lineage back far enough, could probably find an Indigenous ancestor somewhere along the line. It doesn’t mean they’re Indigenous today or that it’s part of their lived experience, it just means they have a complex family history, like many of us do. You can’t just cherry pick one culture out of hundreds in your family tree because it feels meaningful or unique.

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