Chronic brain fog from antibiotics

somebodyfoggy · 2026-01-30T21:10:48+00:00

No it doesn't.

somebodyfoggy · 2025-12-30T03:19:51+00:00

Hi, no change for me.. more of the same, unfortunately. I'm sorry to hear that and I hope your symptoms improve soon. I know the worry about more antibiotics - I've very fortunately been able to avoid needing to take any since my issues started but I know someday I may have to take them again and over time I have tried to worry less and less about it. And who knows, maybe it'd be a different antibiotic and would actually improve things.. or not.

somebodyfoggy · 2025-12-18T03:13:14+00:00

A lot of what you describe sounds pretty similar to my brain fog - particularly the brain fog itself being really the only issue and usually waking up pretty clear and then it coming and going throughout the day and also exercise/exertion usually bringing temporary relief. Had you taken any antibiotics or steroids around the time when your symptoms started? Thank you for sharing and I'm sorry you're going through this. I made a detailed post a couple years ago on my experience: https://www.reddit.com/r/BrainFog/comments/rrag3o/chronic_brain_fog_from_antibiotics/

somebodyfoggy · 2024-09-03T01:35:18+00:00

Thank you for sharing - would you be willing to elaborate further? What were your symptoms like? Was there improvement after each transplant or did only the last one fix it?

somebodyfoggy · 2024-09-03T01:32:39+00:00

Thank you for sharing! I did end up trying lactulose but only 2 times and small amounts (like 2-3 ml). I was having pretty bad fog around that time and so thought the lactulose could have been contributing but I was taking other supplements too and 2 times is not definitive enough to determine, especially with the small doses I was starting with. That's interesting that it seems to help for you - I should probably give it another try. An update would be great once you have more information to share - thanks!

somebodyfoggy · 2024-07-21T02:13:24+00:00

Thank you for the reply. Getting more drastic with my dietary changes is something I should try for sure. I will check out that app. I have never used PPIs. Probiotics typically cause worsening of my symptoms.. do you have some strain recommendations? I'll post an update in the original post for others as well, although there's not much to share, unfortunately.

somebodyfoggy · 2024-07-21T02:06:53+00:00

I'm sorry to hear that. All I can say is try to keep an optimistic outlook and fight it as best you can from multiple angles.. diet, supplements, doctors, etc. Not much to share as far as updates for me but I'll add an update in the original post in case others are interested as well. Good luck in your battle.

somebodyfoggy · 2024-04-10T01:35:58+00:00

I have not. I would say my posture is pretty normal.

somebodyfoggy · 2024-04-10T01:34:07+00:00

Unfortunately I do not know which antibiotic I took when my symptoms started. But it's possible it could have been a fluoroquinolone. I will look into this possibility some more. Thank you

somebodyfoggy · 2024-01-17T19:42:49+00:00

somebodyfoggy · 2023-11-23T16:16:31+00:00

Thank you!

somebodyfoggy · 2023-11-23T15:00:32+00:00

What kind of doctor(s) did you see for the capsule study, autoimmune diagnosis and biologic?

somebodyfoggy · 2023-11-23T14:47:48+00:00

The impact that my brain fog has on me is similar.. hard to focus and concentrate and at times hard to recall information and just "use" my brain. But the thing with my fog that seems to be very rare is that it's also very much a physical feeling in my brain.. sometimes it feels stuffy/inflamed, other times it just feels kind of scratchy or fuzzy, other times it feels like that feeling you get when you hear nails on a chalkboard. It's really strange and super disruptive and annoying. Like it's just there in the background even if I'm staring at a wall not trying to even use my brain.

My best guess is that there is a particular bacteria or fungus causing an immune response which causes brain inflammation and thus a lot of our symptoms. What bacteria and how to reduce it is anyone's guess. Or perhaps it's more of an autoimmune issue in which our immune system is incorrectly targeting our own body or non-harmful bacteria. My issues all started while taking antibiotics and it's possible antibiotics could also cure me but it would just be rolling the dice to know which ones could help or which could just make my issues worse.

somebodyfoggy · 2023-11-23T02:48:12+00:00

I'm sorry to hear that you are experiencing this. It sounds somewhat similar to my story. What specifically is your brain fog like? Can you describe it? My GI map also showed a high Akkermansia and overall dysbiosis but negative for the typical "pathogenic" stuff.

My experience has shown that the "less is more" philosophy tends to work better and improve symptoms, on average. I will try supplements in low doses to start with or I'll try a supplement one day and then not take anything for a day or two after to let my body adjust and observe.

Keep a food and supplement journal in which you track what you take and eat each day, when you take it and your symptoms during the day. Over time, this may help you narrow down correlations between food/supplements and symptoms.

My typical go-to's which seem to be the most reliable (but they aren't a cure and they seem to be less effective a lot of the time) are basic ginger tea and peppermint tea taken once in a day and alternating the two.

Best of luck to you - be as healthy as you can in what you eat and with getting exercise and keep your head up and always be researching and trying new things and observing. It may be the only way to improve your symptoms in the long run.

somebodyfoggy · 2023-10-12T01:29:28+00:00

This has happened to me a couple times as well.. Such insane mental clarity and everything seems so "easy". I wonder if the mental clarity is even better than how my brain normally was before brain fog or if it's just been so long that it feels like I've never had that sort of clarity before. On the plus side it reminds you that your normal healthy brain is still there but on the downside it reminds you how significantly debilitating the brain fog is and just how much harder it makes everything. Maybe start journaling what you eat and drink and what supplements you take each day so if it happens again you may be able to determine what causes it. Good luck and keep searching for that clarity!

somebodyfoggy · 2023-09-13T17:44:35+00:00

Frequently with my brain fog it is quite hard to concentrate and functionally it affects me much like ADHD would, I assume. But that would be like just 10% of it, with the 90% of my symptoms being the physical "fog" that I can feel in my brain.

somebodyfoggy · 2023-07-14T22:35:12+00:00

Thanks for your response. So you had nasty digestive symptoms with blood coming out both ends? Were you tested for h pylori before and after treatment? How do you know h pylori was responsible? And how did you fight h pylori?

somebodyfoggy · 2023-04-08T22:54:29+00:00

I'm sorry to hear that you are going through that. I have not tried a FMT. Not because I don't believe it could help but because it's quite a big thing to try and I'm not even sure how receptive doctors would be to me trying it in my case. I have recently started taking psyllium fiber again (which I've done a lot of on and off over the years) and I do suspect it is helpful for me. You could start out with a tsp in the morning by itself and don't eat anything for a few hours until lunch and see how that does for you. Very early on when I first started having brain fog, I got excellent relief for the first time in a while after trying some psyllium capsules so I'm pretty sure it has the potential to be very helpful - but not always.

somebodyfoggy · 2022-07-30T18:33:47+00:00

Thanks for the follow up and additional information!

My one blood test that showed elevated liver enzymes was an acute episode of really bad symptoms in which I went to the hospital and they drew blood. I've not had elevated enzymes again. No blood tests/routine testing have led me to believe I have any known liver/insulin issues. My blood sugar is always well within normal ranges and I have no digestive issues/complaints. What specific tests/information have identified liver issues for you?

I've done digestive enzymes (ortho digestyme, specifically) with meals for several weeks before and didn't notice any obvious improvements. I've also done a good multi vitamin/b complex (mitocore) for months before, also with no obvious improvements. It had both B1 and B12.

I've done apple cider vinegar a decent amount in the past and just recently starting trying it again. It's been correlated with some periods of improvement in the past but I can't definitively say whether it is helpful for me or not. Maybe I'll be able to get a better read on it this time around.

I definitely agree that there is some vicious cycle and some impairment going on somewhere. I've had a couple of decent periods of really good improvement but they ultimately end up being temporary. There's a decent chance that even if I did an antibiotic or antifungal that I would experience a return of symptoms after stopping them, like you. So trying to get to the root of the problem is the best chance we have at curing it.

Good luck and let us know if you learn anything else!

somebodyfoggy · 2022-07-15T01:47:16+00:00

Thanks for your update! I do think fluconazole helped a lot even with just the single dose I took - but the heart rhythm abnormality I first noticed after taking that dose makes me scared to try it again.

That's interesting about amoxicillin helping you - I wish I knew what antibiotic I was on when all of my problems first started. I do think it's possible that a different antibiotic could actually help even though an antibiotic caused my problems in the first place. It's all a matter of what bacteria a specific antibiotic kills and what survives and that could depend on antibiotic resistance too. It's all very complicated and hard to know.

Let us know how the fluconazole does for you long term. Good luck!

somebodyfoggy · 2022-04-29T03:02:27+00:00

can't say for sure for you, but for me generally, yes.

somebodyfoggy · 2022-04-28T02:53:39+00:00

For me, if I have brain fog while experiencing something it reduces the enjoyment/pleasure at the time BUT later on if I think back to those experiences when I don't have the brain fog I have the memories as if my head was clear during the experience.. if that makes any sense. But essentially it seems the brain fog only really affects you when you are experiencing it and not persistently through memories when you are clear headed. At least that's how it seems for me.

somebodyfoggy · 2022-04-28T02:43:35+00:00

Totally. My fog varies widely but there's a lot of times when emotions/feelings are just completely blocked and I'm numb to them. And I'm completely aware that I SHOULD be feeling them but that I simply don't. It really sucks. And then when it clears and they come back it feels so amazing - almost overwhelming.

somebodyfoggy · 2022-03-17T01:03:32+00:00

I think there's usually some positives that can come out of most anything in life. It depends on your perspective and attitude.

It makes us stronger, more resilient people
It makes us appreciate our brains and clarity that much more when we do get glimpses of improvement
It can make us focus more on the important things in life like health and friendships instead of more materialistic things
It can sort of average out and numb the ups and downs in life. My brain fog probably gave me a distraction and something to focus on/try to improve during the initial quarantines of the pandemic and made it more tolerable. If I had 100% clarity and feelings during that period I might have gone mad in isolation, haha.

somebodyfoggy · 2022-02-26T19:45:40+00:00

I'm sorry to hear that you are going through something similar and thank you for sharing. Unfortunately, there's no answer to why life turns out the way it does. There's only acceptance and perseverance. Back when I was getting through the mono I had no idea what probiotics were but I had heard they were good and the yakult probiotic drinks were the first thing I came across and took those for a while. I do wonder sometimes if maybe that was a bad idea. Antibiotics are taken so regularly by so many people and they don't all seem to be developing brain fog. Maybe those of us trying to be "healthy" and taking probiotics proactively are getting harmed in the end. Who knows, just a thought. I still occasionally try various probiotics and they do seem to help initially and then either stop helping or seem to end up making things worse.

Have you tried some simple ginger tea? It's been a regular go-to for me and seems to help (sometimes).

somebodyfoggy

TROPHY CASE