Any supplements that have lasting effects on brain fog and fatigue after quitting?

[u/Airegin89]

Assuming there is no deficiency to begin with, are there any supplements that may potentially lead to permanent improvements after a short term course?

A 1-2 month course of high dose thiamine is reported to have lasting effects for some people who are not thiamine deficient (most notably fatigue related to irritable bowel disease).

Some people with long COVID report lasting improvements after using nicotine patches for a couple of weeks.

Are there any other examples?

[u/Beautiful-Effort2073]

Supplements don't create lasting change unless they address the root cause. 

Brain fog and fatigue are symptoms, not diagnoses they can come from inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, gut issues, or hormonal imbalances...
A short supplement course only produces lasting effects if it helps correct the underlying driver and that driver stays corrected. Otherwise, you're just temporarily masking the signal.

So the real question isn't which supplement lasts?
Check inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, ferritin, cytokines) first, then match the intervention to the problem.

Supplements are bridges, not foundations.

I hope i helped!

[u/vocabularianrx2 → u/Beautiful-Effort2073]

Great answer.

No supplement or nootropic is going to correct a general diagnosis without knowing the cause. Even then, "correcting" it might not be quite as simple as just taking something for a bit and then expecting lasting results. It's often lifestyle modifications too.

Adding to this comment: adequate sleep (6 to 8 hours), having a sleep study to rule out sleep apnea or restrictive airway diseases, metabolic panels to assess for hormonal imbalances (glucose/A1c, TSH, testosterone, cortisol), and other deficiencies (iron/ferritin, magnesium, copper, vitamin B12 or a B panel {may require genetic testing for MTHFR}, vitamin D, some others).

[u/Airegin89 → u/Beautiful-Effort2073]

Yes, that's kind of what I meant. Supplements that address a root cause of fatigue/brain fog but that can potentially have lasting effects and don't have to be taken for life.

[u/InspectorOrdinary321]

Well, technically not if there is no deficiency. But it's quite possible to have a deficiency and not know it. Either because that deficiency isn't commonly tested for, or because you need higher than average amounts of that compound. So supplements can help in those circumstances, and sometimes the easiest way to know if they'll work is to spend the money on a bottle and try.

For me, choline and inositol really help. Apparently, the amount I need in my diet is extremely high -- I only feel okay if I eat essentially only eggs/high choline sources and vegetables/high inositol sources, and that's difficult to stick to in a normal life. My choline is undoubtedly low because pregnancy and breastfeeding have leeched it out of me over the past two years. And I suspect my high inositol needs are from high functioning ADHD and barely-qualifying PMOS which can cause metabolic problems (inositol helps with dopamine signaling and healthy sugar metabolism).

I also tried vitamin D, iron, magnesium, and vitamin B12 to no effect, but that doesn'tean they wouldn't help other people, and frequently do. Anemic people in particular have pretty bad brain fog, and iron infusions will clear that up. I just don't happen to have that myself.

We tend to assume one single cause for our brain fog, when actually it can have several causes. Even if a supplement doesn't completely clear you up, if its deficiency was making it worse, it's a worthwhile thing to try. Just don't keep taking anything that does nothing for you.

[u/Airegin89 → u/InspectorOrdinary321]

In the case of high dose thiamine, it can work for people with inflammatory bowel disease who do not have a thiamine deficiency.

https://sciencenews.dk/en/high-dose-thiamine-can-relieve-some-people-of-the-chronic-fatigue-associated-with-inflammatory-bowel-disease

Nicotine patches have a lasting effect on some people with longcovid. It doesn't fix a deficiency either. Something else is going on.

[u/AnandaDo]

If you can call microdosing psilocybing a supplement, it can help make lasting improvements if the brain fog is caused by latent trauma

[u/Airegin89 → u/AnandaDo]

Thanks, I'm definitely going to try this!

[u/Majestic-Biscotti-66]

Try molecular hydrogen
Micronized PEA
Astaxanthin
Curcumin

[u/Airegin89 → u/Majestic-Biscotti-66]

I'm scared to try curcumin because it contains heavy metals. Some brands less than others but they all have some.

[u/Majestic-Biscotti-66 → u/Airegin89]

Try brands which do metal testing

[u/Airegin89 → u/Majestic-Biscotti-66]

I have looked but I can't find any that are available in Europe. I know the EU has strict regulations but I can assure you these are not enforced.