Brain Fog: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

You might hear the dated term “wet brain” used in reference to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. However, the sober house term “wet brain” carries and perpetuates stigma by inaccurately conveying that people willfully contract it. The truth is two people can have similar drinking patterns and one will develop Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and the other won’t.

• If a person is in the end stages of alcoholism, the life expectancy of a person with wet brain can be as little as six months.
• Wet brain is not believed to be curable; however, with early detection and treatment, some of the effects may be reversible.
• Reach out to a co-worker, friend, family member, or partner to see who can help you out.
• Korsakoff syndrome then indicates a chronic and long-lasting disorder.
• The key to treating wet brain is to receive treatment as soon as possible.

Chronic alcohol users often have inflamed digestive tracts, making it difficult for the body to absorb the thiamine it needs from the foods they consume. They have been very upfront with me and said that they don’t see any evidence of that. It seems like the threads have stabilized, and even some that were pulled out of my brain had found their way back in. Even though I can’t move it, I can still try to move it, and it feels like it should be moving. I was lying in my hospital bed right after surgery, and they came in and woke up the implant for the first time. They showed me a screen with different channels on it, and they said they were real-time signals that the Neuralink was picking up in my brain.

What is brain fog?

This stage is characterized by severe and permanent memory problems, including the inability to form new memories and significant gaps in long-term memory. People with Korsakoff psychosis might also experience confabulation, where they unconsciously fabricate stories to fill in memory gaps. This condition is considered permanent, and while some symptoms can be managed with treatment, full recovery is rare. Wernicke’s encephalopathy is the initial stage and is defined by the development of neurological symptoms due to the brain suffering from lesions formed from a lack of adequate thiamine (vitamin B1). Thiamine is essential for brain function, and its deficiency can lead to a range of issues.

In the early stages of wet brain, Wernicke’s encephalopathy can be reversible with thiamine injections and ending the use of alcohol. Doctors typically treat Wernicke’s disease with intravenous administration of vitamin B1, as well as glucose. Treatment for wet brain may also involve treating co-occurring conditions. A doctor may do different exams to rule out any other conditions or possible causes, however, wet brain is most often linked to alcohol use disorder. If a person is in the end stages of alcoholism, the life expectancy of a person with wet brain can be as little as six months. Excessive alcohol use and alcohol addiction can affect essentially every aspect of a person’s life.

At this stage, https://northiowatoday.com/2025/01/27/sober-house-rules-what-you-should-know-before-moving-in/ a person with this condition might find it difficult to walk or become confused when engaging in daily activities such as getting dressed. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 80% of people with alcohol use disorder have a thiamine deficiency. When a person is in the final stages of a wet brain, they will need 24/7 nursing care. Alcohol is a neurotoxin that shrinks the brain (a phenomenon known as “cerebral atrophy”) and slowly destroys the frontal lobe, cerebellum and limbic system.

Memory Loss

While Korsakoff psychosis is less likely to cause a coma or death than Wernicke encephalopathy, it is a form of brain damage that will normally require someone to be constantly taken care of. The good news—if caught early enough—is that wet brain syndrome is a preventable, treatable disease if you stop drinking and seek help. Intense thiamine replacement therapy and abstinence from alcohol can result in a noticeable improvement in both mental and physical functioning within weeks.

Learn About Addiction

• After you complete the detox process, you can begin treatment, which will help to cleanse you from emotional, mental, and physical dependence on alcohol.
• Sandstone Care supports teens and young adults with mental health and substance use disorders.
• It’s also known as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS), named after German neurologist Carl Wernicke and neuropsychiatrist Sergei Korsakoff.
• It can also cause the prefrontal cortex to shrink and degrade, potentially impairing decision-making skills and social behavior.

The main symptoms of Korsakoff’s syndrome include confusion and memory problems. People with Korsakoff’s psychosis have increased difficulty with coordination and movement. They will also exhibit symptoms of retrograde amnesia and find it challenging to learn and process new information. For those who’ve been diagnosed with the syndrome, the goal is improving symptoms and delaying disease progression.

What is the medical term for mush brain?

Someone with confabulation will often repeat these made-up memories, thinking they are real. This gives them the appearance of lying when it is actually related to their brain damage. One of the most common goals of wet brain treatment is to manage symptoms and to help prevent the condition from worsening.

Eat Foods Rich in Thiamine

This can help prevent panic and make it easier to move smoothly from task to task. If work or school has sapped your ability to concentrate, take a break from your desk and get outside if you can. Depending on your preferences, these foods may have a lot of sugar, or empty calories.

In many ways, end-stage alcohol dementia resembles end-stage Alzheimer’s disease and requires the same level of intensive medical support. It is possible to have a normal conversation with someone with Korsakoff syndrome, but that person will probably not remember the conversation an hour or two later. People who regularly abuse alcohol for long periods of time are more likely than others to get wet brain, although it can also be caused by intense periods of vomiting or poor nutrition. Alcohol interferes with the body’s ability to absorb Vitamin B1, so people who binge drink on a regular basis or who consume large amounts of alcohol frequently may develop wet brain. If you’re dealing with mostly mental health symptoms, consider talking to a therapist or asking your healthcare provider for a referral. Even a few sessions with a mental health professional can help you better understand your mental exhaustion and come up with ways to combat it.

However, for those with more severe cases, residential care is often needed. The onset of wet brain symptoms typically starts between the ages of 30 and 70, and more commonly affects males than females. This is one reason why it is important to catch the signs and symptoms of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome early to help keep some symptoms from worsening or developing over time and becoming more serious. In this stage, serious memory loss and other damage to the brain can become permanent.