At age 42, Shawn should be at the top of his “A” game. But he isn’t. He has become increasingly tired. After dragging himself through work, he just wants to veg on the couch when he gets home. His wife and children have learned not to expect anything from him after work because he is physically and mentally spent. But this isn’t the worst of his problems. What bothers Shawn even more is the brain fog. He feels as if his head is full of cobwebs. He can’t solve problems like he used to. When he can string thoughts together, it takes much longer than it used to. This makes it really difficult for him to perform on the job. If that’s not bad enough, he forgets the names of friends he has known since he was a child. Poof. Gone. To avoid humiliating embarrassment, he just addresses them as “Hey, dude…” each time he sees them.

“Am I just getting old?” he asked. “Am I getting early Alzheimer’s?”

When I completed my training in conventional medicine, the best I could do was to think perhaps Shawn was suffering from depression and prescribe him an antidepressant. Or to say, “Well, Shawn, you’re not getting any younger.” Because I’m quite a bit older than he is, however, the second answer rings hollow. And the first would only work if he was in fact depressed. But he isn’t. He doesn’t come close to meeting the criteria for that diagnosis. As tempting as it might be to give him a trial of a drug, hope for the best, and move on to the next patient, this would be a grave disservice to him.

There is simply no drug for brain fog. There is no receptor in the brain to block or to stimulate to make those cobwebs go away and the neurons to fire as they were designed to. Like so many of the symptoms that plague Americans today, brain fog is no more than a symptom of an underlying dysfunction. Moreover, in all my years of practice, I’ve never met a patient with brain fog who didn’t have several other symptoms to go with it. As a result, even if there was a magic drug for brain fog, it wouldn’t eliminate or even touch any of the other symptoms that accompany it.

Logically speaking, rather than trying to find a pill to control or lessen brain fog, it makes more sense to find out what is causing it and fix that. Some of the well-known hormonal causes include testosterone deficiency, estrogen dominance, hypothyroidism, vitamin D deficiency, and hypercortisolism. Common toxic causes include mercury toxicity, spike protein toxicity, chemical toxicity, mold toxin, sugar, bromine toxicity, and liver toxicity. Infectious causes include Lyme disease, viruses (especially Epstein-Barr Virus and Long-COVID), dental infections, parasites, and yeast overgrowth. Frequent autoimmune causes include Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Lupus, and multiple sclerosis. Nutritional causes include vitamin B12 deficiency, processed foods, and dehydration. Gastrointestinal causes include intestinal dysbiosis, intestinal permeability, and food sensitivities.

Additional causes of brain fog include TBI/concussion, nonrestorative or inadequate sleep, hyperhomocysteinemia, reduced glymphatic activity during sleep, dysautonomia, chronic inflammatory response syndrome, depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia.

Finally, although there is no drug that takes brain fog away, there are many that cause it. For example, chemotherapy is such a notorious offender that we have a specific term for the condition: “chemo brain”. It is also known as chemo fog or chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI). This is serious enough that increasing numbers of people with cancer are choosing alternatives to conventional chemotherapy, including insulin-potentiated (very low dose) chemotherapy and many other non-toxic options. Seizure medications are also well-known causes of brain fog. Because they decrease the energy in brain cells in order to reduce seizure activity, that same decrease leads to reduced thinking power. Other drugs that cause sluggish brain activity include antihistamines, antidepressants, medications for urinary symptoms, and drugs for nerve pain.

This is just a sampling of the numerous disturbances in your body that can cause brain fog. Even so, testing for each of these conditions would be time-consuming and cost-prohibitive, besides leading to unnecessary delays in treatment.

At Prestige Wellness Institute, we believe in helping our patients find shortcuts to better health. In less than ten minutes using bioenergetic testing, we were able to discover that the inflammation in Shawn’s brain was coming from parasites in his colon. Not only that, but the same parasites were interfering with his sleep. He hadn’t even mentioned his sleep problem because he thought it was just normal at his age, at least normal for him.

“But I haven’t visited a Third World country, and I don’t have diarrhea,” he protested. What he didn’t realize is that most people in America with parasites do not have any foreign travel exposure and do not have diarrhea or any other symptoms they would normally associate with parasites. This misunderstanding is so ingrained in American medicine and society that I once received a call from a hospital laboratory director who refused to run a test I had ordered for a specific parasite. “That parasite is not found in the United States,” he defiantly informed me. How does one nicely say, “I’m sorry to ruin your preconceived notions, but I know for a fact that it is found in the United States because I already found it”? All I was trying to do was confirm that the treatment had been successful in removing the bug from her intestines.

Returning to Shawn, as we discussed more of his history, we learned he had suffered a concussion playing high school football. After sitting out a couple of games, he was allowed to return to play following the official clearance guidelines. Unfortunately, neither his coach, parents, nor doctor realized that just because his symptoms resolved didn’t mean the inflammation in his brain had gone away. They also did not know at that time that a single concussion at any time in one’s life dramatically increases his or her risk of dementia, especially early-onset dementia. Consequently, part of Shawn’s recovery program includes interventions to shut down the inflammation in his brain and restore neuron integrity.

For other men and women, brain fog turns out to be no more than a simple testosterone deficiency. Sadly, we are seeing this earlier in life than we ever thought possible. The toxic, electrical, nutritional, emotional, and infectious assaults on both our brains and our hormones have accelerated in recent years. Identifying and making every effort to reverse them is proving life-changing for many people.

Not wanting to mess with something that isn’t yet severe, you might be tempted to say, “It’s just brain fog. Everyone my age has it.” As tempting as this is, it would be a mistake for two reasons: Although some people your age have it, not everyone does, and it has nothing to do with age per se. Secondly, the same dysfunction that is causing a nuisance symptom today—whether it’s brain fog, fatigue, headaches, body aches, heartburn, bloating, or whatever—can at the same time be brewing tomorrow’s heart attack, stroke, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disease, or yes, dementia.

If you are younger than 105 and experiencing brain fog, memory loss, word-finding difficulty, or just not feeling as sharp as you used to be, don’t blame your age. If your doctor’s best efforts to help you get to the bottom of your problem prove inadequate, don’t give up. There are a lot of things your doctor and I were not taught in medical school. Advanced training in Functional Medicine is required to solve many of the most common problems seen in the American population today. For help in southeastern Utah, call (435)259–4466. For help in northern Utah, call (435)210–0184. You can get your brain back. The sooner, the better.

And don't forget to mention you read about Prestige Wellness Institute in Moab Happenings.

Just as a garden needs regular tending to thrive, your body benefits from consistent, thoughtful care. An annual physical is not just a checkup; it's a preventive measure that can catch minor issues before they become major health concerns. It's one of the easiest ways to stay healthy throughout life's various seasons.

Despite the benefits, many adults put off their checkups. Half skip routine screenings, and one in four miss their annual visits altogether. Yet in one study, more than half of cancer diagnoses were first detected during routine care, proof that these visits can be life-saving.

At Moab Regional Hospital, the Family Medicine team offers annual physicals for patients of all ages, from toddlers to older adults. These visits are tailored to the individual, making them a smart, proactive step toward lifelong wellness.

So what happens during an annual physical?
It's more than just a blood pressure check. Providers take the time to listen, review medical and family histories, and recommend screenings or lab work based on each patient's age, risk factors, and individual goals. Depending on the patient, this may include:
• Blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar tests
• Skin checks to detect early signs of skin cancer
• Screenings for depression or anxiety
• Cancer screenings like mammograms, Pap smears, or colon cancer tests
• Hearing and vision checks
• Immunization updates

For children and teens, annual physicals ensure vaccines are up to date, track growth and development, and support emotional wellness. For older adults, the focus may shift to fall prevention, memory health, and planning for future care.

Medicare Annual Wellness Visits: Different, but Just as Important

If you're 65 or older, Medicare covers a yearly Annual Wellness Visit—a preventive check-in designed to help you stay ahead of health changes as you age. While it's not a traditional physical exam and usually doesn't include lab work, it focuses on building a personalized plan based on your health history, medications, and lifestyle.

At Moab Regional Hospital, Lindsey Shurtleff, RN, our dedicated Annual Wellness Visit Case Manager, works with patients to make these visits as helpful as possible. She can also help coordinate other needed screenings or services, so you get the most out of every appointment.

Moab Regional Hospital's Family Medicine Clinic offers comprehensive care across all life stages. From pediatrics to geriatrics, from skin cancer screenings to advanced care planning, we've got you covered. All under one roof. All with a team you can trust to provide the best care for you and your loved ones.

Whether it's scheduling a child's back-to-school physical or preparing for another year of hiking, biking, or just feeling your best, now is the time to get that annual visit on the calendar.

Call 435-719-5500 to schedule an appointment.

Your health is worth the visit.

Moab Regional Hospital: Special Clinics & Services at Family Medicine Clinic

• Medicare Annual Wellness Visits
Lindsey Shurtleff, RN, Case Manager 435-719-5528

• Sports Physicals August 12:
By Appointment 435-719-5500

• Back-to-School Immunizations
Required for pre-K, kindergarten, and 7th grade

Walk-In Hours:
Monday–Thursday: 9 am–4 pm
Friday: 9 am–3 pm