How to Manage MS Brain Fog

If you’re living with multiple sclerosis (MS) and having issues focusing, recalling details of what you did yesterday, or remembering where you put your keys, you’re not alone. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), this symptom, known as brain fog or cog fog, affects more than half of people who have MS.

“Brain fog usually affects the ability to concentrate—as well as clarity and speed of thinking,” says Achillefs Ntranos, M.D., a board-certified neurologist at Treat MS in Scarsdale, New York. “You can think of cog fog as fatigue of the brain, similar to muscles getting tired after exercise.”

Anyone with MS can experience this elusive symptom. For most people who have it, brain fog comes and goes. It may be even more challenging for those with progressive forms of MS.