Warm brain

There is a symptom which I think has arrived only recently, which means during the last few years. I might have had it before, then the symptom declined, and I forgot about it.

I don't even know what to call it. Brain fever? Warm brain?

If I concentrate too much, it actually feels as if the brain's temperature rises. I don't feel feverish otherwise, not on the forehead, but just at the top of the brain. I can have an otherwise pretty ok day (however there might be a correlation with increased twitching).

Not spending too much time in front of a screen and only doing light cognitive things, if any, for a while helps. It is not painful, but it increases brain fog a lot. I had a headache from hell long time ago for a couple of years, and this is nothing like that, just a bit uncomfortable.

Is this symptom further described somewhere? I don't know how to explain it to my doctor (who is sympathetic, but not that familiar with ME).

I kind of wish I could put a cool, damp cloth directly on top of my brain..
Does anyone of you have this? Any thoughts you'd like to share?

Edit to add: I have for many years often felt slightly feverish, although the body temperature was actually a bit lower than normal. This might have concealed the symptom I write about if I had it at that time as well.

 

I wouldn't describe mine as warm brain but....

Like you, for a long time I have tended to feel feverish, but with a slightly low temp. I also have Hashimoto's though.

When I am suffering from PEM, or after even relatively short and light cognitive effort, I also experience peculiar sensations in my brain. It's odd - to me it feels as if the brain is clenching or hardening. Becoming rigid. It doesn't hurt, but it is unpleasant.

At the same time cognitive effort becomes increasingly difficult - it's almost as though think requires physical effort.

Work on a computer - even if it's a tablet and I'm in bed, will trigger this far more quickly than if I was just using pen and paper for example.

 

You will probably be relieved to hear that Jared Younger is using brain temperature (much simplified) to try to determine if neuroinflamation plays a role in ME/CFS.

Cort's site has a 'blog' on it.

I get the same feeling when concentrating too long or standing too long - it builds up as the day goes on.

 

I get this too, with any excess mental exertion. It feels as if my whole brain is feverish. For me it's part of (cognitive) PEM.

I vaguely wonder if it might be the subjective feeling that accompanies some sort of increase in inflammation/inflammation-related substances in the brain, because I've noticed that both LDN and GABA-increasing substances will reduce the effect, the latter in what appears to be a dose-related way, (although I've not explored it very far because tolerance develops to most things that increase GABA).

ETA Actually it may be dose-related with LDN too: I'm now using 2 x 4.5mg a day, and that helps more with this and other symptoms than one dose a day. Both LDN and increasing GABA make a noticeable difference quickly.

 

Thank you for your inputs and thoughts @Invisible Woman @Marco @Indigophoton
Never actually discussed this with anyone before, so very interesting to hear from others.

I am looking forward to learn more about Jarred Younger's approach and if he can reveal anything. That was news to me, but sounds intriguing!

 

Funny you mention it as, just in the last 2 days, I’ve been trialing the brain cooling approach I read about for MS. Ices to cool the upper palate.

Whenever I get foggy over the past 2 days I’ve used a block of ice in my mouth (when it’s big I have to move it a lot so it doesn’t actually freeze the skin). It seems to help a lot.
Especially if I was drinking a hot drink like tea when the various symptoms start up.

It is very hot weather here but my body, especially my feet, is cold.

Too early to say if it means anything.

I’ve also measured a very transient spike in measured temperature at my temple when this is coming on (I get a definite low grade fever for minutes), followed by plummeting temperature (to as much as a degree below normal - so a 2degree drop) so it made me wonder if my brain was in fact overheating and then sending a signal to cool the whole body.

Again, all very new theorising on my part so i’d not mention it except for the coincidence that you posted about warm brain

 

Thank you @Subtropical Island This was interesting.

Although I have to admit I'm considering making this into an excuse for an ice cream binge.

 

This is interesting, past 3 days I feel just the opposite. I'm feeling chills in the head, totally cold air around my head and small shivers. The room that we live in is really warm. And I am wearing a woolen hat when I feel this shivers, then my head feels ok for a while. This is an going thing. I don't want to measure my temperature, I hate doing this as I get a bit obsessed with it. My body temperature feels fine, maybe even slightly warmer than the normal.

 

I get this, particularly towards the end of a viral illness, just as I begin to pick up. Can feel some sort of brain inflammation or sensitivity & know I need to rest, rest, rest. I recently bought a wheat bag that can be frozen or heated, and did find some help & relief from the chill when I placed it on my forehead or at the base of my skull.

Oddly enough I find cold showers am & pm to be helpful - unless I am feeling v rotten.

I can’t put my head under in cold (or hot) water as I get ear infections from the slightest drop.

I have tried explaining this to Drs, but get the usual incomprehensible & gaze of incredulity....

 

I get this too. I (half-jokingly) say that if I'm forced to exert myself mentally, I can feel steam coming out of my ears from my brain overheating.

 

Here's a video Younger put on YouTube explaining what he hopes to do :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p6UojKL010

 

Interesting also to hear about an opposite experience. Doesn't sound comfortable though, and I hope the symptom will decline again soon.

 

Huh, that's a good idea. I'll try using an ice package (even though the ice cream binge I thought of earlier does sound more tempting). You might want to see the YouTube video of Jarred Younger that @Marco has posted above. Very interesting.

 

I totally get it

 

Thank you @Marco This sounds exactly as what we're talking about. I've thought about this, if elevated brain temperature can be discovered by MRI-testing. I am thrilled to learn this is being looked in to. If I were anywhere close to Alabama, I'd sign up to take part in the research. The video is from April 2016, so perhaps the wait for Younger's results won't be too long.

 

Thank you - I just watched it and I feel this has a really important contribution to make: the first time I have seen any science that makes sense of this part of my experience. Very interesting indeed!

 

My guess is, when you do too much, your brain releases adrenaline to keep up, and adrenaline is known to create a “warm” feeling as it makes blood go to the skin.

Similarly to how some people blush (face gets warm) when they are embarrassed because they then release adrenaline, same mechanism.

However for us this usually means we overexerted and will feel consequences later.

 

Thank you @yannlk Yes that could be an explanation.

I'm struggling through an introduction class in immunology and learned that it was recently discovered that the brain has a lymphatic system as well. The more I try to keep up the less I understand!