Clear Skies, Cloudy Mind: Probiotic-Related Brain Fogginess in a Commercial Airline Pilot DOI Open Access
Piercarlo Minoretti

Cureus, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Aug. 8, 2024

Probiotics are widely consumed for their potential health benefits, particularly in promoting gastrointestinal and treating functional disorders (FGIDs). However, recent studies have raised concerns about the association between probiotic use brain fog, a cognitive dysfunction characterized by confusion, impaired judgment, lack of focus. A 47-year-old male commercial airline captain with over 10000 flight hours presented two-month history bloating, abdominal distension, irregular bowel habits following period occupational stress dietary habits. The pilot's previous medical was largely uneventful, exception long-standing gastritis diagnosis. To manage this condition, he had been on daily regimen 20 mg pantoprazole approximately eight years. After telemedicine consultation, began taking an over-the-counter supplement containing 16 strains. Within five days, experienced significant exacerbation symptoms, accompanied somnolence, difficulty concentrating, mental fatigue, raising safety given his profession. Functional examination revealed distended abdomen increased sounds. Probiotic-associated fogginess suspected, patient advised to discontinue supplements. Rifaximin therapy initiated, resulting rapid resolution both symptoms. clear temporal intake symptom onset, followed after antibiotic treatment, suggests causal relationship. This case highlights risks unsupervised use, safety-sensitive professions such as aviation. Occupational physicians aeromedical examiners should be aware probiotic-induced fog pilots (APs). Prompt recognition appropriate treatment can result complete prevent hazards.

Language: Английский

Defining brain fog across medical conditions DOI Creative Commons

Peter Denno,

Sijia Zhao, Masud Husain

et al.

Trends in Neurosciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Feb. 1, 2025

'Brain fog' is commonly reported in more than a dozen chronic diseases, but what it? We review research across conditions which has characterised brain fog and evaluate its definitions objective correlates. Brain been used to refer variable set of overlapping symptoms implicating cognition, fatigue, affect. It defined as distinct symptom, syndrome, or nonspecific term. consider the evidence that transdiagnostic entity with common phenomenology profile cognitive deficits. discuss where these commonalities arise argue linguistic ambiguity, shared impairments, noncognitive factors are likely neurobiology. suggest how future might apply existing tools disambiguate phenomena conflates.

Language: Английский

Citations

0
Cutting through the fog: recognising brain fog as a significant public health concern DOI Creative Commons
Darren Haywood, Susan L. Rossell, Nicolas H. Hart

et al.

BMC Public Health, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 25(1)

Published: April 1, 2025

Language: Английский

Citations

0
Clear Skies, Cloudy Mind: Probiotic-Related Brain Fogginess in a Commercial Airline Pilot DOI Open Access
Piercarlo Minoretti

Cureus, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Aug. 8, 2024

Probiotics are widely consumed for their potential health benefits, particularly in promoting gastrointestinal and treating functional disorders (FGIDs). However, recent studies have raised concerns about the association between probiotic use brain fog, a cognitive dysfunction characterized by confusion, impaired judgment, lack of focus. A 47-year-old male commercial airline captain with over 10000 flight hours presented two-month history bloating, abdominal distension, irregular bowel habits following period occupational stress dietary habits. The pilot's previous medical was largely uneventful, exception long-standing gastritis diagnosis. To manage this condition, he had been on daily regimen 20 mg pantoprazole approximately eight years. After telemedicine consultation, began taking an over-the-counter supplement containing 16 strains. Within five days, experienced significant exacerbation symptoms, accompanied somnolence, difficulty concentrating, mental fatigue, raising safety given his profession. Functional examination revealed distended abdomen increased sounds. Probiotic-associated fogginess suspected, patient advised to discontinue supplements. Rifaximin therapy initiated, resulting rapid resolution both symptoms. clear temporal intake symptom onset, followed after antibiotic treatment, suggests causal relationship. This case highlights risks unsupervised use, safety-sensitive professions such as aviation. Occupational physicians aeromedical examiners should be aware probiotic-induced fog pilots (APs). Prompt recognition appropriate treatment can result complete prevent hazards.

Language: Английский

Citations

1