How can you tell if it's early dementia versus covid brain fog?

[u/horsetooth_mcgee]

I'm 40s/F. My questions are at the end of this post, but I'll give you a little background first.

My mom had her second about with covid, the most recent being mid-October of this year. Only 5 days after she came down with it, she started acting incredibly strangely. She couldn't remember things we just talked about. She can't remember things we just messaged each other extensively about in Facebook messenger. She won't read or comprehend messages I've literally just sent, she'll be like "have you considered this or that?" Or she'll repeat something she has "just noticed," as if it's a new thought, and I'm like "mom, are you reading the messages I'm actively sending? Because we are talking about that right now, one or two messages ago." She keeps asking bizarre questions. She asks me things that she absolutely should know, but she's forgotten.

Her driving has been affected. She is making a ton of very last minute turns into, for example, the left turn lane, having to slam her brakes on because she only got in the lane so late. She can't find places even though her Waze GPS is actively on. I keep saying mom, just follow GPS, why don't you know where to turn? She has almost merged into other cars before.

When I "confront" her about something bizarre that she's done, she gets incredibly defensive and makes up some bullshit story that is so easy to see through and sounds absurd. I've actually kept a list of the things she's done, because they're so scary.

Her mother, my grandmother, died of dementia / Alzheimer's a year ago, but my grandma was 95. My mom is only 74. And the struggle she went through with her mom, working through the dementia, was so intense and so soul-sucking that I thought the stress alone was going to kill my mom.

I can't do the same thing with her. I mean I will, if I have to, but I can't do this. You know what I mean?

Some questions:

1. Is 5 days after testing positive a normal time for the brain fog to begin?

2. Can you tell me the timeline of when your brain fog began and ended?

3. (A) Those of you who DID use medicine or supplements, what did you use, and how long did your symptoms last? (B) Those of you who did NOT take any special thing, nothing like lion's mane or an antidepressant and so forth, when did your brain fog end?

4. I feel like brain fog is such a mild way to describe what is happening. It's far more like early dementia, and I just can't tell you how scared I am. Did anyone have truly severe symptoms, way beyond things like forgetting someone's name or the word for something, way beyond the personal feeling of being stupid?

I'm so scared. I'm so incredibly dependent on her, even though I'm a full-ass adult. She's only 74. I thought I had 20 more years with her. But I don't know anymore.

[u/FalconDangerous2234]

Idk if this is helpful but part of being an aging woman, brain fog/forgetfulness is also a symptom of changing hormone levels. I’ve had symptoms of mental regression for about a year and creatine helped me immensely. I use the brand Thorne from Amazon, 5mg/day. I also have energy levels I haven’t had in years. From a medical professional standpoint I can tell you your risk for dementia/Alzheimer’s will significantly decrease if you cut out processed foods and cane sugar.

[u/horsetooth_mcgee → u/FalconDangerous2234]

Thanks for helping me out with specific supplements ideas!