Can Breast Implants Steal Your Memory?

Content updated from previous publish date.

“Breast implant illness is a real thing.”

When professional race car driver and podcast host Danica Patrick heard Dr. Daniel Amen say this in an episode of his online series Scan My Brain, she gave him a high-five and responded, “Thank you for saying that. Not many doctors do.” Patrick lived with breast implants for 7 years before choosing to have them removed. She had been dealing with health issues, including low thyroid function, leaky gut, and severe heavy metal toxicity, which she thinks may have been linked to the implants. Her healthcare providers treated her thyroid and gut issues, but the biggest change in her health came after breast implant removal. “I found immediate relief,” she says.

Patrick isn’t the only one who has had issues with breast implants. Other women, including supermodel and actress Angie Everhart and television personality Yolanda Hadid, have spoken publicly about having their implants removed due to a variety of health issues. Hundreds of thousands of other women have voiced concerns about a variety of cognitive, memory, emotional, and physical problems linked to breast implant illness (BII).

WHAT IS BREAST IMPLANT ILLNESS (BII)?

Breast implant illness is a largely misunderstood syndrome comprised of a wide range of issues, including neurological dysfunction, toxicity, autoimmune issues, endocrine problems, and metabolic dysfunction. These issues are experienced by some of the women who undergo breast augmentation surgery with either saline or silicone implants. With 365,000 procedures performed in 2021, breast augmentation remains one of the most popular cosmetic plastic surgery procedures performed in the U.S., according to the Aesthetic Society.

There are no hard statistics on the number of women who suffer from BII, but the Healing Breast Implant Illness Society of North America has a Facebook group page with over 170,000 members. The condition has been viewed as controversial, but in a statement issued in May 2019, the FDA finally acknowledged breast implant illness and wrote, “the current evidence supports that some women experience systemic symptoms that may resolve when their breast implants are removed.”

SYMPTOMS OF BREAST IMPLANT ILLNESS

Breast implant illness is associated with a veritable laundry list of symptoms, including but not limited to brain fog, memory loss, anxiety, depression, mood swings, decreased libido, insomnia, chronic fatigue, and more. Some women complain of symptoms typically associated with infections, such as Lyme disease or Epstein-Barr virus.

One study analyzing medical data from 131 women with breast implants found that on brain SPECT imaging 67% had low blood flow to the brain in no particular pattern. SPECT is a brain-imaging technology that measures blood flow and activity in the brain and reveals areas with healthy activity, too much activity, and too little activity.

For this review, which appeared in the journal Neurology, the researcher also found that 100% of the women complained of at least one non-neurological symptom, including:

• Fatigue (82%)
• Numbness or tingling in the upper extremities (50%)
• Headache (47%)
• Numbness or tingling in the lower extremities (41%)
• Back pain (37%)
• Gait disturbance (35%)
• Neck pain (35%)
• Dizziness (34%)
• Blurred vision (18%)
• Double vision (8%)

INFLAMMATION, TOXINS, AND BREAST IMPLANTS

Researchers are still trying to understand why breast implants and the capsules that form around them can cause troublesome symptoms, such as cognitive impairment. Among the hypotheses, some point to an inflammatory response to the implants as well as toxic chemicals used in the implants.

Chronic inflammation can damage your brain and mind. It has been associated with a wide range of neurological and psychiatric illnesses, including Alzheimer’s disease, depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, and personality disorders.

To test for chronic inflammation, ask your physician to check your C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Having high levels of CRP is associated with increased inflammation.

Another potential danger lies in the chemicals contained in silicone and saline breast implants. According to the Healing Breast Implant Illness website, the chemicals used in implants include several known neurotoxins, heavy metals, and other toxins. Environmental toxins poison the brain in many harmful ways. Long-term exposure to toxins has been associated with an increased risk for depression, ADD/ADHD, brain fog, temper outbursts, psychotic behavior, learning problems, memory loss, autism, and dementia.

Dr. Pierre Blais, a former Canadian government researcher, and senior scientific advisor is considered the foremost expert on breast implants as failed medical devices. He says that because breast implants are not lifetime devices, they eventually degrade and can release their contents. “The released substances are aggressive and some are outright toxic,” he told Longevity Magazine in 2018.

After testing thousands of implants, Dr. Blais has found that implants are also susceptible to mold, yeast, and bacterial infections. Toxic mold, fungal infections, and certain bacterial infections (such as Lyme disease) are also associated with contributing to symptoms of psychiatric illness.

SEEKING HELP FOR BREAST IMPLANT ILLNESS

Cognitive dysfunction, memory problems, and brain fog are signs of potentially serious brain health issues. Getting a full workup that includes brain SPECT imaging, lab testing, and neuropsychological assessments can be the key to finding the root cause of your symptoms. Be sure to inform your physician if you currently have breast implants or if you’ve had them removed (and if the capsule and scar tissue were also removed). Your brain health depends on it.

RESEARCH SHOWS BREAST IMPLANT REMOVAL CAN HELP

Research on breast implant illness has been scarce, but a 2020 study in Annals of Plastic Surgery confirms what the FDA wrote. The new study found that removal of breast implants and the capsules led to significant improvement in 11 common symptoms of the condition.

The study included 750 women who underwent breast implant and capsule removal. Some of the women had saline implants, others had silicone implants, and there was a mix of smooth, textured, and polyurethane-coated implants. The women reported the following 11 symptoms, which are commonly seen in BII:

• Memory loss/cognitive problems
• Chronic fatigue
• Numbness/tingling in the extremities
• Joint and/or muscle pain
• Breast pain
• Hair loss
• Dry eyes and/or blurred vision
• Rashes and/or hives
• Food sensitivity/intolerance
• Flu-like symptoms and/or low-grade fever
• Difficulty breathing

According to the study results, there was a significant improvement in all 11 symptoms within 30 days of removal. And another follow-up study showed that those improvements were sustained beyond the first month.

DETOXIFYING AFTER BREAST IMPLANT REMOVAL

The detoxification and healing process following breast implant removal can continue for a few years. To support detoxification, follow these tips:

• Eat an anti-inflammatory diet. Choose foods that are free of pesticides, artificial dyes and preservatives, sugar, gluten, and dairy.
• Eliminate exposure to toxins. Quit smoking and drinking alcohol.
• Drink more water. This helps flush toxins from your kidneys.
• Take saunas. One study found that saunas lowered toxin levels in firefighters.
• Toss out toxic household cleaners and personal care products. Use an app like Think Dirty (thinkdirtyapp.com) to check for toxins in the products you use.
• Use an air purifier.

For women like Danica Patrick, who choose breast implant removal, relief from symptoms may come quickly. But as Patrick says, “Healing’s not linear. It feels like you make a lot of [progress] and you’re feeling really good, and then you kind of regress, and then you feel better.” This is a common pattern among patients at Amen Clinics. The path to recovery has ups and downs. When you experience setbacks, be curious, not furious. Think about what might have contributed to the regression and make a plan to help you support the healing process.

Memory loss, brain fog, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.