Brain symptoms

[Ashfaren]

I have difficulty understanding new information, retaining in memory, thinking, processing, fatigue, memory problems, concentration problems, distractibility, worry. Anybody else has these problems 24/7 ? How to get over them?

[Hidden]

Hi. I just had a quick look at your profile. You bring this up a lot (nothing wrong with that). I'm wondering if you've talked to your doctor about this?

[Ashfaren in reply to Hidden]

yes they have different opinions, and ADHD meds don't suit me

[Hidden in reply to Ashfaren]

Hmmm.... have you ever had a brain scan to see what's going on?

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

How's your sleep? Poor sleep can wreak all kinds of cognitive havoc.

[Ashfaren in reply to Hidden]

yes, it was normal. I either sleep too much or wake up too early.

[Hidden in reply to Ashfaren]

Great to hear that it was normal! I don't know much about ADHD. Are there alternatives to medication for that?

[FearIsALiar in reply to Hidden]

Can they see if there’s anything wrong with your memory with a brain scan?

[Hidden in reply to FearIsALiar]

Good morning! I don't know the answer to that.

[FearIsALiar in reply to Hidden]

Aw ok

[LoveBear]

I had all those same issues following multiple hospitalizations and med changes - with time and therapy things got better (for now) I’ve been improving (mostly) weekly. Memory better, thinking better, exhaustion better - honestly 8-10 months - I look back and realize how far I’ve come

[Ashfaren in reply to LoveBear]

were these symptoms depression related?

[LoveBear in reply to Ashfaren]

Depression and treatment related side effects. The meds were tough antipsychotics (I wasn’t psychotic) and honestly the 3 admissions with f/u to partial program - I don’t know it really messed me up (on top of depression). It’s been a very tough 18 months - been 10 months since my last admit and meds are minimized which has been a battle

[LoveBear in reply to LoveBear]

I did have an entire medical work up January - April this year and all normal including MRI

[Troy456]

Yep

[dmt1121]

First, I am sorry to read about the problems you're having. I take medications for anxiety and also for neuropathy which both can impact my cognitive functioning. I also have sleep issues. Also, our country seems to be falling apart at the seams during a pandemic and a serious economic recession.

My point is that, aside from medications, stress and depression can have a major impact on the kinds of problems you mention. Stress can cause both anxiety and depression and there is certainly enough to provide fuel for all of that and more. If you were already having some of these issues, they can become magnified under very stressful conditions.

In my experience, taking inventory of what's happening in your life and how it's making you feel can be valuable. Asking yourself if something makes you feel happy and if something else make you afraid or unhappy, etc. It can be personal, work, the world or any other context that is meaningful to you.

It can be anything you think should be on the list. Once you have that, you can start seeing how much of your life is devoted to positive influences versus negative. This may help you sort out if you want to make adjustments to what you do, how much you pay attention to these things to improve your feelings of safety, happiness and clarity of thought.

Meditation might help also. As you may know meditation focuses on becoming "centered" and "grounded". It takes time to learn how to do but I have found YouTube videos that are 5 minutes long, focused just on breathing that help me become calm and centered. The world is gone for just a short while.

It may or may not be your thing but it could help you reduce medications to an acceptable level or perhaps to zero over time. It's a supplement for me. Also, exercise can also help.

Good luck.

[FearIsALiar in reply to dmt1121]

Thanks

[Sasa27]

I don't get over them..it seems that my diagnosed anxiety disorder has a major effect on my cognitive abilities.I don't suffer from ADHD,that's for sure.I'm taking supplements for the time being,trying to figure out which one might help.From meds,Zoloft caused me a lot of weight gain,Wellbutrin helped a lot with these issues but also (most probably)caused an extreme hair-loss after 6 months on it and now I'm on Effexor.There must be one medication that will help me with my cognition,so I'll keep wandering..

[FearIsALiar in reply to Sasa27]

Same here

[Want2BHappy3]

Yes, I sometimes blackout when dealing with things. Are You on medication? I read that medications can affect your memory? Check with your doctor?

[c-mac]

That sounds like me when I’m depressed sometimes, the kind with anxiety. You’ve minimized your meds — maybe too much?

[Hidden]

You have been through a lot. Stress can bring on all of the symptoms you have described. If there are no physical reasons, which seem to have been ruled out already, the medication and just the stress of all that has gone on seems the logical reason. At least that has been my experience. As things settle it will likely get better.

[Hidden]

Hi. I'm sorry about all of that. There could be several reasons. It happens with depression and qnxiety. When you're worried and concerned about things, it makes it hard to retain any other information. Antidepressants can do that too.

[JulieA1965]

Have you had a complete blood work up, particularly thyroid, vitamin B and Vitamin D? These can cause cognitive issues as well as anxiety and depression like symptoms.

[FearIsALiar]

I have this problem all the time too. Always have .

[FearIsALiar in reply to FearIsALiar]

I thought it was just me

[Prancer500]

Look at your meds for their side effects. I used to have an awesome memory and I lost my short memory skills it felt like overnight. I asked my pharmacist if any of my medications could be affecting my short term memory. They looked through my list of meds and advised me that Xanax used over a period of time definitely can affect your short-term memory. so I started taking less and weaning myself down and I did get a lot better. I do have to take it sometimes but it doesn’t affect me now. In regards to the ADHD med, for some people that medication is used for depression because it is a dopamine releaser which elevates our good feelings and motivation. but people with ADHD it actually helps them slow down and focus. So for example, Adderall is a huge dopamine releaser which will promote happiness, motivation, energy levels. But a person with ADHD who would be taking it, the Adderall stops the white noise around them, slows them down and allows them to focus. So even though the medication has multiple uses you need to ask your doctor what is the use that they are prescribing it for in your particular case. But if that med did not agree with, you that’s totally fine and hopefully someday you can find ones that do. This is an ugly scary disease. many times with medication, doctors are using the are trial and error method with medications. Some people respond to medications that are SSRI’s . Meaning, they keep your serotonin that’s released from your brain by slowing down the time it’s metabolized. some people have a Dopamine problem. In my case, I was on all kinds of SSRI’s and was continuing to just get worse. I changed doctors and they did a DNA profile on me to help dial in where I could have a deficiency. It was realized that my depression anxiety was more related to a dopamine deficiency not serotonin. So for five years, I was on the exact opposite medication Than what I needed. The doctor’s solution was to add another medication and then another medication until I was on six different meds at one time.

I hope this info helps and wish you the best. This is a very cunning disease and is the hardest thing I have ever had to fight and it is always there. (But I have gotten much better) For your sake I hope you are one of the lucky ones that gets “cured”.