Anyone with RA and ADHD? It’s confusing, scary and do... - NRAS

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Anyone with RA and ADHD? It’s confusing, scary and don’t know what normal brain fog is for RA and what for ADHD…

forislava profile image
11 Replies

The doc said that I’m way pass the normal range of forgetfulness, concentration, anger and impulsivity… I’m wondering if he’s wrong, I’m wondering if this isn’t just the RA, but was reassured that what I do or not do it’s not normal… Any of you with RA do you have significant memory loss that don’t know if you did that already or not? Putting thing in the fridge that are not for the fridge… Forgetting words, sometimes takes me time to form a bloody sentence and my hands are highly involved in what I’m trying to say… I forget or completely miss appointments, and many many other strange things that person with normal functioning brain would not do…. I’m on leflunomide and vyvance, run out of vyvance and the bullshit started again… waiting for my next prescription… arranging travelling - you wouldn’t believe the mistakes I did arranging car park, car rent, etc. And the worst part - I don’t even remember doing it… what’s normal bran fogginess and forgetfulness for RA and what’s not? I used to be the most organised person on earth, now can’t follow simple instructions… I’d really appreciate any insight cos I don’t know what to think…

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forislava
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11 Replies

Yes yes yes ! I use a pill box and have medication day and night . I still missed my main medication and didn’t realise for 5 days and still paying the consequences 5 weeks later . The pill box is clearly labelled for each day and day and night and I still manage to either take the wrong day or time of day . Alarm on phone now with a reminder to check right box and time . Missed appointments booked wrong days of work missed placed things and forgotten words or don’t recall conversations. All these things are much worse during active disease. I find it frustrating as I use to have really excellent memory.

forislava profile image
forislava in reply to

Oh dear… is it just the RA then? It’s becoming impossible to stay on top of things and it’s embarrassing… I probably apologies like a 100 times a day for doing something stupid. My DH now gets worried when I get my phone “are you ordering something?” as I’ve ordered laundry detergent, dishwasher tablets, pampers and baby wipes (usually around 5-6 of each) so don’t have to do it all the time, but somehow I’ve subscribed to a weekly delivery of those things, and after the 3rd delivery we are now covered for the rest of the year I believe and my DH kept asking me if I ordered them again and I’m saying of course not! Until he checked my account and saw what actually happened. Do you have ADHD too or this is purely down to the RA? If it is then looks to me I’m heading straight to la la land, just a matter of time…

in reply to forislava

No I have RA and Fibromyalgia. I also have sicca . All cause brain fog involved and all are worse when RA active. I too mess up the shopping on line . Booked the wrong day double ordered or didn’t order right things . Paranoid now double/ triple check but still make mistakes. Full time job for hubby who has to double check every thing . Had to go to the hospital today drove to work then got lost . Hate driving when brain not right . Think I will have to stop on these days .

forislava profile image
forislava in reply to

Sounds like the exact mess I’m living in right now… omg, what the hell happened? I realise now that I’ve always had ADHD as the doc said, I just managed to build technics to cope and extra hard work and I thought I’m good at everything I do just because I am… well, not really, I just work extra extra hard at everything I did and that’s why I succeeded I guess. And now with RA all my coping techniques, which I even didn’t realise I had as for me this is normal are gone, here comes the pain, the additional brain fogginess and tadaaa - a very nice mess🧐 today have to deal with fixing a booking and than starting packing up (omg I’d rather shoot myself and I used to love that, now it feel like a death sentence:) and anything else I managed to make a mess of it yesterday… oh, and I ran out of meds cos forgot to order the repeat script, will have to wait at least till Friday/Saturday… so… will start thinking and building new coping techniques as obviously I desperately need them…

in reply to forislava

I was told sleep resets the brain and I’ve had years of unproductive sleep it just got worse. I am improving with sleep now I’m on pregablin and sleep getting better as are symptoms but one bad night means days of disruption. Now you know you can set things in place as you say new coping techniques. Good luck x

Hi. Read up on Fibromyalgia. My brain is porridge a lot of the time x

sylvi profile image
sylvi in reply to

Mine is due to ra and fibro and now add in sepsis, i should be a raving lunatic by now.xxx

I have a different type of inflammatory arthritis rather than RA, but it’s the same sorts of issues. It got to the point just prior to diagnosis where I genuinely began to wonder if I had early onset dementia. I couldn’t remember my home phone number sometimes, the name of my GP. Word finding was difficult, I’d know exactly what I was trying to say but wouldn’t be able to come up with the word I wanted. If I didn’t write the days on my med strips, I had no clue if I’d had my meds or not. Left the gas hob on for two hours after I took the pan off on one rather notable occasion. Interestingly, my daughter has ADHD, and last year she developed a type of inflammatory arthritis specific to having cystic fibrosis; she doesn’t really struggle with words and that kind of thing, but when her joints are flaring, she might as well not bother taking her equasym for all the good it does her with her concentration and memory. I’d never considered a link before, but now that you’ve posted this, it makes me wonder if there’s something about the mechanism of cognitive issues in active arthritis that doesn’t play nicely with ADHD 🤔

sylvi profile image
sylvi

WOW i wish i could give you some answers, but sadly i can't. My memory was poor before the sepsis, but it has got a lot worse since and they tell me it will improve, I sure hope theyare right. Hugs.xxx

Sheila_G profile image
Sheila_G

Well that sounds like me. I don't know if it is RA or medication but a conversation is a nightmare sometimes, spending ages trying to remember words and having to describe what I want to say like some party game. Very frustrating.

Lovetodanceto profile image
Lovetodanceto

Well hey there yeah know how ya feel I'm forever forgetting tablets and other things. I forget people's names and often when I watch a drama on TV I forget what happened in the last episode. When I went to the bank recently the lovely female staff member was trying to explain two things to me at once and my head really couldn't cope with it I had to ask her again what to do yeah lol, take careX

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