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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by jms600 on April 7, 2004, at 14:07:33
Can anyone suggest anything that will help to increase concentration and remove the dreaded "brain fog" ?!?
I'm on 20mg per day Prozac and am about to start a low dose of Sodium Valproate (I don't know what dose yet but my p/doc said it will be a low one).
Trouble is I've got terrible concentration levels. I just can't seem to concentrate on anything without letting my mind wonder and daydream. I'm also hopeless at taking anything in. Its not stupidity - just I can't seem to concentrate.
I naturally don't have very good concentration, and I think the Prozac is making it worse. I am hoping the Sodium Valproate may help, but if not I'm going to ask my P/doc for something?
Any suggestions for which medication to try (preferably not amphetamines as I don't think he will prescribe me any)??
Posted by zeugma on April 7, 2004, at 14:10:35
In reply to Brain fog, posted by jms600 on April 7, 2004, at 14:07:33
Strattera and other NE uptake inhibitors (e.g., desipramine) do a good job at clearing brain fog.
Posted by crazychickuk on April 7, 2004, at 15:17:22
In reply to Re: Brain fog » jms600, posted by zeugma on April 7, 2004, at 14:10:35
Since i been taking remeron i havent had brain fog...
Posted by HelenInCalif on April 7, 2004, at 16:54:11
In reply to Brain fog, posted by jms600 on April 7, 2004, at 14:07:33
The daydreaming, mind-wandering, unable to concentrate and get things done sounds like me. I have the non-hyperactive type of ADD, and didn't get diagnosed until after college (too bad, I might have gotten A's not C's).
Because of this ADD I became depressed and stressed at times- poor school or job performance- and it really was the effects of ADD causing those problems. Post diagnosis they went away because I can finally live up to my potential.
Luckily a family member was diagnosed and I saw that "hey, I'm like that too." I started reading and researching it. (A book I liked was "Women with ADD..." because it focuses on this lesser known type of ADD. (useful to read even if you aren't female.)) I found a pdoc familiar with ADD, got ritalin, and my life changed. I could focus on tasks and not get constantly distracted.
Its true he probably won't give you a prescription right away. You'd want to come prepared for scepticism and/ or diagnosis tests.
One problem is some docs believe ADD only exists if you were diagnosed in childhood. I think that's wrong, because
1. the Daydreamy ADHD type of ADD wasn't well known then
2. This ADHD isn't disruptive to others, so is less likely to be noticed
3. If you're smart enough you can compensate throughout high school. I could. But then college- what a nightmare. Everyone was just as smart and I couldn't study as well as them = trouble.So you might have to show that retrospectively you had ADD. For me I had good evidence (high SATs, high GREs, yet low grades in college, inability to study like everyone else, inability to focus at work and in meeting like everyone else (yes, high grades in high school but you never needed to study that long).)
But now, adult ADD is better known. Just saw an advertisement for it in a major magazine recently (for Strattera?). Of course, you'll have to show that you're not just jumping on a bandwagon. Instead, be able to show a long term trend of ADD symptoms, and also perhaps show how they are the core cause of your other problems. Like for me: I didn't have depression And ADD, I had depression Because of ADD. Treating the ADD made that depression go away.
Posted by mistermindmasta on April 7, 2004, at 22:46:13
In reply to Re: Brain fog- sounds like me pre-ritalin, posted by HelenInCalif on April 7, 2004, at 16:54:11
Try this, see if it works:
#1: l-tyrosine, to increase NE and DA production
#2: very low sugar diet: to see if you have an intestinal fungal infection that might be causing cytokine production that downregulated DA + NE production
#3: gluten + casein free diet: again, to see if you have an immune system reaction to these foods that is causing cytokine production that downregulatates DA + NE production.
#4: try any of those stimulants the other ppl recommend
#5: are you hydrated enough and do you get enough sleep? Either can cause "brain fog", as verified by scientific articles and my own observations.
#6: take a multivitamin for a few weeks, see how it works for you... even mild B12, folic acid, B6, iron, zinc, or magnesium deficiencies can cause brain fog-ish symptoms.
Good luck in curing yourself!! All we can do is attempt to help ourselves! That's why this forum is so great... all of our problems is like a big experiment taking place. Glad to know you're a part of it! Let us know any interesting results you come upon!
Posted by terrics on April 8, 2004, at 10:16:52
In reply to Re: Brain fog- sounds like me pre-ritalin, posted by HelenInCalif on April 7, 2004, at 16:54:11
Your post hits home. It took me 20yrs to get a 2 yr degree. I have a high IQ, but had to spend 2-3X more time on all my school work. Old pdoc agreed I have ADD and tried 3 different ADD drugs. None of them worked. I was taking other meds too, so maybe they interfered?? Oh well I still struggle and now the meds have made my memory even worse. I decided I cannot fix everything. terrics
Posted by HelenInCalif on April 8, 2004, at 15:16:00
In reply to Re: Brain fog- sounds like me pre-ritalin » HelenInCalif, posted by terrics on April 8, 2004, at 10:16:52
You could be right about other meds interfering. While I haven't had ritalin at the same time as other significant meds, I do know that some circumstances make ritalin (or dex) not work for me, so maybe meds could act similarly. For example...
1. Ritalin doesn't work if I'm very tired: the focus it gives me still has to have something to work with.
2. ritalin doesn't work if I'm very stressed: I just become very focused on the stressor.
3. ritalin doesn't work if I'm depressed *And* the depression isn't because of lack of focus. (Once I was depressed because I wasn't working efficiently- soon as I got treated for ADD I could work effiently and the depression disappeared.) If the depression was because of a family death- ritalin doesn't work much.
4. ritalin doesn't work if I have a cold / the flu / am otherwise sick.I also make sure that the times I'm taking ritalin I'm taking either tyrosine or LDPhenylalanine. At all times I try to take full vitamins, healthy food and good exercise.
sorry to hear about the memory problems- although sometimes that can just come with age. Have you read through a website like biopsychiatry .com to read up on the latest thoughts on different types of brain-boosting suppliments / medicines?
> Your post hits home. It took me 20yrs to get a 2 yr degree. I have a high IQ, but had to spend 2-3X more time on all my school work. Old pdoc agreed I have ADD and tried 3 different ADD drugs. None of them worked. I was taking other meds too, so maybe they interfered?? Oh well I still struggle and now the meds have made my memory even worse. I decided I cannot fix everything. terrics
Posted by jms600 on April 8, 2004, at 16:28:01
In reply to Brain fog, posted by jms600 on April 7, 2004, at 14:07:33
Posted by Minnie-Haha on April 9, 2004, at 19:18:48
In reply to Re: Brain fog- sounds like me pre-ritalin, posted by mistermindmasta on April 7, 2004, at 22:46:13
> #1: l-tyrosine, to increase NE and DA production
> #2: very low sugar diet: to see if you have an intestinal fungal infection that might be causing cytokine production that downregulated DA + NE production
> #3: gluten + casein free diet: again, to see if you have an immune system reaction to these foods that is causing cytokine production that downregulatates DA + NE production.
> #4: try any of those stimulants the other ppl recommend
> #5: are you hydrated enough and do you get enough sleep? Either can cause "brain fog", as verified by scientific articles and my own observations.
> #6: take a multivitamin for a few weeks, see how it works for you... even mild B12, folic acid, B6, iron, zinc, or magnesium deficiencies can cause brain fog-ish symptoms.
VERY GOOD SUGGESTIONS HERE!
This is the end of the thread.
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