BEST MED FOR MEMORY LOSS AND INATTENTIVESS (focus issues)

[Anonymous]

I like the idea of a non stimulant like Strattera but it seems that the longevity of continued success in the assistance with short term memory and focus issues is short lived, about a year (based upon posts here and on other sites). Please share with the world your experiences with medications that have helped with issues similar to mine. If you are a Strattera fan and your short term memory and focus has remained improved for more than a year let me know. Cymbalta for Anxiety (GAD) and chronic lower back pain looks to be in the cards also… My Psyche/MD is allowing me to assist in med choice because of self learned education and continued holistic approach to my ADHD-GAD/PTSD Diagnosis.

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[Anonymous]

Concerta and Ritalin (both methylphenitdate) have both helped incedibly in my case in regards to working memory and concentration problems as well as impulsivity.

I do not word hunt anymore, I can retain information in the short term much better and I can actually focus on what i want

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[Anonymous]

Thanks john How long have you been on this combo….

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[Anonymous]

About 5-6 weeks now, things are still going pretty good, Im still not set though on what my ideal dose should be….i’ve been testing out 54mg concerta vs 36mg and im not yet sold on the 54mg….i guess time will tell which one is better…they still work very well though in terms of memory loss and inattentiveness….i mean there is no comparison with before its just that im not always as focused as i would want to be…at this point its more fine tuning than anything else.

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[Anonymous]

Thank You my friend… keep in touch please

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[Anonymous]

njadd

you mentioned lower back pain tell me more about this

I experience lower back pain however I also required surgery for a squashed disk a few years ago

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[Anonymous]

p.s.

ritalin for the past 15 years 20 mg four times a day got me through university but with ongoing depression and OCD issues I am no longer certain of overall effectiveness beyond supressing ill humoured behaviour and hyperactivity.

Paxil for the past 12 years at 50 mg per day and as of recently now 60 mg

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[Anonymous]

Hyperman

I had been a contractor for the last 30 years of my life. Mostly self employed (small business 2-3 employees) I spent a lot of time bending and doing the ladder thing along with just abusing my body as I did whatever needed to be done for the almighty check for the boss lady….. my X.

Well I paid for it. I was injured during a robbery attempt and severely injured my shoulder repelling the attack by a dopey kid with a knife. (operation keeps getting pushed back because of its serious nature and everyone is afraid to touch me) It rendered me not only temporarily unemployed but the Docs tell me even after surgery I shall not expect to pick up a pencil let alone a hammer for at least a year. Oh and they say forget manual labor when recovered….

Great! well I have to go back to school as any other skill sets are negligible at best. I attempted to go back to school about 2 years ago to better myself while working and because of the difficulties I had then I was tested and GUESS WHAT addd/adhd have a good day. To be honest I had no clue what ADD even really was and fast forward to today it turns out during the MRI’s and such arthritis was found throughout my spine……. I am not a complainer so that is kinda second on my know third nope 4th thing on my list as my shoulder, PTSD, ADHD have taken priorities and my back will just have to wait. Although not completely as I will exercise and try to do the right things just to keep me mobile which is quite difficult due to my shoulder injury. Oh I am a crappy keyboarder with contractor fingers so please excuse my typos…

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[anniea]

I have been taking an antidepressant Prozac 40 for several years, it helps with that anxiety, and aches and pains. I take Methylphenadate when I am working on stuff I have to concentrate on. I also started taking Omega 3 oil caps when I read about it in ADDitude, and it does add a little concentration I noticed when I don’t take my Methyl…Eating protein regularly gives the brain something to run on, and when I carb out I can tell I am more distractable…

My gentleman friend takes Ginko and Ginsing for memory as he “used” to have ADD…I can tell when he doesn’t take them too he is much more all over the place…

I have about a 4-5 yr expiration date on work also.. I am a nurse, and love what I do, most of my employment was before my DX. I have had one boss that was sooo patient with everyone she hired. When she left, her replacement did not have the same sensibilities..even tho the administrator has ADHD, she did not “get” me, so I don’t work there anymore. I am self employed right now, and all is well as long as the client is alive. I tried Voc-Rehab, but they wanted to know what I wanted to do that wasn’t nursing?? What can ADD people do? everything, we just don’t do it all the time!! They wanted me to find the niche I have been looking for…in otherwords..no help…like I said self employed. I am realizing I can’t sustain habits, I do well for a while, and then work related, or home related they fall by the way side. Work in progress..

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[Lindstr7]

Njadd – how is the Cymbalta working for your anxiety? I’m on Celexa now but I don’t think I’m depressed, more social anxiety type thing. Today is my first day on Ritalin and already I’m getting stuff done without feeling buzzed or overstimulated, but it does give me a headache. Here’s hoping. Also on the school thing! I went back and took a class a two years ago and I only managed that because I had a friend holding my hand in the same class. It was a writing class and i was astonished at how well I did (I got an A! *pats back*), but mostly because writing is something one can take home and do in a solitary, controlled environment I’m guessing. I want a degree SOOOO bad and have all my life, but of course, was too scattered to even get to the registrars office. Sorry about your injuries, it sounds bloody awful. Good wishes for you.

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[crapiforgotmyusername]

Hello,

I am 47 and discovered my problem is add after watching the public television show and reading the Lazy Crazy book. I have an appointment with a psychiatrist who (according to my HMO) specializes in ADD. I am sure he will give me meds. I am worried about becoming a zombie, but I know I need help. I’ve been medicating the anxiety with food-not working out real well as you can imagine. Any suggestions?

Thank you.

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[Lindstr7]

Crap – (sorry for the shorthand) I am starting ritalin today and it is not making me a zombie at all. I feel alert and somewhat more focused. I’m getting things done but don’t feel speedy. I hate feeling speedy or zoned out. I think working with the dr. to get the right dosage is key, you can’t just take the prescription and voila, all better. Working with your psych is key. I know about the relationship to food and self-medicating or whatever you want to call it. My philosophy now is to get to the ROOT of the problem. I believe that all other attempts to progress in my life were unattainable with my condition such as it is (hopefully WAS very soon). I would suggest you think before you go about all the symptoms you have and have had and express your concerns and hopes and maybe write them down if you tend to be forgetful or freeze up (like I do) when asked a question about yourself. Good luck and I’m crossing my fingers for you. There is a lot of support and help here so visit often.

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[Anonymous]

User name,,,,, go thru all the videos on this site they are easy watching (short) but extremely valuable and they touch many topics

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[Anonymous]

The Dr. will start you off on a real low dosage and gradually increase as needed, so I don’t think spacing out will be a problem. Thats what is so difficult and time consuming is the Doctor with your feedback trying to figure out the right combination…. Working with children that are ADD/ADHD my experiences have been… if the child is ADHD the medicine will slow the brain down so he can focus and comprehend/retain information needed, so he can be successful in all settings. If the child is ADD/inattentive then it will do the opposite and speed the brain up so he can focus and follow through on the given task. The inattentive kids are those that the adults says” nothing is wrong with him he is just lazy”! The “zombied” individuals are usually the ones that need the medication. There is a lot of bad press out there. Thank goodness for this website!!… I am new to this website. I have known I was ADD for years, but have been able to compensate and use strategies up until the last four years. It has been a real struggle. With the added responsibilities/stress at work and home, I have been so over whelmed , unorganized, and very frustrated . So I have been seeing a family Dr. for the past year for ADD/medication. Getting the medication regulated with one med. that insurance will cover has been a real pill!!!! I live in South Georgia… so finding a Psychiatrist has not been an easy task…but I finally decided to give one a try. I will see him mid- April, and the #1 reason for going is getting the medication regulated. I am currently on Vyvanse 50mg. It has helped with anxiety, more self confidence, and I am a little more outgoing, and I’m eating less too. The organization, focusing, and processing skills are still terrible. Medication previously taken was Adderall XR 30mg. I liked it, but stayed angry at my husband and could be hateful towards him, so I decided if I wanted to stay married I better change meds. I took the generic adderall over the summer and it helped zero. It was 10mg 3x a day. When I took Vyvanse 50 mg previously a year ago, it was working really good. I talked faster, moved faster, processed info faster and focused much better, but now I’m not having the same success and neither is my son. (The reason stopped previously was cost $150.00.. My son’s was that much too) so I kept him on the $150.00 medicine and I took the generic adderall. The Good news is… I am on My Husband’s insurance and the Vyvanse is now $40 a month… My point is.. there is a lot of trial and error. So go to a specialist … If money wasn’t an issue I would of probably went to Macon or Atlanta along time ago. So hang in there and follow through with it.!!! Excuse my grammar and spelling errors.

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