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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by mike lynch on May 13, 2006, at 2:03:45
My account has been suspended for many,many weeks.. I can't even remember why but I haven't been here in almost a year but now I see that my account is reinstated, at a good time because something has really been bothering my lately.
The fact that I am only 18 makes this worse. First I am going to express a very complicated and verbose problem as short as possible just so you can get the necessary background
Got depressed, took paxil.. While on paxil I started having congitive problems, didnt' feel the same, felt dull... went off it..this feeling got worse, and I havent' felt the the same since. I feel more like me on ssri's then off so I take them
Now I feel I have very atypical reactions to drugs not many people experience the loss of identity, prolonged cognitive problems even after cessation of the ssri's. But I believe my MEMORY has worsened with the ssri's, but not to the point where it was intolerable.. but I did something I don't think I should have done considering my minds reaction to drugs and it just screwed up everything even more
I smoked weed once, and after that, it is exactly one month after that and the memory problems, that were worse then the initial memory problems have not improved. Days after I smoked I noticed my memory was worse then usual.. a month after they seemed to have improved a noticable amount..but it's still bad.
I wouldnt' mind if it was just things liek forgetting things, or what have you but it seems most persistent in coversations. I forget what I am going to say SO MUCh.. I'll have a thought and then POOF it'll be gone. I'll be in the middle of a long sentence, then forget mid way through what i was going to say. it especially happens when im trying to take in a lot of informtion.. or if suddenly the topic of conversations changes.. my mind just can't keep up with this.
I know it's silly to blame this on ONE TIME of weed use but I think my brain just can't handle drugs.. it wasn't just the weed it was the ssri's to. I'm just saying i don't know what to do because i'm only 18 and i can't have a flowing conversation with people because I am always forgetting what I have to say.. I just don't wanna think how bad it will be when I get much older. I really don't know what to do. My brain is so sensitive when it comes to drugs.. people who experiment when recreational drugs daily our more lucid then me..90 percent of my cognitvie problems stem from ssri's..a drug i was perscribed and then the weed just made it worse.. it's made my life hell i really didn't deserve any of this.. i didn't ask to be put on these drugs. I'm thinking about trying Piractem or DMAE but i really don't wannna get my hopes up so i don't know
Posted by gardenergirl on May 13, 2006, at 11:41:17
In reply to Trying to get through this haze., posted by mike lynch on May 13, 2006, at 2:03:45
Hi Mike,
The problem you describe about forgetting what you were going to say in conversations might be related to increased stress, not getting enough sleep, or anxiety. It might not be substance related.At any rate, I know how frustrating it is. I hope you find some relief.
gg
Posted by Phillipa on May 13, 2006, at 12:19:02
In reply to Re: Trying to get through this haze. » mike lynch, posted by gardenergirl on May 13, 2006, at 11:41:17
Sounds like me the anxiety stuff. I can never remember half-way through the discussion what we were talking about and what I was going to say next. Love Phillipa
Posted by pseudoname on May 13, 2006, at 13:54:24
In reply to Trying to get through this haze., posted by mike lynch on May 13, 2006, at 2:03:45
Hi, Mike. Welcome back.
> I smoked weed once, and after that, it is exactly one month after that and the memory problems, that were worse then the initial memory problems have not improved.
Smoking pot once, even if you're on a medication at the time, will not produce lasting severe cognitive problems. Please don't beat yourself up over that.
The writing and content of your post clearly shows that you have excellent cognitive abilities. I'd say you're well above average, no matter what else you may be suffering. The fact that you're paying attention to your own cognition and that it's important to you says that you have a lot going for you even if (*if!*) you had any conditions. Please give yourself some credit.
I'm sorry you've had to take medications that didn't help or had unwelcome side effects. Psych meds are always a trade-off, even when they work well. It's true, some people are a lot more sensitive to a drug than others.
Have you talked to your doctors about these problems? It'd be a great idea to make sure they clearly understand what you're going through.
I agree with gg and Phillipa: a lot of your apparent cognitive problems could easily be due to stress and anxiety and emotional problems. When anybody of any age is mentally preoccupied, conversation & memory & alertness & all that stuff suffer.
Are you seeing a therapist? Do you have support from family & friends? Are there big changes happening around now in your life?
Mental problems usually have multiple causes & multiple partial solutions. A little help can go a long way. Hang in there.
Posted by mike lynch on May 15, 2006, at 21:40:09
In reply to cognitive problems » mike lynch, posted by pseudoname on May 13, 2006, at 13:54:24
Thanks for the replies. Recently it seems has though my memory and my ability to flow with conversations has improved significantly but it still seems impaired enough to hinder conversation and I'm still not as cognitively sound as I use to be. I am taking the improvment in itself as hope that my brain will eventually recover.
It has nothing to do with stress, people I use to have easy conversations with, even my parents I often forget and lose my train of thought - this didnt' happen before. These drugs have f'd up my head whether you would think so or not. Believe me I have spent some time exploring other possibilities for my problems, maybe I'm suffering from some obscure neuro-destructive disease that absolves the meds from blame.. who knows.
My memory seems to be getting better, so I think it's just rewiring itself from my mini drug experimentation. I may sound like a hypochondriac saying all this stuff is due to drugs, but I never expected any of these ssri's to do this to me, it just started happening and the only feasible reason was the drug. I wish I sounded as eloquent as I type, my mind is intact when divulging ideas, expressing thoughts, but I have to often stall, to think of what im going to say, and sometimes I forget - so while in text my deficits dont stall, just picture me talking and while articulate, stalling after every 3 sentences and at times minutes to remember what I'm saying. But it's much better then last time and i think eventually I'll get everything back thanks
Posted by mike lynch on May 15, 2006, at 21:45:01
In reply to cognitive problems » mike lynch, posted by pseudoname on May 13, 2006, at 13:54:24
It's kind of a chicken and the egg thing. But I am 100 percent positive that the Bad Cognition caused the depression, not the other way around. Though maybe the depression is hindering it even more. I have been so focused on how I mentally perform since my cognition has so drastically changed since being put on the drugs and in turn has changed me as a person, my mood is often contigent on how I am mentally functioning, my mental function goes up and down. I am seeing a therapist, and were working on this has best we can.
Thanks.
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