6 replies to this topic

[kadlec]

Hello everyone!
I'm freaked out. I have been taking memantine for 5 weeks now. I started with 5mg, then 10mg, then 15, then 20mg. All for 1 week.
I have been on 20mg for 2 weeks now.

The reason for trying memantine is that it's said to be helpful against ocd and adhd. So my doc agreed when I told him I want to try memantine.

At first I felt no difference but when I reached 20mg I think that it helps me a bit with my feeling of restlessness. Basically for years and years I have been
feeling restless internally every day. I felt like I'm under time-pressure and almost never had clarity of mind. This was totally hindering. That's why I was really
happy when after getting on 20mg I felt like memantine is working and helping against this daily feeling of restlessness. I just want clarity of mind. But most of the time
every day I felt as if I'm onto something. I cannot really describe it. It's simply not a clear mind. It's like having many thoughts in your head and feeling distanced from the world around you, that's how I felt daily. I needed to take walks or sit in the dark to even be able to clear my mind and get some clarity. That's why I thought maybe I have an issue with overexcitability. That's why I thought maybe I have too much glutamate and that maybe memantine could help.

BUT here comes what's really starting to scare me. I feel like it impacts my memory and also how I perceive time. I feel as if time is racing. For example when I think about something which I did 4 weeks ago then I wonder how did the time pass this quickly.
And I also feel like my memory is being affected. For example when I ask myself what did I do yesterday or the day before then I have problems answering it. I do not know this. Usually my memory is very good. I also forgot passwords to email accounts and bank accounts which I had memorized all the time.
This is really starting to worry me. Can memantine cause damage in the brain? I need a good memory. I really cannot afford memory impairment.

I told this to my psych and he said that memantine shall help with memory not make it worse. He said that memantine is safe and even given to very old, very sick people and that memantine won't cause any damage or mess things up. But what if it does?
I'm really worried now. I'm a student and I need a good memory. I need to memorize things.

What's especially worrying to me is when I stand there and ask myself what did I do yesterday and then I need a few seconds to even recall what I did the last day. Somehow it simply feels different. I cannot really describe it but it's like the information isn't as accessable as it used to be as if I'm somehow a bit "distant".

Does this sound familiar to you? Has anyone here taken memantine and experience similar things?

I read that glutamate plays a role in memory. But memantine blocks out glutamate as far as I understand it. Does this not mean that it makes memory worse?

I really don't know what to do now. I'm also scared of getting off memantine. I mean who knows what happens then? What if this feeling of restlessness which I had before comes back then? Before I went on memantine I basically felt restless every day. I felt like I'm under time pressure and didn't have mental clarity. I suffered from this immensely. I have been having this for years. I almost never had moments of mental clarity at all. When I went on memantine and felt a difference at 20mg I thought that this is the key. But now I'm worried because of the memory issues.

What would you do?
Should I get off memantine asap?
Is there a risk of memantine causing permanent damage in the brain when a person notices memory changes?
To me this is really scary. What if memantine can actually cause dementia?

I can only say that I feel different on it. Time feels different. I mean I bet you also know it that on days where your circadian circle is messed up and you
stay up late you feel different and can't really tell wether you did something today or wether it was the day before. I experienced this feeling before.
And this feeling is similar to how I feel now. My feeling of time is different. I often can't tell wether I did something today or wether it was some other day.
That's scary.

Edited by kadlec, 18 March 2014 - 02:32 AM.

[blood]

Maybe keep taking the memantine, but add in a small dose of a choline precursor such as citicoline?
http://www.iherb.com...-Capsules/13484

Edited by blood, 18 March 2014 - 04:19 AM.

[blood]

Maybe keep taking the memantine, but add in a small dose of a choline precursor such as citicoline?
http://www.iherb.com...-Capsules/13484

The reason I made this suggestion is because (according to wikipedia!) memantine does antagonise a specific subset of acetylcholine receptors. Is it conceivable that this could cause memory weirdness?

[ocean.soul]

Those memory problems and "mind state" are very similar to the reason why I stopped taking memantine.... And it doesnt seem to resolve with lower dosages... I think that memantine only works positively if you have some kind of dysfunction at the glutamaternic system.

Unfortunately I cannot recommend any medication to the symptoms you describe... Have you already tried a more natural approach such as aerobic exercise? I successfully relieve most anxiety problems with a aerobic exercises (outside).

[kadlec]

Hello,
is taking a choline precursor with memantine safe? Has this been tried before and is there proof that this works?
Or could one also take choline directly?

Aerobics do not help with my issues. Before going on memantine I spent every day feel restless and disorganized.
Memantine seems to help with this. This is really bad. What do I do now? Is there a chance that the memory issues
go away after a while? Or is there a risk that memantine harms the brain and causes permanent memory issues?

[ocean.soul]

My humble recommendation is to look for another solution other than taking memantine. I can tell you that memantine is no good for memory at least in people with "normal glutamate regulation"... My mother and grandfather they both take memantine at 10mg: their memory is not good. Besides that, their cognition seems to be like inflexible. Fortunately my mother stopped taking it.
Have you tried a lower dosage? maybe 5mg.
Have you read about acetylcysteine.

[kadlec]

Yes I heard about NAC but is it really comparable to memantine when it comes to NMDA?

Damn, do you think that memantine can have permanent negative memory effects? Or does it go away when you stop taking it?
I started with 5mg for 1 week but during this week I felt nothing so I can't say if 5mg would work. I assume that 5mg is too little.
I only started feeling a change at 20mg. :/

What if my glutamate isn't normal? After all I have the restlessness issue and memantine seems to help with this doesn't this prove that I have a glutamate issue?

It is really very hindering when you feel restless and spaced out every day and can't really focus.

Edited by kadlec, 20 March 2014 - 09:10 PM.