3 replies to this topic

[steelsky]

Been taking Memantine for the past month, increasing up to 5mg daily.

 

Reasons: Reduce tolerance of Ritalin/Modafinil, as well as to reduce nausea which can get pretty bad with these two.

Results: Success - taking less Ritalin for similar effect, no nausea as well. Might also be feeling lower anxiety.

Problem: Brain fog.

 

For the past week I have reduced the daily dose to 2.5mg. The problem is that it seems as though the brain fog is getting worse! To the point where I can't even function productively (whereas on 5mg I still felt brain fog but it was manageable).

 

Now I'm wondering - should I stop altogether (which would be a shame because I'm enjoying the positives), or actually increase the dose in order to reduce the side effects.

 

Any thoughts? Thanks.

[gamesguru]

Perhaps you should taper off?  Antagonists will upregulate also the presynaptic autoreceptor, and then when it's [mematine] removed, the transmitter release is more dampened.  Ergo brainfog.

[steelsky]

Antagonists will upregulate also the presynaptic autoreceptor, and then when it's [mematine] removed, the transmitter release is more dampened. 

 

Not sure what you mean by this, but I get that it might explain the worsening, though I'd imagine an opposite effect - if the system adjusts to antagonism, wouldn't it be "flooded" once the antagonist is removed?

 

The size of the pill doesn't allow me to taper off too gradually. I could just go down from 5 to 2.5.

I think I'm now going to stop altogether (maybe take 2.5 EOD for a few days), but I'm wondering whether actually increasing the dosage would have actually reduced the brain fog.
 

[gamesguru]

Yeah but the presynaptic autoreceptor controls (dampens) the release.  More autoreceptors means less "flooding".  The receptor and autoreceptor dynamics tend to fall or rise in unison, so the de-excited state is characterized by high levels of autoreceptors, high levels of receptors, and low levels of neurotransmitters, while the excited state is characterized by low levels of autoreceptors, low levels of receptors, and high levels of neurotransmitter release.  So what you have after a memantine cycle is precisely the de-excited state.  Am I right?  And what you want is the base state.  So mistiming or misjudging memantine may cause you to overshoot or to fall short.. problems.  Special attention is also to be paid to the mGluR5 receptor, a unique glutamate receptor, activation of which is anti-cognitive.

Edited by gamesguru, 31 August 2016 - 05:25 PM.