40 replies to this topic

[protoject]

Hi TheMemorySeeker,
while I think that some of the suggestions in this thread are valuable, I'll focus on a few points:

Do you go on the computer a lot?
may I ask for how long you've been sleeping within this window of time (7am-3pm) ?

I'm also the type of person whose natural clock seems to be quite slipped off from where it's "supposed" to be.
I don't know if you'd consider this a worthy suggestion, but I'd suggest slowly bringing back your sleep by about half an hour every few days until you've adapted and are able to sleep earlier. The reason I'm suggesting this is because I've noticed that for myself, if I actually wake up earlier (and have slept enough hours), I feel better. The reason for this probably has something to do with the fact that sunlight- sunrise, and sunset- act as biological cues in our brains for patterns of activity (biological and behavioral, largely linked to mood I'd gather). Some of those hormones that give our brains a boost may have a natural rise and fall at certain hours according to when we are exposed to light. I believe this is also tightly linked in with our body's metabolism and all of the cycles inside of our bodies. If we're missing the cues then it may be falling out of line.

Personally I notice that although it's much easier for me to fall asleep later on, that I also feel much worse somehow. I share a lot of symptoms you have, except, I'm probably much less successful/talented/skilled , and I also probably have less OCD type tendencies. But any that I do are for the same reasons. It sounds like your problem may be highly anxiety /depression based.

Even though it may seem absolutely impossible, and maybe you've even tried before, to drag your sleep time back, perhaps we can formulate a new approach, if you're interested. I really think the method is worth trying out.

[BioFreak]

I haven't read all posts in this thread, but here are my 5cent, maybe I'll contribute something new:
You need proper diagnostics to find out whats wrong.
For example, it could be a deficit of some sort thats causing these problems,
or it could be inflammation of the brain,
it could your thyroid thats causing all these problems (and you'd have to insist to get a full thyroid lab test, not only TSH),
etc... (advanced hashimoto for example has a lot of neurological symptoms as well)
You need to get lab tests until something shows up, thats the easiest way to narrow down the list of possible causes.
If those tests show nothing, you could still starting with taking supplements to target a specific issue, and if there is no improvement, get another hypothesis and see if supplements targeting it make it better.
If your doctor does not help you, find another one.

But the bottom line is - proper diagnosis first.

P.S.: besides thyroid and inflammation, your neurological symptoms sound a lot like something is wrong with your dopamine levels, too.

Edited by BioFreak, 16 December 2013 - 05:19 PM.

[kelka]

I'm with protoject on this one. If you try and slowly bring your sleep back and spend time with a normal sleep pattern, at least you'll be more aware of what other problems you're left with and what is or isn't sleep related.

[Strangelove]

I haven't read all posts in this thread, but here are my 5cent, maybe I'll contribute something new:
You need proper diagnostics to find out whats wrong.
For example, it could be a deficit of some sort thats causing these problems,
or it could be inflammation of the brain,
it could your thyroid thats causing all these problems (and you'd have to insist to get a full thyroid lab test, not only TSH),
etc... (advanced hashimoto for example has a lot of neurological symptoms as well)
You need to get lab tests until something shows up, thats the easiest way to narrow down the list of possible causes.
If those tests show nothing, you could still starting with taking supplements to target a specific issue, and if there is no improvement, get another hypothesis and see if supplements targeting it make it better.
If your doctor does not help you, find another one.

But the bottom line is - proper diagnosis first.

P.S.: besides thyroid and inflammation, your neurological symptoms sound a lot like something is wrong with your dopamine levels, too.

I am not very fond of the "average doctor" having a quick (and quite a few times wrong) answer, but I agree with the above, if you have the resources find a doctor that cares and start testing, for me sounds more than a "medical" than a psychiatric or psychological condition. I had some similar issues with a chronic undiagnosed infection.

Have an optimistic view, search it a lot, you will find what the issue is and will correct it, moreover you are in the right place (online) asking questions.

[zaratoo]

What I see here as a primary problem is a cognitive impairment, not a depression. It began about ten years ago while depression is a recent state, induced I speculate by the feeling of being unable to be yourself=do things you've always done easily. Mental hypofunction is really tough to take to "smart" people - whose who often associate themselves with their intellect.
So short-term memory loss, aphasia, brain fog are the problems to be solved..

Also about "OCD". It doesn't look like that at all. It's just self-inconfidence because of bad memory/foggy unconscious behaviour.
So my guess is that nootropics is exactly what you need now, TheMemorySeeker. Just to catch that godlike feeling of old you. If it works the depression should weaken..
However, you MUST find out the causes of such an impairment. Fist that I thought was family history of illness. Could be heavy metals - many of them affect cognitive function afaik.
But anyway trying simple (pi)racetam+agpc/cdp doesn't seem to be potentially harmful. Uridine stack looks good too, but I myself don't have experience with it. While regular nootropic gave me photographic memory of a lot of every-day events such as closing locks or turning off electric devices. Hence no OCD-ish thoughts/actions which is not OCD.
Just my opinion on situation to share.

PS. The reason I post here is empathy. Would say "same boat, pal", but I'm introversional Asperger's-ish person. And I drank a lot =) The rest of it - high IQ, good memory, math (and not the only) talent, extraordinary vocabulary (in my native Russian only though) etc. is about myself. And I used to forget my "sophisticated terms" to, but that was periods - downs and ups, nothing really severe. So lots of familiar things I read in the first post..

[Tom_]

Clearly one of your extrodinary talents isn't medicine. Sub-clinical cognitive decline without a psychiatric cause in people under 60 is almost non-existant. Furthermore there is no evidence that Piracetam and the like are effective for cognitive decline in non dementia/brain injury patients (the evidence that does exist for them is insignificant).

One the other hand this is classic MDD. Sleep distrurbance, ideas of hopelessness, low mood, pre-morbid anxious personality traits, mild cognitive decline, anhedonia etc...

[zaratoo]

Well you probably are right about me, while probably not. No matter actually. As I said just my personal opinion. Use it or ignore it - TheMemorySeeker's choice.
Now what do we see here is constant mental decline ten years long. Followed by the depression recently..
No clinical evidence on noots? - ok. But lots of anecdotal reports. Placebo? - Maybe. Still effective in that anecdotes? - Yes.
Also quasinootropic substances for cerebrovascular health are being prescripted here in Russia together with piracetam in cases of similar headache.
I see noots as probably harmless not expensive and potentially beneficial option.
Depression has its place and have to be handled. But I don't see it as the main cause.

[Tom_]

I'll refer you to my ealier answer and the OP show clearly shows psychiatric difficulty going back as long as the cognitive disturbance (and longer). We have a six month history of drug abuse of a drug known to cause depressive symptoms longer term (although generally I doubt this would be a major factor other than for the obvious OCD symptoms), there is the presense of major life stressors coinsiding with worsening symptoms (breaking up with the wife)...

MDE's are the most common cause of cognitive dsyfunction in the world and the most common in under 65's. I see no reason to go hunting for zebras when we can see hoofs.

What else could reasonably cause cognitive dsyfunction (baring in mind heavy metal posioning is rare).

The rest of the post might not have much relevence to the OP.

Subjective anecdotal reports are worth almost nothing. You will find people on multiple supplements, with god knows what health complaints with no indicator of pre or post drug cognitive functioning who claim something works for them or not. I'd trust that about as much as I do the emails telling me the prince of Nigeria wants to do business. Here I don't mean to be demeaning, I honestly would place an ancdotal report at a similar level.

Many of the anecdotal reports that I've read don't seem to report positive improvements. I understand this paritcular argument against noots is doomed to fail but it is something I've noticed.

My most important point is safety. Safety simply has not been enstablished and in some cases the community has found major problems with certain nootropics (phenibut is an example - high risk of addiction, potentially fatal in overdose etc). I don't deny for Piracetam safety is relatively well established but for all other nootropics I'm against them on the basis of safety - not against there sale, people should be able to risk it if they want.

[lazarian]

How about a specific type of alzheimer's..? Seems to fit at least some of the symptoms.

[Tom_]

Early onset Alzheimers is rare accounting for about 5% of cases. There is typically a strong family link or is a pure genetic disease and about 90% presents before 55. Cases presenting before 45 are extremely rare.

Furthermore the symptoms don't really fit. There is no report of abnormal movements, no confusion, no perceptial abnormality and the symptoms likely aren't enough to meet MCI.

[adamh]

All medicine was alternative before the establishment adopted it. I really doubt we have discovered all there is to discover and breakthroughs are not all found in expensive research studies. I could give many examples of things that work for many people for various conditions but are rejected by big pharma because there is no money in them. Therefore, doctors are not trained to use those herbs, extracts, or even food items. Therefore, they remain "alternative"