PTSD and Memory Loss???

[Sonflower]

Does anyone know if Memory Loss is related to PTSD??

[margypops]

Not doing too badly lately I am now trying to figure out if my symptoms are from Lyme Or fibromyalgia....I may never find out... I may be stuck with whatever it is forever, . I think the problems of this country have taken my thoughts away from everything else ......

[Worn_Out]

Oh and yes I do have some memory loss but it is more due to head injuries with several concussions and sleep apnea.

However I think when our PTSD gets high we tend to overload and the brain just won't work ... it shuts down and cannot fully function with all the stimuli ... however when our stress levels are down we can think clearer and are better able to function.

[Worn_Out]

I didn't bother going to a group for counselling when it was suggested as I figured I would be the center of attention just as you were when you went.  Our lives are 'exciting' and 'interesting' to both the counsellors and the other patients as well and I agree it is taking away from the group.  I ended up finally finding a good psychiatrist through my family doctor.  Unless the group is filled with PTSD survivors the rest cannot relate and we make their own problems look minor in comparison.  However we are not there for entertainment ... we are there for getting some help ourselves.

I hope things are going much better for you now hun.

[margypops]

Well heres the thingsonflower,I have decided to try without the adrenal caps now , there was no problem.. however I have taken them for several weeks and have noticed as with a lot of supplements there is a cut off point , so heres what I am taking , back onto Sam E and my usual Vits..Have you tried Sam-E.... google it for more information, has helped me in the past , several months if not a year so decided to try it again,,Do try the Complementary Med forum ..trust me one of the best things you will do

[Sonflower]

Good morning;

I just took notice of you responce....

Adrenal Support, very interesting !!!   I wonder if this would help me???

I had a Complete Thyroidectomy 5 months ago, therefore of course I am on a high dose of Thyroid Hormones, I wonder if this would be something I could take?

The "Complementary Medicine Forum" I still have yet to check out, I have not been feeling well so I have been slacking off for a few days...  

Thanks for the info;  Sonflower

[Sonflower]

Good morning;

Just stopped by the forum this morning too catch up...

And I notice that Congrats were in order, I am so happy to hear of your success in getting clean!  Also, to hear of you bravery of working through all those boxes and cleaning up the big mess...

CONGRATS TO YOU !!!

Surely the enter strength that enpowered you to get this far will see you through until the job is completed....  

Good Luck and Take Care;  Sonflower

[margypops]

Sorry you couldnt bring him with you, we need good therapists..isnt that great to hear that you were helped to learn how to help your self ..magical words , can you impart some of your experiences to us for help for others with similar problems.

[sway1]

i had the most awesome therapist and i wish i could've brought him with me when i moved. we still correspond at holidays. he helped me learn how to help myself. but no person is an island. even he is OCD. go figure. peace.   sway

[margypops]

Hi and welcome to the forum,Youy sound as if you have a handle your problem ,you cleaned up the mess from the Fallen boxes I am sure you will finf strength to do it again,did your therapy help you clean up the 'mess' . Congrats on getting cleaned up thats a hard task isntit,  yet you have battled those Demons and won...

[sway1]

my bad memories are stored in boxes on shelves in my brain. the only reason i found out i had ptsd was after getting clean off drugs, the boxes began falling off the shelves and cracking open. went thru some therapy, cleaned up the mess from the fallen boxes. had a couple more fall. i know there are some suppressed memory boxes teetering on the old shelf. just hope i am strong enough to handle it should they fall. sway

[margypops]

Hope you found the Complementary Medicine  Forum there are great subjects that deepdiver gives us and  information,I have found it immensly helpful and he will give you feedback on any supplements , ones you can take to help your self. JKJ you may want to stop by it also ,I found taking Adrenal Support supplements very helpful with focusing and memory,if you put in what you posted here deepdiver, and Laura who is the CL there will have input for you.

[JKJ]

I also have trouble with spelling things.....I notice it quite often when I try to write checks that I can't spell out the numbers.  I used to be a very good typist and now I have to often correct what I type because of the mis-spelled words.  

It's frustrating as hell.

[Sonflower]

Hi Mary;

I didn't know that there was a Complementory Medicine forum.

Thank you for all the info...  

Take care; Sonflower

[margypops]

You are welcome ,anytime,have you been to the Autoimune forum ,you may get some help from the folks there , yes may be a good idea to wean off, you may feel better they do apparently have side effects, I use my health food store a lot I find supplements very helpful and without most side effects.If you also go to the Complementory Medicine forum there is a ton of stuff up there today about Iodine and Thyroid, really great folks , with a ton of helpful information, Good luck

[Sonflower]

Hi Mary;

I too prefer natural supplements and take various ones.  But for the chronic pain condition I have I'm not sure what is available that might be effective.  I weaned myself off of the Fentyal once, only to begin taking it again.  I have Fibromyaligia/Chronic Fatige Pain Syndrom and an autoimmune thyroid disease and recently had a Thyroidectomy 4 months ago.  I was just thinking about trying to wean myself of the pain meds again and try something else, but I am just not sure what to try.

Thank you so much for offering an ear to hear...

Take care;  Sonflower

[margypops]

No we werent specifically asking if Fetayl was responsible for the memory loss, she doesnt know what is causing it and asked ...,if you read the posts,...if you get Memory loss with PTSD

[fary]

list da contents of dis med

[fary]

are u asking if fentayl has something to do wid ur memory loss?

[margypops]

I think you are right in going for counselling ,it does sound as if you are suffering from the loss of your son,meanwhile for the memory loss I expect you will ask for some input regarding the meds you are taking .Sometimes we have to help our selves through it ,that is what I have done having had many useless theories,I dont take any drugs now to help myslef I rely on research and supplements ..it works for me, sometimes I feel we rely too much on the Medical profession and take many powerful drugs with really bad side effects.I am sorry about the loss of your son, if you want to talk about that ,it helps ,you can PM me or any others .

[Sonflower]

Good Mornig;

Yes, I have had some counseling....   I was in counseling for a while a few times, it didn't seem like I was getting anywhere.  So then I asked my Phyc if there was any counselor that specialized in PTSD, she said no that the HMO did not, but there was one counselor that had counseled a few service men. So I went to him for a while, but again I didn't seem to be getting anywhere. So he reffered me to group counseling, it was a small group, once I took my turn to share of why I was there and what I was going through it seemed as though all the attention was on me, the others made comments of how what they were going through were trivial in comparison. The counselor and the others all began asking me a lot of questions etc. I felt as though I was taking away from the others. So, I was in group for a very short time.

Then shortly thereafter, my son was killed, I was so shocked that I didn't go right away to see my Phyc, it was 3 months later. When I did, she explained that my HMO did not have the help that I needed so she referred me some where else.  So I called to make an appointment where I was referred, she explained that they also were not equiped to help with the type of loss that I had experienced. Then I was referred again somewhere else. I was so shocked by the name of the referral that I didn't call right away, but later I did.  And I only spoke to someone once.

I do feel I should seek this special counseling and plan to do so soon. I think I just needed to be ready for dealing with the loss of my son, it will be 3 years this July.
Also, I have had some health problems and have been healing from surgery etc.

Thank you for your responce, take care;  Sonflower

[Sonflower]

Good morning;

I have never Googled Fentyal...  I have attempted to learn how this drug could effect my physical body such and liver and kidneys, but I was never really saticfied with my search.  I was never really able to find exactly what I was looking for.  Then I asked the pain management doctor that prescribed this medication and he just said, "well everything filters through the liver and kidney" he wasn't much help either. I am not sure what search engine I used previously...  I will Google it, thanks!

Take care: Sonflower

[margypops]

I googled Fentyal and it does have some big side effects ,you may want to ask your prescribing Doctor if you can take something else,if you google it there are several sites and you really get information there, it is powerful stuff, read up for your self but I think that is the cause of your memory loss, maybe a change is due..Good luck

[margypops]

I do believe they are connected, I know at my worst I definatly couldnt think straight and was very forgetful, as you have had so much over several years I think that stress is what has caused it, Have you had any therapy or counselling it may help you if you wre able to talk to someone,.I will google Fentyal and see what they say if anything about memory loss.  

[Sonflower]

Thank you all for your responce;

I have been so frustrated with this memory problem!

It comes and goes..   some days my memory is really bad, I even have problems speaking the words that our in my thoughts, like the words just don't come out right.  Or suddenly I can't seem to spell simple words etc.

Then other days..   I don't seem to have any problems with my memory or processing words when speaking and/or spelling.  

I am currently taking Synthroid 150mcg, Fentyal Pain Pain 25mcg and Calcitriol 0.25 for calcium absorbtion, calcium and a multi vitamin.  The only med that I would think might contribute to memory problems etc would be Fentyal.  However, I have been using the Fentyal for 3 years now and it is the lowest strength offered.

I have suffered excessive unrelentless stress over several years. I have also experienced various tramatic eventsand losses in my life and it seems like after each tramatic event the after math is more memory loss, and difficulty with speech and spelling etc.  This is why I was wondering if PTSD and memory loss etc was related or is it just a
con-ink-ee-dink?  

Does anyone have these other congnitive problems with speech or spelling....   and do your symptoms come and go?

Thank you all for any help or advise you may have to offer;  Sonflower