Ritalin anyone?

[MJo]

My journey continues to improve my cognitive functioning. I am now taking 5mg of Focasil, which is second generation Ritalin. Isnt someone else taking Ritalin here?

[Believe51]

Ed is on Ritalin but does not have to take it on a consistant basis. Some weeks are worse than others for his fatigue level. He sometimes takes 10mg per day during that stretch but normally the 5mg gives him that extra ummph he needs. He is on very few drugs right now, except for pain, Zometa and Faslodex. Feel pretty confident saying that he has few side effects, if any, from Ritalin. Hope this helps a bit.

Nice seeing your face.>>Believe51

[MJo]

Yes, thanks. I'm always leery of a new drug, wondering how it will interact with Femara, or will it tax my heart, which has endured adriamycin and herceptin, etc. etc. Probably I'm overly fearful, but I think that's post-traumatic stress!! Good to know Ed has few or no side effects. I'm taking only 5 mg. Blessings...

[Donna]

Hi MJo,

There is a prescription drug named Provigil (also known as Modafinil) which is a non-stimulant used sometimes for ADD when stimulants become a problem - it's first line use is for narcolepsy. I take 1/2 tab when fatigue or cognitive issues surface and it works way better than the stimulants for me. If the "jitters" of stimulant use prove to be a problem, this is something worth a try.

Best to you!

Donna

[TSund]

Hi Donna,

I wasn't aware that Armidx can also cause thickened uterine tissue, I thought it was just Tamoxifen that sometimes did that.

Guess I was mistaken!?

TRS

[Donna]

Yep, yep and yep - the Dr.'s concluded that the thickening of my uterine tissue was directly caused by the Arimidex - bummer. My general practitioner warned me about it before my oncologist sent me to a specialist and I figure if my GP knew about it, it must be fairly common.

Arimidex also wreaked havoc on my joints - I am soooooo happy to have switched to Femara.

Have a great weekend!

[Chelee]

MJo, I've heard of studies & clinical trials being done to find drugs to help combat the fatigue and cognitive problems cancer patients have to deal with. I'm always surprised I don't hear about more women on Ritalin or other drugs to help with fatigue and cognitive function.

But a couple yrs ago I did see trials for cancer patients for the drug Donna is taking, "Provigil". It caught my attention because I was always so tired and I still have what I consider major chemo brain. It should be getting better but it seems worse to me. If I thought Ritalin or Provigil would help I would certainly give it a try.

MJo, usually your doctor will start a patient on the lowest dose possible to see if it gets the desired results...so I think you will be ok. If you start bouncing all over the walls I would stop taking it. lol (Just kidding.) :) But in all seriousness...I've love to hear if it helps you. Looking forward to your update.

Chelee

[MJo]

I've only been on Focalin one week. Last week I tried 2.5 mg in the morning and mid-day. This week I am going to try 2.5 mg in the morning only, because I woke up several times during the night instead of my usual once. I feel alert, more focused and calmer. The psych nurse I'm seeing suggested I read some books about Adult ADD in women. Possible I've always been ADD, or chemo intensified mild ADD in me. Don't know. It's all new to me and I need to do some adjusting.

[StephN]

Hi MJO -
I did take Ritalin for a couple of months when I was having fatigue/memory issues, but I think it was disturbing my sleep after a while. Plus I could not tell if it was really working or if I was just naturally getting stronger from a healthy lifestyle after chemo.

I take an herbal supplement called NEUROZYME - Supercritical Mental Clarity from New Chapter. I like it and feel it has helped me.

I have a friend who does not have cancer, but DOES have Adult ADD. She has been taking Ritalin for a few months now and is definitely doing better.
In her case, she has her own business and is really scattered in where her attention needs to go and can be easily derailed from one task to another.

She feels that hormonal changes are a big part of her problem, made worse by her choice of "retirement" business. She is trying to pare down and get better organized, but does need help as she took on SO much!

[StephN]

From one of the HealthTalk Blogs:

Kathy-Ellen’s Breast Cancer Blog

http://static.healthtalk.com/images/people/kups-kathy-ellen-featured.jpg (http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/chemo-brain-organization-and-add/#)
Kathy-Ellen Kups
Life with Breast Cancer


November 7, 2008
Chemo brain, organization and ADD
Sister has been listening to me complain about what I call brain damage. After four years, I really believe that I am continuing to suffer from chemo brain. Every now and then, I go over the symptoms with Sister who feels they relate to ADD, so she got me a book on it. Having chemo brain, I seldom read a book from cover to cover starting on chapter one. Because this book is written for people with ADD (http://blog.healthtalk.com/adhd/life-with-adhd/krutka/the-adhd-patient/) it is not designed to be read conventionally anyway; this helped me to stick with it. Skimming through the chapters, I began to see how chemo-brain could be diagnosed as ADD. This isn’t so far fetched. Back in December of 2006, I was invited to participate in a Webcast on HealthTalk about chemo brain (http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/chemo-brain-the-webcast/) (worth listening to from the archives (http://www2.healthtalk.com/go/cancer/supportive-care/webcasts/chemo-brain-it-isn-t-all-in-your-head) if you have the time). The other guest was a doctor (http://www2.healthtalk.com/go/cancer/supportive-care/webcasts/chemo-brain-it-isn-t-all-in-your-head#) doing research on chemo brain who applauded my using caffeine in the afternoons when my focus and energy were waning. He suggested that one thing that has worked in his research is stimulants, which is what Ritalin (methylphenidate) and other ADD drugs are.
Well, still not ready to lump myself in with bratty pre-adolescent boys, I continued to read the book with skepticism, until I got to the chapter on piles. I found it so odd that in the middle of the book, therefore one of the first chapters I read, was a description of my organization style. I hate clutter, I always have. But since chemo, most mail, receipts and paper that come into my house end up in piles. I have neatly stacked piles everywhere, which still makes the place look cluttered. When I get tired of looking at the piles, I put them in lovely baskets, or boxes under the couch in the office. Then I start new piles. Imagine my shock when this book described my piles and the use of them as a symptom of adult ADD. Before chemo brain, I was organized and had files and packets for all important papers and nothing extra in my house - no piles. Does this mean I now have chemo brain or ADD (http://blog.healthtalk.com/adhd/life-with-adhd/krutka/)? I’m losing what little I have of my mind just thinking about it.
The other major symptom I complain about is that things fall out of my head. I still have problems retaining info so I have to write everything down. Sister thinks I now need to work with a psychiatrist to find a way to relieve my symptoms. My search will be for one that has worked with cancer patients. This may take some time and lots of piles.
-Kathy-Ellen


There are a lot of replies to this blogs from people who have been treated for various cancers and they ALL have difficulties with memory and getting/staying somewhat organized. Most take Ritalin.

I am interested in Donna's "nonstimulent" remedy. Might look into that one myself, but I just HATE taking pills and am now off everything but aspirin as blood thinner and one for allergies...

[R.B.]

Hi All,

My pet subject again Omega 3 and 6.

Many people with ADHD show omega 3 6 imbalances.

Improving Omega 3 intake and reducing Omega 6 and ensuring adequate minerals etc have been observed to be as effective as Ritalin in some trials.

Due to soil depletion mineral intake is falling. Iodine deficiencies are rising too.

The brain need DHA to function properly.

Excess Omega 6 causes oxidative stress. Oxidative stress (oxidants the antioxidants cannot cope) with is the ultimate enemy of brains, and damages eventually killing brain cells.

The American Psychiatric Association now recommends a gram of DHA and A gram of EPA a day for depression etc.

We only need maybe 2% of calories as Omega 6 and are eating 10-13%, and so are vastly overloading.

So its back to fish and shellfish for Omega 3s and minerals, fish oil plus a basic mineral supplement is option two.


RB

Author

Omega Six The Devils Fat

www.omegasixthedevilsfat.com