Cognitive Dysfunction

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 5/31/05 6:57:27 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time,

SSRI medications writes:

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTION

That's a really polite neurological term for brain damage. Included in my

list of symptoms are: memory loss, word retrieval problems, inability to track

time, problems with math, problems with executive functioning, inability to

multi-task, and a couple of other things that I can't remember (HAHAHA!) that

have impeded my life.

[Guest guest]

Thank you Anita, for that very interesting digest on Cognitive Dysfunction

(chemo brain). My neurologist and I have been going back and forth about this

for some time and I think he is beginning to see the light. I have forwarded

him your post, as I will be seeing him some time in the next few weeks. Your

explanation as you posted is the best I have read yet. Even he should be able

to understand it. LOL.

Blessings,

Lottie

[Guest guest]

Hi I thought youhad changed it Sheila! didn't realise it had to be changed again... Mo

Hi Mo - did you not see my message asking that this subject heading benow discontinued and replaced with "Cognitive Dysfunction" - which isthe more suitable heading. Please make sure you have checked the subjectheading and change it before responding.Sheila> Yes I agree with you in every respect Val. Mo>> I am sure that nobody meant anything bad in saying that you must trimposts. After all we all forget sometimes, and we must sticktogether & support each other with out brain fogs.> Â> Val>

[Guest guest]

Once the subject heading has been

changed and a request made that members use this new heading in further messages,

it is then up to the member, if s/he is responding to a previous message with

the original subject heading, to delete it and change it to 'Cognitive

Dysfunction'. It soon works out OK in the end, but all of us need to check we have

done this.

Sheila

[Guest guest]

Mannitol and maltodex(t)rine I just read on the label ......

Maybe they are OK? I must check, I just saw these when I was at my worst with the food withdrawals and thought OH NO! sugar....

The ones I looked at today in H & B did have naughties in them I am sure but for the ife of me I cannot rememeber what the labels said now.

I had to take some calcium back because the shell capsule had sugar in it, mad innit? The H & B assistant said a lot of their supplements (especially capsules) have sugar in them, they do not seem to do a hypoallergenic range.

Mo

>I have had to stop my B100's from H & B because of the food >sensitivity/ candida angle, had another look in there today at the B >vits and could not see any 'hypoallergenic' for want of a better word.Mo, why would you have to stop them because of food sensitivity or candida? What did the tablets have in them that was contra-indicated? x

[Guest guest]

My most recent post will also have the wrong heading, sorry. This is

because I read the emails in the order they appear on the website and

don't read them all before deciding to answer one. If I did that I

probably wouldn't find again the one I had thought of answering! So I

answered a previous post of Mo's before reading yours about the change

of heading.

Miriam

> Hi Mo - did you not see my message asking that this subject heading

be now discontinued and replaced with " Cognitive Dysfunction " - which

is the more suitable heading. Please make sure you have checked the

subject heading and change it before responding.

>

> Sheila

[Guest guest]

>

> Mannitol and maltodex(t)rine I just read on the label ......

> Maybe they are OK? I must check, I just saw these when I was at my

>worst with the food withdrawals and thought OH NO! sugar....

> The ones I looked at today in H & B did have naughties in them I am

>sure but for the ife of me I cannot rememeber what the labels said

now.

I use Solgar B complex. They are sugar, salt and starch free, plus I

rang them to check there's no wheat in there. I've taken them for a

couple of years now without any problems at all and you know what

I'm like! I left them off for a while earlier in the year because my

B12 was too high but I was very glad to get back on them.

Only problem though is that Solgar tend to be at the expensive end

of the range.

BTW I avoid maltodextrin because of the possible MSG connection and

the fact that it may be sourced from wheat. It can also be from corn

or potato and I know you are intolerant of potato. Don't know

anything about Mannitol.

x

[Guest guest]

> ... speaking about blood flow to the brain earlier in this

>respect, have you tried Gingko? I am reading good things about NADH

too.

Yes, I used to take Gingko. Stopped for some reason that eludes me

right now. I think it helped at the time. Funnily enough hubby

bought a huge jar of it yesterday.

Never heard of NADH before til I saw it in that article. I've been

reading about it too. Lots here:

http://chronicfatigue.about.com/sitesearch.htm?

TopNode=99 & terms=NADH & pg=1 & SUName=chronicfatigue & ac= & cs=

So much info about lots of things though to digest and sift through.

I think a lot of wisdom and common sense is needed to match the

product with our need. Too easy to get caught up in all the hype and

marketing, especially when we're desperate to get well. But it IS

interesting and who knows what might be the missing ingredient? So

everything has to be considered and weighed up.

x

[Guest guest]

From: marlene804667 <marlene.emmett@...>Subject: Re: cognitive dysfunctionthyroid treatment Date: Saturday, 7 February, 2009, 8:59 PM

Yes Solgar does seem to be an exceptional brand and yes also a little ut of my league I am afraid.

And you are educating me, thank you, I did not know about MSG etc, it was just the fear of sugar being in them I think....

This is one heck of a business, trying to sort through what is OK and what is not... I still have not had the energy to go through all my supplments and check them so maybe I should make this a priority...... now where is my notebokk???? Ah, right here and here is another by the sink, another by the loo...

Thanks xx Mo BTW I avoid maltodextrin because of the possible MSG connection and the fact that it may be sourced from wheat. It can also be from corn or potato and I know you are intolerant of potato. Don't know anything about Mannitol. x

[Guest guest]

Hi Mo

I cant help but think that maybe you and I are in the same situation.

Adrenals may be causing you to not be able to use all that lovely T3.

When you think about it, you've had a lot of stressors lately; the

very restrictive diet and the die-off it caused, an ill dog. A little

while ago you had a reaction to a " forbidden " food didnt you? I only

just remembered this, but when I saw Dr P, I mentioned my various food

intolerances and chemical sensitivities and he remarked that those

would improve as I got further into his treatment plan.

I wonder if you'd do well to reduce your thyroid hormone for a bit and

work on building up your adrenals? Thats what I'm doing at the

moment; time will tell whether its the right approach.

Marie xx

[Guest guest]

Yes I think you could be right there Marie. I have lowered my T3 yesterday down to where I was before my last increase. I don't know what to do about the h/c as I did try h.c and NAE together last year and it did nothing to get them them stabilised.

Avoiding stress would be the obvious thing to do but then that is not always as easy as it might sound. Yes I am weighed down with the worry of my dog and not getting veterinary support with that does not help one little bit. I can only that the food situation, when the worst of it is over, will actually reduce the load on my adrenals.

Right now, today, my average temp has come in at 97.1 which is appalling and reflects how I feel i.e. weak, exhausted, confused, just ticking over kind of thing.

One day we will look back and laugh at all of this Marie

MoI cant help but think that maybe you and I are in the same situation.Adrenals may be causing you to not be able to use all that lovely T3.When you think about it, you've had a lot of stressors lately; thevery restrictive diet and the die-off it caused, an ill dog. A littlewhile ago you had a reaction to a "forbidden" food didnt you? I onlyjust remembered this, but when I saw Dr P, I mentioned my various foodintolerances and chemical sensitivities and he remarked that thosewould improve as I got further into his treatment plan.I wonder if you'd do well to reduce your thyroid hormone for a bit andwork on building up your adrenals? Thats what I'm doing at themoment; time will tell whether its the right approach.Marie xx

[Guest guest]

Here is some interesting info from Myhill about the brain, sorry no link to post, I may buy the book.

Mo

Ref: Information/ Brain in CFS - Edge Effect November

2008

The Brain in CFS – the Edge Effect

Titles in CAPITALS refer to my other information handouts – please, ask for a copy to be sent or emailed to you, or look for it on my website.

The Brain is the Driver of your Car

I do like to read books by clever people who turn difficult subjects in to simple concepts with practical implications for management. Dr Braverman has done this with his book “The Edge Effectâ€. He is highly qualified, well read and refers to the same people and ideas as I do. He combines the best of recent and modern thinking and research to come up with a model of the brain which dovetails with many of the things I already know to be important in sustaining good health. However, there are some very useful “bolt on†extras! Just as DNA is made up of four subunits which, combined, provide the entire genetic blueprint for all of life on Earth, Braverman describes the brain in terms of the actions of four neurotransmitters, describes the symptoms of imbalances of each hormone so they can be recognised and what

can be done to correct these. Many of these interventions I already recommend such as STONEAGE DIET, NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS, SLEEP, DETOXING and so on, but Braverman directs us to further fine tuning.

The first step is to identify your personality type, which points to specific deficiencies, then try different interventions to see if they have a beneficial effect. I have summarised Braverman’s findings but you can read about them in much more detail in his book.

Dopamine predominant (frontal lobes) 17% of people

Thinking intuitives – rationalists, theory oriented, precise, love power, high energy extroverts, tend to addictions. Achievers, thinkers, problem solvers, pragmatic but do not take criticism. Love activities requiring intellect – crosswords, chess. Relish competition. Motto: “Never take anything personallyâ€.

Too much: overly intense, driven and impulsive. Possibly violent, reckless driving, criminal behaviour. Dopamine is the “voltage†of the brain (ie height of electrical brain waves).

If deficient – becomes the loner, the procrastinator. Loses energy to socialise, loses feelings of emotion.

Symptom – inconsistent attention. Loss of working memory (ability to absorb information and use it for on-going processing).

Addiction to boost levels: cocaine, coffee, sugar.

Occupation: doctors, scientists, researchers, inventors, engineers, generals, architects.

Acetylcholine predominant (parietal lobes) 17% of people

Intuitive feelers – idealists striving to be authentic, benevolent and empathetic. Good at thinking functions such as comprehension of language, intelligence and attention. Love words, ideas and communication. Highly creative and open to new ideas. Quick thinker, considerate of others. Flexible, creative, impulsive so long as it offers the promise of excitement and something new. Intuitive and innovative. Love teaching others. Sociable, charismatic, like meeting new people. Motto: “Always do your bestâ€.

Acetylcholine gives the brain speed (measured in alpha waves) of processing information and access stored information

Too much speed: causes panic disorders, anxiety, hysteria, sometimes manic episodes. Sufferer may give too much to others to the point of masochism. May feel the world is taking advantage of them and become paranoid and then isolated.

If deficient (too little speed) – becomes the eccentric and the perfectionist. Steers away from human interaction, lives in a dream world. Workaholic, misses out on relaxation, enjoyment and warmth. Fatigue. Learning disorders.

Symptoms of deficiency – misplacing items, carelessness. Loss of immediate memory (lasts up to 30 seconds) causing poor learning capacity and loss of basic alertness.

Addiction to boost levels: nicotine, carbohydrate binge

Occupation: teachers, community work, artists, writers, musicians, councellors, mediators, think tank, religious leaders, public service, self employed businesses.

Dopamine and acetylcholine are the ON switches for the brain, GABA and serotonin are the OFF switches. It is no surprise that most of my CFS patients are dopamine or acetylcholine types! I often think one has to undergo a personality change to get out of CFS. The personality that gets you in to it does not help you get out of it!

GABA predominant (temporal lobes) 50% of people

Characterised by stability, organisation and tradition. Guardians, caring type, look to preserve traditional values, dependable. Stable, calm, objective, level headed, punctual, confident. Tend to be homemakers, good team players, sensible, settled. Make others feel comfortable May use alcohol to calm their compulsiveness. Motto “always keep your wordâ€.

Produce calming rhythmic theta waves – keeps brain in check, paces activity

Too much – expend too much energy on caring at the cost of getting hurt. Rely heavily on friends and crave their judgement and approval.

If deficient – becomes the unstable personality and Drama Queen. This person meets the needs of others. Moods often unbalanced and mercurial. Inappropriately theatrical, loving and living for the big moment. Attention seeking, seeking reassurance of his worth. Feel worthless and without hope. The problems of the world become his own. Depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxious.

Symptoms of deficiency – lack of attention, impulsive actions. Loss of verbal memory eg inability to understand sound, words, sentences and stories.

Addiction to boost levels: diazepam

Occupation: administrators, accountants, security officers, nurses, technicians, air traffic controllers, paramedics, planners, homemakers.

Serotonin predominant (occipital lobes) 17% of people

Sensitive preceptors. Artisans who act on impulse and seek adventure. They prize fun. Motto “live through experienceâ€. Know how to enjoy life! Able to rest, regenerate and find serenity. Live for the moment, thrive on change, try new foods, pick up new hobbies, like a challenge just for the fun of overcoming it! Receptive to stimuli, in touch with mind and body, co-ordinated, resourceful. Not put off by a struggle. Love parties and celebrations, mountain climbing, hunting, skiing, scuba diving, anything so long as there is excitement with it! Optimistic, cheerful easy-going, want to join in and be part of the fun. Love children! Intensely loyal.

Serotonin vital at night for brain to recharge and rebalance.

Associated with delta waves in the brain.

Too much – nervous, hesitant, vulnerable to criticism, desperate desire for interpersonal relationship.

If deficient – becomes the self absorbed personality and the rule breaker. Loses sensitivity to others, flouts conventional values as beneath him, makes his own rules so others are damaged. Boundary between truth and lies becomes blurred.

Symptoms – inability to grasp concepts quickly. Loss of visual memory – inability to remember faces, colours, pictures, symbols so. Insomnia, PMT

Addiction to boost levels: alcohol, sugar bingeing

Occupation: mechanics, construction workers, drivers, military personnel, hairdressers, bar tenders, pilots, computer programmers, professional athletes, movie stars, photographers, surgeons, chiropractors, detectives, investigators, crisis intervention.

HOWEVER THE MOST IMPORTANT SYMPTOM OF A PROBLEM IN ANY OF THESE DEPARTMENTS IS MEMORY LOSS. The difference in mental processing between a resourceful mind and senility is one tenth of a second. We normally generate a reaction within three tenths of a second – if this becomes four tenths of a second we can no longer process logical thought. When the brain slows down, and without care this starts on average at 40, we start to lose our edge. You just become less sharp. It’s the old story – as you age you can stay just as fit and well but you have to work harder at it! Brain function is the most sensitive indicator of body biochemistry which means once the brain is working well, there is not much wrong with the biochemistry!

Most people have a combination of the above problems. In CFS there is probably a general deficiency of all the above neurotransmitters! Much can be corrected with the standard work-ups, but the following “bolt on extras†are often very useful! If you wish to define your type more closely, there is a detailed DIY series of questions which you can read in the book “The Edge Effectâ€, together with frequently asked questions. The aim is to identify then balance up the imbalances. I can’t repeat this here without breaching copyright! However you can experiment with the following interventions (or get the book!) and that will give further clues and answers to your personal brain chemistry.

The Powerful Dopamine Nature

Dopamine deficiency can be helped by:

Hormones: DHEA and cortisol (see ADRENAL DYSFUNCTION) HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE THYROID HORMONES

Diet – eat foods containing phenylalanine which is converted into tyrosine, the raw material to synthesise dopamine. This means a high protein diet. Interestingly aspartame is high in phenylalanine which is maybe why diet coke is so addictive! (Aspartame is also metabolised to formaldehyde, a neurotoxin). Foods rich in tyrosine include all meats (especially wild game meats), dark chocolate, egg, walnuts.

Extra supplements: tyrosine – 1-2 grams daily, phosphatidyl serine 50-200mgs

Herbals – rhodiola 50-200mgs, ginkgo biloba 50-100mgs

The Creative Acetlycholine Nature

Acetlycholine deficiency can be helped by

Hormones: DHEA and cortisol. Human Growth Hormone

Diet – high fat (but good fats!): fatty meats, eggs, liver, nuts, quality cold pressed oils, avocado

Extra supplements: choline 100-500mgs, phosphatidyl serine 500-2,000mgs, aceyl L carnitine 250-1,000mgs, DHA 200-1,000mgs, pantothenic acid 25-100mgs, vitamin B12 100-500mcgms

Herbals – ginkgo biloba 50-100mgs, Korean ginseng 100-500mgs

The Stable GABA Nature

GABA deficiency can be helped by

Opiates! (consider LOW DOSE NALTREXONE) DHEA

Diet: complex carbohydrates to supply the raw material to make GABA namely glutamine such as nuts, vegetables, pulses, fruits. Especially avoid refined foods.

Extra supplements: inositol 500-2,000mgs, glutamic acid 250-1,000mgs, melatonin 1-6mgs, B vitamins.

Herbals: valerian 100-500mgs, passionflower 200-1,000mgs

The Playful Serotonin nature

Serotonin deficiency can be helped by

Hormones – Human Growth Hormone

Diet – tryptophan is the precursor to serotonin and comes from protein, especially game meats. Also avocado, dark chocolate

Extra supplements: 5HTP 100-500mgs, melatonin 1-6mgs, magnesium 400-1,000mgs, tryptophan 500-2,000mgs, B6 100-500mgs, fish oils, zinc 15mgs nocte.

Herbals St ’s Wort 300-900mgs, passion flower 200-1,000mgs

REMEMBER WE ARE ALL A MIX OF ALL THE ABOVE AND IT IS ATTENTION TO ALL AREAS WHICH GIVES THE RESULTS!

Children are born with undisguised personalities. As we age our personality matures and the above traits should become less obvious. The aim is to balance up all of the above areas to find a state in which we are most productive and content.

The above should be done IN ADDITION to STONEAGE DIET, NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS, SLEEP, DETOXING and so on!

From: mollybawn2000 <mariebishop@...>Subject: Re: Cognitive dysfunctionthyroid treatment Date: Sunday, 8 February, 2009, 5:10 PM

Hi MoI cant help but think that maybe you and I are in the same situation.Adrenals may be causing you to not be able to use all that lovely T3.When you think about it, you've had a lot of stressors lately; thevery restrictive diet and the die-off it caused, an ill dog. A littlewhile ago you had a reaction to a "forbidden" food didnt you? I onlyjust remembered this, but when I saw Dr P, I mentioned my various foodintolerances and chemical sensitivities and he remarked that thosewould improve as I got further into his treatment plan.I wonder if you'd do well to reduce your thyroid hormone for a bit andwork on building up your adrenals? Thats what I'm doing at themoment; time will tell whether its the right approach.Marie xx

[Guest guest]



Mo

can i post this to another group?

thanks

nil

Re: Re: Cognitive dysfunction

Here is some interesting info from Myhill about the brain, sorry no link to post, I may buy the book.

Mo

Ref: Information/ Brain in CFS - Edge Effect November 2008

The Brain in CFS – the Edge Effect

Titles in CAPITALS refer to my other information handouts – please, ask for a copy to be sent or emailed to you, or look for it on my website.

_.___

[Guest guest]

> That was very good of you Miriam to type all of that up...

You're more than welcome, Mo. :-)

> Now if only I could figure out a way to get this amazing thyroid

hormone into my cells.....

I know what you mean! It looks like my younger son has this problem,

but I haven't yet found a lot of information about factors that

inhibit T3 uptake.

Miriam

[Guest guest]

That is one common factor, certainly, but my son's adrenal test showed

his were fine, yet he still appears to have some block to uptake of T3.

Miriam

> I cant help but think that maybe you and I are in the same situation.

> Adrenals may be causing you to not be able to use all that lovely T3.

[Guest guest]

Yes of course Nil, sorry I did not have a proper link for it, the more brains that can he helped to heal the better!

Mo

 Mo

can i post this to another group?

thanks

nil

Re: [thyroidpatientadvo cacy] Re: Cognitive dysfunction

Here is some interesting info from Myhill about the brain, sorry no link to post, I may buy the book.

Mo

Ref: Information/ Brain in CFS - Edge Effect November 2008

The Brain in CFS – the Edge Effect

Titles in CAPITALS refer to my other information handouts – please, ask for a copy to be sent or emailed to you, or look for it on my website.

_.___

[Guest guest]

Well the factors I am aware of off the top of my head are:

candida blocking receptors, reverse T3 ditto, insufficient cortisol for whatever reason i.e. not high enough dose, blocked receptors candida, malabsorption issues, cell resistance......

my own son has a brain issue as well though he is not quite optimised on thyroid, hopefully things will improve for him for us all

I ordered that book from Amazon so hopefully that will help.

MoI know what you mean! It looks like my younger son has this problem,but I haven't yet found a lot of information about factors thatinhibit T3 uptake.Miriam

[Guest guest]

What were his results Miriam nad have you had him check that his temps are stable and BP rises upon standing etc. To be sure, to be sure, to be sure

Mo

That is one common factor, certainly, but my son's adrenal test showedhis were fine, yet he still appears to have some block to uptake of T3.Miriam> I cant help but think that maybe you and I are in the same situation.> Adrenals may be causing you to not be able to use all that lovely T3.

[Guest guest]

I saw your feedback on iHerb for l-ornithine Val

I don't think Dr was saying it got rid of parasites, she says it gets rid of the ammonia that the parasites can cause so, yes, if that is the source then it would need attending to.

It can be caused by other factors though like gut dysbiosis etc (assuming that IS in fact a separate issue?).

I am hopeful lowering ammonia will help with my brain fog and insomnia.

Mo

I take this every night, but I cannot see that it will get rid of any parasites. If you are going down this road you will need to do the parasite cleanse (as in Dr s) and then do a weekly maintenance one, to keep it up to date. I try to keep mine up to date, and also do the dog version for my dogs daily.ValI ordered some l-ornithine today on the assumption that ammonia could be implicated in my insomnia and brain fog.Dr Hulda says that bacteria and parasites are often the cause of high levels of ammonia which result in sleep problems and cognitive issues and I suppose if that were the case then the little ******* would need to be seen of permanently to stop a recurrence but there are other causes and I wil try the l-ornithine and see it if helps......

[Guest guest]

Hi Miriam

I am currently investigating progesterone deficiency as a cause of my

problems. The progesterone cream doesnt seem to cut it for me in

terms of controlling PMS etc.

What is relevant here is that Dr Lee wrote in his book that

progesterone helps with thyroid hormone uptake.

Now, I dont know how this would work in men; men have some level of

progesterone, but obviously lower than we do, so I dont know if its a

factor in men. Have you ever investigated it as a cause of his problems?

Could testosterone be one of his limiting factors?

The reason I mentioned it is I found a place in the US which sells

progesterone capsules. It aint cheap, but I figured I'd give it a

trial for a month or 2. Dr Lee says there is no benefit to these

capsules, EXCEPT in the case of menstrual migraines (which I suffer

badly from).

The pills arrived yesterday. I took one and had a definite

improvement in energy levels. Nothing major, but it was definitely

there. Which tells me that insufficient progesterone is probably

adding to my problems with T3 uptake.

It appears that these capsules cause a spike in progesterone levels

after about an hour, then it dips after 4-6 hours. Yesterday I

noticed that I was back to my normal " no energy " after 6 hours.

Just a thought; it might be relevant to your son.

Marie

>

> Thanks, Mo. My son doesn't have adrenal problems or candida, so we've

> got to investigate the other causes of cellular resistance.

> Miriam