Re: Re: RESEARCH - Cognitive impairment in RA

[Guest guest]

What drives me up the wall is when you know the word you want to use, but for

some reason you cannot speak it. It's like it's there, but slips out of your

fingers whenever you try to grab it...

~Marie

[Guest guest]

Marie...

I know the feeling well and share your frustration......

Raniolo

From: Marie Miley- <mrussell@...>

Subject: Re: [ ] Re: RESEARCH - Cognitive impairment in RA

Date: Friday, March 27, 2009, 9:51 AM

What drives me up the wall is when you know the word you want to use, but for

some reason you cannot speak it. It's like it's there, but slips out of your

fingers whenever you try to grab it...

~Marie

[Guest guest]

You're welcome, Sharon.

I wish rheumatologists would take problems like this more seriously.

Not an MD

On Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 7:44 AM, Sharon MacD <sharonmm@...> wrote:

> Yes, , thank you for this.

> Once i saw the title I looked for the concepts of " verbal fluency " and

> " short term memory " because, while I'm 46, I've had RA since 4. I have

> always lost things and not remembered where I put things seconds later,even

> in my 20s.

> AND I have so much trouble remembering words when I speak!!!!! I'm a writer

> and I think I like writing because I have time to think things through

> before putting them on paper and get it right! I sound like a monosyllabic

> DOPE when I speak.

> I always wondered if it could be related to the RA.

> I too asked my Rheumy if this could be related--he just glanced at me and

> moved on.

> This is the kind of thing that SHOULDN'T be good news, but what a relief

> that I'm not just an airhead, RA may be involved -- what a relief!!!!

> Love ya, !

> Sharon

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

In a strange way doesn't it make you feel better when you know you're not alone

and going loopy.

 

I always feel that with this, it's just assumed as females we are just being

neurotic or menapausal!! We need to take the bull by the horns and force " them "

to listen. We have enough to worry about without adding this to the list.

 

I emailed that article to my Rheumatologist and Specialist nurse. Cannot wait

for the reply on Monday lol

 

Hope you all have a peaceful, pain free weekend.

 

Love and best wishes

x

 

From: maggiemac52 <maggiemac52@...>

Subject: [ ] Re: RESEARCH - Cognitive impairment in RA

Date: Saturday, 28 March, 2009, 1:23 AM

This is me - I have such troubles with word retrieval. My rheumy wants me to be

evaluated by a neurologist. My internist ordered a brain MRI and everything was

okay. I am going to go to a neurologist - just haven't had time yet. ,

thanks so much for the article. What worries me though is that there were a

significant number of subjects that showed impairment but I cannot find any more

current research on the subject. Of course, I am just using Google but don't you

think someone else would have studied this too? It's surprising to me.

Heidi, I have had the same symptoms occasionally. I just brushed them off as not

eating enough protein but it is scary. I remember that once it happened while I

was walking up to my house - I just kept praying that I wouldn't fall down. A

few minutes of rest, however, and the symptoms go away.

> > ,

> >

> > Thanks for this. Like everyone else, it gets old being told " it's all in

> > your head " , or, " I really don't think it's from RA " pat on the head, see

> > you

> > next time. I think the jury is still out as to whether or not MTX causes

> > " brain foggy " side effects or not. My own rheumy is a walking contradiction.

> > Don't get me wrong, I really like him, and have no desire to see another,

> > but it

> > just shows that there is a lot left to be learned. He has told me to use

> > Robitussin to curb any " fuzzy " effects of MTX an hour before I begin to take

> > it

> > (which helps!), yet next visit, I'll get there is no evidence or something

> > like that that MTX causes these problems. Anyway, I'd like to print this and

> > bring this to him if this is OK.

> >

> > Also, I had an incident yesterday I'd like to share. I was getting ready to

> > go to a support group (regarding unemployment) . While taking my shower, my

> > muscles suddenly felt very heavy and I became really shaky. I got out as

> > fast

> > as I could, did what I had to do, and rested. I seemed to feel OK, so I

> > drove to the meeting. It was up 3 flights of stairs, no elevator. I went up

> > and

> > sat down. I was already feeling foggy so I tried to make a point of

> > remembering everyone's name and what they said...nope, didn't happen. Then

> > someone

> > noticed I was a little spacey looking. He asked me if I ate breakfast. I

> > honestly didn't know. After the meeting, they helped me downstairs, I mostly

> > did it on my own, and sat down in the office. They got the nurse and made me

> > drink some cranberry juice. I was fine, just really tired and " foggy " . 2 of

> > the guys walked me out and 1 had bought some banana bread and had me eat a

> > little piece. I'm not diabetic, but being cooler and outside did help, but I

> > just came home and rested. Here is the amusing part. I called my PCP. He

> > told

> > me to call my Neurologist. His Nurse told me that with all the stressors I

> > have and the conditions I have, things are going to happen. I can make an

> > appointment if I want to. I would probably be better off seeing my

> > psychiatrist. I told her that I have only seen him twice, and it's just to

> > say Hi, how

> > are you doing on your adderrol. I made an appt. for a month away to see the

> > Neurologist. No biggie. I figure it was just a fibro episode. I'm newly dx'd

> > with Fibro although I've had it for quite a while. I'm ok today. Still

> > fuzzy,

> > but functional. Thoughts?

> > Happy Friday...

> >

> > Heidi in Mass....

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I forgot to ask if it was ok for me to use the article to send to my

rheumatologist. i saw that you had ok'd it for Heide. Next time I wil ask first,

I got carried away when I read it !!!

Thanks once again.

x

From: maggiemac52 <maggiemac52>

Subject: [ ] Re: RESEARCH - Cognitive impairment in RA

@gro ups.com

Date: Saturday, 28 March, 2009, 1:23 AM

This is me - I have such troubles with word retrieval. My rheumy wants me to be

evaluated by a neurologist. My internist ordered a brain MRI and everything was

okay. I am going to go to a neurologist - just haven't had time yet. ,

thanks so much for the article. What worries me though is that there were a

significant number of subjects that showed impairment but I cannot find any more

current research on the subject. Of course, I am just using Google but don't you

think someone else would have studied this too? It's surprising to me.

Heidi, I have had the same symptoms occasionally. I just brushed them off as not

eating enough protein but it is scary. I remember that once it happened while I

was walking up to my house - I just kept praying that I wouldn't fall down. A

few minutes of rest, however, and the symptoms go away.

> > ,

> >

> > Thanks for this. Like everyone else, it gets old being told " it's all in

> > your head " , or, " I really don't think it's from RA " pat on the head, see

> > you

> > next time. I think the jury is still out as to whether or not MTX causes

> > " brain foggy " side effects or not. My own rheumy is a walking contradiction.

> > Don't get me wrong, I really like him, and have no desire to see another,

> > but it

> > just shows that there is a lot left to be learned. He has told me to use

> > Robitussin to curb any " fuzzy " effects of MTX an hour before I begin to take

> > it

> > (which helps!), yet next visit, I'll get there is no evidence or something

> > like that that MTX causes these problems. Anyway, I'd like to print this and

> > bring this to him if this is OK.

> >

> > Also, I had an incident yesterday I'd like to share. I was getting ready to

> > go to a support group (regarding unemployment) . While taking my shower, my

> > muscles suddenly felt very heavy and I became really shaky. I got out as

> > fast

> > as I could, did what I had to do, and rested. I seemed to feel OK, so I

> > drove to the meeting. It was up 3 flights of stairs, no elevator. I went up

> > and

> > sat down. I was already feeling foggy so I tried to make a point of

> > remembering everyone's name and what they said...nope, didn't happen. Then

> > someone

> > noticed I was a little spacey looking. He asked me if I ate breakfast. I

> > honestly didn't know. After the meeting, they helped me downstairs, I mostly

> > did it on my own, and sat down in the office. They got the nurse and made me

> > drink some cranberry juice. I was fine, just really tired and " foggy " . 2 of

> > the guys walked me out and 1 had bought some banana bread and had me eat a

> > little piece. I'm not diabetic, but being cooler and outside did help, but I

> > just came home and rested. Here is the amusing part. I called my PCP. He

> > told

> > me to call my Neurologist. His Nurse told me that with all the stressors I

> > have and the conditions I have, things are going to happen. I can make an

> > appointment if I want to. I would probably be better off seeing my

> > psychiatrist. I told her that I have only seen him twice, and it's just to

> > say Hi, how

> > are you doing on your adderrol. I made an appt. for a month away to see the

> > Neurologist. No biggie. I figure it was just a fibro episode. I'm newly dx'd

> > with Fibro although I've had it for quite a while. I'm ok today. Still

> > fuzzy,

> > but functional. Thoughts?

> > Happy Friday...

> >

> > Heidi in Mass....

>

[Guest guest]

,

Thanks for asking, but nobody needs to ask me before forwarding any

informational or research articles. What people in the group shouldn't

do, without the writer's permission, is forward posts which contain a

group member's personal opinion and E-mail address.

Thank you,

Not an MD

On Sat, Mar 28, 2009 at 8:47 AM, Ledsom <sarahledsom@...> wrote:

> Hi ,

> I forgot to ask if it was ok for me to use the article to send to my

> rheumatologist. i saw that you had ok'd it for Heide. Next time I wil ask

> first, I got carried away when I read it !!!

> Thanks once again.

> x

>

>

> From: Ledsom <sarahledsom@...>

> Subject: Re: [ ] Re: RESEARCH - Cognitive impairment in RA

>

>

> Date: Saturday, 28 March, 2009, 9:12 AM

>

> Hi all,

> In a strange way doesn't it make you feel better when you know you're not

> alone and going loopy.

>

> I always feel that with this, it's just assumed as females we are just being

> neurotic or menapausal!!  We need to take the bull by the horns and force

> " them " to listen. We have enough to worry about without adding this to the

> list.

>

> I emailed that article to my Rheumatologist and Specialist nurse. Cannot

> wait for the reply on Monday lol

>

> Hope you all have a peaceful, pain free weekend.

>

> Love and best wishes

> x

[Guest guest]

Sorry, I couldn't find anything more recent.

It's a difficult thing to study since medications used to treat RA and

other conditions present (like fibromyalgia) can contribute to

cognitive dysfunction.

Not an MD

On Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 8:23 PM, maggiemac52 <maggiemac52@...> wrote:

> This is me - I have such troubles with word retrieval. My rheumy wants me to

> be evaluated by a neurologist. My internist ordered a brain MRI and

> everything was okay. I am going to go to a neurologist - just haven't had

> time yet. , thanks so much for the article. What worries me though is

> that there were a significant number of subjects that showed impairment but

> I cannot find any more current research on the subject. Of course, I am just

> using Google but don't you think someone else would have studied this too?

> It's surprising to me.

> Heidi, I have had the same symptoms occasionally. I just brushed them off as

> not eating enough protein but it is scary. I remember that once it happened

> while I was walking up to my house - I just kept praying that I wouldn't

> fall down. A few minutes of rest, however, and the symptoms go away.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Just thought there might be a copyright infringement or something.

Totally agree regarding others posts etc.

x

 

>

> From: Ledsom <sarahledsom@ .co. uk>

> Subject: Re: [ ] Re: RESEARCH - Cognitive impairment in RA

>

> @gro ups.com

> Date: Saturday, 28 March, 2009, 9:12 AM

>

> Hi all,

> In a strange way doesn't it make you feel better when you know you're not

> alone and going loopy.

>

> I always feel that with this, it's just assumed as females we are just being

> neurotic or menapausal!!  We need to take the bull by the horns and force

> " them " to listen. We have enough to worry about without adding this to the

> list.

>

> I emailed that article to my Rheumatologist and Specialist nurse. Cannot

> wait for the reply on Monday lol

>

> Hope you all have a peaceful, pain free weekend.

>

> Love and best wishes

> x