It is eerily creepy and brings me comfort, (if that makes sense), reading your comments. Your comment about having a word in your mind and not being able to get it to your mouth-I just wrote that almost exactly in a reply to my first post on this forum-actually one you replied too that once again your words could come right out of my mouth they are exactly how I feel.

At first when I described my mind issues I would just say that I couldn't remember a word to describe what I'm saying and people would just blow it off love yea yea we all forget things. But it wasn't like that-it wasn't like, "what's that actors' name?" and you can't remember. Finally I was able to describe it the same way you said to a t-I can see it in my mind but can't actually say it. It is so weird!

Now I do wonder if it's from the RSD or the meds or a combo of both. I am on neurotin, which definitely messes with my brain, and also Percocet and Norco. I feel like the neurotin is the main culprit but maybe not? I feel much more comfortable thinking that it's the meds causing it and not the disease because then I feel as though I can be back to normal one day, by not taking the meds, because if its the RSD, then it could be forever????

yeah I don't know. But it is awful, that's for sure. In the meantime I can't live without Neurontin, so I suppose I will just keep fumbling for words and through my days.

So I found this while reading up on movement disorders (I suffer from) along w/ other CRPS II symptoms. It made me think of this post so I thought I would share. Here is the web link to read the full article. http://crps-rsd-a-better-life.blogsp...-pain-and.html

And here is the abstract written by:
David Borsook1 email, Jaymin Upadhyay1 email, Eric H Chudler2 email and Lino Becerra1 email
1 P.A.I.N. Group, Harvard Medical School, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
2 Department of Anesthesiology, University of Washington, Box 356540, Seattle, WA 98195, USA author email corresponding author email
Molecular Pain 2010, 6:27doi:10.1186/1744-8069-6-27

A key role of the basal ganglia in pain and analgesia - insights gained through human functional imaging

Abstract

The basal ganglia (BG) are composed of several nuclei involved in neural processing related to the execution of motor, cognitive and emotional activities. Preclinical and clinical data have implicated a role for these structures in pain processing. Recently neuroimaging has added important information on BG activation in conditions of acute pain, chronic pain and as a result of drug effects. Our current understanding of alterations in cortical and sub-cortical regions in pain suggests that the BG are uniquely involved in thalamo-cortico-BG loops to integrate many aspects of pain. These include the integration of motor, emotional, autonomic and cognitive responses to pain.


The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.molecularpain.com/content/6/1/27

My husband suffers from a lot of the same types of memory issues I see mentioned here -

I was wondering, have any of you found anything that helps with your memory issues? Supplements, mental exercises, etc? He keeps a date book that he calls his brain but doesn't always remember to put everything in it.

We had a discussion this weekend that kinda of scared me - It was one we'd had recently but he didn't remember it, or rather he remembered parts of it but couldn't put it in context and thought we'd discussed it like a year ago.

My heart hurts seeing him struggle with this

Hello Reddingaz,

He has obviously got one amazing woman standing by his side!!

I too have cognitive issues from both CRPS II and also from a TBI from a head on collision.. a frightening and stressful part of the whole journey. What has helped me is playing memory type board games, reading and I also purchased software from Brain-Train.com to help re-train my brain and stimulate memory.

Proper nutrition and sleep (which I know is hard) is also essential for brain function. Here is an excerpt that give kudos to certain vitamins for brain/memory health - obviously please check with your physician regarding vitamin interaction with certain medications before taking them. Also, it might be beneficial to have a complete blood count done to specifically check for any common vitamin deficiencies.

Memory Supplements With Potential

Although there are a variety of "brain boosters" on the market -- many chockfull of multiple substances -- most are lacking research to support their memory-enhancing claims.

Ginkgo biloba is one that shows more promise than many others and is commonly used in Europe for a type of dementia resulting from reduced blood flow, Lausier says. "Ginkgo biloba tends to improve blood flow in small vessels."

"A couple of meta-analyses and systematic reviews show that ginkgo biloba is helpful for dementia in about the same range as drugs being pushed very heavily to treat Alzheimer's," says Adriane Fugh-Berman, MD, an associate professor in the complementary and alternative medicine Master's program of the department of physiology and biophysics at Georgetown University School of Medicine.

Unfortunately, that's not all that successful, she adds. Ginkgo doesn’t seem to help prevent dementia. But in people who already have dementia, it may either improve symptoms or stabilize symptoms so that they don’t get worse. In addition, some but not all studies show benefits in mood, alertness, and mental ability in healthy people who take ginkgo. More research needs to be done to be certain about these effects.

Here are a few other memory supplements that may also have some potential, but require much more study:

Omega-3 fatty acid. Omega-3 fish oil supplements have piqued great interest. Studies suggest that a higher intake of omega-3 fatty acid from foods such as cold-water fish, plant and nut oils, and English walnuts are strongly linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer's. However, thorough studies comparing omega-3s to placebo are needed to prove this memory benefit from supplements.

Huperzine A. Also known as Chinese club moss, this natural medicine works in a similar way as Alzheimer's drugs. But more evidence is needed to confirm its safety and effectiveness.

Acetyl-L-carnitine. Some studies suggest that this amino acid might help Alzheimer's patients with memory problems. It may provide a greater benefit to people with early onset and a fast rate of the disease.

Vitamin E. Although vitamin E apparently doesn't decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer's, it may slow its progression. Recent studies have raised concerns about an increased risk of deaths in unhealthy people who take high doses of vitamin E, so be sure to consult with your doctor before taking this supplement.

Asian (or Panax) ginseng. An herb that's sometimes used with ginkgo biloba, Asian ginseng may help with fatigue and quality of life, Fugh-Berman tells WebMD. But any benefit for memory, she says, has shown up mostly in a small group or subset of study participants.

Hope this helps,
Tessa

I thought this was all stemming from being a human and mom. Well this explains a lot. I think I've paid a bill well guess again. I go to the store get what I think I needed and guess what. I forgot milk. Good thing I have spell check otherwise I would be completely screwed. I'm not on any meds right now but I'm completely scatter brained. I even forgot who sang one of my favorite songs and she was on tv singing it. Shoot I even forgot to feed the cats the other day and they treated me like a pariah until I figured it out. They need tomstart speaking words lol.