Question:
Dear Dr. Heller,
I am become very frustrated because I can’t seem to
remember things very well. It’s like having
short-term memory loss. Sometimes it gets so bad I'll
be getting up to go do something and forget what I’m
doing. I forget my school assignments, which is
causing my grades to suffer. I also have really
frequent headaches and I wonder if they are some how
connected. I've had several cat scans and one MRI on
my brain, but they all came back normal except on the
MRI my thyroid was enlarged and I have increased
blood flow in one part of my brain. They said the
increased thyroid was from being a teenager, which I
understand and the increased blood flow isn’t a big
deal. I’m just really frustrated because I can’t seem
to remember things. What do you think could be the
cause and what can I do?
Please help me.
Dr. Heller's Answer:
There are things that can help some people with
memory loss.
1) Vitamin B12 deficiency or utilization problems.
This is one of the few vitamins/supplements that
can’t hurt you if you take too much. When I
prescribe it for my patients I usually recommend B12
3000ug daily x 1 month, 2000ug daily x 1 month, then
1000ug daily.
2) Co Q10 - 150mg daily helps some people,
particularly those taking statin drugs like Lipitor.
3) Iron deficiency can cause a reduction in brain
function. Blood tests like a CBC and ferritin can
determine if iron deficiency is present. One can be
iron deficient with a normal CBC and iron deficiency
in menstruating females is a common problem that has
been shown to impair cognitive function. You don’t
want to take iron without being tested because taking
too much can cause hemochromatosis.
4) Depression if present needs to be treated.
5) Those with ADHD often benefit greatly from the
psychostimulants methylphenidate (Ritalin and others)
and Dexedrine (Adderall). The criteria are pasted
below.
6) Sometimes those without ADHD can benefit from the
psychostimulants as well.
7) If sleep apnea is present, get it treated.
Click
here for the
ADHD Criteria.
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