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Stimulants Adderall & memory

M

MrFister

Bluelighter
Joined
Feb 12, 2010
Messages
202
Location
Vancouver, Canada
Hey all, when i take adderall I use 20 mg xr once a day usually non-consecutive but somedays I notice my memory really hits the loo. I'll forget words that I want to use and be left with just the phonetics behind what I want to say (tip of the tongue) and i'll forget dumb things like my pin #, locker #, names of people I just met, and small things like what I was doing when I walk into a room. My memory is impeccable when sober so this sharp contrast is alarming. Does anyone have any idea why this happens to me? And feel free guys to discuss your adderall/amphetamine/stimulant induced memory declines, I know this shouldn't be a rare case.

For reference i've been using adderall about two years, I used to binge a lot but stopped 6 months ago and I only use medicinally at the recommended dose and rarely redose.
 
who knew that using amphetamines for 2 years would have an adverse effect on the brain ? I kid.

but sounds like normal amphetamine damage to me.
 
The Dope Man said:
who knew that using amphetamines for 2 years would have an adverse effect on the brain ? I kid.

but sounds like normal amphetamine damage to me.
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Crossed my mind pretty fast, but i thought it was strange since the damage was only apparent while on amphetamine. My use wasn't constant either, sometimes id use once a week, or once a month ranging from 40-80 mg crushed adderall xr, typically on the lower side
 
dopamine is a key neurotransmitter for processing memories, and fluctuations of dopamine levels correlates to memory impairment.


omg holy fuck, i spent like 20 mins looking for this quote, finally found it

Amphetamine exerts its behavioral effects by modulating several key neurotransmitters in the brain, including dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. However, the activity of amphetamine throughout the brain appears to be specific;[21] certain receptors that respond to amphetamine in some regions of the brain tend not to do so in other regions. For instance, dopamine D2 receptors in the hippocampus, a region of the brain associated with forming new memories, appear to be unaffected by the presence of amphetamine
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphetamine#Psychological_effects
 
I've been on and off stims for my adhd for the past two years, adderall at first and now ritalin. I've had similar experiences to what you described but only when I abused it and went over the recommended dosage. My theory is that using stims above the therapeutic levels can sometimes cause an "overfocus" on a particular subject/task/object ect and when you'r mind attempts to shift from the thoughts racing through your head to recalling a memory it takes a little bit to adjust and focus on the new subject. Just my two cents though.
 
Yes dopamine is a key player in understanding how a human's brain encodes, stores, and retrieves memories, but according to wiki, amphetamine only affects certain parts of the brain and does not target areas where the brain processes, forms, ect...memories. however, memories and the brain is extremely complex, and so i bet that amphetamines somewhat interrupt the acculturation of memories, but i'm completely talking out of my ass...

excessive amp usage causes memory impairment, but amphetamines, used sparingly, does not halt the retrieval of memories IME
 
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Not only will time seem to increase in speed, and memories fade quicker. The "essence" of the memory is lost, for instance, when sober I find that my memories whether they were positive or negative - seem nostalgic and pleasant when looking back. Not memories while i was on stimulants tho
 
laCster said:
Yes dopamine is a key player in understanding how a human's brain encodes, stores, and retrieves memories, but according to wiki, amphetamine only affects certain parts of the brain and does not target areas where the brain processes, forms, ect...memories. however, memories and the brain is extremely complex, and so i bet that amphetamines somewhat interrupt the acculturation of memories, but i'm completely talking out of my ass...

excessive amp usage causes memory impairment, but amphetamines, used sparingly, does not halt the retrieval of memories, ect..
Click to expand...

I agree here, dopamine levels have a correlation with speech impediments.
 
I'm surprised you have had that many problems at the dosage you were taking. Your memory problems sound even worse than mine when I was using, and was taking dosages 10-15x higher than you are.

Grats on being being able to take amps in therapeutic doses after binging, I tried countless times before I came to the conclusion that it was all or nothing for me.
 
RR279 said:
I'm surprised you have had that many problems at the dosage you were taking. Your memory problems sound even worse than mine when I was using, and was taking dosages 10-15x higher than you are.

Grats on being being able to take amps in therapeutic doses after binging, I tried countless times before I came to the conclusion that it was all or nothing for me.
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Thanks, its only tough in the manner that I no longer seek a 'high' off it and strictly use it as a tool to get stuff done - which this tool is largely non-useful anymore due to the memory impairments. Don't abuse stims kids!

Renz - Funny that you mention it, I actually did notice a stutter and an increase in tic development. I even noticed myself speaking less, or unable to bring words to mind. Kind of a shit drug now that I think about it, sober is def the path to transcendence haha
 
You are most likely not meant to be on an amphetamine like adderal , considering you developed tics and stutters. You could develop those the rest of your life by accident from adderall. Some people have weird semi-torretts like things, but they willl be fine as long as they don't use certain drugs. It def sounds like you need to stick to coffee!
 
^IT could also just be the addition of levoamphetamine which is not included in Dexadrine or Vyvanse (both of which are known for being smoother seeing as Dexadrine contains only Dextroamphetamine-the amphetamine responsible for CNS stimulation, and Vyvanse/Lisdexamphetamine metabolizes into Dextroamphetamine).

However, it might be good to take a month or so off and see how things go.
 
Yeah ^ thats not it dude. I've seeen this sort of thing dozens of times. With facial ticks or stuttering side effects a shrink will pull you off adderall/vyvanse/dexedrine etc. etc. stat. I remember when I was 11 being prescribed adderall, the doctor told my mom specifically, "if he has any facial ticks, it means this is not for him, and don't give him anymore medication"


now SOMETIMES if someone really abuses their amphetamines, they deplete their b12 in their nerves SO BADLY that these sort of symptoms "ticks, stuttering" my show, but thats really down the road, and unlikely with this poster
 
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