Brain damage

[sserafim]

How do you know if you have brain damage? I haven't been sleeping well due to sleeping issues and I've been getting a lot of headaches recently (I think tension headaches). I have brain fog and it's hard for me to think, and my eyes also hurt (from sleep deprivation, I guess). Even my sister has noticed my worsening (short-term) memory and made remarks on it. I'm clinically diagnosed with ADHD and used to take 20 mg of Adderall for it, but I heard that Adderall damages your brain and causes long-term effects…could I have brain damage?

 

[DoubleUp8]

It's certainly a possibility. I don't think that amount of Adderall could have caused anything significant. If you just recently stopped taking it, then it's more likely the effects from coming off it than any type of permanent brain damage.

 

[bed]

i doubt you have brain damage due to Adderall, that is a relatively small dose. the main thing regarding stimulants is heart issues which unless you have a preexisting heart condition it's a relatively safe drug. depression can cause memory issues as well.

 

[sserafim]

It's certainly a possibility. I don't think that amount of Adderall could have caused anything significant. If you just recently stopped taking it, then it's more likely the effects from coming off it than any type of permanent brain damage.

I stopped taking it in 2022 or 2023

 

[newjourney]

Sleep deprivation can definitely affect almost everything so this 'could' also be a reason

I'm not too sure about the brain damage part sorry. I take it you're in the US and not somewhere with free healthcare?

 

[Rocinante]

Your mom needs to take you to ortho. You've already pointed out the issue in a previous thread

 

[mistymoo]

Student social worker here-
Sleep deprivation can 1000000% be from stress. Emotional trauma will absolutely come out in other forms if you don't deal with it properly. Brain fog, slowness, tiredness, unable to regulate emotions (seemingly random crying or anger outbursts, euphoria, etc.) Hell, not dealing with my issues gave me seizures.
I have been on vyvanse for like 10 years and I don't think it's given me brain damage. I highly second everyone else saying see a professional

 

[Cinnamorolls]

You can get a MRI brain scan to check. I had one done earlier this year out of curiosity since I've sustained many blows to the head and asphyxiation, but surprisingly turned out not to have any damage. Your symptoms sound like they could be from a sleep disorder such like sleep apnea as well.

 

[DefinitelyReady]

You can get a MRI brain scan to check. I had one done earlier this year out of curiosity since I've sustained many blows to the head and asphyxiation, but surprisingly turned out not to have any damage. Your symptoms sound like they could be from a sleep disorder such like sleep apnea as well.

Do you live in america because unless your head is gushing blood from head trauma, it doesn't seem like people have access to mri's unless they have some serious insurance.

 

[EvisceratedJester]

You likely don't have brain damage. The headaches, memory issues, and brain fog can all probably be explained by your sleep deprivation and the sleep deprivation could just be due to stress, excess screening usage right before bed, sleep apnea, your ADHD, etc. Jumping straight from issues with falling asleep to brain damage without going through all of the other more likely explanations is pretty extreme.

 

[Cinnamorolls]

Do you live in america because unless your head is gushing blood from head trauma, it doesn't seem like people have access to mri's unless they have some serious insurance.

Yes, I do. I have a PPO insurance which probably makes a difference. It can be harder to get things approved with a HMO as they are stingy.

 

[sserafim]

You can get a MRI brain scan to check. I had one done earlier this year out of curiosity since I've sustained many blows to the head and asphyxiation, but surprisingly turned out not to have any damage. Your symptoms sound like they could be from a sleep disorder such like sleep apnea as well.

Did you get a MRI or fMRI? I got an MRI (without contrast) back in 2022 for eye issues (floaters and shit) and the radiologist said that it looked normal. Things have probably changed since then though

 

[Silent_cries]

I think the others are right about this possibly being due to sleep deprivation/stress. I myself experience foggyness and short term memory issues, though milder than what you described, due to my own depression as well as my anxiety and psychosis in my case sometimes. Mental issues can cause you physical issues sometimes. Have you had anyone to talk to lately? Sometimes just venting things out can help, although seeking proffessional help is probably a good idea.

 

[Cinnamorolls]

Did you get a MRI or fMRI? I got an MRI (without contrast) back in 2022 for eye issues (floaters and shit) and the radiologist said that it looked normal. Things have probably changed since then though

Regular MRI, no contrast. Did they eventually figure out what was wrong with your vision? I once had all kinds of weird vision issues (floaters, specks, seeing shadows that weren't there) which turned out to be rare side effects from using motion sickness patches.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

You're probably not going to like this answer, but expert people, not saying me, will probably blame your NEET lifestyle for any brain issues you may be having.

Technically you can still sharpen your mind while living a mostly sedentary lifestyle but you're probably going to have to do things like play simple yet stimulating phone games or something instead of browsing things like Internet forums or Tik Tok. Also fixing your sleep schedule like others said but I'd be one to talk.

It's going to be awful but if you don't want to switch that's understandable. You could also instead just do what lots of people decide to engage in actual brain damaging activities like drinking alcohol or finding other ways to numb the mind.

Or I could be completely wrong and maybe you got infected with whatever Robert Kennedy has somehow.

 

[lamargue]

ngl i have the exact same problem as you. I'm seeing a GP soon, so that might be interesting

 

[sserafim]

Regular MRI, no contrast. Did they eventually figure out what was wrong with your vision? I once had all kinds of weird vision issues (floaters, specks, seeing shadows that weren't there) which turned out to be rare side effects from using motion sickness patches.

No, they never figured out what was wrong

You're probably not going to like this answer, but expert people, not saying me, will probably blame your NEET lifestyle for any brain issues you may be having.

Technically you can still sharpen your mind while living a mostly sedentary lifestyle but you're probably going to have to do things like play simple yet stimulating phone games or something instead of browsing things like Internet forums or Tik Tok. Also fixing your sleep schedule like others said but I'd be one to talk.

It's going to be awful but if you don't want to switch that's understandable. You could also instead just do what lots of people decide to engage in actual brain damaging activities like drinking alcohol or finding other ways to numb the mind.

Or I could be completely wrong and maybe you got infected with whatever Robert Kennedy has somehow.

Why would I want to damage my brain? Lol. It's probably because of Lyme Disease; I've gotten that before

 

[pilotviolin]

Did you get a MRI or fMRI? I got an MRI (without contrast) back in 2022 for eye issues (floaters and shit) and the radiologist said that it looked normal. Things have probably changed since then though

i wonder if an optometrist could help with those. floaters are so weird, ive had them most my life but with drug usage its seemed new ones pop up or existing ones were more apparent. do you have other visual snow symptoms? to be honest noone knows much about HPPD or visual snow, and im hesitant on paying out of pocket to go to a doctor about it. idk if theres any easy treatments that will get rid of them, maybe if youre lucky you get a benzo but idk if that'd help the brainfog besides getitng more sleep if sleep is the issue. idk how effective surgeries are, or much about those but you can talk to an eye doctor about it.

just wondering, did you feel like this before adderall? my memory is shot due to drugs that do the opposite of making dopamine (antipsychotics, moreso anticholinergics in general), alcohol or dxm, but i had alot of brainfog before due to low mood + motivation, probably poor diet too and sleep deprivation. do you drink alot of water? im trying to eat a bit better, eggs are cholinergic ("brain food"), and idk i need to eat more than instant noodles lol.

Regular MRI, no contrast. Did they eventually figure out what was wrong with your vision? I once had all kinds of weird vision issues (floaters, specks, seeing shadows that weren't there) which turned out to be rare side effects from using motion sickness patches.

what kind of patch? i wonder if it was scopolamine lol, alot of antinausea meds that also make u sleepy happen to be deliriants/anticholinergic, similar or in some cases same as stuff in datura plants.

 

[sserafim]

i wonder if an optometrist could help with those. floaters are so weird, ive had them most my life but with drug usage its seemed new ones pop up or existing ones were more apparent. do you have other visual snow symptoms? to be honest noone knows much about HPPD or visual snow, and im hesitant on paying out of pocket to go to a doctor about it. idk if theres any easy treatments that will get rid of them, maybe if youre lucky you get a benzo but idk if that'd help the brainfog besides getitng more sleep if sleep is the issue. idk how effective surgeries are, or much about those but you can talk to an eye doctor about it.

just wondering, did you feel like this before adderall? my memory is shot due to drugs that do the opposite of making dopamine (antipsychotics, moreso anticholinergics in general), alcohol or dxm, but i had alot of brainfog before due to low mood + motivation, probably poor diet too and sleep deprivation. do you drink alot of water? im trying to eat a bit better, eggs are cholinergic ("brain food"), and idk i need to eat more than instant noodles lol.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that I have visual snow. I've never done drugs though. I mentioned the floaters to an opthamologist back in 2022 and he referred me to a neurologist, who made me do an MRI. It came back normal though. My opthamologist also referred me to a retina specialist (because he thought that my retina was detaching), who I saw but I think he said that my retina was fine. I also saw a different opthamologist because I thought that my optic nerve might be damaged but he said that it was fine. I saw another opthamologist (a glaucoma specialist) recently (because my optometrist referred me to them due to family history of glaucoma) and he said that my eyes were fine. I told him about the floaters and he said that they were normal.

I used to take Ritalin before Adderall. I was taking Ritalin since 2016, ever since I got diagnosed with ADHD, and only switched to Adderall in 2021. I don't really remember what I felt like tbh. Yeah, I do drink a lot water. My mom always says that I drink way too much water lol

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Why would I want to damage my brain? Lol. It's probably because of Lyme Disease; I've gotten that before

You should probably get tested for Lyme Disease but there are likely to be other signs if that's really the case. Being smart is overrated anyway if you aren't even using it to do anything substantial. You just become more and more aware of how dumb everyone else is and how much everything sucks. Ignorance is bliss as they say. What good is intelligence if the world has gotten so good at beating it out of everyone with internet brainrot anyway?

 

[Cinnamorolls]

what kind of patch? i wonder if it was scopolamine lol, alot of antinausea meds that also make u sleepy happen to be deliriants/anticholinergic, similar or in some cases same as stuff in datura plants.

Yep, scopolamine. I don't know why doctors don't warn people properly about these things. Thought I was going nuts for a minute there with the shadow hallucinations.