NEED HELP
William Robb
Site I have is suite 101.
http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/disability_advocacy
ro...@microbyte.net
-----Original Message-----
From: janice cintron <jan...@JUNO.COM>
To: TBI-...@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU <TBI-...@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Date: Wednesday, April 21, 1999 10:35 AM
Subject: Re: NEED HELP
>Hi
>
>
>I am a survivor it will be two years 05/30/99 and I have both left
>temporal and frontal lobe damage. Since I have frontal lobe damage it
>stands to reason that I would have problems with both attention and
>concentration.
>
>I take a medication in the same family as Ritalin. It makes my life
>tolerable. I am able to focus and stay on task. It use is especially
>effective on my kind of brain injury. I have been a Medical professional
>for 25 yrs. prior to injury and have researched this extensively.
>
>I think it is important to explore where our injury is before we
>consider what might be helpful
>
>according where our injury is located- clues us to what our deficients
>are.
>
>
>thank you,
>Janice
Jo Williams
>
> Hi
>
> I am a survivor it will be two years 05/30/99 and I have both left
> temporal and frontal lobe damage. Since I have frontal lobe damage it
> stands to reason that I would have problems with both attention and
> concentration.
>
> I take a medication in the same family as Ritalin. It makes my life
> tolerable. I am able to focus and stay on task. It use is especially
> effective on my kind of brain injury. I have been a Medical professional
> for 25 yrs. prior to injury and have researched this extensively.
>
> I think it is important to explore where our injury is before we
> consider what might be helpful
>
> according where our injury is located- clues us to what our deficients
> are.
>
> thank you,
> Janice
If you do not mind me asking--What medicine do you take? I just started
on Ritalin and am trying to find a dosage. Any help would be
appreciated.
Jo
janice Cintron
yes of course I will. I take 20mg Dexedrine, bid, which is twice daily.
Once after breakfast and then after lunch.
Janice
Kendall Layne
Med Encyc., p. 388, Random House, 1989)
Kendall
Kendall Layne
It can help, as can other cerebral stimulants (other amphetamines, Sudafed,
etc.)
HOWEVER, my research on the Web re: amphetamines (the class to which Ritalin
belongs, or is closely related to) raised a big red flag for me -
amphetamines, and Ritalin (per my MD) eventually destroy the dopamine
producing neurons in the brain. This is very bad - dopamine is one of the
main substances the brain uses to produce feelings of pleasure, and if a
person takes too much dopamine neuron destroying meds, the meds will quit
producing the pleasureable feelings that help overcome the depression and ADD
like symptoms, and the person's capacity to experience pleasure can be
permanently and massively destroyed, as I understand it. Obviously, severe
depression is a frequent sequelae.
It may still be worth the risk, I know if someone had told me injecting rat
poison and plutonium would help me get better, anytime in the first few years
post injury, I was desperate enough that I would have tried it.
Kendall
janice cintron
Ricks
Since I have not been able to get any further than the
original neuro surgeon with Tracy's case, I have no
idea what area of the brain might contribute to her
problems. Hopefully we will get to go to the neurology
dept at Shands soon and that will help. On the 14th of
March, 1998 Tracy was in a rear in auto collision so
this may have contributed to her injuries but then on
the 17th of March she was knocked to the ground by
several large males. She had a large laceration to the
back of her head, then they fell on her left side of
her head crushing her scull. She suffered a subdural on
that side and t smaller epidurals that I don't know
exactly where they were. The doc did say that there was
trauma to several lobes. Thanks for your info. All I
can get is very helpful!
Pam
(mother of Tracy, BI 03/98)
janice cintron wrote:
Kendall Layne
agreed. Apparently I have frontal lobe damage as well as right temporal lobe,
diffuse axonal injury, ad nauseum. Iam right this hour getting ready to see
the shrink, where the topic for months has been whether he will try a
cerebral stimulant on me or if not, then what. If you are comfortable
saying, I'd love to know whether you are taking Adderal or what. If you want
to discuss this outside of this forum, my e-mail is Dosl...@aol.com. If you
don't want to get into details, I understand.
Thanks for your thoughtful response
Kendall
Carol J. Mortensen
I have damage in my frontal lobe as well as the back of my brain. I
have problems with concentration, completing tasks, as well as balance,
reading and writting. I also sufer from grandmal seizures. You are very
right it is important to know were you ijury is located, unfortunatly this
doesn't help me. I was a R.N. for 11 years before my fall and I don't
remember what part of the brain does what. All I know is that the medication
I'm on seems to be working, I just wish I wasn't taking so much.
Carol
Laura Lesniak
My son's neuropsychologist wanted to put him on Ritalin, but his neurologist
recommended against it, since he had seizures after his TBI. She also said
that it has not been studied in people with TBI and adverse reactions could
occur since the connections in the brain are not the same as they are in an
undamaged brain. I have searched the web for information on this and haven't
been able to find any. Hope this helps.
Laura