Medication for brain fog????
I had a random idea yesterday when I was struggling like CRAZY with brain fog. I couldn’t form sentences, couldn’t come close to spelling anything correctly (which is terrible, since writing is literally my job). So my random idea is if medication typically given for ADHD (Ritalin, etc) would help with brain fog…?
Now, I’m not one to LOOK for adding another medication to my growing pile, but I will do pretty much ANYTHING at this point to clear the brain fog- I just can’t even function. 🙁.
So of course I hit up Google and found that there are cases in which AD/HD medications have been given for brain fog, and been effective.
Long story short- Does anyone have experience taking or talking with their doctor about AD/HD medication for brain fog?
Hey Y’all 😀 I just wanted to circle back and add some information that I’ve found available online as I wanted to talk with my rheumy about it at my next appointment and wanted to make sure that I had some science on my side- you know? Anyway, of course I didn’t find anything specific to PsA, but I did find some promising information in relation to fibromyalgia (which, of course, I also have). Here is the article on that… https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3383515/ So you don’t have to page through the whole thing if you don’t want to- the interesting info in around pages 18-19 when you pull it up.
There were some other articles with vague references to “brain fog” related to inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis. But, alas, I couldn’t access them as they were paid articles only.
So, there you have it. I hope someone has some experience in this. If not, perhaps I’ll be able to convince my dr to give it a try and I’ll report back. Take care of yourselves!
Leanne -Team Member
hope you’re feeling better. Yes, I have been on 20mg ER for a week now. It was prescribed for fatigue and brain fog either from my PsA or the medication to treat it. I should have been put on this in 1980 but that’s water under the bridge. Ritalin helps me focus more than relieve fatigue, although it does help with that. I find that I drive significantly under the speed limit and walk very slow. Neither because of fatigue or tiredness. I’ll circle back around in a couple months to give you an update when I have a better handle on the effects of this drug. In the meantime, I will say that Xeljanz has been a miracle drug for me and I’m grateful for the last (mostly pain free)eighteen months Pfizer and my doctors have given me. 
I was diagnosed with ADD by a psychiatrist who is still on my treatment team. This was over ten years ago in my mid-40s (some women experience an increase in ADD symptoms with hormonal changes). I’ve been on Adderall, or versions of it, ever since. I’ve been on the spectrum of PsA meds for several years now and brain fog has definitely set in.
I was a writer and trained communicator prior to going on disability. Couldn’t do it now. Adderall helps with fatigue and concentration. Definitely need it if I’m driving or trying to do something important. However, even on Adderall I have problems pulling words from my brain in conversations and forgetting what I am talking about mid-sentence. It is embarrassing.
Adderall is getting difficult to receive so I’m not sure if it can be a viable part of a PsA treatment plan.
Hi
. Yours is a very interesting perspective since you were taking Adderall even before PsA brain fog set in. You were in a position to see from the beginning whether it made a difference. Many people with MS find Adderall helps with mental acuity, but maybe that is because they are dealing brain lesions as well inflammation. Maybe Adderall helps the MS brain find new pathways around the damage. Thanks so much for weighing in on this. Wishing you the best. - Lori (Team Member)
