Ok I will start by telling you a small story.

I had bad acne so I took a prescription drug called "accutane" actually it was the generic version "isotentrin" or something along those lines. So over a 4 and a half month period I gradually started feeling like I was losing my memory and it was hard to concentrate. So I stopped taking it at 4 and a half months. So here I sit a year and 3 months later. I still have these symptoms. These symptoms are not just small these are HUGE symtpoms. Here they are.

Vision - I can see but I can't focus in on things very well.
I can't focus and think straight either.

I'm easily distracted from thoughts and things in front of me. Not like a hyper kind of way but in a distracted sort of way. Like I will be drawn into this depressed mode where I think way to much and I start to dwell on the things that I think about in which causes depression.

I don't know if the ringing in my ears has anything to do with it, but there is a ringing in my ears always. I'm guessing that is tinnitus.

The biggest thing for me is not phsyically being able to think clearly and focus. I can sit at my computer all day and play world of warcraft which is a massive mmorpg video game. The difference that I see in my behavior compared to what I read is I keep seeing "hyperactivity" well the problem with me is I really really really tired all the time. I can sleep 8 hours 4 hours 12 hours 24 hours and I always feel tired. I took a depression medication for 2 or 3 months and the symptoms never went away. I'm no where near hyper, all I want to do is lay in my bed all day and grieve about how screwed up my head is. The best description I can give you is if you have ever smoked marijauna. It takes you out of reality and you lose the ability to focus and see the things around you. Actually to be completely honest, I feel like I'm high 24 hours a day. Smoke marijuana every hour or so for 2 weeks and that will be just a glimpse of what my life has been like for the past year and a half.

Is this ADD?????

I ordered ATTEND to see if it would help. I do not have much money to visit the doctor nor pay for prescriptions.

http://www.vaxa.com/636.cfm
that is the stuff i ordered.

Please tell me if this is add or just hardcore brain damage.

Either or I want it to be gone but the sad thing is i dont think it will ever go away.

If the Attend product doesn't make a major difference after a set period of time, it could be a major waste of money.

There are two types of ADHD. You may be more the innattentive type, if you are ADHD at all. ADHD does pair up with other disorders but then again innattention is a symptom of many problems. This thread is a little disjointed but there is great info here.
http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19889&highlight=sct

What you really need is to see a good Dr. I would suggest a Psychologist. If money is a major issue and you have no family support, try a local mental health agency.

I had bad acne so I took a prescription drug called "accutane" actually it was the generic version "isotentrin" or something along those lines. So over a 4 and a half month period I gradually started feeling like I was losing my memory and it was hard to concentrate. So I stopped taking it at 4 and a half months. So here I sit a year and 3 months later. I still have these symptoms.


Typically ADHD is not acquired. ADHD is considered a developmental attention disorder. In the instances of acquired ADHD, those are typically due to head trama. In those instances, the resulting ADHD is not simply inattentive (usually agression of some sort occurs).


I'm easily distracted from thoughts and things in front of me. Not like a hyper kind of way but in a distracted sort of way. Like I will be drawn into this depressed mode where I think way to much and I start to dwell on the things that I think about in which causes depression.

I don't know if the ringing in my ears has anything to do with it, but there is a ringing in my ears always. I'm guessing that is tinnitus.


So I would assume that you are hyperdistractable with respect to noise?


The biggest thing for me is not phsyically being able to think clearly and focus. I can sit at my computer all day and play world of warcraft which is a massive mmorpg video game. The difference that I see in my behavior compared to what I read is I keep seeing "hyperactivity" well the problem with me is I really really really tired all the time. I can sleep 8 hours 4 hours 12 hours 24 hours and I always feel tired. I took a depression medication for 2 or 3 months and the symptoms never went away. I'm no where near hyper, all I want to do is lay in my bed all day and grieve about how screwed up my head is. The best description I can give you is if you have ever smoked marijauna. It takes you out of reality and you lose the ability to focus and see the things around you. Actually to be completely honest, I feel like I'm high 24 hours a day. Smoke marijuana every hour or so for 2 weeks and that will be just a glimpse of what my life has been like for the past year and a half.


Maybe the quality of your sleep is poor? Lack of or poor quality of sleep can cause ADHD-I symptoms. You said that you took some sort of anti-depressant for 2-3 months. Did none of your symptoms go away or did a few go away?


I ordered ATTEND to see if it would help. I do not have much money to visit the doctor nor pay for prescriptions.

http://www.vaxa.com/636.cfm
that is the stuff i ordered


Irrespective to what others say here, based on the ingredients of ATTEND, I'd say that you will notice an improvement, but I doubt it will last. That's just my experience with the individual ingredients in the product. Their site doesn't give the amounts of each ingredient. The product contains many ingredients that are often recommended as a part of ADHD treatment, including various amino acids (L-Tyrosine, L-5HTP, etc.), Omega-3 fatty acids, etc. I think this would be a great addition to some sort of stimulant (ableit an expensive one), but alone, probably not enough to see serious changes.

Ok I will start by telling you a small story.

I had bad acne so I took a prescription drug called "accutane" actually it was the generic version "isotentrin" or something along those lines. So over a 4 and a half month period I gradually started feeling like I was losing my memory and it was hard to concentrate. So I stopped taking it at 4 and a half months. So here I sit a year and 3 months later. I still have these symptoms....


From what you say here at the beginning, this all seemed to start when you took the acne drug? What does your doctor say about this? What are the possible side effects of this drug? Any residual effects should have worn off after a year, so do you think the drug caused permanent damage? Did you have any serious headaches, hearing or eye problems while you were taking it?
You don't mention discussing these issues with your doctor, if you haven't yet done this I would start there. If he doesn't think it is the drug, don't let him brush you off. Persist is asking what he DOES think it is, because it is affecting you negatively.
Best wishes.

Copied from internet drug monographs pageon Accutane:- "In addition to the strengthened risk management program for pregnancy, FDA continues to assess reports of suicide or suicide attempts associated with the use of isotretinoin. All patients treated with isotretinoin should be observed closely for symptoms of depression or suicidal thoughts, such as sad mood, irritability, acting on dangerous impulses, anger, loss of pleasure or interest in social or sports activities, sleeping too much or too little, changes in weight or appetite, school or work performance going down, or trouble concentrating, or for mood disturbance, psychosis, or aggression. Patients should stop isotretinoin and they or their caregiver should contact their healthcare professional right away if the patient has any of the previously mentioned symptoms. Discontinuation of treatment may be insufficient and further evaluation may be necessary. [Action taken 08/12//05: Labeling revision]"

Please tell me you didn't buy this stuff on the internet, that you had a proper prescription and doctor supervision. This is seriously nasty stuff! I didn't even copy the birth possible birth defects part...:eek:
I don't want to give you a hard time, but I am concerned. So even if you did buy it on the interenet, please go and talk to your own doctor about what is happening to you. Having read the drug monograph for this product makes me think that they would want to look you over very carefully.

Best wishes again and let us know how you are doing.:)

My husband has Rosacea and has been on a low dose of Accutane for several years. His dose is so low that a pharmacist asked me why he only takes two pills a week. I told her, "Because it works." Regular blood tests show everything is o.k.. We have not noticed any cognitive, behavioural, or mood changes.

Self medicating is not always the best thing to do. You really need to see a Dr. You never know what may actually be going on and it may be something that you never even thought of. Here is a link to the metal health services in Ohio

http://www.mh.state.oh.us/

there is a link for Safety Net Emergency Funds so there has to be at least a sliding scale for some office in ohio. I know that everywhere I have lived has had a office that is based on a sliding scale.

on the website is also a toll free number you can call for more info in your city.

I went to my dermatologist to recieve accutane, he prescribed me the generic brand which is isonentrin or something like that. For the first month I had blood tests done every week. I took accutane once a day I believe. 40 milligrams, I can't really remember I may have taken it twice a day. which would have been 80. I was great the first and second month. The third month I noticed my memory was fading, the 4th month is when it really really showed. half way through the fifth month I stopped. I recieved the product prescribed from a pharmacy. I have already gone to 2 different doctors neither knows whats wrong. I had a catscan done, nothing showed up. The one doctor then suggested I take the depression medication called "lexapro" I took that medication for around 3 months and did not see a difference. I haven't taken anything for quite a while now and my mood swings and changes. The biggest factor for me is my lack of concentration and focus. I feel like someone is forcing my eyelids down and I'm completely stoned on marijuana. My insurance for my new job just kicked in, I think I'm gonna try to get a MRI done to see if that will show anything, though I don't exactly know the difference between an mri and a catscan. Thanks for the information.

Tim.

When you find out that it is related,,, don't forget to contact a lawyer as well,,,, you may want to check out http://www.yourlawyer.com/practice/overview.htm?topic=Accutane

It does cause damage to the central nervouse system and I hope when you go to the Dr that you get the help you need. Good Luck!

imnapl, I'm glad that such a low dose is helpful and that it isn't affecting your husband negatively. I wasn't trying to scare anyone, just very concerned becuz Tim said he had other stuff from the internet and hadn't mentioned a Dr. yet. While I was searching for the monograph I found sites offering it for sale.

Tim, I am relieved that your medication was Dr. prescribed and monitored. That means they know that your problems started with it. And as Draven points out, there may be assistance with your medical fees in tracking this problem down.

I really hope you can get it figured out soon.
Best wishes!

Copied from internet drug monographs pageon Accutane:- "In addition to the strengthened risk management program for pregnancy, FDA continues to assess reports of suicide or suicide attempts associated with the use of isotretinoin. All patients treated with isotretinoin should be observed closely for symptoms of depression or suicidal thoughts, such as sad mood, irritability, acting on dangerous impulses, anger, loss of pleasure or interest in social or sports activities, sleeping too much or too little, changes in weight or appetite, school or work performance going down, or trouble concentrating, or for mood disturbance, psychosis, or aggression. Patients should stop isotretinoin and they or their caregiver should contact their healthcare professional right away if the patient has any of the previously mentioned symptoms. Discontinuation of treatment may be insufficient and further evaluation may be necessary. [Action taken 08/12//05: Labeling revision]"

Please tell me you didn't buy this stuff on the internet, that you had a proper prescription and doctor supervision. This is seriously nasty stuff! I didn't even copy the birth possible birth defects part...:eek:
I don't want to give you a hard time, but I am concerned. So even if you did buy it on the interenet, please go and talk to your own doctor about what is happening to you. Having read the drug monograph for this product makes me think that they would want to look you over very carefully.

Best wishes again and let us know how you are doing.:)
Whiteraven,it's possible it's just the drug company trying to make people aware these things could happen,but it doesn't mean they will happen.
I take a medication called Tegretol and there are a lot of major potentially fatal problems noted on the drug leaflet,but the majority of people inc. myself haven't had major side effects.

If they didn't list the possibilities,and someone suffered a particulary severe un noted side effect off the drug,they could sue the company.

Accutane percipitated a major clinical depression in my Nephew. He stopped taking it after awhile (it was quite effective for acne), but his symptoms persisted. He's a lot better now, but it took a year or so to get him back to normal.

This doesn't happen to everyone who takes Accutane, but it does occassionally produce this side effect.

Depression can cause ADD-like symptoms such as poor memory, lack of motivation, lethargy, feeling tired all the time, disorientation. And depression can persist for a long time after being triggered. Or course, other things, such a a persistant viral infection, can cause these kinds of symptoms, as well.

You should get a complete physical workup including a thorough hearing exam (for the tinnitus) and neurological exam. Then talk to a psychologist. I don't know what an MRI will do for you, unless indicated by a neuro exam.

In order to get a free medical evaluation, you might contact the lawyers who are making a case against the drug manufacturers. The danger here is that your medical info might be made public and (worse) you may get sucked into a dependent litigation mindset.

But, since you have insurance that's the way to go.

Good luck with this.

I hope the depression fades... That would be great. I actually went to a hearing specialist and a eye doctor. Both were fine. I have not gone to a psychologist though. That is in my agenda within the next few weeks though. I am kind of weary of psychologists though. I don't want the solution to be "well take this drug and you will be fine". I am very very careful of what goes into my body now. I also do not want to take any sort of drug mainly because I do not want to go through a withdrawl. I have not a steady career job yet, so if I were to lose my job I would not have the proper income to supply myself with the drug. I have been reading up on meditation and yin and yang and yoga. Maybe the cure for my problems lies within me. I mean the human race as a whole does not know nearly enough about the human brain yet. I'm sure within the next 10 to 20 or 30 years we will advance dramatically. I'm just hanging on until then maybe. Before accutane I was extremely optimistic and positive and nothing interfered with my goals. Now I'm on a search to find a cure. In which landed me here, and a few other forums in the past.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge with me.
Tim

I had bad acne so I took a prescription drug called "accutane" actually it was the generic version "isotentrin" or something along those lines. So over a 4 and a half month period I gradually started feeling like I was losing my memory and it was hard to concentrate. So I stopped taking it at 4 and a half months. So here I sit a year and 3 months later. I still have these symptoms. These symptoms are not just small these are HUGE symtpoms. Here they are.

Vision - I can see but I can't focus in on things very well.
I can't focus and think straight either.

I'm easily distracted from thoughts and things in front of me. Not like a hyper kind of way but in a distracted sort of way. Like I will be drawn into this depressed mode where I think way to much and I start to dwell on the things that I think about in which causes depression.

I don't know if the ringing in my ears has anything to do with it, but there is a ringing in my ears always. I'm guessing that is tinnitus.

The biggest thing for me is not phsyically being able to think clearly and focus. I can sit at my computer all day and play world of warcraft which is a massive mmorpg video game. The difference that I see in my behavior compared to what I read is I keep seeing "hyperactivity" well the problem with me is I really really really tired all the time. I can sleep 8 hours 4 hours 12 hours 24 hours and I always feel tired. I took a depression medication for 2 or 3 months and the symptoms never went away. I'm no where near hyper, all I want to do is lay in my bed all day and grieve about how screwed up my head is. The best description I can give you is if you have ever smoked marijauna. It takes you out of reality and you lose the ability to focus and see the things around you. Actually to be completely honest, I feel like I'm high 24 hours a day. Smoke marijuana every hour or so for 2 weeks and that will be just a glimpse of what my life has been like for the past year and a half.
I took Accutane in the early 90's. I remember the warnings about birth defects. There was nothing on the effect of brain. I have seen a lot of lawyers filing law suits recently. The only side effects I remember are the nose bleeds and the constant molting of my skin around my mouth. :D

One thing that would determine if you are ADHD/without, would be to get evaluated by a specialist. They will look at your history. Even though the "must be present before age 6 or 7" has been removed from the criteria, it can still be used as a guideline. You can also look at old report cards and teacher comments. Statements like, "Needs to apply ..., talkative, doesn't focus, work is incomplete" are a few.

It might be possible that you have had mild ADHD your entire life, but were able to compensate by building processes. Then you took the Accutane and it increased the symptoms of ADHD. As it's been said here before, ADHD is not a disorder until it effects your daily life. Up until that point is only a way of life.

Overall, get a professional's opinion. Good luck and keep us posted. I am interested in the Accutane information.

Just wanted to quickly add that I've done 2 cycles of Accutane (40mg 2x daily, 4 months each).

I haven't explored the connection between isotretinoin and depression, but I will be now. I used to just think that you get depressed from the acne, not the drug, but now I'm open to other possibilities.

Don't get me wrong, Accutane worked wonders for me, but I think that perhaps depression management should be a much more substantial part of a good acne treatment...

NS

You need to stop treating yourself and goi see your doctor. What you described does not sound like ADD at all. You could have something that requires medical attention.

ME :D


Ok I will start by telling you a small story.

I had bad acne so I took a prescription drug called "accutane" actually it was the generic version "isotentrin" or something along those lines. So over a 4 and a half month period I gradually started feeling like I was losing my memory and it was hard to concentrate. So I stopped taking it at 4 and a half months. So here I sit a year and 3 months later. I still have these symptoms. These symptoms are not just small these are HUGE symtpoms. Here they are.

Vision - I can see but I can't focus in on things very well.
I can't focus and think straight either.

I'm easily distracted from thoughts and things in front of me. Not like a hyper kind of way but in a distracted sort of way. Like I will be drawn into this depressed mode where I think way to much and I start to dwell on the things that I think about in which causes depression.

I don't know if the ringing in my ears has anything to do with it, but there is a ringing in my ears always. I'm guessing that is tinnitus.

The biggest thing for me is not phsyically being able to think clearly and focus. I can sit at my computer all day and play world of warcraft which is a massive mmorpg video game. The difference that I see in my behavior compared to what I read is I keep seeing "hyperactivity" well the problem with me is I really really really tired all the time. I can sleep 8 hours 4 hours 12 hours 24 hours and I always feel tired. I took a depression medication for 2 or 3 months and the symptoms never went away. I'm no where near hyper, all I want to do is lay in my bed all day and grieve about how screwed up my head is. The best description I can give you is if you have ever smoked marijauna. It takes you out of reality and you lose the ability to focus and see the things around you. Actually to be completely honest, I feel like I'm high 24 hours a day. Smoke marijuana every hour or so for 2 weeks and that will be just a glimpse of what my life has been like for the past year and a half.

Is this ADD?????

I ordered ATTEND to see if it would help. I do not have much money to visit the doctor nor pay for prescriptions.

http://www.vaxa.com/636.cfm
that is the stuff i ordered.

Please tell me if this is add or just hardcore brain damage.

Either or I want it to be gone but the sad thing is i dont think it will ever go away.

My son is now on his second course of Amnesteem/Accutane/a.k.a. Isotretinoin. He is also complaining of some symptoms that we had discussed as possibly ADD.....lack of motivation, procrastination, focus, concentration. He is also in his second year of college, taking 19 credits in an engineering major.....and I was worried to begin with...now I am....more than worried.

Thanks for this discussion.