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Very scary issue - is it due to Asperger's?

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vofc
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20 May 2011, 10:26 pm

I have a severe vitamin B12 deficiency too and I have had numbness in my hands and feet. This is potentially indicative of nerve damage. Have your serum B12 levels checked. It's a simple blood test and should be fairly cheap. If you explain about the numbness your doctor will(or rather should) arrange it for you.



melodylynette
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20 May 2011, 10:29 pm

I had gran-mal seizures, nephritis, and Henoch–Schönlein purpura between the ages of birth and 4 years old. Someone else has mentioned TSI (sp?) which are mini strokes? I thought that was only in the elderly.



Amajanshi
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20 May 2011, 10:33 pm

Also check for your Vitamin D levels.

Low vitamin D levels can also contribute to muscle weakness.



vofc
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20 May 2011, 10:41 pm

melodylynette wrote:
I had gran-mal seizures, nephritis, and Henoch–Schönlein purpura between the ages of birth and 4 years old. Someone else has mentioned TSI (sp?) which are mini strokes? I thought that was only in the elderly.


I had the grand mal seizures too. Very common in people with ADHD.



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21 May 2011, 2:17 am

When I get short term memory loss after a seizure I will forget everything that happened before on that day. And I mean everything.

That's short term memory loss. This sounds like poor working memory. I had that to begin with so I can tell the difference.

It does sound like the Adderall triggered some form of epilepsy in you. You need to decrease the dose ASAP. Seriously I was on an average adult dose of Ritalin and now I have temporal lobe epilepsy and hypoglycemia. My last 10mg dose (full pill) made me instantly tired and I had a full body seizure (while conscious - I'm the rare type that doesn't lose consciousness) followed by such a severe headache that one side of my face dropped. Followed by the usual one sided paralysis, short term memory loss and cognitive slowness lasting days later that I've grown accustomed to.

People that take this medication need to be careful with it. You need to ease yourself onto it and wean off of it when you feel you need to stop because the side effects can be serious. While on it you need to eat properly even when it takes away your appetite because that can trigger hypoglycemia. I think people on the spectrum need to be especially careful because we are sensitive to medication.
I take half a pill every 4-5 hours twice on weekdays and take a full break on the weekend to not develop a tolerance.

littlelily613 wrote:
My grandmother has epilepsy where she would get severe grand mal seizures. My mom and I both had petit mal seizures where you lose moments without realizing it, but no shaking. From personal experience, when I had petit mal seizures I wasn't aware enough to "shake my head" and "wake myself up" because I didn't know I was having a seizure while I was in the process of having it. I mean, during it, I didn't realize I was zoned out. It doesn't sound like epilepsy to me, but doesn't mean it is not. Either way, I would check in with your doctor because it could be something else anyway that needs to be addressed.

If you've ever had a grand mal seizure while conscious you know that you can still have awareness while having a seizure. I'm one of those lucky ones who get to experience every moment of a grand mal seizure.
Fortunately to avoid having one I just need to watch my diet and stay away from flashing lights.


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21 May 2011, 2:21 am

melodylynette wrote:
I had gran-mal seizures, nephritis, and Henoch–Schönlein purpura between the ages of birth and 4 years old. Someone else has mentioned TSI (sp?) which are mini strokes? I thought that was only in the elderly.


Perhaps transient ischemic attacks? TIA?

I don't believe they're only in the elderly. They are far more common, however.



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21 May 2011, 3:05 am

pensieve wrote:
When I get short term memory loss after a seizure I will forget everything that happened before on that day. And I mean everything.

That's short term memory loss. This sounds like poor working memory. I had that to begin with so I can tell the difference.

It does sound like the Adderall triggered some form of epilepsy in you. You need to decrease the dose ASAP. Seriously I was on an average adult dose of Ritalin and now I have temporal lobe epilepsy and hypoglycemia. My last 10mg dose (full pill) made me instantly tired and I had a full body seizure (while conscious - I'm the rare type that doesn't lose consciousness) followed by such a severe headache that one side of my face dropped. Followed by the usual one sided paralysis, short term memory loss and cognitive slowness lasting days later that I've grown accustomed to.

People that take this medication need to be careful with it. You need to ease yourself onto it and wean off of it when you feel you need to stop because the side effects can be serious. While on it you need to eat properly even when it takes away your appetite because that can trigger hypoglycemia. I think people on the spectrum need to be especially careful because we are sensitive to medication.
I take half a pill every 4-5 hours twice on weekdays and take a full break on the weekend to not develop a tolerance.

littlelily613 wrote:
My grandmother has epilepsy where she would get severe grand mal seizures. My mom and I both had petit mal seizures where you lose moments without realizing it, but no shaking. From personal experience, when I had petit mal seizures I wasn't aware enough to "shake my head" and "wake myself up" because I didn't know I was having a seizure while I was in the process of having it. I mean, during it, I didn't realize I was zoned out. It doesn't sound like epilepsy to me, but doesn't mean it is not. Either way, I would check in with your doctor because it could be something else anyway that needs to be addressed.

If you've ever had a grand mal seizure while conscious you know that you can still have awareness while having a seizure. I'm one of those lucky ones who get to experience every moment of a grand mal seizure.
Fortunately to avoid having one I just need to watch my diet and stay away from flashing lights.


I have developed some seriously weird neurological problems since taking meds. I regret taking them.


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21 May 2011, 3:34 am

melodylynette wrote:
One other symptom I "of course forgot about" is that occasionally I get numbing in one or both of my arms.

I used it for 2 and a half months, usually between 50 and 60 mg. Quit for a week and things did get a little better, but not enough for me to put 2 and 2 together. I have been using it again since Tuesday, at 40 mg. a day. About 2 years ago, I took 30 mg. everyday for about 6 months and never had any of these symptoms. Every other ADHD medication makes me aggravated and I yell constantly. Adderall calms me down emotionally enough to handle my kids seeking issues better, makes me happy, puts me in a great mood, and gives me energy to get my house clean. I didn't think it was hurting me. I hope it's not killing me. :(


I believe that it is your Adderall that's causing you to have some sort of seizures, seeing that there's a correlation between you using it for 2.5 months and you're cognitive/memory issues for the past 2 months.

50-60 mg /day is a pretty high dose for someone who hasn't taken it in about 2 years. You didn't have seizures from 30 mg/day, whereas 50-60 mg / day can have seizures. This is plausible as higher doses of stimulants (including amphetamines and even caffeine) can lower the seizure threshold.

Your mum has a history of Epilepsy, so I think it'd be best if you use a lower dose, ie back to the 30 mg. You'll have to cut down progressively though over several weeks or even a few months to soften your withdrawal symptoms (eg fatigue, hunger, depression, lack of motivation).

I'm not sure what kind of Adderall pills you have been prescribed (Instant release or Slow release), so it might be hard for you to cut your pills into more specific doses.

If you have been prescribed the 30 mg instant release pills, then perhaps you could do a gradual cut down regimen such as the following. You'll need a pill-cutter to cut your pills into halves and quarters:

Current - 60 mg ( 2 x 30 mg pills)
Weeks 1 & 2 - 52.5 mg ( 1 x 30 mg + 1 x 15 mg + 1 x 7.5 mg)
Weeks 3 & 4 - 45 mg ( 1 x 30 mg + 1 x 15 mg)
Weeks 5 & 6 - 37.5 mg ( 1 x 30 mg + 1 x 7.5 mg)
Weeks 7 & 8 - 30.0 mg ( 1 x 30 mg)



melodylynette
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22 May 2011, 9:10 pm

Amajanshi wrote:


I believe that it is your Adderall that's causing you to have some sort of seizures, seeing that there's a correlation between you using it for 2.5 months and you're cognitive/memory issues for the past 2 months.


I absolutely agree with you. I think the symptoms are caused from the following:

I already have issues with overstimulation because of my sensory problems. When I take the pills, my body is so much more overstimulated that it "shuts down" or screws up because it doesn't know how to handle it.

What do you think?