tealeh, how are you doing? i was thinking may be taking something to help you sleep at night may help and not something over the counter for those could make you vrey drowsey in the morning and talking with your doc could help you find whats right for you such as ambien or something. lack of sleep could cause you to feel very lathargic and usless in the day. so may be if you got some good sleep you would feel much better

A very close friend of ours was diagnosed with the first stages of Alzheimer's at age 49 because of the very same symptoms you are describing with your mother. "Fifty" is not too young. If you are truely concerned about your mother, (and since this illness runs in your family) it might be a good idea for your mother to be tested. I wish you the best. Good Luck.

Researching; Yes, I feel very sorry about you and your mother's case. I also did not mention, but should probably have mentioned that Altzheimers also runs in my family. My grandmother and her sister both had it. My grandmother lived to be 102, and had to spend the last 10 years in the hospital I believe; she could not even remember my mother at the time. But I believe she was happy, and well cared for by my aunt and uncle. She did not have all the other problems I have had and was never on SSRI's. But maybe there are connections worth researching into with all of these types of illnesses. Please be as patient with her as you can, and when it is time, see a doctor, and talk about options. There may be other medications they can offer now for these memory problems. I saw something on T.V. recently that they say relieves some of these problems.

Hi Researching, Fellow members may be responding soon. Please be sure to discuss these concerns at your mother's upcoming doctor's appointment. Your local pharmacist may also be able to provide you with some of the information you are looking for. Casey __________________________________ The Depression Center Support Team

I've registered for this site simply because of this discussion. My mother has been diagnosed with depression and adult ADD. She has been taking antidepressants now for at least a decade. I don't know all of the meds she takes, Wellbutrin and prozac is all I know off the top of my head. Anyways- for the past two years now, my mother's memory has really gone down hill. She forgets things that are more serious then short term memory loss. She forgets how to turn the car off, how to get to work, and most frustratingly conversations she has with people. She can't follow directions, and even finds her self having trouble with speech, stuttering alot. Could the prolonged use of these medications be contributing or even causing this? We are seeing the doctor next week- I even have to go with her so she can remember what to ask and what the doc says! Alzheimer's does run in our family, but she is only fifty "too young" to be showing symptoms, or be taken seriously. Please offer any advice, experiences or research sites. Thanks

I don't know what medical research says but I can tell you that my depression caused me to have difficulty concentrating and remembering things. I still notice that when I'm having a recurrence of severe depression (which I still have from time to time, even with the meds) my memory goes completely haywire. So if it's the meds or the depression or my age, who knows? When I'm feeling normal, when the meds are keeping things under control I don't notice any more memory problems.

If this is true for SSRI, it is also true for a lot of other anti-depressant drugs, since most of them work by inhibiting or blocking the reuptake by auto-receptors on the presynapstic neuron, of some type of neurotransmitter. The brain, its functions and its specific workings is extensively researched, but it remains a great mystery. Many other factors, either inside your brain/ body or in the environment can contribute to memory loss as well. My personal view is that anti-depressant drugs do have a, often still unknown, effect on the working of neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters are responsible for many, many processes that go on in there and work different inside every individual brain. But, please, lets stop beating ourselves up for needing drugs to feel better. If I had any other physical condition I needed drugs for, would I take them?? You bet I would, so why not for depression. I think that is because depression is still a disease we feel ashamed of, we should not feel like that, we should feel happy and jolly all the time, we should be great success stories every single minute of the day and we should be able to fall asleep if we want to. Feeling bad is soooo unaccepted in our society. Anyway, I think taking drugs is never a good thing for your body. Read the side effects on any drugs (even the over the counter ones) and be shocked what can happen. I am not an advocate for taking drugs. You feel bad, pop a pill and you feel better. It does not work like that and many of you out there know that if anything finding the drug that might work for you is hard. Since drugs work on the neurotransmitters in the brain.....here are some things that do as well. Excercise, will raise the level of endorphines in your brain. The feel good neurotransmitter. Also, eating wholesome food to nourish you body will nourish your brain and all the cells in it to work at their best level. Sleep, the first few hours will release the growth hormone. Since I am doing these things I am feeling a lot better. I am not taking drugs anymore, but I have for a long time. I needed them to even start to think about excercising, eating well, keeping a regular schedule. I do not know, nor want to think about where I would be now if that option had not been available to me at

Yes, it is true, they lead to memory loss, I now feel like I'm going into old age now, after using them for about twelve years or so. Not to mention the various side effects like causing tumors, sexual disfunction, marital problems, etc. etc. etc...but - having said that, there doesn't seem to be that many other choices for some people who have more severe cases of depression/anxiety etc. My short term memory is terrible, and now my husband is just starting to accept that that is a real side effect. But I also have thyroiditis which also leads to memory loss. So I guess I have it both ways. You have to decide which symptoms are worse; and proceed from there.

Hi, I have decided to give a shot to 5HTP for a few weeks. I came up with a book by name of Mood Cure by Julia Ross. www.moodcure.com. I think it is an interesting book and people with mild depression can get benefit from it. I have taken 5HTP (3pills a day) for the last two days. In the last couple of weeks, I felt very depressed and anxious due to some issues. I have to tell you 5HTP has improved my mood a little bit, but had not had much of impact on my sleep. It might be only a transient effect. I had tried St.John Wort in the past, it improved my mood and sleep a little bit. I have also tried Melatonin from GNC store. It worked only for two weeks. I will keep u posted about my final decision. I plan to do a little bit of yoga too. But I am in a very difficult situation in my life, I might not have any other choice than going with the antidepressant (something potent) in spite of my wishes. I hate taking pills to live..

oh i wanted to comment on the memory loss.... i'am curious where did you hear about this? i know even before i was taking the anti-d. i noticed memory loss like i'd forget yesterday or the day before that up to a week. just little things i'd remember but never really complete. i also suffered from migraines though and i was always taking something so i'am sure that had a bit to do with it.