Can't Do Mental Math Anymore?

[puppylove]

I used to be fine in math but now I can barely do any mental math at all. It's really embarrassing especially when my homebound teacher is sitting right there staring at me. :/ I guess it could be from lack of blood to the brain? Has anyone else noticed this?

[Katybug]

I find that this is a skill that has deteriorated for me too. I was always a math whiz and worked for a payroll company which required a lot of quick math thinking...now I am slow at it and don't trust my answers and double check on a calculator anyway.

I do have a membership (you do have to pay a fee) to a website called "Lumosity". It gives you brain exercises. Although I have been slacking on doing my brain workouts lately, I could feel a marked improvement on my cognitive skills when I was doing my Lumosity exercises every day. They were fun and took about 15-20 minutes. You can do more than that each day of you want, or less really, but the recommended games take about that long. I definitely plan on remaining a member as I felt the value was there for the amount of money (I think it was about $85 +/- for a whole year.)

[troythe8th]

Most definite deterioration here. My son is in fifth grd and has homework every night. I have serious trouble helping and keeping up with him. The memory just isnt there. I know im getting old but im not that darn old. lol

Luminosity is great i no longer have a membership but the benifits are great simple and fun. My wife does still have a Pogo games accnt and i play word whomp for hours on end. You get 6 letters and have to make as many words as you can in a set time. It helps divert my mind at the very least and i believe it helps with the fog abit.

[kitt]

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[jkoconne]

I definitely noticed mine has decreased! I took a year off of math and went back to the next required class, calculus. I thought it was just because it was new stuff but then i have trouble remembering easy multiplication facts and math rules. I also see a difference on days my symptoms are worse...im not sure if its due to fatigue or on days my symptoms are worse the brain flow is worse either way it makes class and finishing homework really hard. It takes so much longer then it use it! Hopefully I only have 9 days of math left to finish my college requirements.

[Chaos]

Definitely have noticed it being an issue. Math was never my strong point, but basic arithmetic I could always do quickly and easily in my head. Now on a bad day, I can't even do very simple addition/problem solving in my head. Even "easy" suduko puzzles will sometimes leave me staring at them for quite awhile on a bad day. Drives me nuts!

[Angela]

I definitely noticed mine has decreased! I took a year off of math and went back to the next required class, calculus. I thought it was just because it was new stuff but then i have trouble remembering easy multiplication facts and math rules. I also see a difference on days my symptoms are worse...im not sure if its due to fatigue or on days my symptoms are worse the brain flow is worse either way it makes class and finishing homework really hard. It takes so much longer then it use it! Hopefully I only have 9 days of math left to finish my college requirements.

J....you got it.......don't worry:) u r so smart xoxo

[micheller]

I have definitely noticed this. Math was my favorite subject in school. Now I have to check my 8 year old son's homework with a calculator. I've noticed my comprehension for basically everything has decreased. I had to drop out of my college courses. Most of it was essays and I was having the hardest time. I knew what I wanted to say in my head but couldn't put it down on paper. Now, I'm always asking my husband questions that are common sense, he will answer me and I just say 'Yeah I knew that'. Lol. I feel like I've been googling more and more. It feels like I'm getting dumber as time goes on if that makes sense.

[Katybug]

The website for the brain games is : www.lumosity.com

[Guest Hugues SC]

I also can't do basic mental tasks, it's frustrating

I have to go to physiotherapy and to the ... Gym !?! on my employer's request ..

And I am suprised I did not faint yet, my HB goes to 150 after two steps on a machine, but I can work out a little bit, it's tough with the low blood sugar, dizziness etc ... it feels like working out after a few drinks lol

- But the toughest thing is to keep count of the repetitions while on the machines, or to write my progress on the sheets they have for that, or to actually understand when they explain me how the machine works, or how to do the exercises right.

it's not a good feeling, I feel really dumb

[TheHuntere]

Im still in Highschool so sadly Im facing a lot of math and general memorization daily. Ive noticed a major deterioration of my memory and skills since my POTS onset. I used to consider math a strong suit of mine and was always able to quickly memorize vocabulary or material for classes. Now I have trouble with basic math, memorization, frequently loose my train of thought when reviewing text, and have to read over test questions 3 or 4 times for the question to actually sink in. Have any of you with POTS and these concentration/memory problems been prescribed anything for them? Or found any other ways of improvement?

I have heard of POTS patients being prescribed with different stimulants such as Ritalin to help with the declining mental functions and lethargy. Im not sure how common this is or if anyone else has had success with it.

[corina]

I've been on Ritalin (to keep me from falling asleep during the day) and remember that it helped with brain fog too. At some point I came off of it though I can't remember why. Might be time to start it again

[E Soskis]

Good luck with Ritalin - it really kept my brain fog at bay but, there is a national shortage and my pharmacy has been out for months - threw me into ritalin withdrawl and now that I'm off, I refuse to start back because I just can't take 2 weeks of withdrawl symptoms again. The brain fog is pretty severe though - suspect that is causing the math difficulties - I deal with data and statistics and lately, it has become a foreign language to me.......

[TheHuntere]

Thanks! Its definitely good to here there has been some success but also to note the dangers with possible withdrawal and the shortage. Honestly seeing that people have been able to work in these complex fields despite the brain fog is really encouraging.

[looneymom]

My son really struggles with doing mental math. Math used to be his best subject. It is so unfair what POTS takes from childhood and teenage years. He tries to do it in his head first but there are just those days, his brain is not working and he has to use the calculator to finish his math lesson. However, its always exciting to see those exceptional good days, when he just whizes through the assignment.These days are far and few between. Hang in there puppylove and don't feel embrassed if you have to use the calculator. My son does not like to use the calculator but he nor you deserve a failing grade because of POTS.

[kitt]

The website for the brain games is : www.lumosity.com

Thanks for the link Katybug!

I've been on Ritalin (to keep me from falling asleep during the day) and remember that it helped with brain fog too. At some point I came off of it though I can't remember why. Might be time to start it again

Corina, I tried Provigil the week it came out, (long time ago.) At the time it was used as off label thinking it might help other issues, just as ADD drugs are still used today. It made me feel like I had one foot floored on the brake pedal and one foot floored on the gas pedal. So it made brain speed up and body even more exhausted. Am glad it's helping you. Wish it was helpful to me. Made me more! exhausted

[POTLUCK]

Yes,

Cognitive tasks, especially math are much more difficult when I am doing worse. I am currently doing better. Now I could add a list of numbers, such as reciepts, with the calculater easily yet even this was difficult when I was doing poorly, as I would lose track of which number I was on.