Bipolar Disorder Support Group

Bipolar disorder is not just a single disorder, but a category of mood disorders marked by periods of abnormally high energy and euphoria, often accompanied by bouts of clinical depression. This is the place to talk about your experience with bipolar disorder, learn from others' experiences, and find support.

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Memory?

agrandkitten
agrandkitten
I do not remember reading this on any of the threads, but does BP or the meds given for treatment of it affect your memory so bad , that your husband worries about your lack of memory? This makes me feel like I am suffering from some sort of dementia? It is a scary thought, but there are times i forget names of people i should know like the back of my hand.
deleted_user
deleted_user
depending on the meds youre taking will determine if this is a symptom of your meds. i would definitely talk to your doc about this one, because thats kind of a crappy side effect. i hope youre able to solve this problem in a timely matter so you can have peace of mind. :)
deleted_user
deleted_user
yeah i think my memory has been affected by the recurring episodes of psychosis, so has my ambition. i hear that bipolar disorder can actually age the brain. certain foods have a healing affect on the memory. such as berries...blueberries and blackberries especially. also, dark grape juice. you can google, "blueberries memory" or "grape juice memory" and get tons of information on the subject. i have a friend on here who has been eating the berries for awhile and he swears it has restored his memory. i just now learned about the grape juice and i'm gonna start having a cup a day!
deleted_user
deleted_user
my memory has gotten worse lately too. i blame it on the electric shock therapy i had 6 years ago,and now on my meds. i am going to go off of topomax within the next couple of months but stay on the rest of the meds.i am on a rather high dose of it, and it can cause some memory loss my pdoc has said.i don't need any more of that. i feel stupid when i can't remember the most simplest of things.
roseypeach
roseypeach
Huh....what was that?

LOL! Being serious now, yes, my meds have caused plenty of forgetfulness. I got so bad at one point, I couldn't remember how old I was! I had to ask my stepson! I was on Topomax then. I think the neuro meds like Topomax,Neurontin,Tegretol tend to cause more of a problem than things like Seroquel or Abilify.
agrandkitten
agrandkitten
i am on Seroquel, 300mgs, and Lamictal,150 mgs. also, for anxiety , i am on klonopin. My memory is so bad, i forgot, and had to ask my husband the names of my niece and my little great nephew.
deleted_user
deleted_user
When I was on Topamax, it really messed up my memory. During that time I was tested for a learning disability and I took an IQ test, i ended up scoring in levels of a person with mild retardation, when I am no where near that. So, yes, medication really does have an affect on your memory. I think that the topamax had made my memory really bad and since I've been off of it, my memory is getting better but it's no where like it was before I started my medication regimen.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Topomax does cause alot of cloudy thinking. I take it too. I think BP and age has a lot to do with it for me. Im slowly loosing my memory.