Topamax and decline in cognitive functioning

So I had to go back on Seroquel in July and I was worried about gaining all the weight I had lost when I had came off of the Seroquel so my pdoc put me on Topamax. I've been on Lamictal since I was diagnosed 7-8 years ago and I had noticed a slight decline in losing my photographic memory, focus, multi-tasking, etc. Well anyways since I've been on the Topamax it has been really bad but I didn't realize it was the Topamax I thought it was the bad reaction I had from the Latuda back in June/July. So anyways I have had major problems at work. The amount of work I complete has decreased dramatically and I couldn't figure out why. I was so afraid I was going to get pulled into the supervisor's office. I ended up telling my boss that I was having problems, he knows about my BP and OCD. I was also constantly asking my husband the same questions and he would reply "I've already told you this three times." So I saw my pdoc yesterday and he told me it's a combination of being on the Lamictal and the Topamax. They are both anti-convulsants causing these issues. If I understood him right he said BP is like epilepsy. The brain is constantly having seizures, but without the physical reactions. There is so much activity going on in the brain, so that is the reason I have such a hard time going to sleep. We decided to go ahead and taper off of the Topamax. I was at 100 mg and he is lowering it to 50 mg for one month, and then to 25 mg and then none.

Has anyone had this problem with Topamax? If you did and came off of the medicine, do you know how long it takes before these problems went away for you?

I was a total zombie on a baby dose, but I am sensitive to meds. When I stopped taking it I felt better in just a few days...but we're all different. I hope things get better!

I forget new ideas more frequently.

I usually make a note in my iphone.

Short Term memory impairment , long term memory unaffected.

Been 3 days cold turkey because I ran out at 100mg a day and my freaking doctor has yet to put a refill in.

I take 50mg of Topamax in the morning and at night. I don't have any problems with it. Of course, I'm taking it for migraines and not specifically for my bipolar. I had been on Seroquel but stopped taking it 8 months ago because of the weight gain. Too bad...the drug worked. Just take lithium and celexa with the topamax right now.

Its nicknamed dopemax for a reason. Apparently it has quite a rep for giving people a case of the stupids...


From what I've read on PC, the effects are reversible after discontinuation.