I was dx with bipolar in 2012. But years before that I had symptoms of bipolar. I've noticed recently that my memory, word retrieval, etc. has gotten really bad. (I was released from impatient in Feb). But my husband tells me that I had these problems, be it a lot milder, a couple/few years ago.
My question is, were my earlier cognition issues related to bipolar?
Do they get worse over time or is it related to how many episodes you have?

[Captinbipolar]

Well I can say I recently has my diagnosis at my current age of 23. I started to notice symptoms just like you described, to the point that they started to interfere with my life, at the age of 18. They got progressively worse from there on out. So I would say in my experience yes it could be an early sign.

[kaliope]

that is interesting. when i first read your problem i was prepared to say that may be a side effect of a med as that happened to me on a few different meds but if it was happening before you were on meds i dont really know what to say. i have been bipolar all my life and not experienced that. i would talk to your doctor and see if it could be something else.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

It's a tricky question. I used to work with people who had dementia and were violent, either because they hada form of dementia that caused violence or they had long-term mental illness that caused dementia. It used to really freak me out but then I realized that the people in that situation had been treated with horrible treatments that none of us have endured. I don't know if there are people who've been on the drugs we use now long enough to know what will happen to us.

I have had definite cognitive decline myself but it is better than it was at its' worst. My memory isn't as good as it once was (by a lot) and sometimes I have word-finding problems or have trouble thinking my way through something logically.

I'd had some degree of this anyway (always worse with episodes) and then almost 4 years ago I had surgery and had a bad reaction to anesthesia plus I had a Mirena IUD put in and the hormones, tiny though they are, made things horrible. That stupid Mirena was in 9 months and during the entire time I was very suicidal and basically unable to think at all, it seemed. When the Mirena was removed things stabilized and I was just at a not where I was, needs help with some things but better than it was place but thankful to be better than I had been.

For me menopause has helped. I have fewer episodes for one thing but in general with fewer hormones my cognition is somewhat better. In the early part of menopause when the hormones really were fluctuating it was a lot worse and has gradually improved. In general hormones have been a bad thing for me, whether it was the pill, Mirena or early menopause. And in each case there were cognitive symptoms that improved as things changed/were removed.

I am no longer the person who could remember the detail of all 50 of my patients whose care I was supervising. I know longer can call someone once or twice and remember their number. I don't always know what day of the week it is. I need help translating some bills into understandable language.I sometimes make mistakes I never would have 5 years ago because I don't focus as well as I once did. But overall I'm better than I was 3 years ago. Much, much better.

[cashart10]

Cognitive decline is common in Bipolar Disorder. Here is a link where the psychiatrist on webmd describes it. He also describes it in other threads if you want to search the bipolar community on the website.

"Executive Functioning question Dr. G?": Bipolar Disorder Community - Support Group

[raspberrytorte]

I have issues too, mostly with spelling and remembering names, and I used to be very good at both.

[jacky8807]

it definitely happened to me ...and was worse with each episode

[BipolaRNurse]

I echo what JustMeJen said above. I too had memory issues long before I was diagnosed bipolar, but it got worse over the years and hormones made things even worse before I went through menopause.

Now I have trouble with word finding and short term memory. Some of it's due to meds, the rest of it.....well, who knows, could be brain damage from repeated bipolar episodes, could be just the cognitive changes a lot of late-middle-aged people go through. But I've learned to just roll with it and not demand from my memory that which it cannot supply.

[Captinbipolar]

That last sentence bipolaRnurse is awesome. I'm going to start telling my brain the same thing. Not to expect more than it can handle and to just roll with it. I'm struggling with that as I used to be super quick and productive with a decent memory.

[raspberrytorte]

Oh, I should add, I have HORRIBLE memory! But I've always been that way according to my husband. I'm a total air head.

Originally Posted by momof2boys5848

My question is, were my earlier cognition issues related to bipolar?
Do they get worse over time or is it related to how many episodes you have?

It'd be hard to know for sure, because so many things can affect it, you know? On the second, both options pondered are often linked, so that would be hard to sort out too.

For myself, there's been a lot of decline on memory and mental ability. For a couple of examples... 3 bills, 3 envelopes. Trying to figure out which belonged in which reduced me to tears, took forever. Stilll screwed up. Trying to make a simple meal can send me into a tailspin of confusion and overwhelm. And we're not even talking trying to follow a recipe.
Back in the day, I was very sharp and smart.

Now, ability to access it is totally hit and miss. Just yesterday, I read a fairly dense thing. A few hours later, I picked a pair of scissors (from my own desk, and that I use may, many times every day), held them up, asking BF, "Are these mine?"

I've had BP for over 30 years, the vast majority of which were undx'd and unmedicated, episodes were totally uncontrolled. My psych says we try to minimize cycling because each one causes damage. So many factors, so many years. I couldn't possibly sort out the culprits at this point.

Originally Posted by cashart10

Cognitive decline is common in Bipolar Disorder. Here is a link where the psychiatrist on webmd describes it. He also describes it in other threads if you want to search the bipolar community on the website.
"Executive Functioning question Dr. G?": Bipolar Disorder Community - Support Group

Thanks so very much for this, cashart! There was something in there that clearly put into words something that I've been utterly unable to articulate. For something very important!