Meds causing memory issues?

So at least once a day my bf has to say "how do you not remember talking about this the other day?" For awhile I thought he was the one that was mixed up but apparently i must be getting worse since my meds have been getting increased. And for the record, I'm stone cold sober. It's embarrassing that I'm not recalling little things like details about conversations. And I am noticing that my BP has gotten worse as I get older. So of course, as my BP gets worse, my meds get increased. And I noticed it on this forum too! About last week I posted something and then remembered later on that I posted almost the same issue a week or so before. Gah I hope no one noticed that lol.

Does anyone else have memory issues like this? Could meds be causing it?? What can I do to work on it? I've never had this issue before.

Yes....I've had memory issues even before the BP diagnosis. My doctor said it was from fibromyalgia but I wonder and believe it's the BP. The meds don't help either. I used to have a very sharp close to photographic memory but now I forget a conversation I had 5 minutes before. My husband and I were talking in the car about an hour ago and he said "don't you remember I told you that a couple days ago". I was like...."nope, it's all new to me". Happens with my kids too and I think my son has taken advantage by saying "you said you'd get that for me" it really sucks and I'm sorry you have to deal with it too. It's scary especially since my maternal grandmother got Alzheimer's in her 60's. I'm still a few decades away from that but I get very worried and anxious about it sometimes. My best friend used to be amazed by my memory....now I can't trust it.

Yes meds have me forgetting lots of things.

But I also have memory issues depending on where in sitting on my Bipolar roller coaster, up or down.

I also have ridiculous memory problems with Fibro Fog"

Some meds to mess with my memory. It depends on the dosage too. High dose antipsychotics make my brain mush. I have forgotten days at a time, visits with people and reading is impossible as I can't recall the plot and characters.

I too used to have a very sharp memory but a combo of meds, bipolar itself, ptsd and fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue have dulled it. But I am able to function and study (unless in an epidote) so it can;t be too bad.

Could you use some memory/brain apps on your phone or computer to strengthen your memory. Build it up like a muscle? Maybe your brain also needs time to recover from when you were not sober and/or when you last bad episode was. how long has it been? It took my brain months to recover from a bad mixed episode. I felt so dumb and forgetful.

Oh yea that's another thing... reading. I'm currently reading a book and I've been having to go back and re-read it

Yes. I take Topamax. I think that should speak for itself. I love what it does for my migraines and that it helps (somewhat) with my mood. I hate what it does to my memory. Sometimes I wonder if it is worth it.

I have had memory issues since being on meds. I can't for the life of me remember a movie I've watched or a book I've read. I watch the same movies over and over, sometimes just days apart, and they are like new to me each time. I also find myself not remembering conversations. I usually remember important stuff though.

One of the telltale signs I knew something was going on with me last year before I sought help was the fact that my memory was completely shot. I used to be able to remember ALOT of things without having to write them down, that's not the case anymore and it makes me angry and sad.

Part of this might be your brain resetting after the addiction.

I've been somewhat forgetful since my late 30s, but it got worse when I went on meds for my BP. I think part of it is due to meds (especially Lamictal---I'm on a buttload of that) and the rest of it is due to brain damage due to repeated episodes. I can't concentrate on books, forget conversations even in the middle of one (and am mortified when it's pointed out to me), and have to write absolutely EVERYTHING down. It's so frustrating!

I know I've become more forgetful since I've been on meds. I'm now starting to miss daily stuff, and it's hard.

I guess it can be a toss up. How do you think your memory would be if you were unmedicated and stable, depressed or manic? Sometimes meds are the least worse option, at least they are for me unless I am stable for a long period of time...which rarely happens.

Episodes themselves mess with our memory too. It takes me months to get my brain back after a bad episode. This is a horrible position for you to have to be in. Are you stable enough to try going off the most likely culprit and see what happens? i wish you all the best.

Yes I'm actually cutting back down on my seroquel from when I was mixed/manic a few weeks ago. I'm on a really high dose still and my brain is mush and I'm sleeping during the day so I think it's time to cut it back. Starting tonight.

Ditto on the memory loss. I have to ask my kids a lot of stuff. Tell them to refresh my memory about things. They had better not take advantage of me! I'll have to tell them I will write it down if I promise to get them something!

When we watch tv episodes I sometimes have to go back and look at the previous episode and fast forward through parts of it. I HAVE to see it in order to refresh my memory but I am also a very visual person. I remember all of it then.

Some other aspects of my memory are very sharp though. I can always remember a face and where I saw them but not a name!

My dad and his siblings all died from some form of dementia. I'm really scared of getting Alzheimer's so I play computer games and word games. QuizUp app on my phone is awesome. You pick your interest and compete w other online players. Lots of adventure games with strategy and puzzle. I read Wikipedia a lot too.

I figure all the drinking I did in my younger years doesnt help much either!

It can get better. I was given heavy, involuntary shock at age 20 and 23...both times in well-regarded hospitals. Minimal aftercare.

I had --serious-- memory problems and all sorts of problems obviously related to heavy handed shock "treatments." I miraculously recovered, so now at least the IQ estimate is up to baseline and my overall functioning is good.

Seroquel can be harsh. For me, even low(ish) doses slowed me down too much. Since I must take a tranquilizer for the foreseeable future, I'm on a high dose of Abilify. Not ideal, but I tolerate it well.

Lithium and the anti-epileptics can be rough, too. Actually...so can benzodiazpines, sleeping pills, even some antidepressants. Psychiatry isn't exactly good for your brain a lot of times.

But, yeah...hope. If I can recover and function OK, then there's hope for anybody. Really. I'd say just watch out for (over)sedation, watch the doses of your prescribed drugs, and also...see if you can get an AIMS test (its a test to look for tardive dyskinesia).

Older literature indicates that people with mood problems get TD more than people who are diagnosed with schizophrenia. The TD tends to be more severe in mood disorders, too. Thing is...a lot of times, if you get TD, you'll also have a measurable degree of cognitive decline ("tardive dementia"). Docs always talk about TD like it doesn't happen or its not a big deal, but it can be a very, very big deal.

Hope I didn't scare you. Just thought I'd throw some things out there for you.

My memory is really bad. I struggle with reading. After talking with someone a lot of the time if I'm not taking notes I'll forget it. I went to a event at my younger daughter 's school. A group won an award. Well by the time we got to the car I forgot which group won. I depend on my iPhone .....it's my holy grails. I get the top one to have the best features. My calendar and reminders I use everyday I have Siri remind me of things. A few of the meds people mentioned I do take Lamictal and Tomapax 400 mg of each. I also takeLithium and Risperdal. I know when I started getting BP symptoms my memory started to go down. Then after starting meds it got worse. I'm not sure which med (s) are responsible