Concentrating issues can be related to Bipolar?

Hi, Since I first started to experience the symptoms of being bipolar/borderline, I went from being someone super fast learning, to a person that has difficulties concentrating in simple life tasks, such as reading, remembering words, i feel airy and it's so difficult to do stuff i normally did before.
The symptoms are worse during a crisis, but ever since I took topiramato as a mood stabilizer it got MUCH worse. I stopped this medication 4 years ago and I still have a hard time with my memory, and I was SO sharp before....
I feel trapped, sad, and dumb because of it.
Anyone else?

It's called "Dopamax" here in the US for a reason. I took it and I thought I'd lost 50 IQ points. I've been off it for 5 years now.

It's happened to me, whether on meds or off. I just don't feel as intelligent and creative as I once was. As far as forgetting the words, it was definitely worse on some meds than others.

it can be difficult to sort out which symptoms are a part of bipolar and which are med side-effects.

"Dopamax" (Topamax) is well known to cause cognitive issues. I had experienced this, too.


WC

I got so bad with short-term memory, focus and word-finding that I thought I was developing dementia. However, two different psychiatrists have told me that my brain-fade is due to repeated severe bipolar episodes combined with medications (e.g. Lamictal and antipsychotics). That made me feel better because it's not unheard-of to get dementia at my age, but then it's not modifiable either because I can't get rid of bipolar and I can't stop taking meds. Oh well.

Meds have seriously affected my cognitive skills, my memory, and my intelligence.


Concentrating issues can be related to BD, but some of us with BD are excellent at multi-tasking. I didn't learn that until recently. I've always wondered how it is that I'm so good at multi-tasking and most others can't multi-task. I was always annoyed with those people, especially when I was working in a cafe. Now I'm realizing that I can get my mental energy to such an elevated level that I can quite easily do 3 things at once and do each one well. A benefit of BD, I guess.

Ummmmm...What was the question again?

As I’m usually cruising along on a hypomanic Clipper Ship sailing from one continent to another, I, too, multi-task. I can read and listen to music. I can wash dishes as I’m cooking. I’m more apt to multi-task when hypomanic and high/free from pain using medical cannabis. The particular strains of cannabis that I use can vary but it helps.

I’ve been BP since birth, probably, but at the height of my intellectual stamina, I was still forgetting words and having my little blackout spells. I feel very stupid today — I only know anniversaries — I need to stop for 20-30 minutes, sometimes, to recall a name.

Yeah, we hesitate to say that our disorders have side-benefits. It’s like Quasimodo celebrating his wayward eye and lovely hunchback. It’s taboo — it’s what we never tell (never tell).

Okay, my memory is shot. Am I less intelligent now than thirty-years-ago? Yes, absolutely. I no longer parlay with the in crowd and I no longer use, or even have, my old vocabulary.

I am dumb and I lack passion. Passion was the last thing they took from me.

Bravo for my disorders if they allow me to rig my delusions and bugger them all if this — this hermit and recluse — is set to star in my swan song.

It's congenital most of the time.

I think I remember more about 20 years ago....no clue what I ate for supper yesterday

I doubt it has anything to do with your genitals.