Poor concentration but only symptom?

Ok I said only symptom but I am also having trouble putting my words into sentences slight memory issues and I'm having trouble with spelling and I have night terrors/sleep issues but I don't think they are related.

I am/was a very avid reader. I used to read 4 or 5 books a month. This year I just can not concentrate. I have read several small books but not many. It also takes me between a couple and a few weeks to read a book. I have read only one book since the end of July. When I do read it takes me about an hour to read 5 to 10 pages even if it is fluff fiction. I sometimes just stop and stare at the pages. Or my mind wanders. My anxiety is fine and my depression is non existent in fact I haven't felt this good in years. I wasn't really worried about this but now I just really want to be able to read and I am just wondering why all of a sudden I can't. I was reading today for about an hour and a half until I gave up because I realized I had read less then 10 pages in that time slot even though I thought I was reading. Also when I was a kid I could read a Stephen King book in one sitting and now a Stephen King book takes a few weeks. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm not on any new meds or anything. I got off a ton of stuff and my mental health has greatly improved since. I started a new job in June but I only work twice a week and this problem started in January. I wasn't thinking too much of it but it's gotten really annoying.

Until about 5 years ago I was an avid reader and artist. I have great concentration difficulties now. I too get 'word dumb' in the middle of conversations. I can only think it all has to do with all the medications I take.

not everything is a symptom of a problem. let me show you what I mean...

the amount I read, and my interest in reading depends upon things like how busy I am, whether I have other things to do, whether its spring winter summer or fall, ... not to mention the fact that as a child I read a lot but as an adult I read less. why because theres more interesting things going on in my life and thoughts then there was when I was a child. as a child I did not enjoy just sitting doing nothing and as an adult I totally enjoy meditative practices of sitting still, just breathing, just being, not having to do a dang thing even i that thing is reading. there are some days during my vacation time my wife will walk up to me and say penny for your thoughts and I will say no thoughts just being.

when my reading changes are a symptom of a problem its usually I am too tired from lack of sleep, or work stress, or not eating correctly so my energy levels are down.

that said my suggestion is if this continues to bother you contact a medical doctor in your off the computer location, they will be able to tell you whether this dis interest or changes in your reading habits are a symptom of some mental or physical health problem and treat you for that medical or mental health problem.

Google the meds you are or were on with the term 'side-effects, lack of concentration, memory loss' and any other related symptoms and see what you find.

I was on psych meds for 13 years, and now have very poor focus and concentration. I also was an avid reader like you and now find it takes me a long time to finish a book unless it's the most fascinating thing I've ever read.

Look up Gwen Olsen on youtube and watch some of her videos on drug side-effects. She talks about how antidepressants lead to memory issues similar to stroke patients where you can't find word [I have that too] among other things. These meds aren't nearly as safe as Big Pharma would have you believe...

Yes I relate it gets so bad it takes me hours to get ready to go somewhere.Mine does seem to fluctuate with stress how or does it affect your work and quality of life

LucyG I googled my meds and found out that my lamictal could be causing both poor concentration and memory loss. I figured out that these issues started right after my doc raised it from 100 to 200 milligrams. I'm having a lot of other bad side effects too from this. I'm just going to ask him to lower it back to 100. The reason I don't want to go off it and on something new is because lamictal has no affect on my weight or my appetite. I'm sort of obsessed when it comes to weight gaining meds.

Thanks for the suggestion!