I feel like I've lost 10-15 IQ points - or more.

All this owning to my medication. At times even holding a conversation is affected. I lose very common words mid sentence and I feel like an idiot. My math skills have been significantly affected. I have to think hard about performing addition and subtraction. Again I look like an idiot. Especially concerned as I was an advanced mathematics student. It is difficult to pay attention to discussions and I'm unable to digest information.

I did have an above average IQ. I tried taking an online IQ test, something that Ive done before with ease. I had to give up.

I am constantly laughing off my sillyness and pointing out I take heavy medication. Of course people react akwardly to that but it is better than them thinking I'm a stupid dolt.

rcat, I'm sorry that you're dealing with this. I have experienced it at times, although not to the degree that you're talking about since probably 20 years ago.

I usually find that cognitive side effects from medication get better with time, although they may never go completely away. I'm not sure exactly how that happens, but the brain is always building new neural pathways and adapting.

I have chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME) in addition to depression, and I find that my "smarts" are affected greatly by sleep problems, not eating regular meals, or by trying to do more in one day that I have the energy for.

Losing common words is so frustrating! I end up using a workaround, like "that thing you boil water in".

I've found if you're female and between 45-55, people around where I live tend to assume any quirks are due to perimenopause. It used to annoy me, but it can be a convenient thing to let people think.

[unaluna]

When i first crashed and got put on heavier meds, i couldnt even solve Wheel of Fortune word puzzles anymore. Now i am back to my old Jeopardy speed, pretty much (factoring in age).

[*Laurie*]

I hear you, rcat. I was quite an intelligent person, but so many years of meds has done damage. One of the reasons I don't have much desire to socialize is because of not being able to hold the kind of conversations I used to hold. I, too, forget words...heck, I'm lucky if I can recall thoughts enough to follow through with them. My reflexes used to be so fast, but they are substantially slowed by meds, too. I play simple online games to make myself practice speeding up my physical and cognitive abilities.

I had neurocognitive testing done several years ago when I was applying for Social Security disability. The results showed that I had lost 12 IQ points, but worst of all (to me), was that most of the loss seemed to be in what's called "performance IQ". I had lost about 30 points in that area.

I have looked up performance IQ before, but it feels like a poor choice of name, because I can never remember what it encompasses.

[AnxietyMaster]

I honestly wouldn't use an IQ test as a way to scale human intelligence at all. IQ tests simply measure problem solving. Many people having high intelligence in other areas than problem solving. For instance, one might not be good at problem solving but instead art.

My personal view: Everyone is intelligent in their own right.

I would like to put in a more emotional aspect to my reply. I too am worried about this, as I am still developing. I have had my IQ tested before, and I scored 10 points higher than my mother when she was in eight grade, and 12 points higher than my father when he was in eight grade. I have not had my IQ tested since, but would love to try it again.

I am extremely worried about cognitive decline linked to psychiatric medications as well. Since I already know that the amitriptyline has had a negative impact on my memory, I will be hopefully discontinuing it soon. My memory wasn't great to start with, but it sure was better than it is now!

[Trippin2.0]

I swear I could feel my brain cells die off one by one on a daily basis while I was taking lithium.


I never had that particular problem with any other psych med, but the lithium definitely did a number on me.



My vocabulary diminished rapidly, not only words but definitions and spelling too. Memory loss, mathematical incompetency, etc.


And I too, have a higher than average IQ. So it was quite depressing to find myself in that boat as my self-esteem was directly linked to my intelligence.


Anyway, long story short, my brain has slowly but surely returned back to normal after I got rid of the lithium.


I even know four syllable words, their definitions and spelling, without help!


Just wanted you to know I empathize.

If I felt happy about the way my brain was working, I wouldn't care what an IQ test said (since I'm past the age where I have to worry about college admissions, etc.)

If I'm having problems with certain tasks, though, and then an IQ test documents that, it just makes me a little more unhappy about it.

Lately, my brain seems to function pretty well if I get enough sleep and good, regular meals and don't try to do more than I can handle.

I hope that you get to discontinue the meds you're concerned about, too. It can be a catch-22 with psych meds. The meds can cause problems, but the unmedicated symptoms often cause worse ones.

Count me in, too. (two???)

Anyway. I know that I know things, I just can't find where they are in my brain. Some events, even, have completely disappeared.

Insomnia is not helping, I think. Also i recently have started to drink more water. I don't know it it helps, but I'm convincing myself that it might.

[Mrs. Mania]

Thank you all so much! I have also been dealing with this issue. Unfortunately my husband and daughter are brutal, they have no idea. It's scary because I think- I'm losing it, I for real am about to be spent. This is how they are going to be when I lose it? I'll be a joke.