Alzheimer symptoms and conditions

After being on the generic for Wellbutrin for several months, I started experiencing a lot of hair loss. I've never had a problem with this before; have always had a good, full head of hair. It's very distressing. I'm going to stop taking this drug and see if things improve. Has anyone had an experience with stopping and have had this side effect reverse?

I'm also having a memory problem that is extremely upsetting. At times I've been fairly convinced it's Alzheimer's. A most definite change for me - I've been able to remember phone numbers, zip codes, passwords, etc. for years, but no more. I can forget a password or phone number in a matter of seconds.

I have taken Lamictal for about three years since I was 19. I feel like I'm experiencing the memory loss of a 60- or 70-year-old. I've always been quick and witty with impeccable grammar and spelling. These days, I struggle to remember words and their meanings, spellings and pronunciations.

I can't remember conversations I had with people half an hour before or items on my to-do list. I MUST write everything down. Sometimes, if it's in my planner, I still don't remember to do it.

It has affected me in my college classes, on the job and in my relationships. I hate the feeling that I'm less intelligent and quick as I used to be when I'm just 22. My short-term memory is shot.

Along with memory loss, I struggle to focus (always have been a straight-A student), follow conversations and often feel confused and need people to restate their thoughts so I can understand.

It's just so embarrassing to be so spacey. I didn't put it together until my sister (also on lamictal) told me about the memory loss and it clicked. At least there's a reason for my new-found stupidity.

Thanks for telling me doctor. Oh wait, she didn't.

I have been taking 200 mg. of Lamictal (now Lamotrigine) for 5 years. I have had cognitive issues for probably about three years at least. Memory loss, sudden loss of flow in conversation, completely forgetting words and the spelling issue which was previously impeccable. It's embarrassing and frightening. I can't get through ANY given day without losing my belongings over and over again. I feel disabled (seriously) and I jokingly tell people I need an "aide". The scariest thing was last week I was going to return an item to the store and COMPLETELY forgot my PIN # for my debit card. I have been using the card nearly daily for a year and a half!!! It panicked me but I thought of course I would remember it later. NOT!!! Never again, it's gone!!! That's when I decided to search the internet for "severe memory loss" and came upon this blog. I didn't even think of the Lamictal. And I pride myself on my thorough research!!! Certainly the doctor never mentioned this side effect and I just gave it up to being 49!!! A little early for Alzheimer's!!!

The funny thing is I have also had skin problems (acne) for the first time in my life the past couple of years with it really getting bad last summer. I weaned myself off the Lamictal b/c I had read it could cause acne (another thing the doctor never told me). Well, I was completely weaned and omg, the mood issues were severe!!! So reluctantly I titrated back up to the 200 mg dose and immediately my mood was stabilized.

I don't know what the h--- to do, but something needs to change. The memory thing is terrifying!!! No wonder I am having so many problems with my job!!!

Maybe a new med, maybe not . . . My main issue was severe depression (both situational and chronic) which Lamictal seemed to stabilize. Do the benefits outweigh the side effects??? I think NOT . . .

FRUSTRATED IN MICHIGAN :(

Have been taking topamax for 4 months and now have hand and feet tingling. major spelling and memory loss issues. My question is Does any one else have HIP PAIN??? I can't think of any reason why I have it now... except for the addition of the topamax.Thanks, TL

I am a school teacher and got hit in the head by a student and suffered a severe concussion. I was having head swelling when I read, listen to any rhythms or use the computer. I get severe headaches after doing these activities which are most of my job. I am on worker's comp at this time and find that the doctors I had were horrible. The first two months I was on pain killers every six hours and they didn't work. Then I thought finally I thought I would get some relief when I got a neurologist. He put me on Topamax 25 mg the first week and then after 50 mg. He gave me Treximet even though I am allergic to Alleve he refused after that to give me anything for the onset of my migraines. I got really aggressive on Topamax. I was spacey. He then doubled my dose to 100 mg. The Dr. just said I didn't want to go to school even though I was getting worse and worse and could hardly take care of myself. . I was still having head swelling and headaches when I read etc. but my memory was gone and I was ready to throw thing and hurt others. My aggression was worse than when I had several courses of steroids years earlier. There were many times that I couldn't talk in sentences. I would forget what I was doing and also get lost. I was like an Alzheimer's patient. I couldn't get to my thoughts no matter how hard I tried. I have just got off Topamax and can now speak in sentences and the aggression is gone but my memory is still not completely back. I couldn't do simple subtraction or addition. I was better at it in the second grade than on Topamax. I couldn't remember 3 words after about ten minutes only one word. I couldn't draw a simple geometrical figure. I had all the same problems but on Topamax the addition of horrible side effects. The only side effect I could have used and didn't get was weight loss. My parents actually had to come and take care of me because I couldn't fill out the paperwork and also I couldn't even talk and was having fits and tantrums like a child. Thank goodness I had a regular Dr. that knew what was wrong and sent me to get weaned off Topamax. At that time I was told it would take 3 weeks to wean me off and there was no way I could go to school until it was out of my system. I kept telling the neurologist my side effects and even wrote him a letter explaining but he didn't pay any attention and acted like I was making it all up. I asked for a change of worker's comp doctors. He didn't like that at all and now I have to go for psychiatric testing before I go to my new worker's comp neurologist. All I want is to go back to school and to be able to do my job. I would have never had the memory, cognitive, reasoning, or speaking ability to get back to school taking Topamax.

This is a follow-up to my posting on October 10th regarding my 57 year old husband who began taking Lisinopril in March of 2007. He was NEVER on any other medication prior to taking this drug. He suffered Depression, loss of memory, lack of concentration, can't focus and struggled with small task. We have recently had an MRI done and his brain has shrunk. Deadfred1 replied to my posting and he is a 36 year old male who has been on Lisinopril for 5 years. He has the same side effects as my husband. He had a recent MRI and his brain has shrunk!!! We visited a Neurologist with his MRI results for a second opinion and he is ordering more tests because "it appears to be indictive of Alzeheimers" with the area of the brain that has shrunk. How can this be??? This was a healthy, 57 year old NEVER on a drug in his life and within months of taking this, he is in Depression and having memory issues. Isn't anyone connecting any symptoms here??? Any Doctors out there with an "open mind"? This medication is was developed from the venom of a poisonous Brazilian snake!!! Hello...it's more like a slow death with Arsenic!!! My mother-in-law has been on this drug for years and years and years. She now sits with dementia in an Alzeheimers unit. Is anybody out there listening? Alzeheimers is becoming an epidemic in this country. Have we ever thought the medications we are taking is creating this devastating disease? Millions of people take Ace Inhibitors, millions of people have Alzeheimers. They are getting younger and younger according to the Neurologist. Why, because younger and younger people are being put on Blood pressure medications from poisonous snakes. Are there any open minded Dr.s out there that can "step outside the box"...don't just "think outside the box"...."step out for goodness sake" and start paying closer attention to the symptoms people are having. I am convinced there is a definite connection to my husbands side effects and this drug. Get off people. Get off.

Confusion, trouble thinking, trouble concentrating, decreased cognitive function, mental sluggishness, foggy perception of reality, trouble solving problems or situations which require logical thinking and sequencing, memory loss, depression, irritability, low tolerance, lack of patience. jeez.....the list goes on. All that since I started Lisinopril. Never had it before. All of my symptoms seemed to be more neurological than physical, like other people's. Of course, everyone's body is different. I got off this stuff awhile back, but I still have the symptoms. I hope these symptoms are reversible. This is terrible. I need to get back to my normal life once again. It's like this junk is Alzheimer's/Dementia by design. Really.

This article was published by the Wall Street Journal some time ago...but the point being if clinical studies of Mercks were questionable for want of a better word ..cheating..why would you go back to review old studies ...as surely now they are all suspect...............................................This week’s JAMA lands with one article that says some published studies of the drug were actually written by uncredited ghostwriters hired by the company, and a second piece arguing that Merck didn’t appropriately report mortality data from two studies of Vioxx in Alzheimer’s patients................................................

My mother is on Bactrim for a UTI. She has Alzheimer's disease, but can normally function pretty well. Two days after starting the three day treatment she got more confused and couldn't even figure out how to take her medication. Now she has leg pain, muscle weakness, and joint pain although I think it has helped the UTI.

I'm not a person that necessarily thinks the drug should be removed from the market because of what I've read here. We aren't reading posts from the thousands of people that it has helped without ill effects. All drugs potentially have side effects. There is always the potential for adverse reactions or allergic reactions. As a matter of fact, many people on this forum continued to take the medication when they were clearly having allergic reactions making themselves sicker in the process. We must be diligent and educate ourselves about medications and not just rely on someone else to tell us that it is fine. That being said, I feel for those on this board who have endured such suffering and hope that they recovered without incident.

My psychiatrist started me on Topamax 2 yrs ago for depression from being 75 lbs overweight. Started at 25 mg/day up to 50/day for 2 yrs. Lost 70 lbs and kept off with only minor side effects. Also took 150/day Wellbutrin during this time. (For being kind of a neat freak and washing my hands a lot.- didn't affect my social or work life much) Have slowly started gaining the weight back (+12 lbs). Seem to have built up an immune to the 50/day dosage over the 2 yrs. So he added 25 in the am in addition to the 50 I've been taking in the evening. (1 mo. ago) Having some strange reactions. My memory seems to be taking a real hit. I am a CPA (passed these exams 15 yrs ago) and now I'm studying for the Cert.'d Internal Auditor exams. I am having a great deal of trouble trying to memorize for these 12 hour long tests! I feel fatigued every day. My blurred vision (that requires reading glasses) has gone crazy. I can't read the song book at church at all. And I'm only 47!. I've had acne like bumps all around my nose and face. How could such a slight increase cause so much change? Also sometimes my heart feels like it is going to beat out of my chest. And I'm losing patience w/my 13 yr old son who's pushing my buttons to see how much he can get away with. He seems to sense that I'm not at my best. But if I go off this Topamax and gain back my 70 plds I know I will plunge into a DEEP depression. Has any one talked to their doctor about the possibility of these side effects going away after time? My tingling hands and feet did and my slight hair loss did. And my weight loss is trying to go away but I don't want that. I'm majorly concerned about the memory loss and blurred vision eventually going away. DALIAL

On lipitor for 1 1/2 years.... starting taking yoga a month ago. Had ache in knee and leg which then went to toe on other leg. Thought it was overstretching from yoga. Pain moved to hips and lower back. All very painful but worst was yet to come. Pain moved to neck and shoulders. Could not move head. Excruciating SOBBING pain. I was in so much pain for weekend. Everyone wanted me to go to emergency room but I wanted to stick it out til Monday.

PS... went on web. Saw this is lipitor side effect. never would have expected that after 1 1/2 yrs on a 10 mg dose.

Went to pain management doctor ... got Soma (muscle relaxant), an oral steroid and Percoset. Relief was almost instant.

Called my cardiologist. He says it is the Lipitor.

No more statins for me.
And back to yoga.

I have been taking Lotrel 5/10 for a while now. I don't really remember how long because I have symptoms of Alzheimer's. But I also take about 15 others meds. It did lower my blood pressure. A couple of months ago my chest started hurting so bad my wife took me to the emergency room. I spent 3 days in the hospital with numerous tests to find out my heart is fine. I am still exhausted all the time, I have noticed when I stand up for a while my legs and feet turn purple in large spots. If I stand up from being bent over I get dizzy, chest and throat tighten, and I feel like my shoulders and arms get very heavy. I can't really do any activity, even walking out to the mailbox is hard. It finally came to me that it is probably the Lotrel. My wife called my doctor today but he hasn't called back yet. Has anybody quit cold turkey? I don't want any more of this.
Has anybody had these sort of effects and been switched to something with less side effects? Let me know please.

my husband took Chantix and though it didn't help the smoking now he has what seems like early Alzheimer. Since it works on brain receptors I wonder what has happened to him. It came on in a short time. Are there others who have had memory problems?

Very few side effects. My father was put on 30 mg of Prednisone to control an inflammation that he was having in his body. It seemed to work well. He had also lost considerable weight, had anemia and was admitted to the hospital prior. So I wasn't worried about the common side effect of Prednisone of weight gain, as post-hospital we were glad he was gaining weight. I don't know if it was a side effect, as he only slowly gained a pound or two each week and then eventually plateaued about about his old weight.

We've now started tapering it, at my recommendation, not the doctor's!, and we are not seeing any return of side effects yet. He did have a bit of the puffy face, and is a bit compulsive, but we don't know if that's because of his Alzheimer's or the Prednisone.

I wanted to let some other know, as I've done a lot of reading/research, looking at the prescribing and pharmakinetics of the drug, it seems important that the taper is most critical when you are nearing 5 mg. This is because 5 mg is about the amount that your body naturally makes, so if your adrenal glands have stopped making it, it would take some time for them to 're-awaken'.

Therefore, the typical recommended tapering schedule is something like 10 mg per week, then slowing it down at 10 mg, and then real slow at 5 mg, eventually going to like 1 mg pills, as you try to continue down to no pills.

While I think Prednisone did put an end to a life-threatening inflammation for my father, I like many others would have liked much more upfront info and options from the docs. We are now on a slow 3 month taper schedule, that nobody realized we'd have to do when we started.

BTW, my dad has mild/moderate swelling in his ankles and toes, but nothing in his hands or abdomen. We don't know if it's because of his loss of weight, muscle and weakening of his heart, and/or some interference with his adrenal-regulation from an ACE inhibitor, Lisinopril, that he is on for his hypertension, or the Prednisone.

Any advice on the swollen ankles would be appreciated.

This is written on behalf of my sister, she has taken Lipitor for a few years and now she experiences back pain, severe loss of memory. At times she can not even remember her children's names. We thought that age was a factor but she was tested for Alzheimer and her Doctor said that she was did not have that disease. She urinates frequently at night and does not sleep well at all. She is depressed most of the time. She stays frustrated because she is aware that something is happening to her and no one seems to be able to help her or tell her what is wrong. The only other med that she takes is for high blood pressure and her doctor just recently changed her from Procardia which has a lot of negative side effects also. Back pain, frequently urinating at night, sleepiness' and memory loss started after she started to take Lipitor and we are trying to find an alternative for her to take for her cholesterol.

My daughter is a chronic asthmatic and has been on Prednisone for over one year. Since then she has experienced headaches, nausea, sleeplessness, depression, extreme anxiety, mood swings, blurred vision, aching... just about all of the side effects listed. Of particular concern to me are the mood swings, which at this time we are considering having her evaluated. I didn't realize that this drug could do soo much in terms of her behavior. Please help me to understand what is going on with her. She is 12 years old.

My 84 year old who is in a nursing home was recently prescribed Lisinopril for BP. He is also suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, Alzheimer, as well as stomach ulcers. He has been severely dehydrated, does not sleep well at night, very fidgety, and has become more confused. He is now close to renal failure and the doctor says it's because of the drug. In many of these comments, I find that the drug is sometimes prescribed for kidney disease. I believe that this drug generic or not should be taken off the market. I feel that doctors are experimenting with some patients just to see what side effects with patients.

Warning, could ruin your life, take at your own risk, proper side affects that could be permanent, would you still take it? lack of information on drug leaflet, should not be allowed...

My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's last year. It has been in the mild stages until last week when she was hospitalized for diverticulitis.
Upon being discharged she was prescribed Levaquin 500mg to be taken once a day for 12 days. Because the cost of the drug was $132.00, I had them cut the rx in half.
Since taking this drug my mother has had morning sweats and worst of all it has made her combative and belligerent. I know as Alzheimer's progresses that some patient become this way but based on the fact this she did not become this way until she began taking this medication, I believe it exasperated her condition. And since taking her off of this drug, she has become more calm but it has had to work itself out of her system over the past 6 days.

My doctor put me on Topamax for migraines, but I can not handle the effects. I just started the 75 mg dose just as I was moving into a new college apartment with new roommates, and I felt like I was going crazy! I couldn't eat anything without feeling completely ill, I was spacing out, and I couldn't remember words.. for three whole days I couldn't remember the word 'tapestry.' I finally had to look it up in the dictionary.. not a good sign for a college student. The worst, though, was the overwhelming sense of panic that was getting worse by the day. I was no longer myself! The last straw was a panic attack, complete with hypernentilating. I have never felt so scared in my life. I actually had to go the ER to get something to calm myself down.

So, I decided to stop taking it. My parents talked to my pharmacist, and she told them that Topamax IS the type of drug you can stop "cold turkey." But after a week, I feel almost as bad as I did when I was on the drug! I still can't eat anything. Also, I wake up hours before my alarm goes off, completely sick at my stomach. I feel panicky and nervous. I have several bouts of diarrhea and this morning I almost didn't make it. I share a bathroom with three (normal!) girls, and it is getting to be embarrasing and annoying. Please, can anyone tell me.. when do the side effects go away?? I want to be a normal 19 year old again!

My father 64 years old has been on Lipitor for over 2 years. In the past few months he has been very quiet, finding it hard to talk and he knows what he wants to say but some words are hard to say. Severe fatique, he moves much slower, difficulty reading and to understand what he's reading. Finds it hard to write and draw and when he is sleeping he has awful twitching. Is this because of Lipitor? we are waiting for an MRI and EEG the doctor seems to feel it might be dementia or Alzheimer's and maybe so but that all doesn't add up.
Does anyone else feel like this?
Is there hope, we have taken him off Lipitor 2 days ago.
Does anyone have a good result to hear?
How do check to see if Lipitor is the problem where does that show up?

Topamax is w/out a doubt the WORST drug I've ever been on. It made me brain dead. I couldn't find a job on Topamax. I would be in interviews and would space out and couldnt' answer questions. People looked at me like I was crazy. I felt like I had Alzheimer's at 38, especially when my neuro prescribed Exelon, the drug for Alzheimer's to counteract the cognitive side effects. As I said, couldn't find a job, had no insurance. My topa-lovin' neuro was giving it to me and getting me on the patient=ass program through Johnson/Johnson, the maker's of TM. She didn't want to help me get on another anticonvulsant PA program. Finally, I had to charge another med on my credit card because I couldn't take this toxic gunk in my body anymore. The decay of my mind has escalated to the point that I don't know if I will ever be back to myself again. BEWARE of this drug. I haven't even covered the eye pain, insomnia, headaches, leg cramps (i can go on).

My mother is ninety-one and is on Toprol-XL and has been for almost two years now. She started having some vivid dreams about one of her boys running away (her children have been out of the house for 25 years now) and not coming home. We thought it was the beginning of Alzheimer's and are starting her on Aricept. Could any body help me with this. She has always been very healthy until her heart attack two years ago and has never liked to take medication. She keeps asking if it could be the medicine, but the doctors say," No, these medicines are good for you!"

My 56 year old son. Jim, is Bipolar. He was taking three medications, one of them being Topamax. The Dr. that prescribed this medication died and the new Drs. thought Jim was doing fine so they continued on with the same medication. Jim became fecal incontinent. We did numerous medical tests to see if this had any basis. None was found. Over a years period (Jim's third year using Topamax) Jim began losing his memory. This doesn't sound too horrific unless you know that Jim has 160 IQ and total recall memory. He never had to read anything more than once and he could quote verbatim almost anything from any page. Total recall of phone numbers and names, etc. At first the Drs said this was early onset of Alzheimer’s. He was being cared for by this time with a battery of Drs. Neurologists, medical, psychiatrists and doing some very extensive testing. Finally it was judged that no, Jim does not have Alzheimer’s. However he continued to quickly decline. He by now was both urinary and fecal incontinent. His speech was slurred and he was unable to bath himself. He required around the clock help. He would ask me questions like, did I go to school? Did we live as so and so town? Then he asked, is my name Jim? This was hard to hear but then he quit talking altogether, was staggering and would respond to telling him walk this way or sit here but little else. Finally the Neurologist told me he was almost certain that Jim had a rare brain disease and it was always fatal within a year. He determined that Jim was in the advanced stages and probably had 2 to 6 weeks to live. I was devastated! Jim was sitting in the office when the Dr. said this and he made no recognition that he heard or understood anything.

I started talking to friends about this and one of them said call her friend a paralegal nurse practioner. I did and she asked me "Why is Jim taking Topamax"? My answer I consider rather stupid now but then it was the truth, I answered "because the Dr. prescribed it". She said, titrate him off Topamax and then call me. I went to his Dr. at the time and the Dr. was most reluctant to take Jim off this medication. He accused me of "playing Dr" and was most insulting. I persisted and said if he wouldn't I would change Drs. Later I understand he took Jim off much too fast and we did have really serious side affects. We halved his dosage every two days and in 6 days he was off Topamax. Jim went into a catatonic state for several hours at a time about four times. There was about 4 days and nights that neither of us got any sleep. He had repetitive thoughts that nearly drove him crazy (His words). The sixth day Jim started talking but then would go into these catatonic states for hours. When he came out of them he would talk and explain some things, then he would quit talking again and he later explained the thoughts were going so fast in his head this was the only way he could preserve his sanity was to just "blank out".
After about two weeks of this intense illness and no help from his Dr. and Jim refused to go into the hospital, in his talking moments he said they would just fill him with sedative drugs and he wanted to get as clear as possible from these. To make a very long story short this was one year ago, three Doctors ago and Jim was relieved from his repetitive thoughts by Fluvoxamine, but that spiked him into a manic phase and eventually he went into the hospital. He is on a complete new regime of meds now but we always research any new med BEFORE taking it. It will never be just "because the Dr. prescribed it" again. By the way, Jim was taking lithium at the time Topamax was originally prescribed and gaining a lot of weight. His original RX was for weight control~! It didn't work but it nearly killed him. I called the paralegal back to thank her but she had left the law firm and no one can locate her. Our Guardian Angel????

I've only been on Topamax for 3 weeks, and I am already wanting to get off of it. My doctor DID NOT tell me about all of the side effects, he told me the most common was the tingling in the hands and feet, which is so painful for me. I have lost the taste for carbonated beverages, which I only realized for myself by looking on a website that was caused by the medicine. My advice to anyone is to get a second opinion before going on this medicine. Now I have to wait until my doctor says its ok to stop taking it.