How to spell words symptoms and conditions

I have been on Lamictal for Bipolar II for a little over two years now. The first side effect I really noticed was that I had zero desire to exercise anymore. I used to be pretty athletic, loved to go on hikes, now I could care less. Also, my brain is mush. I am a former honors/ Dean's list student; I had one professor in college tell me I was the only person in class who would ever be able to write professionally, and I have been trying to write the same novel for three years now. I forget how to spell words and how to formulate sentences. I can never find the right word. I forget what the plot is, what I wrote in the last chapter, so I am constantly re-reading what I wrote. I started to think that I had ADD because I couldn't focus on anything, and I couldn't remember if I had always been this way or not. Granted, I think I have always had a bit of a problem with executive functioning- organizing, prioritizing, completing tasks- but it has always been more of a problem with keeping my house clean, etc, NEVER with writing. Also, I have always been very good at remembering names, dates, events in history- the random sort of information that makes a person stellar at Trivial Pursuit- and all I can say now is, 'Uhhh... oh, man, I KNOW THIS.' Also, I am becoming incredibly antisocial, which I think probably has something to do with the fact that I no longer know how to talk. (A sidenote: I'd say chances are good that I have Asperger's; socializing has always been a challenge for me. My point here is that I'm wondering whether Lamictal is making the things I have problems with worse, ie, executive functioning, socialization..., etc. I used to be able to overcome these impairments intellectually; now that my brain doesn't function the way it used to, it's way harder to compensate.) I had a conversation with my husband the other day about all of it, whether he thought Lamictal was truly helping me. He told me that I no longer seem interested in doing anything anymore; that I am no longer sharp like I used to be; that I lack the vitality I used to have; that I no longer get excited about anything anymore. Now I know that Lamictal is a mood stabilizer, that I am on it to stabilize my moods, so obviously there are no longer going to be the highs that there once were. But now I feel so flat and dumb I just don't know. By the way, I have worked my way down to 75mg at night from 200mg. (Which is an improvement, I'll give you that- before I was scared to drive because I'd practically forget I was driving, that's how crappy my short term memory was.) Just so you know, I don't feel depressed, so it's not that my dose is too low and I'm experiencing depression. I just don't feel much of anything at all anymore.

I've only been taking this drug for two days - 25mg in the evening - and I've already got side effects. I get tingling in my fingertips, and all down along the bottom of my fingers. I've been feeling nausea as well, and writing this, my brain feels a little blocked and slow. I also think I'm losing my appetite, which could be a good thing, considering that I do need to lose weight. But I don't think it is worth it if I end up getting side effects like the ones that have been posted by other people.
I'm a writer, and I cannot afford to lose my memory, or suddenly not remember how to spell words, or to communicate effectively. Should I stop taking Topamax?

I have Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA), was diagnosed in Feb. 2008. Have been ill for several years and finally it came to a head in Feb. I had a blood transfusion and then in the hospital 6 days later with a hgb of 4.0. I was so toxic and my blood so screwed up I nearly died. I was given another transfusion then (total of 5 pints of packed red blood cells) and started on Prednisone. For 3 days given liquid Pred injections, starting at 1000mg, tapering down to 250mg., then on the pill form at 100mg. Sweat poured off of me dosing down. I was off work for 2 months. I am still tapering but am now at 1mg. DR. added another drug, Danazol, after getting to about 10mg because my blood started going crazy again. My side affects with Prednisone have been, Euphoria, no depression, LOTS of hyper brain activity, thoughts running a 100 miles an hour but body at slow speed.Visual problems and a feeling of being highly drugged. 2 to 3 hours of sleep each night, compulsive behaviors and a lot of pacing back and forth. Couldn't hold my concentration because my mind wandered so much. Extreme Tremors in my back, hands and head. Wanted to talk constantly, if no one was around I talked to my Chihuahua or the TV. My cheeks puffed up and became hard and had a fat pocket puffed up on left side of my neck. My dog thought I was crazy, she was tired of the lights being on at 3 or 4 in the morning. Legs looked skinny but didn't gain weight until I got to about 60mg. Gained 25 lbs total. Tapering caused bad spasms in my calves, feet and hands. Thigh muscles would get extremely weak each time I went down a dose. At 50mg I started getting sleepy and could hardly stay awake. Went back to work at 35mg and couldn't remember how to sign on to my computer. Some memory problems since I was in the hospital, couldn't remember how to spell words I knew as a young girl. Started having hip pain about 3 months into the Pred, that hasn't stopped. At 10mg feet, knees, shoulders hurt deep in the sockets, muscles below my neck knot up, may take a while to totally get off this. Read on a couple of blogs where people cut a 1mg tab into 4 pieces to taper off the Pred. because of side effects. Had thrush in the beginning and break outs of shingles. I hope to God I never have to get back on this drug again, it is so HARD on the body but it did do what it was given for, to repress my immune systems. My next step is Spleen surgery, hope this is a cure for me, am sick and tired of being sick and tired. Wouldn't advise anyone to take Pred unless it's a life or death situation. It's prescribed too liberally and people have multiple problems, worse than I have experienced. I've probably forgotten some things, but there's enough I've mentioned to give you an Idea it's not good, but if Pred is all you have then you do what you gotta do!! My puffy cheeks have went down though, now my hair has become curly but at least I have hair and my chihuahua stills loves me!!!

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