Lamictal and memory

I have been on Lamictal for about five months for bipolar II. I has been increased slowly over these months and I am now up to 300 mg a day. I have a tendency to sometimes forget things but remembering numbers has never been a problem for me. In fact I can look at someone's tag number driving down the road and remember it for days. Phone numbers of people I have known for 20 years would stick and I wouldn't even have to call them on a regular basis to know the number. However, recently while trying to use my bank debit card at the store I was asked to enter my PIN number and totally could not remember. I tried it several times but it never came to me. I felt like a fool!. At this time, that was three days ago and I still cannot remember it!

This is very, very distressing to me. I feel like something has been wiped clean and that I will never get it back.

My Lamictal dose has been increased in the last couple of weeks and I thought maybe Lamictal or one of my other meds could be making this happen so I started researching and found this site where other people were complaining of memory loss while on Lamictal.

Headaches are another common side effect for me while on this med. It has really helped me emotionally and I need to know if the memory loss is just going to be a temporary thing and it will get back to normal or if I will be forgetting more and more over time. PLEASE HELP!!!

I have been on Lamictal and Topamax for approximately 4-5 years now. I also take effexor. I have a seizure disorder. At first everything was alright, however now I have been having double vision, staggering, memory loss that has occurred slowly within the last two years or so, and of course as with most meds the usual diarrhea or constipation. I wonder how long does it take being on medication for these side effects to kick in? I read all literature whenever I start a new medication even if it is a OTC drug. (over the counter). I just got out of the hospital and am being sent from one doc to another. I feel like a guinea pig in a lab! Please help!

I am on Lamictal 75mg (down from 150) Lexapro 10mg (down from 20) and Clonazapam (3mg daily) - Here are my side effects

easy bruising, unusual eye movements when my eyes are closed, fatigue, loss of appetite, tingling in lips and all throughout body, daily headaches, grinding teeth - my teeth hurt so bad in the mornings, Loss of memory, shortness of breath.

This all scares me greatly - I am under a phychiatrist only doing NO blood work and he just keeps moving my meds up and down! I am so frustrated and afraid (after doing research and my family medical history) that the problems I was having before going to this dr. is due to a thyroid disorder.

anyone else feeling any of these symptoms?

lamictal controls seizures if you take it at the right time. i am on 200 at night and 200 in the morning plus epilim. sometimes i just sit and cry wen im trying to concentrate on reading books i have to study or trying to remember work i learnt at school which has left my brain. im failing school not matter how hard i try, i study all the time then the next day i have forgotten it. im so young and i havnt even started my future yet and i may have screwed it already. failing exams because i forgot wat i learnt the night before hurts so bad. its hard to say "hey everyone the reason i failed is because lamictal screws my memory" i know thats what it is. i was extremely intelligent before i started taking it, but now im a failure. i guess deep inside i know really im not a failure, but lamictal makes me one. : ( p.s add a constant hand tremor and sudden jerking movements every now and then.

I also am having a difficult time with memory loss. I have a very short term memory. I never used to be this way. Before I started taking Lamictal, I was taking Depakote. I haven't been on Lamictal for that long, so I do not know if my previous medications have caused my memory loss. I also get dizzy sometimes and I'm feeling out of breath lately. Some other medications I've taken are: Zyprexa (which gave me type I diabetes); Abilify; Risperadol; Adavan...the list goes on, unfortunately. I have been taking anti-psychotic drugs since I was 16, and I am 37 years old now. God help me!

I started taking Lamictal about six weeks ago for epilepsy. Now keep in mind, I was on Dilantin which worked great for 17 years and then suddenly stopped working. I have been in medication hell since then. First Topamax made me dumb as a rock. I would space out all the time. Worst drug ever. Then Keppra which was better in that my memory/ability to speak came back but I had these intense ups and down. I had rages constantly. Now I'm on Lamictal. So far, it's better than the Topamax and the Keppra, however the dreams are very intense as are the night sweats. I'm also experiencing much hair loss. Fortunately I have a full head of hair but I'm afraid I will eventually lose it all.

I take 5 diff. drugs and am trying to figure out which side effect is associated with which drug. I have a really shotty memory now where I have lost perception of time. I thought I had spoken to my friend two weeks ago and I spoke to her two days ago. I read the news all day at work and can't remember any of it. This could be from the Ativan, Ambien, Geodon or Provigil that I am also taking, but I have no idea which or if its the combo of a few. I am on all of these drugs because i have Bipolar 1 disorder. I take 400 mg of Lamictal at night. Any insights? Thanks.

I have been taking Lamictal for just over a year. Some of the side effects have been noticable for a few months, but others seem to just be appearing and getting worse. I have loss of balance and coordination, my vision is gettng worse, I have a hard time concentrating and finding the right words, I forget how to spell common words, I have short-term memory loss and feel spacey. I can always figure it out, but it takes longer. I began doing Pilates every day about 3 months ago and still cannot get the routine down and it is just as hard for my muscles as it was in the beginning. I can't seem to lose weight and have horrible acne on my face. I had 2 seizures before beginning Lamictal and am suppose to be on it for 2 years before trying to go off. Without insurance though, I am unable to do follow-ups w/ my neurologist and she seems unconcerned and unsypathetic to my situation, not giving me the time of day. She never even told me all of these side effects could develop, much less that they might begin long after I started taking Lamictal. Has anyone had these side effects after having taken the Lamictal for so long then stopped taking the Lamictal? Will these side effects go away after I stop taking it??

Due to a head injury,I am succeptable to seizures.I have been taking Lamictal for over a year. Initially I started with 300 mgs daily.It did not work effectively,so my doctor raised the dosage to 400 milligrams per day.I asked the doctor what are the side effects?He replied that tere are none. He said in fact "it stimulates the brain."I replied "how could any medication that deters seizures not have any side effects"??
At this point I am frequently constipatedI get rashes.I also am extremely forgetful terrible memory & cannot get my words out that I had no problem with while taking dilantin.I stopped dilantin, although it worked effectively, due it's terrible side effects& constantly having gum problems

I was started on 25mg of Lamictal and worked up to 150mg. The higher the dose got the more confused and forgetful I got. It got to the point that I was afraid to drive anywhere because twice I could not remember my way back home. I weaned myself of the Lamictal slowly. My memory became better everyday. Against my doctors wishes, I told him I would never take Lamictal ever again.