I just cut back from 600mg of Tegretol a day to 400mg because I am losing words and become confused easily. I have worked in a furniture store for about 10 years and yesterday I lost a large sale because of confusion putting an order in. Sometimes when I'm talking, a word I need just isn't there, I'm left standing and feel like an idiot. I make my living talking to people, connecting with people, so I've cut back on the Tegretol, hoping the pain doesn't return. Hoping to get through this Tegretol fog.
Marcy
Not on tegretol,taking lamotrigene and have had the same issues. Memory loss…as in forgetting where to turn on a road I have driven for years. Word recall a daily problem, especially at work when under stress. Off balance when I try to run on treadmill. I have found these symptoms are more pronounced when I am tired.
Taking a rest period, if you can, for 10-15minutes has helped sometimes with these issues for me. According to my docs, the more you titrate up on meds, the more you will experience this
I can only hope you, as with ,many others on this site can find relief.
I have this problem with Lyrica - can't remember words or put sentences together. I am 60 and my mother had Alzheimers, also I'm sure severe pain over the past four years have shrunk my brain to the size of a pea. To think I used to give tours and remember millions of bits of information. Sad.
I have had all of these side effects. I have now quit taking the Tegretol. The doctor gave me a script for another medicine, but from what I've read, they all have about the same side effects. I didn't get it filled.
So far I have been able to control the pain (it isn't as bad as once was . . . yet). I cannot live with the confusion, forgetfulness and depression that the medicine causes. Ice packs, aspirin, and Aleve keep the pain to a bearable level. Eating anything warm causes the pain to worsen.
I am retiring very soon, as soon as someone can be hired and trained to do my job. I'm old enough anyway, will be 65 in January. ;-)
ClefTreble I have the same problem and it iritates me to no end!!! But I take Trileptal and same thing happens. Uggh…the info just won’t come…I hate it!!!
I ran to surgeon…hated it…no IQ… I used two powerful tools I learned from here together some brain back…
Got lidocaine face patches from doc… Was able to lower my meds! I had a verrrry understanding neurologist… I asked for small doses of RITALIN… I did not take it everyday…only when I needed to be very focused or needed energy.
My neurologist said that mannnnnnny of his epileptic patients are on the same meds types as us but for our pain to stop their seizures…
… They need to function too! They are tired, need to get stuff done for their kids, or read something important and lengthy … So he would let them have Ritalin small doses… And they could have them PRN…as needed…maybe lowwww dose daily for work?
I only used it for a month, got my research reading done here and other places to confirm who and how for surgery to get off all meds! Oh. My house was sooooo clean too!
I read it here…your neurologist may vary!
But having the lidocaine to keep my meds down too…helped my daily less painful…so I could get the balls to fly from Missouri to Michigan… And now I can work …love my work…