Meds and memory -- bipolar school

[jt2007]

Im in 9 month excelerated lpn school. I was diagnosed with bipolar at the very end of my first semester. I aced my first first sememster. I thrive off of panic basically, fast and furious I do my best work.

I am now on meds for 2 months and in the middle of my second semster. I am taking Lamictal, we are doing pharm.

amoungst other subjects.

I feel like my memory has become compromised. I did have a photographic memory and great short term memory, cramming was the only way I could learn and retained by practing what I crammed. That has been my personality for a lONG time and the way I know myself. I cant do that anymore effectively.

I am on Medication --Im not sure what I am dealing with now that my memory is going down hill. On top of going through nursing school and ALL the critical information I have to know --

I get my first hopspital Med/Surg patient all to myself next Week , while still have 4 subjects to study and do homework for . For three days I am responsible for watching and maintianing the patient for 7 hours each day.

I am so afraid Im not going to be able to function, or function adquately~ (we had our first clinicals last semester at a nursing home- I was responsible for patients there, had a couple or bad patient cases that put reality into me)

Is anyone else Bipolar, taking meds and have problems with memory while caring for patients??

Lamictaal has helped my emotional swings, its realy been nice to keep on the level . It also relieves my brain from wondering when the next time the worlds going to fall out from under me.

Does anyone know of some prescribed meds or other adjunct therapies that might help to take with Lamictal?

Anyone heard of what might be the cause of the memory deficiet when taking these meds?

If you do have memory defiecet how are you dealing with it? Have any suggestions how to make it through school?

Thanks!

[phlox]

I am Bipolar and take Lamictal along with other meds. I use pen and paper to help me remember things in the past and do it again now, at home. I have been out of nursing awhile but believe that the new ipones or whatever have "aps"? that have info at your fingertips that was not available when I was nursing before (I was a nurse before there were personal/work computers). You make accomadations for anything you perceive as a weakness and only work in areas that you feel comfortable in. But you see, this is true for nurses who are NOT bipolar too.

[coladot]

I too take lamictal 400mg,lithium my pdoc just cut it back 2 600mg b/c I started slurring my words. I think lamictal is messing with my memory. I can't remember where I put something down just minutes ago, I can't remember how to spell simple words. My FP recently checked my bld work and my ALP was high I questioned could it be due to the meds. It's possible so now I have to go see a liver specialist. I'm scared to take my Synthroid b/c my TSH is so suppressed. My pdoc started me on Cymbalta again which made me so manic the last time. I'm just not sure what to do. I have 2 many doctors with different opinions. So I know how u feel about the memory loss. What phlox said is a good idea about using the iphone u can down load anything. Wish y the best

[phlox]

I take: Seroquel 900 mg day, Seroquel XR 200 mg day, Lamictal 250 mg day, Topamax 300 mg day, Trileptal 300 mg day . I take these in divided doses. I have been on everything else you can think of. I loved Cymbalta, but it gave me GI upset, severe.

I am on way too many meds, but my doctor is old, in her 80s, and I can't get her to change anything or her way of thinking. I am on medicare and am limited on healthcare choices right now. But I am pretty stable. So I keep plodding along. I always take my meds perfectly, I even have my cell phone alarm set to go off at med time so I don't miss a dose. I cannot ever work nights though because of the Seroquel. Which is a shame because I loved nightshift and am a night owl by nature. But Seroquel kicks my butt. I wake up feeling refreshed and ready for action in the morning though :)