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Posted on: Wed, Jan 16 2008 8:29 AM

Posted by: InnerGlow Posts: 89

I know some meds for pain, especially nerve pain, can cause some cognitive side effects, like memory loss, difficulty finding the right word, etc.  Does anyone know if these worsen over time while on the med?  Do they disappear when you stop the med, even if you've been on it a long time?

Right now the trade-off of less pain for "less brain" is alright with me, but I'm concerned about the long term effects.

Posted on: Wed, Jan 16 2008 9:25 AM

Posted by: johnbkennedy Posts: 9

Having taken them for years, I can say sometimes I get goofy ,but mainly just constipated! 

Posted on: Thu, Jan 17 2008 8:35 AM

Posted by: Ultra1 Posts: 7

I had taken a medication for neopathy for several months and it caused memory loss.  Prior to this medication I had very sharp cognitive abilities.  I loved to play trivia games due to having a great memory.

 All that's gone now.  Once I discovered it was the meds causing my problem I immediately had my doctor discontinue the meds.  I've now been off them for several months and I'm still not back to where I was prior to taking them.  It's very frustrating to say the least!

The medicine they switched me to has actually done more for me than the other and has much less side effects.  It's a shame I wasn't aware of how much that drug could affect my mind.  I used to pride myself in my abilities to remember all kinds of history.  The thing which really gave it away for me that I was having a problem was when I was asked to recall some of my family history and couldn't remember names of family members!

It may be different for each person affected by these meds but I know I'm still not back to being me and not sure if I'll get there or not.  I know I'm much better now at reviewing the side effects for each and every prescription given to me.  Knowing there was a med out there which could do a better job and this situation could have been avoided is frustrating.

Posted on: Thu, Jan 24 2008 9:34 PM

Posted by: LawGeek Posts: 2

 I've never had long term effects from the basic opiates, like Vicodin, Codeine, and Percset, and I have taken them a lot.  But I have recently been prescribedTopamax by a pain clinic, which causes cognitive side effects. All the Drs at my Uni mock the drug and call it "Dopamax".  But if you're a college doctor I'd imagine your priorities are different.  I know mine are - since I am in law school, I can rarely afford to lose brain function, and end up not taking it much.... which of course means I can tell you nothing about its long-term effects.

I have noticed that the word retrieval problems continue for a few days, although in a lesser form.   I can't say for sure this isn't psychosomatic, but I suspect it is not.

Posted on: Wed, Feb 13 2008 8:28 PM

Posted by: DitchGator Posts: 10

Hi Ultra.

What you have written begs the question.

So...I will ask you.

Which med were you on that rendered the cognitive problem, and the med that your Dr. replaced it with and that you feel better about is...?

I hope that you will expound upon these drugs, as I am sure that it could possibly be of interest to the rest us that are in the same boat.

Thanks