Memory and Concentration difficulties

Katelyn · 04-13-2007, 03:05 AM

Dear all,

I am now two and a half months post paxil. I think my biggest fear at the moment is that the brain fog that has given me the IQ of a goat won't let up. Right before stopping I had just completed my Masters from an IVY league school and am so so terrified that I'm going to lose my most valuable asset and all those years to this terrible evil drug. Could anyone give me any positive stories to help give me hope my brain functioning will return?

To everyone: stay strong.... and sue.

CELESTEP · 04-13-2007, 04:46 AM

It really does get better. I had that from paxil w/d, and I had it bad when I first started to wean off of Lexparo (which I am currently doing). It eased up from the lexapro too. I don't do this but what I've heard is that just accepting what is happening can help ease it rather than fighting it.

Bruno · 04-13-2007, 05:14 AM

Dear Katelyn,

I am in my fifth month post Paxil and had the same problem. I also had a master's degree from a top university. I studied for a PhD, published a research article, but then had to drop out because I couldn't think in the same way any longer. Paxil made me lose both memory and concentration powers. Of all the side effects this was by far the worst. Never mind the weight gain, sexual dysfunction and all the rest. My mind was my most valuable asset, and the fact that it has been so affected has caused me immense grief. I can't even discuss this without becoming upset. I am still unable to tell if the effect is temporary or permanent. I haven't noticed a marked improvement in my memory or concentration since quitting, but this could be due to the fact that I am still experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms, including high anxiety and obsessive thoughts.

In some ways I have been lucky. I have heard of people who took Paxil at higher doses for years and who can't even read a novel because their mind wanders elsewhere. For me it's not as bad as that. Unfortunately very little is known on the long term effects of this drug.

Light · 04-13-2007, 09:29 AM

Katelyn/Bruno:

I can relate to everything you guys wrote. I've been on leave from my graduate program for a long time. It's been emotionally wrenching to have my life put on hold like this and wondering if I'll ever get it back. It's seems that for some people the cognitive problems take a long, long time to recover from. Let's hope others post with something encouraging...

scotty · 04-13-2007, 09:48 AM

Ryan had documented(on educational testing) short term memory loss. Today, 3 years later, it is much better. Not perfect, but better.

Katelyn · 04-13-2007, 10:25 AM

Wow, three years? I'm two months in so that seems like forever at the moment. Could I ask how long it took for his memory to near normalize on that front?

scotty · 04-13-2007, 10:29 AM

By a year off it was much better. He started reading again at that point.

Amaya's Nana · 04-13-2007, 10:31 AM

Katelyn - I had severe brain fog at two months off. Severe!! Like I forgot how to do work I've been doing for 28 years!!! Forgot how to get home from work. Couldn't read or concentrate. It was terrible and very frightening. Now, 13 months off, and I don't have that problem hardly ever. I started doing word search puzzles at about 7 months off to start exercising my brain and concentration. I don't know if that helped, but I'm no longer in the "fog" after 9 years on Paxil.

I hope this clears up for you soon.

Katelyn · 04-13-2007, 06:24 PM

Thank you so much:-) I think that many of us at paxil progress are just so scared and are reaching out to have support given and consolingly told that there is an end to this nightmare. While it is crucial that we are told the reality, which is that there is potential for these terrible effects to continue almost indefinitely, I think really we're just asking someone to sooth our fears and tell us things will be all right. We don't have our doctors, who should fulfill this role, to turn to as we have all realized their ignorant betrayal of our trust.

For me at least, I spend most of the time in disbelief that this is actually real and that I won't just wake up at any moment.

Enjoy your weekends and lets all try and distract ourselves from this lovely process for a bit.

One thing, I imagine that life is amazing once these effects are gone and we have realized how great we had things before paxil entered our lives.

All the best,

04-13-2007, 03:05 AM	#1
Katelyn Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: London Posts: 29	Memory and Concentration difficulties Dear all, I am now two and a half months post paxil. I think my biggest fear at the moment is that the brain fog that has given me the IQ of a goat won't let up. Right before stopping I had just completed my Masters from an IVY league school and am so so terrified that I'm going to lose my most valuable asset and all those years to this terrible evil drug. Could anyone give me any positive stories to help give me hope my brain functioning will return? To everyone: stay strong.... and sue.

04-13-2007, 04:46 AM	#2
CELESTEP Banned Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jupiter - FL Posts: 597	Re: Memory and Concentration difficulties It really does get better. I had that from paxil w/d, and I had it bad when I first started to wean off of Lexparo (which I am currently doing). It eased up from the lexapro too. I don't do this but what I've heard is that just accepting what is happening can help ease it rather than fighting it.

04-13-2007, 05:14 AM	#3
Bruno Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: London Posts: 29	Re: Memory and Concentration difficulties Dear Katelyn, I am in my fifth month post Paxil and had the same problem. I also had a master's degree from a top university. I studied for a PhD, published a research article, but then had to drop out because I couldn't think in the same way any longer. Paxil made me lose both memory and concentration powers. Of all the side effects this was by far the worst. Never mind the weight gain, sexual dysfunction and all the rest. My mind was my most valuable asset, and the fact that it has been so affected has caused me immense grief. I can't even discuss this without becoming upset. I am still unable to tell if the effect is temporary or permanent. I haven't noticed a marked improvement in my memory or concentration since quitting, but this could be due to the fact that I am still experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms, including high anxiety and obsessive thoughts. In some ways I have been lucky. I have heard of people who took Paxil at higher doses for years and who can't even read a novel because their mind wanders elsewhere. For me it's not as bad as that. Unfortunately very little is known on the long term effects of this drug. __________________ Started taking Paxil (20 mg) in February 1997 Switched to the liquid form and started reducing in February 2006 Paxil free since November 2006 Suffered from serious withdrawal symptoms (anxiety, OCD) from December 2006 until April 2007.

04-13-2007, 09:29 AM	#4
Light Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 2,299	Re: Memory and Concentration difficulties Katelyn/Bruno: I can relate to everything you guys wrote. I've been on leave from my graduate program for a long time. It's been emotionally wrenching to have my life put on hold like this and wondering if I'll ever get it back. It's seems that for some people the cognitive problems take a long, long time to recover from. Let's hope others post with something encouraging...

04-13-2007, 09:48 AM	#5
scotty Administrator Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: new jersey Posts: 46,995	Re: Memory and Concentration difficulties Ryan had documented(on educational testing) short term memory loss. Today, 3 years later, it is much better. Not perfect, but better. __________________ AKA Laurie "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." MLK

04-13-2007, 10:25 AM	#6
Katelyn Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: London Posts: 29	Re: Memory and Concentration difficulties Wow, three years? I'm two months in so that seems like forever at the moment. Could I ask how long it took for his memory to near normalize on that front?

04-13-2007, 10:29 AM	#7
scotty Administrator Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: new jersey Posts: 46,995	Re: Memory and Concentration difficulties By a year off it was much better. He started reading again at that point. __________________ AKA Laurie "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." MLK

04-13-2007, 10:31 AM	#8
Amaya's Nana An "A bucket" gal! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 6,467	Re: Memory and Concentration difficulties Katelyn - I had severe brain fog at two months off. Severe!! Like I forgot how to do work I've been doing for 28 years!!! Forgot how to get home from work. Couldn't read or concentrate. It was terrible and very frightening. Now, 13 months off, and I don't have that problem hardly ever. I started doing word search puzzles at about 7 months off to start exercising my brain and concentration. I don't know if that helped, but I'm no longer in the "fog" after 9 years on Paxil. I hope this clears up for you soon. __________________ a/k/a Lisa PAXIL FREE AS OF 3/18/06! Fully recovered! Focus your attention on the here and now. Recognize it for what it is: the one moment of the only life you will ever have that you truly possess. Rare is the individual who has come to completely accept that the past is no more than a memory and the future an assumption about unborn events.

04-13-2007, 06:24 PM	#9
Katelyn Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: London Posts: 29	Re: Memory and Concentration difficulties Thank you so much:-) I think that many of us at paxil progress are just so scared and are reaching out to have support given and consolingly told that there is an end to this nightmare. While it is crucial that we are told the reality, which is that there is potential for these terrible effects to continue almost indefinitely, I think really we're just asking someone to sooth our fears and tell us things will be all right. We don't have our doctors, who should fulfill this role, to turn to as we have all realized their ignorant betrayal of our trust. For me at least, I spend most of the time in disbelief that this is actually real and that I won't just wake up at any moment. Enjoy your weekends and lets all try and distract ourselves from this lovely process for a bit. One thing, I imagine that life is amazing once these effects are gone and we have realized how great we had things before paxil entered our lives. All the best,

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