I checked all my doctors’/people’s Rx reference books and can’t find this listed as a side effect. Also neither I nor my partner (also a therapist, specializing in working with folks with bipolar disorder) have had clients report this. I’m hoping you’ll be able to find a way to decrease it, regardless of its genesis.
Me too… it’s humiliating to feel so stupid 
I hear you, Opal. I’m bipolar on Lithium, and I have short-term memory issues too. I’m going through Post-It notes like they’re Xanax. 
Seroquel for insomnia? I can see that. I’ve got those for anti-anxiety, and they put me out. I, no shit, fell asleep in a business meeting because of those things. :o
what i noticed is that my long term memory is very, very fuzzy. I’m not sure if it was the meds or if it was the multiple attempts at ending my own life with non rx drugs and alcohol. people will tell me about something that happened, say, 5 yrs ago, and i have no idea what they’re talking about.
i sometimes think that it because i;m getting older. life is getting longer, so i push out some thoughts…
dunno
My husband will remind me of a conversation we had 3 days ago that I have absolutely no recollection of ever having taken place…
It would’ve been funny if you had posted this thread twice.
It would’ve been funny if you had posted this thread twice.
OpalCat -
I’m weaning off Zyban/Wellbutrin now. I took my last dose 5 days ago. I was taking it to quit smoking and it worked liked a charm: I’m now 2.5 months cig-free after a 20+ year addiction.
However: I must agree, the memory loss has been real for me; I’ll be in the middle of a conversation that digresses just a bit and… I have no idea what the real conversation was about when we un-digress again. It’s frickin wierd, and I’m tired of it. I’ve always been a bit spacey sometimes, but this is getting quite spooky.
And then there’s the excess energy and almost-panic-attacks. And the inability to focus on a task. And did I mention sleeplessness?
I expect in 2-4 weeks I’ll be have a better, off-Wellbutrin, perspective on this issue. I will be glad when I’m well-shut of Wellbutrin, but very grateful to be finally smokeless.
I have experienced significant word retrieval issues and short term memory loss with wellbutrin. In my research I discovered that there is a side effect in about 5% of those taking wellbutrin of memory loss. I was just about to have memory testing done, I was scared I might have early onset alzheimer’s. It was freaking me out. I have taken the drug for a couple of years, I am just now weaning myself off. If I come up with depression again, I’ll probably restart it. I began taking an omega 3 fatty acid supplement, because I found info out there saying this could help with memory loss. I found it has helped some, but not much. I finally have the gumption to risk the fall out from kicking it. So far, I’m irritable and anxious, but it’s not unmanageable.
~Heather
Welcome, winsomehill.
Yeah, they all say wellbutrin can make a zombie out of you.