Difficulties with memory

[Songless]

I am 42 and taking SSRI's of every variety for the past 9 years.  I had to stop paxil because I could not think of the name for everyday objects.  Other SSRI's have not been so noticeable in their effects.  My memory has worsened over this time to the point that I have difficulty recalling what I said in a telephone conversation at work or whether or not I sent a friend a letter.  I am recently prescribed Effexor XR 300 mg b.i.d, tegretol 400 mg at bedtime, risperdal .25 mg bid, xanax .25 mg t.i.d, dalmane 30 mg at bedtime, and sonata 10 mg at bedtime.  The tegretol was recently added due to hypomanic episode and the effexor was reduced to 150 mg.  I am going to swap out risperdal for geodon within a week as well.  I have been tried on all the newer meds and amitryptiline without lasting success.  I had my only suicide attempt as an adult earlier this year and wound up intubated for two days and in CCU another two days before transfer to psych unit.  However, the memory difficulties have been going on for years with a gradual worsening.  Any thoughts or experiences that could shed light on this would be appreciated.  My psychiatrist is quick to attribute the memory difficulties to depression.  However, I have been depressed nearly my entire life and never has it been this bad.  Even when I was severely dissociative I could at least remember my work activities.  Thank you.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

You are taking so many medications now, and it is probably the combination of all of these that is getting to you.  See if you can simplify your regime with your psychiatrist, and spend more time talking about your problems.