New to living with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

Hi,
I am 63 yr old female and have been reading the boards relative to effexor xr withdrawal (highest dose 2015 375 mg), slow taper to May 2018 took last dose of Effexor XR 37.5 mg May 28th 2018, I started to have some balance dizzy issues in April and then by first week in June I had horrible anxiety (not my usual, had to be from the Effexor withdrawal), nausea, jitters, balance, dizzy issues, depth perception problems, was sensitive to light and sound, thought I was losing my mind --long story trying to make this shorter. Over summer through present time I have had gradual relief, still have some balance, dizzy issues, depth perception and mental challenges, which brings me to my latest diagnosis in subject line. (I was and still am taking wellbutrin XL 300 mg/daily for depression). I am not depressed and my anxiety has been reduced greatly (I think in part due to stopping the Effexor quite honestly), not taking any additional medication for anxiety - don't need it! Praise God!

One of the changes I noted as Effexor was tapered was cognitive decline. Having difficulty multi tasking , making financial spreadsheets, challenging to make sense out of complex situations or interrupting the difference between 3 different options for scheduling (as an example--these are all things I have been really good at -- until April/May of this year). Met with neurologist, (primary care ordered brain MRI which was neg), he ordered over 20 labs and they were all within normal limits and he referred me to neuropsych for testing – showed deficits in visual spatial ability, graphomotor reproduction of complex visual figural information, weakness in divided attention in verbal fluency format, block patterns and abstraction ability. "not severe enough to warrant a diagnosis of dementia but not normal, so mild neurocognitive d/o; predominately executive and right hemisphere pattern of deficit present etiology not clear in light of normal MRI. They are thinking perhaps i am having ophthalmologic migranes/seizures (only experience in right field of vision) and this may be part of what is impacting my cognition.

I will have follow up more specific/detailed MRI in May 2019, in mean time I am "to remain concerned but not consumed over these results", call or make appointment if symptoms increase, (balance, dizziness, cognition etc).

Long story shorter I know that wellbutrin is typically not prescribed for people with known seizure d/o; from what i have read and know (i am RN behavioral health) wellbutrin can lower seizure threshold. Can you help me find any research or information that may relate to effexor withdrawal and or wellbutrin potential impact on cognition or correlation with optical seizures impacting brain function. I will have follow up more detailed MRI..not until may 2019, . I have been trying to put most of this puzzle together myself, I had to request initial MRI in June, request referral to neuro, self referred to opthamology and found my prescription was way to strong — leading to some of my depth perception and balance problems — new script/glasses now helping somewhat.

I appreciate any feedback you may have. Thank you, Barb

Hello - I also wanted to invite a few Mayo Clinic Connect members who were discussing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) on one of the Mayo Clinic Connect pages, the Living with Mild Cognitive Impairment page https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/living-with-mild-cognitive-impairment-mci/, to join in this discussion.

Please meet @lindaburdett @kingstonian @emyliander. Wondering if each of you three might introduce yourselves and talk about whether you have an MCI diagnosis or are wondering about it, and any symptoms you've been experiencing?

Hello, as I mentioned I am in my early 70’s, I do not have a diagnosis of MCI but feel that my memory is getting worse all the time. I loose many things, forget many things in a day, read an article in the morning but can’t remember what it was about in the afternoon. I forget appointments and dates with friends. I get busy doing things at home, then go in another room and forget to go back to what I was doing. I forget to eat breakfast until around noon time, then by supper time I’m starving hungry with a low blood sugar. I’ve lost about 15lb give or take a few.
I also have been on Venlafaxine for a number of yrs and needed an increase back in August. Also we are planning to sell our home of 48 yrs and move to NY. So that takes a lot of planning and trying to downsize. So I don’t know what to attribute my forgetfulness to, or if at this time I should do anything about it. Sometimes I can laugh at it, such as when I called someone to ask the best time to take a meal to them and asked them to call and let me know. They didn’t call so I just took it at 5pm. A couple of weeks later I was deleting some calls on my cell phone and heard the message I had supposedly left for my friend, but obviously I used the home phone and left the message on my cell phone. Other times I am reduced to tears and embarrassment.
What do you think I should do. Skylark

Hi,
I am 63 yr old female and have been reading the boards relative to effexor xr withdrawal (highest dose 2015 375 mg), slow taper to May 2018 took last dose of Effexor XR 37.5 mg May 28th 2018, I started to have some balance dizzy issues in April and then by first week in June I had horrible anxiety (not my usual, had to be from the Effexor withdrawal), nausea, jitters, balance, dizzy issues, depth perception problems, was sensitive to light and sound, thought I was losing my mind --long story trying to make this shorter. Over summer through present time I have had gradual relief, still have some balance, dizzy issues, depth perception and mental challenges, which brings me to my latest diagnosis in subject line. (I was and still am taking wellbutrin XL 300 mg/daily for depression). I am not depressed and my anxiety has been reduced greatly (I think in part due to stopping the Effexor quite honestly), not taking any additional medication for anxiety - don't need it! Praise God!

One of the changes I noted as Effexor was tapered was cognitive decline. Having difficulty multi tasking , making financial spreadsheets, challenging to make sense out of complex situations or interrupting the difference between 3 different options for scheduling (as an example--these are all things I have been really good at -- until April/May of this year). Met with neurologist, (primary care ordered brain MRI which was neg), he ordered over 20 labs and they were all within normal limits and he referred me to neuropsych for testing – showed deficits in visual spatial ability, graphomotor reproduction of complex visual figural information, weakness in divided attention in verbal fluency format, block patterns and abstraction ability. "not severe enough to warrant a diagnosis of dementia but not normal, so mild neurocognitive d/o; predominately executive and right hemisphere pattern of deficit present etiology not clear in light of normal MRI. They are thinking perhaps i am having ophthalmologic migranes/seizures (only experience in right field of vision) and this may be part of what is impacting my cognition.

I will have follow up more specific/detailed MRI in May 2019, in mean time I am "to remain concerned but not consumed over these results", call or make appointment if symptoms increase, (balance, dizziness, cognition etc).

Long story shorter I know that wellbutrin is typically not prescribed for people with known seizure d/o; from what i have read and know (i am RN behavioral health) wellbutrin can lower seizure threshold. Can you help me find any research or information that may relate to effexor withdrawal and or wellbutrin potential impact on cognition or correlation with optical seizures impacting brain function. I will have follow up more detailed MRI..not until may 2019, . I have been trying to put most of this puzzle together myself, I had to request initial MRI in June, request referral to neuro, self referred to opthamology and found my prescription was way to strong — leading to some of my depth perception and balance problems — new script/glasses now helping somewhat.

I appreciate any feedback you may have. Thank you, Barb

I am “brand new” to this site, but 77 yrs old with MCI w/o Alzheimers, that started noticeably in February 2018. I started retiring from my engineering consulting business and am now about 90% retired. We live in Chattanooga TN and Jekyll Is., GA. I hope to attend the next Habit program, hopefully in Jacksonville.
I have a low heartbeat (bradycardia) and was provided a pacemaker in October. I’m on donepezil/Aricept and memantine, B12/B6 (5000mcg/300mg) twice/day, plus supplements for heart, Calcium, Centrium silver, D3. I brisk walk 20-40 min./da. about 5 days/wk. I do about 10 repetitions of 7 weight-related exercises about 3times/wk.
I use my PC, iPad Pro, and iPhone to cope with MCI on many aspects of my functioning as well as close family members to assist me at times with more challenging issues. I use team members to assist me on challenging work issues.
I can still do Bible studies and quasi lead small group studies.
I am very interested in learning more about how to best function with MCI. Everything I engage in takes much more time and I have great difficulty meeting schedules, commitments, and deadlines, as well as multitasking in day-to-day functioning, plus sticking to plans on a daily basis.
Thanks, Jim.

Are you taking any medication at all - including over the counter?

Hi,
I am 63 yr old female and have been reading the boards relative to effexor xr withdrawal (highest dose 2015 375 mg), slow taper to May 2018 took last dose of Effexor XR 37.5 mg May 28th 2018, I started to have some balance dizzy issues in April and then by first week in June I had horrible anxiety (not my usual, had to be from the Effexor withdrawal), nausea, jitters, balance, dizzy issues, depth perception problems, was sensitive to light and sound, thought I was losing my mind --long story trying to make this shorter. Over summer through present time I have had gradual relief, still have some balance, dizzy issues, depth perception and mental challenges, which brings me to my latest diagnosis in subject line. (I was and still am taking wellbutrin XL 300 mg/daily for depression). I am not depressed and my anxiety has been reduced greatly (I think in part due to stopping the Effexor quite honestly), not taking any additional medication for anxiety - don't need it! Praise God!

One of the changes I noted as Effexor was tapered was cognitive decline. Having difficulty multi tasking , making financial spreadsheets, challenging to make sense out of complex situations or interrupting the difference between 3 different options for scheduling (as an example--these are all things I have been really good at -- until April/May of this year). Met with neurologist, (primary care ordered brain MRI which was neg), he ordered over 20 labs and they were all within normal limits and he referred me to neuropsych for testing – showed deficits in visual spatial ability, graphomotor reproduction of complex visual figural information, weakness in divided attention in verbal fluency format, block patterns and abstraction ability. "not severe enough to warrant a diagnosis of dementia but not normal, so mild neurocognitive d/o; predominately executive and right hemisphere pattern of deficit present etiology not clear in light of normal MRI. They are thinking perhaps i am having ophthalmologic migranes/seizures (only experience in right field of vision) and this may be part of what is impacting my cognition.

I will have follow up more specific/detailed MRI in May 2019, in mean time I am "to remain concerned but not consumed over these results", call or make appointment if symptoms increase, (balance, dizziness, cognition etc).

Long story shorter I know that wellbutrin is typically not prescribed for people with known seizure d/o; from what i have read and know (i am RN behavioral health) wellbutrin can lower seizure threshold. Can you help me find any research or information that may relate to effexor withdrawal and or wellbutrin potential impact on cognition or correlation with optical seizures impacting brain function. I will have follow up more detailed MRI..not until may 2019, . I have been trying to put most of this puzzle together myself, I had to request initial MRI in June, request referral to neuro, self referred to opthamology and found my prescription was way to strong — leading to some of my depth perception and balance problems — new script/glasses now helping somewhat.

I appreciate any feedback you may have. Thank you, Barb

I take Venlafaxine, Klonopin, Provigil, Levothyroxide. As needed I take Flonase, Tumeric, multivitamin and a cream for knee pain as I can’t take Ibuprofen due to stomach issues. I have not spoken to my doctor or husband about this, silly as it is I feel embarrassed about this. I don’t think any less of others who have this problem, but when it comes to me it’s different, in my mind. Maybe because I’ve always been very self reliant and don’t want to admit that maybe I need help. I also don’t want to worry others about it , and I don’t want it to be true.
Skylark.

If I were you, I would ask my doctor to see if i could get off of any drugs unless you absolutely must take them for a critical reason, especially Klonopin... Klonopin is now known to have anti-cholinergic properties and increases the risk of dementia. I have had many conversations with doctors interested in this subject and concerned that, in fact, elders are sometimes diagnosed with dementia when, in fact, it is the drugs they are taking that is causing the memory problems. However, klonopin and other drugs with anti-cholinergic properties are linked to a worrisome increased risk of cognitive problems including dementia - not only fleeting memory glitches. A rare but still documented side effect of venlafaxine is confusion and anxiety which can contribute to memory problems. You do not mention taking any bladder control medications which can be especially problematic for producing cognitive impairment (drugs like Versicare) and these drugs are frequently prescribed quickly and often for older women. Americans are the most drugged people in the world. I am certainly not against medication but one must be one's own advocate and it makes sense to see if your drugs are part of your problem. Here is a article from Harvard that mentions benzodiazepines like Klonopin . https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/two-types-of-drugs-you-may-want-to-avoid-for-the-sake-of-your-brain

Hello, as I mentioned I am in my early 70’s, I do not have a diagnosis of MCI but feel that my memory is getting worse all the time. I loose many things, forget many things in a day, read an article in the morning but can’t remember what it was about in the afternoon. I forget appointments and dates with friends. I get busy doing things at home, then go in another room and forget to go back to what I was doing. I forget to eat breakfast until around noon time, then by supper time I’m starving hungry with a low blood sugar. I’ve lost about 15lb give or take a few.
I also have been on Venlafaxine for a number of yrs and needed an increase back in August. Also we are planning to sell our home of 48 yrs and move to NY. So that takes a lot of planning and trying to downsize. So I don’t know what to attribute my forgetfulness to, or if at this time I should do anything about it. Sometimes I can laugh at it, such as when I called someone to ask the best time to take a meal to them and asked them to call and let me know. They didn’t call so I just took it at 5pm. A couple of weeks later I was deleting some calls on my cell phone and heard the message I had supposedly left for my friend, but obviously I used the home phone and left the message on my cell phone. Other times I am reduced to tears and embarrassment.
What do you think I should do. Skylark