Trileptal making me dumb?

[beetle]

OK I've read about cognitive dulling from ACs and I think I might now know what that means. Seriously, I don't feel quite a sharp as I usually am and I get stuck sometimes trying to find a word, and I mean common words.

But yesterday was really strange. I usually have an uncanny sense of direction. I've always been really good at finding my way around, even if it's someplace I've never been. I can usually get around based on my sense of direction alone, even without a map. Course a map is necessary when trying to find a specific location in a place I've never been.

Well, yesterday I was trying to find the animal shelter in an area I'm not familiar with, in the larger city near here. I looked up directions on mapquest before I went. Printed out a map and off I went.

And it just got all weird after that. I literally couldn't tell up from down or east from west. It's like I kept reading the map backwards and doing the complete opposite of what I needed to do. I had absolutely no sense of direction. I was supposed to go south of the freeway but it looked to me like I needed to go north. Hell, I even had trouble telling from the map if I should turn left or right on a road.

That is so not like me. It was kind of scary actually. I eventually found my way but it shouldn't have been that like that. Usually when traveling with my husband, he's the driver and I'm the navigator because I'm so good at figuring out which way we need to go.

Could this be a hint of the cognitive dulling I've heard about?

Oh yeah, at the animal shelter I even had trouble counting out my money. All of a sudden it just didn't make sense. Of course by that time, I was pretty upset but still... counting money ought to be like second nature. It shouldn't be like some alien thing all of a sudden, which is what it felt like.

I sure hope I don't get stooooopid.

[beetle]

On the plus side, my cravings for alcohol seem to be down a bit. Even though I had a few glasses of wine tonight, it was the first time in several days. Usually, for a stretch there, I would have some drinks nearly every night. Now... not so much.

[kellmate]

I'm not on Trileptal, but I was taking lamictal. I got stupid. I mean not exactly, but seriously... I would stop in the middle of sentences, I wouldn't be able to pay enough attention to give directions when sitting in the car with my friend. I forgot things easily. It was weird and not like me at all; all of my friends noticed it and worried. Although now that I'm off the lamictal I would go back to that feeling in a second if I could feel as sane as I did on it.

[withing]

Beetle,

I had the same problem when I started taking Topamax. I understand that they're similar? (someone correct me if I'm wrong) Did you just start Trileptal? If so, then it will probably wear off.

Like you I once had an *excellent* sense of direction, and when I first started with Topamax I'd get turned around all the time if I had to find a new place. My sense of direction came back - for the most part - though I still get lost now and again (but that could be the fibro fog working too).

I also stumble over common words and I also have trouble with money (but I've always had trouble with money - it just got worse ). In my case though, these cognitive things come and go - and again I have this stupid thing called fibromyalgia gumming up my works. However, *before* the fibro, I had some wacky side effects from the Topamax that went away - very similar to what you're describing.