Cant remember peoples faces...

[LindasueDallas]

I'm a 58 woman who's pretty healthy.  I;ve been taking wellbutrin (300mgs) prozac (25 mgs) for over 8 years and just started taking high blood pressure.  My memory for names has never been good..but I just started a new job and I run into people I've apparently met and don't remember their faces much less their jobs.  And, I don't remember conversations or meetings I've attended.  I'm so scared and it's so embarrasing.  I don't know if this is the beginning of alzheimers, dementia..having ministrokes.  Has anyone had the same experience and is anyone improving?  If I had the money I'd retire in a heartbeat but that isn't going to happen for another 7 years and I don't know if I can hold a job being like this.

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

Please get a Neurologist's opinion soon. An MRI of the Brain is essential. Find out the serum B12 levels. And more importantly, enrol in a Memory Clinic and get a complete Neuropsychological evaluation.

Regards

[Caliber2005]

Hi Lindasue,
I think you need to relax little bit. I think your long term medications with anxiety of new job are making you forget lot of things.
There is evidence of several neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with bupropion in patients with depression, including delusions, hallucinations, psychosis, concentration disturbance, paranoia, and confusion. In some cases, these symptoms are reduced or eliminated by decreasing the dose or ceasing treatment. The prescribing information notes that hypertension, sometimes severe, was observed in some patients, both with and without pre-existing hypertension.
I think you should discuss with your PCP regarding a drug called Aricept. This should be started only on prescription of your treating physician. It is used for treatment of Alzheimer’s, but is helpful for short term memory loss.
Aricept is a drug of choice to treat Alzheimer's, but its use is not restricted. It has been observed that Aricept improves cognition and function, which includes effects on memory and performing everyday tasks, hence it would have been prescribed.
The effect of memory is exerted through one such chemical called acetylcholine. This chemical helps carry messages from nerve cell to nerve cell in the brain. Memory is lost by disrupting these messages between cells.
It is thought that Aricept may help reduce the breakdown of this chemical.
Hope this helps.
Bye.