Hello,

I have strong cognitive issues since the beginning of the year but doctors in my country didnt find the reason. It started quite suddenly after withdrawing one magnesium supplement, but the reason can be also different, and there was sudden decline in short-term memory, and worsening of thinking and concentration. Then it has been worsening slowlier but till now significantly.
Gradually I wasnt able to focus on reading sentence by sentence, now I can only skim the text, I can read it only with strongly concentrating on it. My short-term memory is in the state that I dont remember most of the things from the previous day unless I get some clue. Thinking is also impaired, especially about complicated issues.

For some background, for the last almost 9 years I have been treated by psychiatrist for social anxiety disorder. Before starting having these cognitive problems I got antidepressant induced akathisia one and a half year ago. This was suppresed quite a lot by clonazepam but then again worsened and I am still suffering with it. I am mentioning it because maybe there is some link but I dont know. I am still on clonazepam which is my only medication currently.

So basically there are two neurological problems, but as for cognitive issues I dont know what it is. Can anybody give me some clues about this as it is still only worsening even after almost a year?

Thank you very much, I appreciate it a lot.

Welcome to NeuroTalk:

Anyone with cognitive issues should get their B12 tested. It should be at a minimum...400pg/ml.

Here is a video to watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvEizypoyO0

Also the clonazepam may be a culprit. The Benzodiazepine family is well known for causing amnesia. This is why they are used in anesthesia, for some medical procedures, and dental extractions.
The patients don't retain a clear memory of the invasive and painful issues during those procedures.

So yes, you could be having cognitive problems. If you are over 50, you could not be clearing the the drug properly and it can build up and cause side effects. These drugs are not recommended anymore in the elderly.

Thank you very much mrsD.

I cannot watch the video because of akathisia but will check the B12 testing. Which doctors can make the testing?

I was also suspecting clonazepam, but I started it in May 2013 and the problems came suddenly with withdrawing magnesium supplement in January 2014, there was no change in clonazepam.

I am before 30, what do you mean by not clearing the drug properly, like that I take doses but it goes above steady state dose, like the daily dose? Wouldnt it build up to infinity in that case?

Thanks

The elderly do not metabolize and clear the drug thru the urine
efficiently.

Any doctor can do the B12 test. You should be above 400pg/ml so get that result. Old lab ranges still report low levels as "normal" and some doctors don't understand that.

Why did you stop magnesium? If you don't get it thru food sources you could be low, like most US adults.

Welcome smithy1928.

That magnesium supplement was worsening akathisia which I wasnt aware of as it was unexpectable. Odd reaction.

But dont know whats going on with the cognitive issues. I dont understand it.

Thanks Kitt.

Are there any diagnostic possibilities to find out whats going on? I had MR which was ok, and EEG but with clonazepam, also ok.

Hello smithy1928,
Welcome to the NeuroTalk Support Groups.

My daughter had extremely low B12 and it affected her cognitive abilities. She was in her early 20s when it was finally picked up. She'd had years of struggling to study and to think clearly. A regular doctor/general practitioner here can organize B12 testing.

I wasn't aware that magnesium could make akathisia worse

It is definitely work investigating in my opinion.

take care

Thanks Lara,
this is the second answer about B12. Sounds interesting as I have never heard about it. I took multivitamin daily even several months after it started and also years before and it had 16.7 µg inside (668 % of recommended daily value). I checked B12 testing in my country but didnt get any results.

One question about metabolizing clonazepam. If it is not ok in me how does the build up work, I mean the concentration in the blood goes above the daily dose I take?

Thanks

There is a thread in the Peripheral Neuropathy dedicated to Vit B12
It's very long but there is excellent information in there
STICKY - The Vitamin B12 Thread:

I can't help you with the metabolizing clonazepam question I'm sorry.
We do have a Medications & Treatments Forum

Thank you very much for the link Lara, I will try to check it.

Is it possible to suddenly lose so much of vitamin B12 stored in the body? Because before that my cognitive abilities were very good, and this came suddenly over a few days.