Im 58 and think my memory is going

[Pancaked]

It's not just brain fog, I suffer from that too but thats more a woolly slightly disorganised sort of feeling. I am forgetting appointments eg something I was aware of in the morning, I will then forget to attend in the afternoon. If I have a tidy up, I then can't recall where I tidied things away to. I have lost my sense of time eg. I thought I'd made a phone call this morning, but turns out it was yesterday. Texting a friend yesterday and she told me her dental appt had been cancelled, we then exchanged another line each of text about other things, and I then asked how her dental appointment had gone. It is starting to worry me. What do people think? Is this normal for a post menopausal woman of my age??

I’d be most concerned by the time blindness and get it checked out

I would talk to the GP. There are many things that could be causing this, so it needs to be investigated. If it is what you fear, there is medication to slow progress, but it could equally be a deficiency of something. Very best wishes to you!

Drat.

My GP surgery has signs up about talking to them if you have any concerns about your memory. There are things to rule out before you need to worry 💐

58 is very young for dementia. It's not impossible but very unlikely. Is there any family history? Also tbh people developing dementia are rarely aware of it themselves
Depression and or anxiety can give rise to memory and concentration issues or Vit D/ Vit B deficiency.
Definitely see your Dr but don't panic yet.

My mum was diagnosed at 57…I know of a woman via a friend who is 37…unfortunately it’s a lot more common than people think, although awareness is better than it was.

OP I really hope it’s not any form of dementia, but early diagnosis is key to maintaining your brain health as much as possible via drug treatment.

No family history. But I have been a heavy drinker for a long time. Ironically I have cut down massively this year but I do worry about damage already done.

Well that does change things

If you were entirely abstinent for 3 months or more then all the evidence is that your cognitive function can recover.

I would definitely get checked out. It may not be dementia but the prolonged drinking could have caused some cognitive damage.

Can you abstain for 3 months?

You might find the brain rights itself

Look at taking magnesium threonate and choline bitartrate (there are others which help the brain)

There are lots of causes as well as dementia. I was having terrible memory issues and found I have sleep apnea. After a short time using a CPAP machine, there's a big improvement. Do you have a smart watch? This can show up issues. Also abstain from alcohol and supplement vitamins, especially D, B12 and magnesium.

Also the Five Lives app does some useful cognitive tests

When you were drinking alot, did you take a high dose, Vit B supplement? Alcohol depletes Vit B and can lead to memory issues.
I'd see your GP OP. It might be one of many deficiencies which can be treated. Next steps, if its not a deficiency, would be referral to a neurologist or geriatrician for more specific testing for memory issues.

Quit drinking. Completely. And keep a diary for the next few months, recording everything you notice about memory issues.

A combination of getting sober and taking HRT did wonders for my cognitive function.

Agree that the heavy drinking bit does change things. There’s a neurological condition actually caused by heavy alcohol intake and vit b deficiency. We give our patients with alcohol induced liver failure concentrated vitamins due to the insidious damage it causes. It’s worth speaking to your GP about both issues tbh.

I've had similar concerns OP and am slightly younger than you. Also drank too much when children were younger due to PTSD after an extremely acrimonious divorce from my exH. Think wine o'clock after school with other single mums. I also had insomnia that almost drove me to suicide and drank to try to get to sleep. I wouldn't say I was ever really drunk, but it was a regular glass or two, more when kids were with their dad and I was out socialising.
We have since had Parkinson's and dementia in the family - Parkinson's is not known to be hereditary but I have been concerned about it. I struggle with remembering anything about my children's earlier years, even when we were a happy family unit prior to the divorce. I didn't drink then but still can't remember much. This really upsets me. Lack of sleep was like torture back then - I had two DC a year apart and my ExH was always at work so effectively I was a single parent.
My GP referred me to the memory clinic after I started being concerned at forgetting what I was talking about mid sentence. Also I simply can't take in information say, by reading a report these days-I've forgotten what I'm reading after the first paragraph. It's so frustrating.
The medical professionals were absolutely lovely and I had tests and a full head scan to confirm whether there were signs of dementia. Fortunately it came back clear. The Consultant was so lovely and we had a super long discussion about the scan results. He was so lovely and reassuring.
I'm on meds for my bladder which he's changed as they can affect memory (apparently) and he's diagnosed severe anxiety and upped my SSRI dose. He didn't really seem too concerned about the alcohol years.
I so sad as I can't read books any more -it's impossible to retain the information- I used to love to read. Watching most TV is a challenge as I lose interest very quickly. My concentration is almost zilch. Sometimes I wonder whether I'm ND.
I'm on continuous HRT but can't say that's made any difference whatsoever to my memory. I do believe that stress has/is my biggest enemy so have made changes to my workload and choose very few social interactions as they make me feel too hyper and overwhelmed. I'm not socially shy, so why I suffer with stress and anxiety in social situations, I don't really understand. The consultant said you don't have to be shy to suffer anxiety as some people's bodies are just made that way, with adrenaline and cortisol ever present. I'm always battling to quieten my brain.
It's not a nice thing to have to address OP and I wish you well. My GP gave me a tiny snippet to try and help-she said "just try and go at your own pace". I found this helpful and very much try to do this and have cut my working hours down.
Getting older isn't much fun, but nobody can escape it!

@abracadabra1980 Thank you for taking the time to reply with such detail. We could be twins it seems!! I am also someone who is constantly on high alert, was diagnosed with complex PTSD a few years ago. I find socialising hard work, tho I do enjoy it at the time. I also find I cant read or enjoy tv the same way any more...I hadnt really seen that as a memory issue so thats interesting. I also went thro a very unpleasant divorce a few years back, then lockdown, then illness...I wouldn't say that I am massively stressed at the moment, definitely had much more intnese periods of stress, but like you, it is a constant in my life. I think you have helped me decide to go to the GP. I was worried they would be dismissive but hopefully it would set my mind at rest at best, or give me clarity and something to work with at best. Thank you again, and I hope you are doing better yourself now xx

I am 64 but for a few years have felt exactly like you. I used to have a brain that worked so fast. I went to the doctor and expressed my concern but she just did a very quick memory test and said everything was fine. I bring it up every time I see one of the Dr's but am ignored. I feel because they didn't know me well before they have nothing to judge against and they are so busy. No it bloody well isn't fine so don't be put off if you have to fight for help.

@Roystonv That is exactly what concerns me about going to gp. I might look into seeing someone privately (...and then run away screaming at the price tag) So you haven't got anywhere with being taken seriously then? Im sorry to hear that x

Hi OP, I'm 47 and just recently have been referred to the memory clinic by my GP. (I found the GP helpful, they did cognitive testing and some screening blood tests as part of the referral)

As part of the referral I had a CT brain scan which came back with 'mild global atrophy' and then, they referred me for a PET scan which has now come back with similar. Just waiting now for the memory clinic to discuss my results at a meeting.

I have a family history of (late onset) dementia and had genetic testing for the APOE4 gene. I don't really drink, but have been through some stressful medical stuff in the past such as sepsis and shingles on the head / ear which I wonder might have not helped things.

They have said on referral for the PET scan that the atrophy is out of proportion for my age, however neither of the scans have shown evidence of a neurodegenerative process, it is all a bit confusing and hoping they might explain more when they ring me / send a letter.

I've recently started Mounjaro injections for weight loss and feeling a bit better on them. I'm also on antidepressants, have had depression for quite a long time so wonder if that plays a role in it.

My cognitive tests were low end of normal. I struggled with the part where you have to remember a name and address, in the meantime they ask you other questions, and then ask you to recall it! Oh and the bit where they ask you to name as many animals as possible in 2 minutes.

I'm looking at managing my blood pressure, weight, and have stopped drinking completely, there is some evidence drinking is worse for those with this gene.

I hope all goes OK, but just to say you might be surprised, my GP was really good. Try them, before going private.

@Pancaked I’m a MH nurse. It really does depend on how “heavy” the drinking really is. This screening questionnaire https://auditscreen.org/check-your-drinking is used by health care staff to check how significant any alcohol use or potential addiction is. The concern is that, while you cutting down is fantastic, you may still be drinking too much. In terms of your memory problems, there are dementias associated with heavy alcohol use. Unlike other forms of dementia, what’s key is that alcohol related dementia is often reversible. I’ve attached some information about this too. https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/types-dementia/alcohol-related-brain-damage-arbd#content-start
Most important though is that alcohol prevents the brain from absorbing enough vitamin B1 which causes cognitive impairment, and so anyone at risk of alcohol related dementia needs to take a regular Vitamin B1 supplement. It is vital that you see your GP as tablets may not be enough and you may need injections. Regardless of what else is going on, any damage from the alcohol can be reduced.

@JennieTheZebra Thanks for the info. At its worse I was drinking a bottle of wine a day, every day, for probably 6 years. GP is aware, I figured theres not much point not being honest about it. I still have phases when I revert to that level of drinking, but this year overall I have reduced my intake by at least 2 thirds. I do supplement daily with vit B complex (Ive checked, seems to have plenty of B1) since I have tried to mitigate the alcohol over the years. Not sure that I have ever been tested for B1 deficiency, is there such a test? I do have to watch for deficiencies because of other health issues so overall I am checked out fairly regularly for iron, folate etc. Unfortunately there is lots to pick apart, from stress to alcohol to illness to possible dementia, so don't really know where to start. Well, I do really - the alcohol isn't helping anything is it!

@JennieTheZebra That link to ARBD is very interesting, in a scary way. Thanks x

There are “memory clinics” all over the country that could support-put your mind at ease.
my husband has yod. We were very fortunate that the path to diagnosis was very straightforward, but I am aware that we are in the minority. If you tell me whereabouts you are, I am happy to help you find something.

if someone is having memory problems, please seek help and don’t be fobbed off, the Alzheimer’s drugs that are coming down the pipelines are aimed at people who have early stage, getting a fast and early diagnosis is critical.

Our memory clinic has a years waiting list, but they seemed to fit you in a bit quicker if younger I found