DP momentarily forgot where we lived

[Stripyseagulls]

DP had a bit of a weird episode. He was walking along our street and found himself outside a door that wasn’t ours & momentarily didn’t know where he was. It’s freaked him out (and me).

I have had similar where I literally forgot where my car was and put it down to perimenopause.

DP is older than me so nearly 60 - aibu to be worried or could it just be a ‘senile moment’?

I would get it checked out but I had a similar thing happen this week. I have been walking to work for the last year down the same road and then turn off to the right. Except I didn't turn and carried on walking, eventually coming out in a road and having no idea where I was! I put it down to just having my head in the clouds but it was a bit weird at the time.

I developed temporal lobe epilepsy and used to get episodes of jamais vu and also collapsed several times. I needed a lot of stitches in the back of my head after one fall. Had scans to rule out a brain tumour of course. That was many years ago and I'm fine now and no longer need the medication I was put on for the temporal lobe epilepsy.

@insert he is quite tired at the mo- physical job etc

I am mid 40's and went to collect my dd yesterday from a village, saw a young girl approaching the car and thought she looked like dd's friend.
It was actually my dd.
I am tired and quite stressed atm which is my excuse...
Absentmindedly looking but not really seeing imo.

My dad used to have episodes like this. He was very fit - would walk six miles or so a day up until his 80's. The first time it happened he was 43 and was between jobs - he was waiting for security clearance before starting his new job. He had no idea what his job was, didn't know where he was, whether he had children. He had all sorts of investigations but nothing was found.

These episodes continued very occasionally and to different extents throughout his life. His blood pressure was always perfect and he was a perfect weight for his height.

At the end of his life he was admitted to hospital for other symptoms and an MRI scan revealed that he had had multiple mini strokes. We will never know of course if they were the cause of his episodes but it is certainly possible.

I have had the same happen, very occasionally, perhaps 3 times in all and well spaced apart. I'm 64 now and the first time was in my late 50's. It worried me for a while the first time it happened (an freaked my daughter out) but as it has only happened about 3 times well spread out over 6 years I have ceased worrying.

I would worry if it stated to happen frequently.

He definitely needs to see the GP about this incident. It might be just nothing serious but a momentary lapse if he was in deep concentration but it could be something more serious.

Sorry but it sounds like it could be a TIA to me. People often fell very tired afterwards. I would take him to A&E, just to rule it out. If it is, they might be able to pick it up now. If you leave it, they might miss it.

Does he seem to spend his time looking for things? Like digging around in drawers or bags for things? My FIL got dementia and turns out it could have been spotted earlier if we'd picked up on that.
Although - it's more likely to be nothing! Just for balance and to freak you out! 🙂

I've gone into work, breakfast, coffee, worked for an hour, looked up and thought where the hell is everyone. Ruined my Saturday.

Monitor it, we can all have an odd moment but if it's not a one off/rare situation than head to the gp, whilst unlikely on age grounds, Alzheimer's can start to manifest at any age and once you hit 60 probability starts to increase, ditto minor strokes/vascular dementia

Please tell him to get checked out. My dad has high bp & was on meds but still had a TIA.

He's now on a strong anticoagulant & touch wood not had a problem since.

Please go to A&E explain episode and the tiredness. They can at least check there isn't a small clot somewhere which may dislodge and cause worse problems.

I'm in my late 20s and I had a similar moment a couple weeks ago. I was walking up the street, turned to go into our house before realising I was actually at the next street along. Still no idea what happened. Don't worry too much, it happens to us all.

If it puts your mind at rest, mention it to your GP.

I'm early thirties and I occasionally have moments like this. I can be driving along and suddenly I don't know where I'm going. It usually happens when I'm lost in thought.

Hopefully he's just like me and absolutely fine.

Someone in my family had a similar temporary memory loss incident - we thought he was kidding around - turned out it was a minor stroke - he is fine now, is generally healthy and had had no previous similar incidents. Definitely need get checked out.

This happened to my lovely MIL. It turned out to be a brain tumour.

Your dh needs to get it checked out.

Quite reassuring to know that there is a phrase for that feeling of being “lost”! Once when driving in the dark and heavy rain, approaching my house from a route I don’t usually take - it felt familiar but my brain just couldn’t access the information and I felt lost even though i was only a couple of miles away from home! Horrible feeling.

Was there anything that would have been out of the usual context for your DP Stripyseagulls? Were you approaching your house from the other end of the street that you don’t usually take etc.? I always think a slight difference in contex might be to blame, like when I bumped into a work acquaintance whilst walking the dog I thought “I recognise you but I can’t remember where from?” For a second. Really hope your DP is ok.

One of the early signs of my grandfather developing Alzheimers was forgetting where he lived. It may be nothing but I would definitely be investigating it further.

Does he have Migraines? There is a form of migraine that can cause a temporary amnesia

No harm in checking with a doc as it's freaked him out but hopefully it's nothing, just a temporary brain blip! I forgot where I lived the other week - was asked for my address and that information just wasn't there anymore 😅 Have also once found myself trying to unlock my neighbour's door 🙄

I'm a triage nurse.

This may well be "just a funny turn" but at his age and with his medical history it is not safe to assume this.

Get him seen asap, OP. Don't leave it until next week.

I have these moments when I have PMS or a migraine coming.
Usually when I feel dizzy/ faint. Or I'm hungry, carrying a banana or cereal bar in my bag helps. My worst was a few years ago when I was in Asda car park (having spent ages trying to locate my car...which is the norm most the time when I park anywhere) and for a few moments couldn't remember my own name. Def freaked me out but it was bad PMS. I always say to DP that it's amnesia time. Can't be trusted to drive then even in the most familiar areas..as for catching trains...that has led to some pretty bad experiences

It's a very normal reaction to stress or overloaded thinking. Has happened to me while I've been thinking about something else. It's very common.

also forget my bank PIN, phone number etc then I get all stressed and frustrated but for me it's a good indicator a migraine is coming or that I need to eat (I'm 48 also have dodgy thyroid so that might be part of it.. my levels swing in and out)