When does a mental block become cause of concern?

[TheYearOfTheCat]

Since I have returned to work after having my 2nd child, I have found I have a real mental block for names. I cannot recall names of acquaintances and colleagues - to the point that I have found myself continually saying to friends, colleagues and subordinates that I still have 'baby brain'. However, my DS is now 21 months, and has been pretty much sleeping through the night since 6 months, so I can't blame it on lack of sleep.

Having also previously been a very articulate person, I also find myself struggling for appropriate words - when I am in meetings at work, I feel that my speech is stilted, as I try to search for the right word. I also find that I often lose the thread of my thought, half way through a sentence. I am usually able to cover with a bit of honesty & comedy.

However, I am really beginning to worry whether this is the start of something more sinister, some form of dementia or alzheimers?

Does anyone have any knowledge of this? Am I worrying unecessarily or should I be talking to my GP?

if i were you i would mention it to my GP, as its been going on for a long time now and its obviously worrying you. Its worth getting it checked out.

it might be something simple , like a side effect of some medication you are on eg for high blood pressure

Thanks Kristina - I am 38, so feel too young to be worrying about this sort of thing, but I have always been so articulate in the past, and my memory was so much better. It seems weird that names are the main thing that elude me - yesterday I was talking to a colleague about a really good friend of mine - and I couldn't remember what she was called .

It's funny you mention medication - I am on some medication which can have high blood pressure as a side effect, and have it monitored regularly as a result. I had not considered that medication may have an effect.

Bump for any of the Friday night crowd?

I met a new person at work today, and within 30 seconds of him telling me his name, I had forgotten. I had to bluff and get him to repeat his surname so I could look him up later on the company e-mail system. Could it just be down to poor listening?

You could get your iron levels checked and haemoglobin as these can be low after pregnancy and bfing and can cause temporary brain fog.

OMG are you me? This has happenned to me since dd1 who is now 3. It has almost got to the point where I won't contribute in meetings because I can not find the right words. I can "see" the word but not articulate it, if that makes sense? HAve you ever read Flowers for Algernon, because that's what I feel is happenning to me. As for names forget it!!!