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Original poster

Previously excellent memory suddenly failing - is this weird or normal?

22 replies

Nancery · 14/12/2013 23:09

This may simply be a case of tiredness / age but it's bugging me all the same.

The last few weeks, literally, I have become someone who is constantly forgetting names, what I went into a room for etc. Previously this NEVER happened so its very odd. It may well just be age (am 39) and I know lots of people do this but as I never did, and it's suddenly started I am a tiny bit concerned.

Realise I could go to GP but it's not quite dramatic or severe enough to feel as if I really should. (It also takes forever to get an appointment, and I don't want to feel like I'm adding to it unnecessarily.)

OP posts:

Thesebootsweremadeforwalking · 14/12/2013 23:13

Are you under stress at the moment? This happens to me if I'm trying to do too much.

GoingToBedfordshire · 14/12/2013 23:15

Define constantly? I regularly go into rooms and cannot remember what the fuck I went in for, or call all 3 of the DCs names til I get the right one, but this has happened forever and is def worse when I am tired ie most or the time.
I think if you have never previously been like this and have had no recent stressful events in your life, then it is a perfectly reasonable thing to seek help from the GP for. The forgetting of names sounds quite worrying for you.
Hope they can reassure you, take care OP.

Original poster

Nancery · 14/12/2013 23:19

Thanks both.
No, not really under stress as such. And am tired but not cripplingly so.
Bedforshire you described precisely what I am now doing. I realise this in itself is not a big deal, or remotely unusual, however as it was never the case before it seems a bit weird.

OP posts:

lougle · 14/12/2013 23:31

I'm 34 and I get this alot when I'm subconsciously trying to juggle tasks. I think I'm doing x, but my brain is doing x,y and z...

RubySparks · 14/12/2013 23:32

I have this and at the moment I am blaming thyroid problems, do you have any other symptoms?

AttackOfTheKillerMonsterSnowGo · 14/12/2013 23:35

Nancery, I am a similar age to you and I have found this in the last 6 months too. It's got to the stage where I will enter a room, and then have to stand there for a few seconds and let my brain 'catch up' with my body. I honestly think my ipad might have something to do withit. I got it last year and I find that I now flit from one thing to another a lot, will read whilst watching tv etc, and its like my brain has been fried by all this multi tasking. Of course it could also just be marriage/age/2 kids/subsequent knckeredness taking its toll... :)

Original poster

Nancery · 14/12/2013 23:35

Nope, nothing else at all.

OP posts:

Original poster

Nancery · 14/12/2013 23:36

Actually, that's bollocks, i am also a type 1 diabetic but everything is fine with that end of things

OP posts:

TheArticFunky · 14/12/2013 23:37

This is happening to me a lot at the moment.

We put the Christmas tree up today and I couldn't remember which child made the handmade decorations which is not like me. I'm also mixing their names up more than usual and not being able to put names to faces.

I have always been the queen of memory so I am not liking this at all.

Original poster

Nancery · 14/12/2013 23:41

attackofthekiller - wow! Yes, since getting my iPhone (and having DS) I am far more flitting with things. Eg I used to read in the bath, but now I just fiddle with my phone. Its like I can't be arsed with anything that requires anything other than very basic concentration, but I put that down to the fact I am looking after a baby (well, 18 monther) and so my brain is mush.
Hmmmm.

OP posts:

Original poster

Nancery · 14/12/2013 23:42

I too was Queen of Memory and its horrible isn't it?!

OP posts:

MrsSlobinson · 15/12/2013 00:09

I've been thinking of doing a post about this. I have had this for past year. I started hrt as thought it might be menopause but it made no difference.
My gp thinks it might be stress but not sure she is right.

Original poster

Nancery · 15/12/2013 00:19

I am SO glad to hear its not just me!

OP posts:

AttackOfTheKillerMonsterSnowGo · 15/12/2013 00:27

I am the same with book. I used to read one a week minimum...now...well suffice to say I've had the same two books on the go for 6 months and haven't got more than 1/3 of the way through either. Any 'down' time I have I now spend on the ipad, and its not just my Brian, my eyesight is worse too. I honestly swear there is a link between the tho elf brain activity. Device like ipad encourages and memory issues. I am trying to wean myself off of it (registers that its 00:27 and I'm in bed on my ipad. Epic fail.)

AttackOfTheKillerMonsterSnowGo · 15/12/2013 00:29

And yes, yes, yes to the can't be arsed with anything requiring concentration.

MrsShrek3 · 15/12/2013 01:00

oh lordynme too. I used to be cleer, then I swapped my memory for three kids. now I look permanently like this ->
too much multi-tasking and too many things juggled all at once. I had an epic forgetty night on Wednesday - I forgot to do everything I should have done, including the dcs packed lunches

MrsShrek3 · 15/12/2013 01:02

can't even type, bloody daft little touchscreen thingy.

...used to be clever..

I said
(yes really)

lottiegarbanzo · 15/12/2013 01:28

Interesting. I'm practically the same age, with same age child. My memory has always been very good, not so much for lists or dry facts, though ok for those but for situations and conversations, so I've always been great at writing meeting notes, because I can replay much of it in my head. I can remember when I did what with any friend and revisit conversations.

I've noticed this getting gradually worse since 35. It takes me longer to dredge things up sometimes. I rejected the idea of 'baby brain', especially ante-natally and took an exam shortly post-natally which helped demonstrate this (I might not have felt much like memorising stuff but I could).

In the year after dd was born, I was studying again from 6 months and doing a small project involving a number of tasks. I found sleep deprivation changed things entirely so that my experience of concentrating on tasks became very episodic. I'd lost all continuous narrative, which used to be very strong, so I always knew where I was with things. Id arrive back at a task as if from sleep. I found I couldnt remember whether I'd done a particular admin task and would start the same one again. I needed to write tick lists, note my progress and any points arising.

In short I had become like people I used to work with who seemed to have little idea where they were up to with anything, had to refer to notes rather than memory and apparently lacked continuous awareness of projects or anything that wasn't their top priority or immediate preoccupation.

It's weird because the running narratives have always been an intrinsic part of myself, not just a way of operating.

It's getting better as I get more sleep but I do think there's a gradual decline going on. Stress is the other thing that has affected memory in the pet, making some experiences very acutely memorable but messing with organisational memory.

MrsJackAubrey · 17/12/2013 00:23

I got so alarmed about this at your age I got tested for early onset dementia. I used to drink a lot and was worried I'd knackered my brain. But all fine. I think it's age and also noticing it more means you pay more attention to it when it happens. Im almost 50 now and it's no worse. But a marked decline late 30s, yes.

PrivateBenjamin · 02/01/2014 15:08

This is happening to me too. I am 31, have always previously had an amazing memory. People were shocked when I would remind them of word for word conversations we'd had years before and tell them what they were wearing and where we had gone. It was no strain for me to remember this, it was just there. Now I can't remember anything. I have just started studying for a qualification and I literally can't keep any of the information in my head.

I went to the doctors and he seemed to think it was stress related (even though I'm not that stressed) but agreed to do some blood tests to rule out thyroid problems as I have a few other symptoms (faintness, nausea, shaking, anxiety for no reason), so I will go for them soon. Interestingly I only got these symptoms when I got my tablet computer last summer like a few other posters have said so maybe that has something to do with it.

Has anybody had tests that showed anything, or recovered from this memory loss since they posted? I am really worried that I have killed vast swathes of my brain and I'll never be the same again.

BIWI · 02/01/2014 15:11

It's much more likely to be to do with how well your diabetes is being controlled. See here: Diabetes and memory loss

BillyBanter · 02/01/2014 15:14

I think if this is sudden and not normal for you it's worth just asking the doctor. you are allowed to use NHS services!

The room thing is fairly normal at any age but probably does get a bit worse with age.

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