I keep forgetting words and it's getting worse.

[Flamingoose]

It used to be that there were one or two words I could simply never remember. The kids used to giggle as I'd ask them to pass the... blue...sharp... scissor... thing... for opening... tins?!
But recently (over the last few months) I've noticed that I'm forgetting significant words in conversations every day. It's bloody frustrating, and a little bit worrying.
I know what I want to say, I just get halfway through my sentence and can't find the word I need.

My Gran had dementia and it's a hideous disease. I'm only 43 (that's another one, I can never remember how old I am).
I've done a bit of googling. I'm not struggling with other tasks (although I'm not as good as I used to be at word games).
Is this normal, or cause for concern?
I feel like I want to go and speak to someone and organise the perfect combination of supplements that might help - is that a thing?
Should I go and see a doctor?

B12 deficiency?
I was diagnosed with it after going to the drs and telling her how I thought I had Alzheimer’s as I couldn’t remember the names of items. I would tell the kids I was looking for my “thing that holds the money”, or “dangly things to drive the car”. I would also use the wrong words for things “nail varnish rememberer” instead of remover. It was like my brain would just stop working.

I had other symptoms too that I had overlooked for months/years. Misjudging door openings, dropping items, crippling fatigue. But I just hadn’t put them all together, somehow my mind wasn’t working that way.

I am super grateful that the dr listened to me and instead of telling me I was menopausal or anxious, pretty much diagnosed a deficiency before even getting the test results.

So definitely go to the drs, with any other symptoms you may have too. My kids were actually pretty good at listing all of mine by then so could tell me things I just hadn’t realised were happening.

As you are 43 I suspect it's possibly a symptom of perimenopause

My dad started forgetting things, and getting lost in places he had been to for years. He had tests and it turns out he had a mini stroke, but they dont know when. It causes vascular dementia, which luckily doesn't progress, it only gets worse if you've had another stroke. Its worth asking for tests to rule that out. X

HoneyandButter...Oh my gosh, yes to everything you've written. Being able to describe the thing but not remember the bloody word; grabbing the wrong word, and yes to tired, clumsy.
And I'm vegetarian too - that's likely to to B12 deficiency too isn't it? (literally forgotten the word I need as I type. Submit? Intend? Infer? I know they're all wrong. You know what I mean!)

NDVR - yes, possibly. I'll have a google of that too.

Yes a vegetarian diet can definitely lead to a B12 deficiency. Don’t take any supplements that contain it before you get blood tests as they will skew the results.

Oh good thinking. I won't take anything until I've seen the doc. Going to make an appt now.

Contribute! Likely to contribute to B12 deficiency.

I thought it was only me. I recently had a bloke test to see if they could find out why I have digestive issues, would that have included b12

This was my first big peri issue. I thought I had signs of dementia at 43. Full cognitive capacity back in days on HRT.

Brain fog/fog getting things is very very common in perimenopause which can start 10 years before actual menopause.

Look up Dr Louise Newson - she has a website and a podcast. Read the articles, arm yourself with the info you need and make an appt to see your GP to discuss options inc HRT.

I'm exactly the same and 42. My current period is a week late and I am often hotter than Hades so I'm definitely putting it down to perimenopause.

I'm probably going to stick it out for a bit but will be asking for HRT if things start progressing.

Watch out for the mood swings / rage / days of blackness too as they can be a bit worrying if you're not normally affected by that.

I'm glad I came across this thread, as I'm the same.
I'll be in a conversation, when I say to DH, 'What's the word I'm looking for, you know, it means ... thingy, can't find, not where I thought it was'.
I loose my train of thought midway through a conversation and haven't a clue what I was going to say.
I'm 57, so the menopause is the likely cause, I hope.

This might be helpful: balance-menopause.com/uploads/2021/09/Brain-fog-or-dementia.pdf

Sounds like perimenopause

I agree it is most likely linked to perimenopause.
I'm 46 and exactly the same with words. I'm also quite forgetful in general.

I do suffer from a rare type of migraine also, where I get my words jumbled up. I know what I want to say, but I talk nonsense.
I even forget my own children's names.
That's something I've had since I was 13 though and only when I have a migraine attack.