Please can someone help me? Sudden short term memory loss episodes in very healthy male aged 24...

[EachPeachPearMum]

... very fit young man (does some form of sport/exercise every single day often twice, always has really) has started to have memory loss for short episodes of around 5 minutes at a time.
For example, sitting at his keyboard, he could not remember how to open a particular programme for 5 minutes. Another time he was called by a friend whilst cycling home and he had no idea where he was- he just couldn't tell them what street he was on, or where it was, even though he knew where he'd been, where he was heading etc.
Last week he wrote-off his car in an accident - he has no idea what happened, only what witnesses/police told him.
He thinks this started 2 or 3 weeks ago. (ie not caused by the accident)
Episodes every few days. Previously his memory is excellent, better than most people's, probably 'photographic'.
He does think he's a little depressed, though if it were that, I'd expect a more general type of memory loss rather than specific episodes.

Has anyone experienced this in family members, or is neurologically trained please?

Btw- he thought it would be stupid to go and see his GP and tell him he had memory loss I think I put him straight on that one.

I really don't want to offend you but are you sure it's not drugs-connected? I can't remember what exactly might make him a bit spacey, but probably for instance smoking lots of dope.

Otherwise I would wonder if it is epilepsy. Sounds quite a lot like some forms of epilepsy, actually, very well worth checking out.

That was one of my first thoughts, but I am assured not.
FWIW- he is a competitive sportsman, so maybe he did take something, but he has denied it. I can only assume he would deny it to GP too, though that would not help diagnosis/treatment.

I will be asking again though...

Memory loss in young adults should always be taken very seriously. He needs to o and see his GP and ask for a hospital referral.

epilepsy is the first thing I thought - petit mal rather than grand mal

medical person

Could epilepsy only start at this age though?
My friend had later onset epilepsy, but that started as a teenager.

that was meant to say I am not a medical person

Definitely go to GP. I would expect to see these kind of symptoms get investigated with a scan of the head (CT and MRI) and EEG for possible epilepsy. If neurologists can't find anything they may refer into mental health but far more likley to be neurological at this age. He's not describing memory loss as such as a loss of conscious attention and ? problems with speech with the bclycle incident. Needs to go asap.

Yes, it can. At any point.

He needs to get this sorted out, i don't think he should be driving at the moment. It does suggest epilepsy, although i really do not have a clue, but he is putting himself in danger by driving i think. Tell him to get along to the doctor and stop being such a man about it Its probably something relatively trivial but it needs investigating.

I did suggest to him that actually his GP would not think it silly, and would take it seriously, but tbh I think he already knows this. He would not have told me I think unless he was seriously scared himself...

my mum was experiencing the symptons you have mentioned and was diagnosed last year with eplielpsy.
She manages it with meds, trial and error with medication but she has now not had an episode for a year

Yes, if he is driving he could kill someone.

Poor lad, I really hope it is identified soon. And I'm glad I didn't offend you with the drugs suggestion - quite frankly I rather expect 24 year olds to have the odd puff!

Is he very stressed at the mmoment?

I know a woman who leads a highly stressful life and works way too hard,she has just started to experience moments of not having a clue where she is or what she's doing lasting only a few moments.She has put it down to stress but has yet to see a Dr.

Why are men so shit at seeing medical ppl?

Beg bully and cajole I think, until he gets there

Well- he can't drive now- car written off. But, he cycles all over his city, and he rows... don't think I'd persuade him to give that one up! Luckily he usually goes out on river with someone else.

I did think what he was describing was more like absences, but I wondered if the shock of car accident is what made him forget what happened in that case.

It's horrid that he's scared. But waiting for it to go away will not make him less scared and may really be the wrong thing to do. Epilepsy and other things can be treated sucessfully and the sooner the better.

Stress could be a possibility too, though of course he doesn't think so He never seems to stop, but maybe its just me who's an old fogey?

I think he's thinking along lines of brain tumour, which is probably why he's so concerned. Also, I think a lot of it is the fear of being out of control, the loss of control during the episodes.
He lives in a different city to me, so its hard for me to harangue him nicely without coming across as just nagging! He says he'll go to GP tomorrow though, and I'm visiting him friday, so will press the issue then too.

Would a nhs drop-in centre be able to refer?

Not sure. Frankly it sounds as if just getting him to some kind of medical professional's the best thing.

I think that these symptoms are concerning so i would say better to goto his own GP who can more thoroughly assess in view of his medical history, rather than the drop in centre. Could be lots of things. Head will no doubt be involved but lots of things affect brain function (and thus attention). But good to get assessed asap by experts. Being in control is very important to most of us, so just backing up his decisions will be helpful to him.

NHS drop in centres can refer, though they tend to only refer for the immediate ime

ie - my DH with pilonidal cyst and DS1 with partially collapsed lung (which they thought might be heart problems), otherwise they advise GP

But they could give him a quiet and gentle talking to?

Thank you all for your help!
Its too easy to google and scare yourself senseless these days!
I know that practically there's nothing we can do until he sees gp, but as fletcher said- young men are so useless at seeking medical advice!