Worrying memory loss

[Donetrying1]

Hello! I have just had a really scary loss of memory incident and so l’m looking for a handhold please.
i have a GP appointment on the 15th September as l’ve been suffering from depression and very weepy. I am 67 so l will discuss my memory concerns with the doctor but just wondered if anyone else had a problem.
i’d gone to a restaurant with my friend and had a lovely afternoon, but l am very tired as l haven’t slept properly for 2 days. My friend bought out her phone to pay when l froze because l suddenly got confused thinking l should pay with my phone (l never pay with my phone, only with a card) and my mind went completely blank and l couldn’t think how l usually paid. The waitress said something and l suddenly remembered l always paid with a card and everything went smoothly after that.It really frightened me though that my mind went completely blank for a minute. I will mention it to the GP. I just wondered if anyone else has had any worrying memory losses? Thanks for listening 😊

This could be B12 deficiency, which totally messes with your brain. Or hormone deficiency - are you on HRT?

Or just one of those small glitches that do happen as we enter our more mature and wise years (welcome, there are many of us here).

I shouldn't worry about this too much, but see what your GP says.

I regularly go upstairs for something and when I get to the top of the stairs can't remember what I went up for. Then when I'm halfway down again I remember I needed something out of the airing cupboard.

I need a shopping list for everything and leave notes on the fridge door as memos.

I'm 60+

Thanks ladies. I think the simple act of my friend paying with her phone completely threw me for some reason and for whatever reason l thought l needed to do the same and then my mind quite literally froze as l never pay with my phone and l couldn’t think what to do. It was just a few seconds of panic but it felt like a lifetime!
I’m not on hrt but l often think l should be. I will see what the GP says. I really appreciate your replies.

UTIs can do weird things
Also get B12 and iron levels checked

Firstly, it's good you have an gp appointment but don't automatically assume that it's something bad. There are lots of simple things that can cause momentary blips. Were there any other symptoms that came about at the same time?

I would take with you any medication or supplements you take. My mum gets confusion and forgetfulness as a side effect of some medication. She doesn't have great recall at the best of times due a stroke in her 20s. There was one time where she went shopping with my dad and forgot he was with her and left him in shop and went home.

Being very tired and having not slept can absolutely cause these sorts of memory issues!
I had a consultant tell me that there was one night shift where he forgot the word for paracetamol.

I had a severe depressive episode after having my daughter and it took 2 years for my memory and cognitive capability returned fully. The combination of the depression and the brain fog level tiredness can mean that the brain isn't capable to retrieving the information at that moment in time. You would have seen others use their phone and indeed your friend had just used it.

It's almost like this conversation was going on between your brain and body

Brain: body I'm low on power, entering power save mode. Copy what she does
Body: ok, she's picked up her phone and using it to pay
Brain: yeah do that
Pause
Brain: no wait! we don't do that!
Body: what do we do?
Pause
Hang on, leaving power save mode
Pause
Just a minute
Body: come on tell me what to do
Pause
Brain: ok, you use your card. You normally use your card
Body: yes I remember, I do. I'll do that

I'd concur with other PP that I don't think that's really worrying behaviour, especially if you were overtired from not sleeping for two days! Why aren't you sleeping? Or is your nighttime sleep disturbed in some way, rather than you literally haven't slept? I'd only bother mentioning the memory loss incident to your GP if you have another one between now and your appointment.

i did something similar the other day. with me it’s menopause. damon pest. feels like im losing my mind.