Memory Loss
 

Hi guys,

I'm wondering has anyone else had any problems with their memory especially short term memory loss. I've been putting it down to the severe meds I am/was on but now since my lumbar fusion I've come down off some of the heavier meds, only 2 weeks ago I finished with the ketamine after been on it for years, perhaps it just takes time for the side affects it caused to return to normal.
Does anyone have any thoughts or ideas or have had the same problem and overcome it. Even an explanation that your Dr mentioned to you would be gratefully accepted. I see my own Doctor at the end of the month and I plan to ask him about it so I'm not going to stop my meds or do anything silly. I'm after knowledge I guess.

Thank for reading this

Sinéad :hug:

hi Sophie

your question
excellent
yes to answer it
i do suffer from short term
out the window
but here is what i noticed
about myself
if someone should recall
the events that went on yesterday
i have difficulties
i know without a doubt it is
my meds
it is after my second set of meds
i warn my family and friends
it is amazing how it just COMPLETELY
robs me of my memory
now what i noticed
i can recall all that was lost
but if someone i have to remind me
it all comes back

another thing
Lexapro a psychotherapist had me on
took me to very very dark places
"i" decided i wanted to come
off of it "it" was replaced Prozac
as it interfered with my Tamoxifen
a drug for the cancer my oncologist
put me on for seven years interfered
with the Tamoxifen
so,

as i pay close attention to everything
that goes into my mouth
i will tell you this for certain
as i was weaned off Lexapro
the super dark thoughts were
gone

you are on to something

if i remember correctly
i believe there is memory loss in the family
apologies if i'm off mark
if i am correct genes have a say so

don't you give up
if you gut is talking
you pay close attention
and jot things down

i wish you well
never to sway from the
strength we have
we just don't know it yet
it is there
that gut feeling
it is there for a reason
trust in God
trust your instinct
be well
i began using sticky
note pads

sending love to you and family

So happy to See You!
 

Yes I find just the RSD affects my memory. I also find that when my pain is higher (even though I may not recognize it as "more") My short term memory flies out the window:(

:hug:z

Yep, me too. I think now as much as medication it is inflammation, and that definitely causes brain fog/fade for me. If my body or part of it is swollen I guess it affects nerves in the brain too. :confused:

yes
 

I do feel my meds effect my memory...short term memory and finding words or a phrase.

Also if I am in severe pain my speech is impeded...I stutter and must deep breath.

HB

Yes
 

I have noticed it more so now I'm not working and I discussed it only this morning with my husband before reading this post. He says he notices it has become more so with the medication and the increased pain. I guess that is the trade off, memory or pain relief.

hi friend
again hit the head of the nail
it most certainly does
the braind needing to be stimulated
firing electrical charges
to make things happen
like get the words out
from her mouth
and her brain is stuck
it eventually comes out
oh her love of reading
amazes me all the time
as my eldest child
Saraeve suffered her first
epileptic grand maul seizure
my baby ready
to be 33
we did not know she
was epileptic until
grueling turn every stone
moment in time
wondering what happened
on April 30 2003
suffered extreme headaches
dentists eye doctors ENT
her AWESOME neurologist specialty
THE BRAIN and what meds to give
to help her not have any
this sadly is not the case
19 days in NY Presbyterian Hospital
to have had a part of occipital lobe
to have permanent loss of her vision taken
she a walking inspiration
self published Poet a "Master Slammer"
going to Texas to MC the poetry event
out of her debilitating condition
it is only in the last few years
that she is living her bliss
love of reading writing and teaching
as her life came to a complete halt
permanently on a slew of meds
something that had a good percent
of hope mabe two or three
even if half
one of them Lyrica a helpful drug
for her for me her mommy a no no
having suffered horrible side affects
and in the end
and a VNS implant
so if a seizure should come one
she waves a magnet across the VNS
implant under her arm/chest
to reboot the brain
so, no relief of seizures blind in right eye
and as she suffers aura all the time now
a seizure as there are many different kinds
depending where the misfiring is happening

my sharing this very real event
not only put my daughter in a deep depression
attempted to take her life
her turmoil with God the Father
and i so understand
life changed for her on that
April day in 2002

point
any swelling certainly a no no

Memory issues
 

Thank you Eva, that means a lot, i suppose memory loss is in my family to a degree but it was never a huge problem, it was mainly just getting old and what not so no dementia or anything like that tg, it must be an awful thing for families to cope with, God bless them, thanks again hun Sinéad xxxx :)

Hi Pooh, I haven't spoken to you in a while, I'm glad you're still around, how are you getting on? Good to know I'm not the only affected by this memory thingy, it must purely be down to the meds me thinks.... :hug:

Hi Eva,

I'm so sorry to hear of your daughters pain and mental anguish, I can't imagine how difficult it must be for all of you. Is she married, children of her own? God bless you all, I wish you all of you the very best, there is nothing else I can say is there.
Will she get any better than what she is now. What a blow to your family. You suffering from the horrible pain, the cross that God asks us to carry every day and we ask ourselves what did we ever do to deserve this and although I'm not too much older than your daughter, that seems totally unfair.

Best of luck Eva to all of you,

Love & hugs,

Sinéad :) :grouphug:

Same with me HB; especially words...also, speech. At times, can be embarrassing; especially when I am in the middle talking about something and forget what I was talking about.


Gerry

Same here. Rather than retype it all, or link to a post the rest of which is irrelevant...

Doc

Thank You
 

Hi all,

Thank you all so much for the replies to my worrisome memory losses. It certainly has given me some insight that basically it is the meds as I thought all along, I though I was practically losing my mind not to mention that it has been driving my hubby mad... Do you remember last week when we talked about... my reply would most likely be nope haven't a clue what your talking about.... terrible isn't it!

Thank you all again, and Rae, it's good to be back or have the concentration to be back!

Love & hugs,

Sinéad :grouphug: :)

Hi Doc, thank you for posting. This is why I posted this comment about the memory loss because I feel like you, frustrated at trying to find ordinary words that I learned growing up as a child, words that should be second nature to all native English speakers just aren't. Judging by other member comments we all seem to believe that the medication we are taking has a lot to do with it, my own pain doctor even said that to me, Sinéad don't worry about it, you're not going mad, things will get better when you come off some of the meds. Of course that begs the question, when tf will I get off these whor ing meds? Sorry about language but it is how I feel and we Irish aren't always known for watching our p' and q's, in saying that I try my best to always be polite, so I do apologise if you're offended. I feel like I'll always probably need some sort of pain medication (maybe not!) but ones that don't make me feel wordless and ones that allow me to drive so I can return to work with all my faculties in working order.
Thanks again for posting your opinion.
Btw I'm a bit a of a a fan of sci-fi too, probably not like you are but just some of the stuff they show on the sci-fy channel. I like to get lost in it's weirdness but yet some of it in theory could happen, like Star Trek where mobile phones and smaller computers along with a host of other stuff have become a reality.

Stay strong Doc, :grouphug: :)

If only that were true for everyone. In my own case, I only took some of these meds fairly short-term (1-3 months) and almost 10 years ago. While there has been some small, hard-won improvement (with significant effort), my vocabulary and some other issues are still not what they were before. I'm resigned that they may never return even by half, and I may never be the creative person I was.

Is it serendipitous that this showed up today (now yesterday)?

Rat Research Suggests Drug Therapy May Reverse Memory Loss

:ranting: Swell—more meds to counter the side effects of meds. What will the side effects of this drug therapy be, and will it ever end?

If there's anything to it, it's likely 10 years off—at least.

Doc

Two major drug types affect memory majorly.

1) Benzodiazepines, like Valium, Xanax etc will cause memory loss. They are used in anesthesias for dental work, because of their amnesiac effects. That link to the rat study Dr. Smith put up explains the GABA system and how that works. Benzos are commonly given with opiates to enhance effects, so many people use them and also for muscle relaxing effects.

2) Statins for lowering cholesterol, now have a warning on them for affecting memory. So if you use them you might discuss this with your doctor. Statins damage neurons. There are now photos of this effect published this past year.

Any drug that causes mental confusion, sedation, can affect memory too. In the elderly common acid blocking drugs, Zantac and Pepcid, can enter the brain more easily thru the blood brain barrier and cause confusion and in some delirium.

Yep. That "mild" sedative (Umm... I forget what it was... :rolleyes:) they give you for colonoscopies comes to mind—it was a doozy. Fortunately, there were no longterm effects from that one. (But... would I remember if there were? Egad! :eek:)

I don't recall any memory loss from the minimal doses of benzodiazapines I've been given sporadically over the years. But... if I don't remember memory loss, does that mean it didn't happen—or that it did... I'M SO CONFUSED!!! :D:D:D

The ones that [I remember] hit me worst were in the antidepressant & antiseizure groups—all given for chronic pain, and none of them worked for that... as I recall. :Hum: :Ponder:

Though I lament all the deleterious effects they've had on me, I've got to consider it posthumorously*.

Doc

* post·hu·mor·ous

adjective

1. funny after I'm dead.

Hi Sinéad ,

I just had another thought... duh! After surgery it can take up to a year.. or thats what it was.. to get all of the anesthesia out of your system, and those drugs are memory altering, big time! Your surgery was so major and very recent...that I think it just takes time... give yourself that :)
Payers for continued healing in all ways,:hug:

Hana

Medazolam is a drug they often use for minor procedures, it knocks you out and following recovery room for over the next 48 hours you are told not to drive or make any major decisions. I was in hospital in 2001 and given tablet form once as they had used all the drugs available on my allowed list of drugs the Doctor writes up for you and only medazolam was left. My sister who was in hospital with me at the same time (another whole story in itself) came to me and said, say anything you want now because you won't remember after. She is/was a nurse she was in hospital with an aneurism, I was in for a botched hysterectomy and had peritonitis amongst other things.

I'm sorry for your memory loss doc, you are amazing with your writings on here and I enjoy your unique sense of humour. Totally loved the dog posting on another segment. :hug:

thanks
 

Doc and mrsD
all of your input soooooooooooo explains it!!!
I am going to start backing off the Xanax.

Doc ...omgosh you make me laugh/holler and take me right back to being ten in front of a black and white TV....danger/warning run young Will....

I'm screaming/:icecream:...I have to go find your other posts: BeamUp:

HB

Mrs. D,
 

After fusion, while in hospital, was given Valium, along with Percocet. I had, on a different thread, mentioned the unexpected plus of the Valium is it also being used for muscle spasms. For many years had been unable to lay on left side because of muscle pain on left side of neck and shoulder (had cervical joint injections, etc.; nothing helped).

After many years of laying only on right side; developted very painful siatica and bursitis on right side. This was long before fusion/laminectomy. I think this problem eventually resulted in my need for fusion/laminectomy.

Since being on the Valium; tho not completely pain free, the pain has greatly lessened and am able to lay on left side. I only wish I had been given the Valium years ago.

Even tho the Valium may be adding to memory issues; stil feel it is worth the lessened spasm pain.

Since learning much about the affects Statins have on PN, started cutting my Simvastatin in half. I told my doctor I had been doing this for over a year.so he prescribed half the dose I had been taking.

After the posting with you a while back; I decided to try getting off the Simvastatin completely. I had lab work done on Thursday with fasting for cholesterol. (I have lab work done every 5 months because of Thyroid.) I had informed doctor's office of my eliminating the Statin med completely.

We shall see the result when I see him this coming Tuesday. It has been over a month with no Statin medication. I do have very good HDL; but the LDL is not too good. Hopefully, my readings are good enough to remain off Statin medication.

Just a little side note; went off Lisinopril (you had mentioned this med in the same post) at the same time as well. (Do take Spironlactone which has lowered blood pressure so doctor has agreed to omit Lisinopril for now.)

Really appreciate all your input. You have been an "angel".


Gerry

I have noticed with my flare ups that my short term memory is also affected and of course my anxiety levels at the same time.

Proof of the old adage that, "When all you've got is a hammer, every problem [child?] looks like a nail."

Doc

Did you ever happen to catch an HBO comedy series called Dream On (1990-1996)?
My mind works very much like Martin Tupper's (the main character)—a near-constant barrage of sound bites & movie/TV clips. I have no doubts that it comes from being part of the first generation of boomers raised/baby-sat by television. From my perspective the show was hysterical. :p

Doc

thank you for your concern

i shall try to stay on point to answer your question

Saraeve as all my children suffer from one difficult
event in their lives doctor induced addict

Michael second in line
manic depression
bi-polar doctor induced addict

Christine my Christine made me a mimma out of admitted
selfishness just wanted someone to love and love her back
an addict who suffers depression who she is anger issues
i have custody of Eva till mommy gets what it takes to have
a child that depends on her looks for her when she's gone
a natural feeling a child i would hope have
i was there as they opened her up and took her out of mommy

next best thing
my Love child
i did not love her father
to be pregnant at 38 and
not gotten pregnant in my whole
time divorced from my one and only
ex-husband
i was twenty four
three babies
a fourteen year difference
comes Corissa
the best thing that ever happened
to the family
very difficult to tell the kids
teaching morals and values
it was only their opinion that mattered
and not only surprised
as i never entertained
men in my home
and then their joy
she too became ill with fever
at three and a half months
needed to wait till she was
a year old to have one of her two
right kidney surgeries
she is in high school now
trying to find her way
told me just a few days ago
how she really wants to be a nurse



i myself is hanging on my Brother
oh how he was carrying me through
my life
now for a radiologist to have a diagnosis
of osteomyelitis
that means inflammation of the bone
caused by pyogenic (pus) organism

and or metastasis disease
that means transfer of disease from
one organ to another via infected blood
this was found through a routine MRI
with/without contrast

now Saraeve started with a neurologist
who than started the wheels to turn
or the train ride we were about to venture
into uncharted waters

as two other people i know dearly
my kindred friend Eva
her experience a brain bleed
affecting her right side
prior to this
massive headache

a friend Loryn
also a brain bleed
affecting her speech

and then there is my eldest
in the hospital with a very
bad cold pneumonia
6 months old

never sick

until that day

it was to risky to venture further
into removal of the occcipital lobe
to harm other surrounding area
sight would have been lost in both eyes
not a success in surgery

BUT THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN
AT HER PRIME
LIVING HER LOVE OF "WORDS"

she still is on many anti seizure
even with the VNS implant
the "vagus nerve simulator"

my hero in many ways

me in many ways

sending lots of love
girls must be big now

hi Doc
just wanted to say hello
it hurts
how we loose it
and never factoring it
into our lives
at my age
i too am embarrassed
as Gerry
hang in

Hi there
 

Hi Eva,

I can't believe all you've been through, I don't mean this to sound patronising but you poor woman, how have you kept sane or have you, I doubt anyone would be surprised if you suffered from the big D (depression) yourself.

You mentioned you have a brother for support, is there anyone else to help you cope, even with the mental worry. I know the Social system is very different in the US to that here in Ireland and the UK but do they have support systems for people who need it? Is there anything like that you can avail of? Just because your children move out doesn't mean their mother stops worrying, at least that's what my Mam tells me.
I can't remember if you mentioned about your physical pain, typical me, I find it hard to remember anything.

I wish you the best and thankfully this site is so supportive and that's definitely one thing you can be sure of.

Take care and look after yourself, :hug: :)

Sinéad

thank you kindly
and i accept and
understand all as it is
suppose to be
doesn't make it easy
and you know that
some days are not that
bad
when i start my writing
i speak of the our Father
and his son Jesus our Brother
Mother Mary
try to praise God
everyday
i am going to miss my little
squirt (little Eva)
missing just thinking it
my thoughts are with you
also
one moment in time
as you do it also
and the children come first
in everything you do
as my granddaughter
is involved in everything
together

sending hugs and hearts
don't know how to do that

I Uh......
 

:Scratch-Head:forgot to post here.... :Scratch-Head:

Oh me, oh my,

and

here I am to let all know I have been prayin for ya, and sending :circlelove:

:grouphug:

You're not alone. I've noticed short term memory loss also, maybe partly due to medication, and partly to pain. I went and watched a movie with my wife and a week later she brought it up to her friend. I boldly said, I'd never watch that movie, and my wife said, you were with me when we watched it. Ouch. I had surgery last December to have a SCS inserted with a laminectomy and I've noticed my short term memory is worse since the surgery. My wife was in recovery and she said the oxygen sat alarm kept going off. I don't remember this at all, but later I asked what it was set to. She said 80%. Hum, that's kind of low, the nurses too their time to check me out, my wife would shake me and say breath. Don't know if that had anything to do with it, but I know my short term memory isn't what it use to be at all.

I don't know either (or if I did, I forgot :rolleyes:). I have some memory problems which I believe are from medications—antidepressants and gabapentin in particular during a period the doctors were using me as a guinea pig. Most memory issues with me are related to vocabulary & grammar.

I've also begun to notice what's commonly called "senior moments". They don't bother me so much as long as everyone else around me who is my age has more of them than I do. :rolleyes:

Doc

OK, now I've gone & done it. I responded to this thread again, because I FORGOT that I had responded (and then some) to it previously. :Doh:

Doc

Wow I had so much to say and lost it
Talk about loosing it and not get it back
Now in short
Me too
Medicine related
Cannot take anything for nerve pain
Last was Lyrica was not so good for me
My daughter on it for seizures
And a hello to Doc Smith
First time seeing it here brought back
good memories watching that show
Thanks for the memory

Hi Kewlgrandpa,

Thank you for your post, I definitely think it's because of the meds, no doubt, I never had it before I started taking my meds, it's very annoying not being able to remember a conversation or what the Dr said and what not. I now always bring my hubby with me when I need to make an important decision or so etching, I'm amazed at what I forget.

Again thanks for your post, I hope the SCS does its job for you and gives you some relief.

All the best,
Sinéad :)

Hi Sinéad,

That's not unusual without the effects of medication and/or middle age.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post827727-15.html

Doc