memory loss

Has anyone that is on the backside of menopause experienced memory loss? I am 49 and menopause (I think) is just about over. I knew I had lost memory (short-term)but was attributing it to high stress because of bad marriage/divorce.

Last week I got an e-mail from someone I dated as a freshman in high school, he asked me if I remembered certain things from high schol--I don't remember any of them--even after he filled in details! I am really starting to worry about this.

This morning I was re-reading some old journal entries, some things I don't remember at all, some things I remembered once I read them.

I was told that memory loss, even not being able to remember your phone numbers some days was part of menopause so I dismissed it all as a part of the process and trusted that it would come back. I am now past the oh-my-God-I-can't-remember-my phone-number days but long term memory is clearly not back yet.

Does anyone have any info on this? Will it return? Anybody else experienced this?

Starting over,

I've struggled with long-term memory loss but I'm not sure I can attribute it to menopause. I had a mild stroke 10 years ago but recovered from it EXCEPT during stress. But, in the intervening years, there are many things I don't remember. I've told my husband he could give me the same birthday card each year and I wouldn't know the difference. I buy DVDs of the same movie ... not remembering that I've seen OR bought it. There are few books I remember reading although I can usually remember a few of my favorite ones. I'm even having to refresh my memory on the book I've written as it relates to certain characters. Not sure if this will help except to tell you, you aren't alone.

Blessings, Francine

I'm having trouble with remembering where I've put things, so I will remember where they are.
Isn't that just a bummer!
I put away a great pair of boots, and now I can't find them. I honestly think I gave them to someone and don't remember doing it.
It is really beginning to bug me, but what is a person to do?
Lynne

Last night was Girl's Night Out. Five of us gathered at a friend's for a few hours. After about an hour, right in the middle of a conversation, one gal screeched a person's name. Everyone looked at her, then realized that was the name of the person we couldn't recall from an hour prior in another conversation.

We laughed hysterically and commented on how that's happening more and more all the time.

Lynne, those boots were made for walking, and that's just what they did...

SO, I too was a victim of "now why did I come in this room" syndrom until I started eating better, taking vitamins, and letting things go. By that I mean not getting stressed out over everything that came along. I use to do that. Now, most of the time I think, "what the worst that can happen?" Usually it's not so bad, or has already happen. So when I started living by the mantra "this too shall pass," everything, including my memory, improved. Hope this helps! Now what was the question?

JJ

The silver lining in this memory loss thing for me is that it gives me lots of unexpected exercise, like getting all the way upstairs, forgetting what I went up there for, getting all the way down to the basement (2 flights of stairs) and remembering, then going all the way back up the stairs, because I need the thing I went up there for in order to finish what I'm doing in the basement.

Then I get down to the basement, forget what I'm working on, go back up to the main floor and watch TV until I remember.

Whew. No wonder my stretch jeans don't fit me anymore.

Walked into Renatas Restaurant Tuesday night and sat down wondering where my Writers group was, could the meeing have been cancelled, NO! Could they have moved the meeting place and not told me, NO! Waere all my clocks fast or slow, NO! So what on earth was going on? I waited one half hour and never saw one familiar face so I called our President and asked, "hey where is everybody?" She listened to my tail and began laughing hysterically and then said, "Char its Tuesday night, and we meet on Monday remember?"
I not only spaced out the Monday meeting but thought Tuesday was Monday, daaahhhh!!! Nothing wrong with my memory, oh sure!!!

I hope you at least ordered some food!

Oh Chatty what a riot...thanks for telling us that story...now if that had been me I'd be looking around for the Candid Camera crew....you are too funny...

There you go again Chatty.......I'm rolling on the floor laughing, and trying to type at the same time.
What a hoot!!!
Did you order any food?
Lynne

Dam right, I was there already and everyone was smiling at me and wondering I'm sure what the heck I was doing. So I nonshalantely motioned to the waitress and placed an order. Luckily I had a book along, so I read and ate a bit and then went home feeling like some old fart who was going round the bend.....oh and the tuna melt was delish....I think it was tuna?

Gee...I really wanted to post something about memory loss...but now I can't remember what I wanted to say!!

LOL!!!!

Chatty, you are adorable!

Thank you ma'am....forgetful but adorable, I can deal with that.

Hello, Starting Over.

I read your email inquiry a little more seriously than some of the other posts. While stress, broken marriages, worry and other emotional factors can drastically affect memory, there can also be biological causes, including thyroid and nutritional imbalances. While we all certainly experience those "where did I put my keys" moments, if you're truly worried about the situation (and it seems you are) you may want to talk it over with your physician to make sure your health is good.

Sometimes I feel long term memory is very subjective ...each person at a given event may remember it entirely differently from everyone else. One of my best friends and I remember a concert we went to over 25 years ago. We each remember it exactly the same, except she's sure I initiated the date, and I'm positive she did. Obviously there's no way to resolve it, and it doesn't need to be. We just laugh and are happy we have that long history as friends.

Startingover,
Having been through a few stressful times myself, I would say give yourself a break. You certanily have enough stress to cause memory loss and lots of other stress related problems. Hopefully at some time perhaps your memory of this stressful time will fade as well. God is gracious that way.

When I am under stress, I am prone to skip meals and forget that I need to maintain my physical system in order to deal with the emotional and intellectual stressors.

You might want to consider eating several small meals every day, and especially on the worst days to level out your blood sugar. Stress can wreak havoc on your metabolism and low blood sugar can impact not only your memory, but your cognitive and emotional functioning.

Taking extra B vitamins during this stressful time is probably a good idea also. Almost any health food store would be able to recommend a good supplement.

I hope you find time to take care of your self with a little pampering amid all this chaos. You deserve it. And don't worry about forgetting things. You will probably regain any losses when the chaos of life settles down.

Remember we'll be praying for you.

smile

MaryE and Smile, how true! When I got divorced the first time, I would be in the middle of a sentence and forget what I was saying. Stress is a huge factor, especially the kind of stress you get while going through a major life change.

My childhood was rather disfunctional and I don't remember much of it because I don't want to. My sisters and I recall different memories when we get together. I believe long term memory loss is not that serious.

I have friends who find loss of memory quite amusing, but I don't and that's why I am taking bio-identical hormones to replace what is missing in my system.

I agree with Smile and MaryE that your memory loss is probably temporary, caused by the stress in your life.

Daisygirl

Small meals and lots of fluids. Also, don't forget exercise!

Dotsie you are so right because nothing clears my head like a nice brisk walk especially in the warm summer rain...works every time. Now if I can just remember to do it...LOL

[ February 16, 2006, 07:19 PM: Message edited by: chatty lady ]

Oh, stress is such a factor in memory loss. I found during our recent move and worrying about the animals during our trip, that I was a basket case memory wise. Luckily, my husband was driving or I might have ended up in Alaska!

chatty, tape a note to your forehead. That's what I do.

Dianne, are you sure you didn't?

I saw 13 below for Minnesota on last night weather report, Brrrrrrrr!!!! Sounds like Alaska to me.

Dotsie that sounds good unless you never look in a mirror....Or remembere that saying; I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached, well?

chatty, you're too funny.

This is not my first time at the board but i registered to give my first post, because I found chatty to be hillarious!

Thank you for the pick me up guys!

welcome angelng. I hope you'll go to the Welcome forum and introduce yourself. Looking forward to getting to know you.

Dotsie maybe angelng would like to be my PR person, I seem to need one lately....anyway thanks to her for joining our wonderful family, all the way from Australia too.

[ February 22, 2006, 10:38 PM: Message edited by: chatty lady ]

Loved reading these posts, ladies. A bit of humor, a bit of wisdom, a bit of good old-fashioned advice. All offered with helping another gal in mind.

Well from my own experience, stress or even merely having a good deal on one's mind, can lead to that 'oh, oh...what am I looking for again?' feeling. And yes, during menopause I found it wise to jot down what I wanted to pick up, at the store, or what I needed to make certain I accomplished the next day. My Mom used to do the same thing. My daughters, both in their early thirties also make the lists.

I had the same experiences in my youth, but never weighed them with too much importance. I think as we mature, and we experience some hitch with the memory, we are apt to panic a bit, fearing it may be more serious, may have to do with our aging, and we may be gripped with the fear of this state becoming the norm. Not to say we need not be aware of very real, or serious experiences, for instance, forgetting where we live. An experience such as this and it's off to the doctor, for sure! But for most of us, the temporary memory lapses are not serious, and we need not allow them to affect our well-being.

Funny thing about memory...we each tend to remember past experiences as they related strictly to us. Another person's memory of something that happened years ago, that may have involved us, may not register with us at all, simply because for us, it didn't warrant our particular remembrance effort. Then again, we may also have what my husband has, as to memory; selective only.

Okay it's back to catching up with everything on the Forum. For the last couple of weeks some nasty virus has had me in its clutches, and today is the first day I've felt like myself again. I so long for warm weather, clear skies, Spring! Will it never arrive!

http://www.intouchwithjeannine.com

Jeannine, I am also waiting for spring and we haven't even had a bad winter. Maybe another month around here.

List making is how I get by in life. You will find them in the car, office, kitchen, posted to the back door, anywhere They need to smack me in the face.

I also set timers as reminders. If I need to be somewhere in an hour and I'm afraid I'll forget, I set the timer. I have one in my office and one in the kitchen. My office timer is portable. I've been known to take it outside with me in the garden so I don't get distracted and forget to be somewhere on time.

Sometimes the timer goes off and I say, "now what did I set that for?"

Spring is just around the corner ladies, my daffodils are open!
My husband laughs at me for making lists. I try to write everything down. It just seems that if I write it down, I will remember it, usually without even looking at the list!