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mjlb

acute forgetfulness

mjlb
11 years ago

Someone near and dear (but far and dear geographically) has acute forgetfulness. By that I mean that she forgets what you told her today, but she remembers what you told her last month, for example. I thought that someone suffering from Alzheimer's, for example, might remember ten years ago, but not last month. Also, I thought typically there are personality changes assoc'd w Alzheimer's, which does not apply to my loved one.

She converses coherently about current events, speaks multiple languages, and has excellent hearing, so in many ways, her acute forgetfulness is a mystery. But it is a major change for her, and definitely not run-of-the-mill inattentiveness, or ordinary absentmindedness.

I tried googling, but I need help in focusing my research. If anyone has any insight, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you.

Comments (16)

  • User
    11 years ago

    Yes, Alzheimer's does or can cause changes in personality but it's different for each person and since you are far away I wouldn't rule it out unless she's seen a doctor and received confirmation.

    Depending on her age, she could just be experiencing early stages of dementia. Or, it could be something as simple as a vitamin deficiency or the side effect of a long term medication she's taking. The internet has become so inaccurate in it's information though rather than trying to figure it out, I would just have a gentle talk with her and really encourage her to seek medical attention so she can catch whatever is happening in the early stages. You never know, maybe there is a simple fix.

  • suero
    11 years ago

    Has she started new medication? Sometimes that can cause memory changes.

  • mjlb
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    She is far away, but the forgetfulness was noted while I was visiting in person. At the insistence of her relatives, she is seeing a doctor in a couple of weeks. She also recently stopped taking her statin drug because she thought it might be interfering with her memory.

  • Oakley
    11 years ago

    Dementia is what I'm guessing. A person doesn't have to have Alzheimers to have dementia, but they're in the same family.

    My mom has it. Her's began by forgetting recent things, but her long term memory was fine. Before she was diagnosed I was on the phone with her, and I noticed she kept telling me the same story every time we talked. I just blew it off.

    When a particular and very personal topic came up and she asked me a question about it, I couldn't believe she'd forgotten! Kind of like "When is Christmas?" lol

    My brother took her to the doctor and sure enough she was in the beginning stages of dementia. It got progressively worse within the year.

    Within a year she couldn't remember if she'd eaten breakfast and tell people she did NOT eat breakfast when she did. Ditto with taking her meds.

    That was about 7 years ago, and when I talk to her she's as clear as can be, but tends to ask the same question many times in one conversation.

    She never did get Alzheimers though. She knows exactly who she is and who everyone else is too. But she has to be watched closely.

  • hhireno
    11 years ago

    There are many types of dementia, so focusing on just Alzheimer's might not be the best route to understanding what's going on with her. The good news is she'll be seen by a medical professional. They should be able to get to the bottom of this and get her on the correct path for her issue. You just might have to wait until after her review and a diagnosis is made or you might be researching the wrong thing.

    I don't know if stopping the statin drugs, without medical oversight, is a good idea. Many people do complain about mental lethargy while on it but there's a reason it was prescribed and just stopping might be harmful.

    Geez, it's a scary thing to witness this type of problem, especially if you're not closer and able to monitor the situation. I wish you and her the best possible outcome.

  • tinam61
    11 years ago

    I agree with hh - alzeimer's is just one form of dementia. My grandmother has it - the beginning stages. Thankfully, once she started medication, she has not progressed. She has always known us and knows most everyone around her. If she's not seen someone in some time, she may not remember who they are until told. Appetite, particularly thinking she is hungry, not realizing she has eaten, etc. are typical with Alzheimers. Paranoia can be a symptom. There are many symptoms a person may or may not have with Alzheimers. She should see a physician or someone who deals with geriatrics. Here we have a program called GAP (geriatric assessment program) that can help in diagnosing Alzheimers and other forms of dementia. My grandmother also got to where she was seeing things at night - thought people were going to break into the house, etc. Things became distorted (she was seeing my parents landscaping lights). She became very insecure about leaving her home and is much the same way about the assisted living facility where she is now. But that's fine. She's content there in her villa, with the workers, other tenants, etc. She can tell you about years ago when her mother would put a quilt on the ground for her and her sister, while she worked in the yard. She's 95 years old.

    Anyway, hopefully her doctor will figure this out. Low levels of potassium, sodium and others can cause symptoms that seem "mental". My grandfather thought he saw Winnie the Pooh in his hospital room. We were sure it was pain medication (he was recovering from surgery), but his potassium level had dropped very low. After an IV, he was his old self. Programs like GAP are helpful because they review medications, lifestyle, the whole picture. These are medical professionals, but sometimes give a clearer view than just one doctor. They also do testing to determine if there is dementia, etc.

    Hope you find something out soon!

    tina

  • mjlb
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thank you all. I know I can't diagnose, but I keep looking for the least onerous of possible causes. While unlikely, a diagnosis of a vitamin B-12 deficiency, or dehydration would be welcome.

  • User
    11 years ago

    So glad to hear she's going to see a doctor. My step father and his father both had Alzheimer's and it's just horrible. I agree, stopping meds like that is probably not ideal. I hope the doctors are able to help her. She's lucky to have such a loving friend/family member

  • golddust
    11 years ago

    My MIL has 'Sundowners'. She tends to forget things told to her in the evenings so anything I want her to remember is discussed in the mornings. I'm wondering if you tend to call her in the evenings? If so, try to call her in the mornings to see if that helps... Just a thought.

  • jennifer_in_kansas
    11 years ago

    I remember seeing a PSA commercial a few years ago about Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, NPH, being routinely misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's. I don't know anything about it other than it has a couple of pretty specific symptoms.

    Jennifer

  • jennifer_in_kansas
    11 years ago

    I meant to add that the three main symptoms of NPH are dementia, shuffling feet/gait issues and urinary incontinence.

    Jennifer

  • 3katz4me
    11 years ago

    My MIL had what I guess is considered vascular dementia. After a series of TIAs (mini-strokes) she had significant short term memory loss. Her long term memory was fine.

  • natesgram
    11 years ago

    Another one that causes short term memory loss is called pseudodementia. I know some of the causes are depression or extreme stress. Glad to hear that she will see a doctor and hopefully get the correct diagnosis.

  • gsciencechick
    11 years ago

    I was also going to chime in depression or stress, or even hypothyroid.

  • lee676
    11 years ago

    If psychological in nature - dissociation?

  • justgotabme
    11 years ago

    I too have been terribly forget over the past few years. At times it seemed the only thing I could remember for sure is that I couldn't remember things. It took me years to remember to ask my doctor about it. When I finally did, and she's one that says "I don't think *whatever* is the problem, let's make sure it's not". In the 24 years I've seen her she's never shrugged anything off.

    When I asked her about my forgetfulness she asked what type of things I forgot. When I told her...things others say, my shopping needs, what I went downstairs for and even things that happened in my own life that my older cousin and older sister remember in detail. Things that I was plenty old enough to remember, but don't. She asked a few more questions and said there was no need to worry, adding that if I was forgetting how to tie my shoes and other normal every day activities then she'd be worried. My memory loss was more do to too many things going on it my life and not taking the time to put them in my long term memory. When you get older and busier you sometimes need to consciously "store" things you need to remember later. In other words don't just rush through life. Our brains, as other parts of our body, do slow down with age and need a bit more attention to stay healthy.

    That being said it's always good to get a person's own doctors opinion since she/he'll know their patients history and medications. Calling their pharmacist can tell them if a prescription medication they are may be causing memory loss.