Memory Loss--when does it start?

[quote] Memory Loss--when does it start?

I forget.

OP Oldtimers disease.

Mine started around the time I forgot that I gifted a Rolls Royce to someone named Aaron Carter.

OP, same thing started to happen for me at about the same age. I've always assumed that it happened for everyone as part of the aging process. Either that or it's true what they say about marijuana causing short-term memory loss.

I’m around your age and dealing with the same stuff. I usually write it off to stress or being saturated with dumb crap at work.

R4 and R5, thanks, sounds like I'm within the norm. My grandmother advised me to not grow old, I can see how scary it can be. She is in a nursing home now, but surrounded by plenty of family nearby. Don't know what the hell is going to happen to me--not partnered and no kids/nieces/nephews.

i forget...

I wish I could forget the knee pain I recently started to experience. Came completely out of nowhere and I now need to use a cane.

Getting old sucks!

It's either booze, sleep apnea, or Alzheimers! Either way, you're doomed!!!!

R7, did you forget your post at R1?

Now they try to blame it on virus or bacteria, but I'd rather say it's TAP WATER.

[quote]What if dormant microbes trigger the onset of Alzheimer's? It's a theory that could have profound implications for prevention of the disease, writes David Robson.

r10 I forgot.

Do you take any benzodiazepines (ativan, xanax, etc) for anxiety? Because they cause memory issues.

It starts in your early 50s. Make lots of lists. If you start forgetting familiar faces or directions to a familiar place, it's Alzeimers.

I blame accumulative stress. Sometimes I can't get the words out and frustratingly, I envision the Jody Foster film character, Nell.

"Chick vay ants would come".

R13, no ongoing medications. For a few years, I took pills for acid reflux but even then it was for a few months and then I would stop.

OP, are you a man or a woman. Menopause can seriously affect your memory - though sometimes for specific things like nouns or names. It is usually temporary for just a period of time but it can linger.

Sometimes forgetfulness can be chalked up to just a matter of distraction or retention. That is we were preoccupied with something else so we forget something, or the matter wasn’t that important to remember.

Looking back, my mom's Alzheimers started in her mid 50's. She was a serious business woman. Very organized. And she started to become scatterbrained. I was in high school and I would call her because I needed her to come pick me up at school, and she wouldn't show up.

There were post-it notes all over the house reminding her of things. I just thought, "Oh wow, now that Post-it notes have been invented, my mom really loves them!" Her Alzheimer's was in the very early stages. Her mind was completely gone by the time she was 80 and she died at 87.

So, it was a slow decline that we didn't see because it was happening so slowly. Hindsight is 2020. But if you don't have anyone in your life to notice the decline, by the time its too late, you won't care what happens to your stuff!

By the way, OP, since we're on the topic.... Can I have your stuff?

I can remember prior to age 25 just fine (I'm 42). 25 is when I started drinking and experiencing pretty serious depression. I came out of it around 33. Perhaps mercifully, I remember very little about those eight years in another world. At best, I recall it as one very long bad day. I was a pothead for the past nine years and I just quit that, but I can remember 2012-21 just fine. I spent most of that on Datalounge, anyhow.

Lay off the weed.

This is not normal at all. Even on Benzos or too much alcohol. Memory does not fail that early in a healthy brain. See your doctor and INSIST to be referred to a neurologist OP. Your concussions make it all very suspect. No matter the age that dementia or Alzheimer's happens, there is only a small window where the patient is fully aware of what's happening and can describe it in detail. Good luck to you.

OP, I'm 41 and these same memory issues began for me over quarantine. My mum tells me all the time that I need to exercise my brain more. All that to say, I was having a phone conversation with my cousin about a week ago and she mentioned someone I went to high school with. I had to think really hard about who it was, and I felt embarrassed. I've always struggled with names, but once I saw the girl's face I remembered her.

I think i had coronavirus around thanksgiving of 2019. Lost my taste and smell for more than a month. I thought it was tongue cancer. My brain hasn't been the same since then.

Same, OP, but I am a daily marijuana smoker and I'm 40. Better start breaking out those Sudoku puzzles now and keep the mind sharp. Weed keeps me sane.

I can remember and visualize everything about a person—except their name. If I had a multiple choice list with their name I could pick it out easily, but I need the prompting.

58 here (though I look 35 - EVERYONE says so), I notice I don't learn words to new songs anymore, whereas i know the words to a billion old songs.

I was an actor in my youth. I've considered going back and doing bits and pieces - but my memory is shot. Lots of old actors seem to cope.

OP it probably happened during lock down. If you don’t practice talking, conjugating, recalling etc.. you will lose it. We don’t have to recall stuff in isolation. We don’t need to say names out loud or practice talking and thinking in the same way.

It should go back once you get back to a routine.

Fewer details, but I’m able to detect larger patterns much easier

Our brains just fill up and we start deleting certain shit. Check out the book 'The Secret life of the Grown Up Brain" by Barbara Strauch. It's really interesting. We tend to value the memory skills of youth because, as a society, we value everything associated with you. But, R29 is right, there are different gifts that the mature brain becomes better at that we just don't recognize or value as a whole.

And, in case it needs to be pointed out, R22 has no idea what he's talking about.

Like a sieve.

Started in mid to late 40s for me, nothing too major but definitely noticeable. I started keeping a diary and it's helped. I also use a lot of reminders and make a lot of lists.

I forgot to lock my car several times this past year. That unsettled me.

I've noticed the same thing, and I'm in my mid-40s. However, I didn't notice it until a few months into lockdown. Sometimes I'll forget what I'm doing. Like, I'll make a mental note to look up something, and then moments later, I'll remember what I was going to look up something and forget what it was. I started taking Gingko Biloba recently and it seems to have helped. It happens much less now.

Also, if you're obese, which has been shown to adversely affect brain function, there was a recent study showing that people taking beta-hydroxybutyrate supplements had improved brain function. Might be something to consider if you're a real tub.

OP there is no standard age at which time our mental abilities start to decline.

I'm cursed with amost total recall. If I concentrate, the information from whatever I'm concentrating on goes into my memory banks . . . and NEVER leaves. Takes me anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes to access whatever I want to remember, but it's ALL there. The stuff I can't remember is either because I didn't concentrate or I can't be bothered wandering around my memory banks searching for the information.

The only geezer glitch I noticed was when I turned 60. I'd realize that I wanted something from another room, get up, go into that room, stand there, look around, look around some more. And then realize I hadn't a fucking clue in hell what I was doing standing in that room, mutter to myself "Could someone please tell me what the fuck I'm doing standing here???". Go back, sit down. Then remember what I wanted from the other room, get up, go into the other room. . . and go through the whole what the fuck am I doing here? geezer glitch again. By the third time, I actually remember what I wanted when I get to the room.

R36, speaking the name of the item out loud before you get up to go get it may help. I think it helps me, when I remember to do it.

R37 Went one better. Wrote down what I wanted, looked at it. Got up, went into the other room . . . and went through the whole geezer glitch anyway. Came back, sat down, looked at what I wrote and thought "What the fuck did I want THAT for"?

The late Professor Ollie Sacks opined that something about moving into another space causes your memory receptors to short-circuit, creating temp memory cornfuzzlement. I can't quite remember.

Stay calm and keep reading. Just keep reading as often and as actively as possible. DL is an excellent example. Also keeps oldies more current.

We already told you three times, OP.

"They" say that crossword puzzles help. I can see why hard ones might, like the NY Times Sun. versions. Prolonged concentration and some mental gymnastics, kind of like flexing muscles over and over for a period of time.

I read once, re memory, that our brain is like a filing cabinet. Pull open a drawer as age 5, and there are only a few papers to look through. Pull open a drawer at age 45, it's jam-packed with papers. That is why recall takes longer as you age. It is also why your brain selectively puts certain papers on 'sleep' mode, as you do not access that info frequently enough to require instant recall.

I've been writing and it's amazing how much I've forgotten that I've had to ask friends to fill me in.

I'm 28, and while my memory is fine (if not above average), and I can remember names, phone numbers, and minute details about everything - one thing i've noticed just over the last year is that when I DO lose my train of thought, it's gone and I can't get it back. I used to always be able to think a bit further back and figure it out, but nowadays it's like there is a block. My brain seems to KNOW it won't get the train of thought back and just give up, too. It's like I don't even know where to begin searching for that thread of thought to continue what I was saying.

I remember nothing from the past except my humiliations.

R41, my understanding is that “they” don’t think crossword puzzles, however difficult, are of any benefit for retaining long term memory.

I have problems remembering where I park, so I always make a point to say aloud where I am before I leave the car. I know it looks weird to talk to yourself, but doing so helps me remember things. Reading aloud helps me absorb the material better, too. I love being alone in the house so I can babble like a madman.

I’m in my early 40s and I’m definitely not as sharp as I was 20 years ago. I know more but accessing it takes longer.

OP: With a history of concussions, memory loss isn’t surprising. I assume you also have been a habitual drinker over the years. Any recreational drug use, too? These things add up.

Early-onset of Alzheimer's is so sad.

Soon you won't care about those "little" memory glitches, OP. Or the incontinence and raving screams.

52 here. My mom has dementia, has likely had it in her 50’s and I find it terrifying. I forgot the name of the complex we lived in two apartments ago in casual conversation with a client and had to stop. It was frightening. I agree with posters about playing memory games- I try to remember all the people I worked with decades ago, old apartments I lived at, and names of kids I went to school with. I used to have a sharp memory.

Suddenly I wish I’d never partook of Diet Coke or meth.

It's a normal part of aging, but depression can also cause memory problems. I went through a period of not being able to remember details, but once I got my depression meds adjusted, I just went back to occasionally forgetting a name.

I don't think OP has yet stated their sex. There are differences between men and women. Especially during perimenopause and menopause.

Menopause fucks up your memory in peculiar ways and often different for individuals. Those issues often resolve themselves post menopause.

I think that some video games, even some like Candy Crush type games especially higher levels where you have to think ahead several moves and figure out different problems on one field can help.

Some people are just forgetful. My mom was always like this and she's nearing 70 and concerned that she's losing it, but I see absolutely no change from how she always was. She was the type to watch a movie on a Friday and forget she'd seen it by Sunday.

In addition to everything mentioned thus far … there’s the Internet bombing us constantly with new bits of information, coupled with the ability it gives us to look up any fact at any time, and therefore not memorize any facts.

I found the solution in eating Albert Einstein and taking on the appearance of a jellyfish while Mayim Bailik forces me to breastfeed in the family bed.

She’s a neuroscientist doncha know?

Do any of those supplements like Neuriva or Prevagen work? Or just a waste of money?

Wow. I was going to do a thread just like this.

I think over the last 10 years our brains have been flooded with exponentially more data than ever before. It's not memory loss that you're experiencing, it's just memory pruning.

And please don't take any references to "prunes" the wrong way.

Talked to my doc and therapist about this and they both said that my brain is essentially getting rid of stuff I don't need. It happened a lot during the end of lockdown. Apparently, if you do the same thing every day your brain becomes accustomed to not needing to know anything else. The therapist's suggestion was to do things to stimulate it. It sort of makes sense. Why would I need to know the name of my college roommate, third year? I can see why my brain would have trouble recalling that especially since I've consumed so much more information since then and that is stuff I actually need. I know my closest family member's birthdays and I've forgotten the birthdays of their children.

Sorry, I haven't responded, I forgot about this thread. Kidding, I kid...

I'm a woman not menopausal. Probably perimenopausal, body and health is definitely changing. Just got my annual bloodwork results and most everything is still within the normal range. But for the first time ever, my cholesterol levels are at the border level. I've always been a little proud that they were always excellent. Getting old beats the alternative but it still sucks.

A post mentioned college roommates' names. I only lived with roommates for a year and I liked with one of them and the other I didn't interacted with. I didn't keep in touch with either of them after that year. Well, yelp, I don't remember either of their names. Can see them and that apartment clearly, but I can't remember their names.

[quote] Examples being unable to recall full names for people in my past or famous people. For example I was posting about the NFL--about a coach who is still in the league.

OP, sounds like the things you're now forgetting are relatively unimportant things (names of famous people, football coach, etc.). I am starting to think that the brain does let go of certain things that just aren't important anymore.

It would be a lot worse if you were forgetting the names of people you interact with regularly, missing (forgetting about) appointments, etc.

If you're really worried and if you have relatives with Alzheimer's / dementia, consult with a doctor.

R64, sounds sensible. I'm hoping you're right--I'm letting go of the trivial. Yes, no problems yet with family and friends' names. My grandmother is 93 and she's showing signs of forgetfulness but that's not too shabby. I hope I inherited her genes because she was still active and sharp up until her late 80's.

Fuck sakes, I keep forgetting to sign my posts, R63 and R65.

Reliance on smart phones

Perhaps the gayest thing I’ve ever written, but within the last year I’ve had trouble quickly remembering some names and titles from Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Not big names like Greta Garbo or anything, but I’ll be thinking, “That blonde strumpet who was kind of cross eyed, she started in vaudeville…? Her name was… er….um…”

It will come to me later in the day, but it’s not all as accessible as it was when I grew up LOVING to read about old movies.

Mines gotten worse the last year or so. I can’t remember more appropriate words to describe things. And spelling. I’m fighting it.

My memory has always been like this. Even as a kid I would want into a room and forget why I went in there. My childhood doctor said it was part of my ADD. If the brain is a filing cabinet, mine has a lot more drawers than normal and it’s hard to figure out which one to open to find the right info.

Let us know when you find your sneakers in the freezer, OP.

I hate when you're talking to someone and you're trying to remember something and it's not coming to you. And they just gape at you all bored and don't help you at all.

I'm just the opposite. I treat it like a puzzle, and try to figure it out together ("Do you remember any part of the title?").

My mom will say, "What is that actress I like?".

Check your iron and ferritin levels, OP. Low iron effects memory.

Do women have as many concussions?

Make sure you're hydrated. It sounds silly but a lot of people are chronically dehydrated and it can have a quick fix just be being smart about getting enough liquids.

I am the opposite R62. I remember everything from my youth - friends, associates, teachers, addresses, phone numbers, lyrics, but can't remember what happened last week. Also, I do the go into the next room and forget why - often. I considered Prevagen, but afraid of the side effects and mixed reviews. I may take some ginkgo though (and lay off the excess wine).

What was the question?

In the vein of "use it or lose it", I've noticed my ability to analyze, memorize, and organize has diminished remarkably since retiring from a high pressure job two years ago.

Bloody useless, old, senile slob!

[quote] In the vein of "use it or lose it", I've noticed my ability to analyze, memorize, and organize has diminished remarkably since retiring from a high pressure job two years ago.

You may be wrongly attributing cause and effect. It's possible that your high-pressure job caused memory loss.

Sounds silly now. But I had a stressful semester of college. I had a metal locker at school with a combination lock. I had been using that combination lock every day, maybe a few times per day (memorized the combination). Went out on Christmas break. Came back to my locker and, for the life of me, could not remember my padlock combination. Had to get a set of large clippers and cut the lock off.

My memory is OK now.

So, fear not, your memory may be intact.

[quote]R74 Do women have as many concussions?

Depends on the husband.

My mother just recently died from dementia, which, btw is different from Alzheimer’s. I found out dementia starts this way and is 15to 20 years long, progressing slowly and advances in the last few years. I am not saying that is it many get forgetful as they grow older and 40 is by no means old. Could be stress, just what they call At all. But a doctor can diagnose it without invasive procedures, ct scan, mri, X-ray that sort of thing and it might be nothing which would greatly put your mind at ease. They do also have meds for dementia to slow it down. But if you own a home you might consider getting your will in order just to prevent family from going through probate.

Sorry was editing my comment and cut off the end of the sentence, ‘it’s what they call age related changes’ when the radiologist dictates his findings of say a ct scan of the brain. Does not mean dementia.

To be specific, it's not memory as such, it's recall that becomes hard. You really do know the name of the person or place, you just can't pull it out of your brain. Until a few hours later when it suddenly comes to you.

To be specific, it all depends on the specific cause of the memory lapse (I am may call it such) or loss. Because memory IS lost, and often. Suggesting that the memory is "there" when it actually is un-recallable is nonsense.

[quote]R73: Low iron effects memory.

Oh, dear.

R85 Remember -- if you possibly can -- that we are talking in this thread about the kind of problems that start to be common in the late 40s and 50s, when the memory itself almost always is intact. True dementia is another story. And another thread.

R51, does meth cause memory loss?