Concerned about my memory/could it be dementia

[Hutchinson]

Very worried

I am still worried, infact i am probably more worried, yesterday at one point during the day i thought it was friday and then later on in the evening i thought it was tuesday and it was sunday!

I am still worried about the fact that the other day i forgot my partner's dad's name, he died a few months ago however i never called him by his name like i said above and i hardly saw him so would forgetting his name be a normal thing as i have never forgotten someone's name before!

I just seem to be all over the place, do people in the early stages of dementia not realise that they have a problem and it is first noticed by other's? my partner seems to think i seem ok, i am really aware of my problems and notice almost every memory lapse that i have.

My partner has done the MMSE test on me again and i scored 30 again.

I have made an appointment to see a GP but i have to wait 10 days to see them.

I'm still fairly young, i sincerely hope i have nothing serious wrong with me, especially if i have more chance of winning the lottery than developing dementia at my age, it's not unheard of though is it?

 

[annesharlie]

Hutchinson

I am pleased that you've finally secured an appointment with a doctor. I don't know if you've really done yourself any favours doing the MMSE a few times in recent weeks, you now know it off by heart so there's something called the "practise effect" - of course you'll score full marks in it if the doctor decides to go with it. Maybe you better admit that you are familiar with that test and you've done it a couple of time in recent weeks - perhaps there are other cognitive tests that he can draw on. Hope it goes well for you, it's better to know for sure than all this uncertainty and anxiety over what may be happening.

 

[Lucille]

Hello Hutchinson

Your problem sounds uncannily like two people who were posting on here last year and early this year. I've added the link below. Perhaps it's worth sending one of them (or both) a PM to see how their worries were resolved?

Worried Young Guy
http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/TalkingPoint/discuss/showthread.php?t=3998

Worried Young Man
http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/TalkingPoint/discuss/showthread.php?t=5836

 

[Big phil]

memory

Wow // so much info ... maybe this can help. My wife developed dementia premeturely some years ago.

Recently i have had some problems and yes I was worried having watched her deterioration...

turns out I have OSA... Obsturctive sleep apnoea.. which can create memory problems, but is treatable..

So don't look for the worst .. go see your doctor..thats if you can figure out their latest systam for appointments!!!

 

[Hutchinson]

Thank you for all of your helpful replies

Do most people on here agree that my difficulties are probably caused by something other than dementia.

Does anyone know whether anti-depressants can cause memory problems? as i have been taking these for a long time, no doctor has ever said that i am suffering from depression but i was feeling a bit stressed out a few years back and i have been on them ever since, i just wondered whether they could cause any problems? although i wouldn't have thought so.

 

[connie]

Do most people on here agree that my difficulties are probably caused by something other than dementia

IMHO Yes.

Does anyone know whether anti-depressants can cause memory problems? as i have been taking these for a long time, no doctor has ever said that i am suffering from depression but i was feeling a bit stressed out a few years back and i have been on them ever since, i just wondered whether they could cause any problems?

Think you have just answered your own question.

 

[CraigC]

I'd agree that many things can cause memory problems.
For me hopefully it is sleep deprevation/insomnia and just having too much on my plate that there just isn't anywhere for it to sink in anymore.

Bottom line is that if you are concerned, see your GP.

Since dad had dementia, I've had so many people asking me if they think that they or someone they know may have it - like I'm suddenly an expert. And to be honest I worry about my future and memory problem. But you can't worry yourself about memory loss, you've just got to get yourself checked and put your mind at rest.

Just my humble thoughts
Kind Regard
Craig

 

[cris]

Hi Hutchinson. As everyone before has said, you must see your GP. What I will add is that I read once that we all forget this at times, the difference between forgetfullness and dementia is with forgeting we remember later the thing we forgot. ie we go upstairs for a towel, upstairs we forget what we went up for and go down. Downstairs a little later we remember "oh sugar, where's that towel". Where as with dementia we go upstairs for a towel, forget what we went up for and go down. Then we never remember anything about that towel.
True or not, I am not sure. But seems logical. I am not qualified.
Go and see your GP. There are probably other causes.
cris