Worried young man here

[Worriedyoungman]

Hello Everyone,

I am a worried young man from rotherham, south yorkshire, i am 25 years old and i have registered on here regarding dementia.

I am concerned because recently my memory does not seem as good as it used to be, sometimes i cannot even remember what i have just said and that worries and concerns me, i am a geniune person and i am geniunely worried about dementia and i hope some people on here can offer me some advice and help me out.

I ask my partner sometimes about my memory etc and she has said to me that i seem the same to her as the day we first met, i am assuming that she would notice more than me if i did have dementia? or that she would notice changes in me or my personality?

The thing is no-one in my family has had dementia and i have been doing some research on the internet and i have heard that it's not always older people that develop dementia, also i have read that alot of young people who get dementia develop it because of the genes in their family.

My mother is 44 years old and my father is 46 years old.

My mother's mum is 64 years old and my mothers father is 70 years old and they are fairly healthy.

My father's mum is 71 years old and my father's dad died aged 72 from some sort of cancer.

As you can see from my family history people seem to be living quite long and there has not been dementia in anyone in my family so i am wondering what the chances are that i may have/develop dementia?

I would say i have an average lifestyle, i used to smoke 10/15 a day but i stopped smoking in 2003, I have never been a drinker, i've probably only had 3 pints of beer in the last two years, for some reason i have never been keen on alcohol.

I do excercise but nowhere near as much as i should, this is something i am looking into.

I know what a terrible and devastating disease dementia is and i really hope that a cure is found one day soon as it's a cruel disease and i hate seeing people affected in such a bad way.

I have read that there are several types of dementia that you can develop, I've never known anyone in their 20's, 30's or 40's with dementia, in fact i have never met anyone with dementia but i have seen people on tv with it and read up alot about it.

Would anyone on here say that i could maybe be suffering from dementia? obviously no-one on here is a GP or specialist i was just wanting some opinions thats all.

I have only recently got married and i am still very young, i dont think i could cope if i got dementia especially at 25, i am worrying about my memory alot recently and i do worry that i am losing my mind, sometimes i also think that i am losing my awareness and intelligence, people may think i am being silly but sometimes i got very scared that my mind and memory is fading away.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and i look forward to your replies.

 

[Skye]

Hello worriedyoungman

Perhaps you would be interested in these two threads.


http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/TalkingPoint/Discuss/showthread.php?t=3998

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/TalkingPoint/Discuss/showthread.php?t=4567

 

[Brucie]

Hi Worriedyoungman

Welcome to Talking Point.

I understand your concerns but the first thing I would ask is whether you have seen your GP about your concerns? If not, you should really think about doing so as soon as you can, to put your mind at rest that you are doing something about it. The GP will probably also be able to put your mind at rest regarding dementia in your case, or he will refer you to someone who will do that.

Frankly, while there is always a faint possibility of dementia at such a young age, it is most unlikely.

That is why you need to see your GP.

There are a number of more likely conditions - all treatable - that are likely to be causing your memory problems.

I'd forget the alcohol, exercise, smoking - they are all most likely red herrings and, while they might have some effect on general health, they are not key things for dementia. Anyway, you neither smoke nor drink excessively. The exercise is not important - if you walk a bit, then that is probably enough, in my opinion, to keep you reasonably healthy.

The problem about worrying about getting dementia is that people suddenly find all sorts of things they think are indicative - forgetting names, where keys are, what you just told someone, etc. The problem is that the worrying preys to such an extent on the mind that this in itself can cause you simply not to register you have done something quite automatically - like speak to someone, or put a key somewhere. This is NOT the same as forgetting.

For your peace of mind, I really suggest you see your GP asap. If not for your peace of mind, then for that of your wife - she must be greatly concerned at your preoccupation with this.

Best wishes

 

[Worriedyoungman]

Thank you brucie, i shall get myself off to the GP asap then!

I was wondering about something called an MMSE, i saw this on a wesbsite recently and i was wondering whether i could request the GP to do this test on me? or would they think i was totally mad, as i have read that this would indicate whether or not i had dementia, looking at the MMSE i think i could score over 24 out of 29.

It says if you score between 20-24 then dementia is a possibility and if you score 20 or under then you do have some form of dementia, is the MMSE an accurate way of diagnosing dementia?

Thanks again for your reply Brucie, i look forward to your response.

 

[Brucie]

Hi Worriedyoungman

The MMSE is a memory test and, where there are other symptoms that indicate to a doctor that a person may have dementia, the MMSE is another test that can be made. It is not in itself indicative of anything really, and it certainly - on its own - is not an accurate way to measure the possibility of having dementia..

I'd be writing a list of all the things that worry you at the moment - not just those things that make you think of dementia - and take that along to the GP. They may help him to decide the next step forward.

 

[jaysc]

Hello,
Sometimes if you are worried or going through a stressful time in your life this could cause you to forget things. Its quite normal to forget where you put the keys etc.
My boyfriends family have pre-senile dementia in the family and his grandad, dad, auntie and cousin all developed dementia in their late 30's i.e. 37 and all passed away between 42 and 46.
My boyfriend is 36 this year and he does forget a lot of things and we worry about him, but sometimes worrying makes it worse. I think there are tests for this type of dementia.
Take care

 

[Noone]

As has been said before there are lots of factors to consider before going down the dementia path...anxiety & stress can cause you to forget things, adverse tiredness...and many many more besides.

Go and see your doctor, get yourself checked over, it could be something it could be nothing.

 

[MrsP]

Hi

As Skye has already mentioned, there have been similar posting previously with a great deal of useful information.

Best of luck.

Kate.

 

[Worriedyoungman]

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to give people an update, i went to see my GP yesterday and to be honest i was disappointed and frustrated with the outcome.

The GP didn't really say much, he just said to come back if my problems keep bothering me.

I would like to ask people some questions regarding dementia and early onset dementia.

Do you usually get early onset dementia if someone else in the family has developed dementia early in life? Or can you get early onset dementia regardless of family history?

I've never seen or met anyone with dementia, a few years ago i used to think it was just something that old people got but i know different now, although i don't think many people develop it under 40 or 50 do they?

Thanks for taking the time to read this post.

 

[mel]

Hi
I think if you are still worried and frustrated about this then perhaps you should go back to your GP and make him listen?
have you been in touch with your local alzheimers society? They may be able to help.
There are also some really useful factsheets at the top of the page.
Take care

 

[zed]

What a shame your GP was so unhelpful.

In answer to your questions it is possible to get early onset dementia even if no one else in your family has had it. If there is a family history of early onset dementia then you have a greater risk of developing it.

However, at your age it really is almost unheard of. Most people with early onset dementia get it in their 40s or 50s.

There are many other illnesses and situations that can cause memory problems. Ask you GP to check your thyroid, as underactive thryroid can affect your memory. Are you eating a healthy balanced diet? Vitiman definciencies can also cause memory problems. Stress and depression can also cause memory problems.

I know someone who was really worried about their memory, she was sent for a lot of tests and the conclusion was it was stress related.

Look at the "Mind Your Head" factsheet for ways of lowering your risk of dementia in the future.

 

[Brucie]

The "Mind your head" information is to be found at http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/Mind_your_head/Common_questions/index.htm

 

[Worriedyoungman]

The "Mind your head" information is to be found at http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/Mind_your_head/Common_questions/index.htm

Thank you for that link Brucie, it made very interesting reading.

 

[Worriedyoungman]

What a shame your GP was so unhelpful.

In answer to your questions it is possible to get early onset dementia even if no one else in your family has had it. If there is a family history of early onset dementia then you have a greater risk of developing it.

However, at your age it really is almost unheard of. Most people with early onset dementia get it in their 40s or 50s.

There are many other illnesses and situations that can cause memory problems. Ask you GP to check your thyroid, as underactive thryroid can affect your memory. Are you eating a healthy balanced diet? Vitiman definciencies can also cause memory problems. Stress and depression can also cause memory problems.

I know someone who was really worried about their memory, she was sent for a lot of tests and the conclusion was it was stress related.

Look at the "Mind Your Head" factsheet for ways of lowering your risk of dementia in the future.

Thanks for the message Zed,

I am glad to hear that dementia in my age is almost unheard of, that is a bit of a relief, it doesn't mean though that i cannot develop it, but at least my chances of developing dementia are quite slim then.

I'll tell you a few examples of why i am really worried about my memory and why i am concerned about dementia:

Today for example i had a cup of tea 2 hours ago and i just could not remember if i had one or not, my mind was blank, i thought i did have one but was not sure, then about 10 minutes later i clicked and remembered that i did have one.

I say words wrong quite alot, i forget alot of things within 10-20 minutes and sometimes remember them later.

I spell alot of things wrong, make alot of errors when typing, i get a little confused sometimes, sometimes i forget having dinner then i click around a few seconds later.

My partner's memory is almost as bad as mine though, she also forgets alot of things, i just think mine is becoming very bad recently.

I am hoping it is stress or depression or something not too serious like dementia.

 

[zed]

Thanks for the message Zed,

I am glad to hear that dementia in my age is almost unheard of, that is a bit of a relief, it doesn't mean though that i cannot develop it, but at least my chances of developing dementia are quite slim then.

I'll tell you a few examples of why i am really worried about my memory and why i am concerned about dementia:

Today for example i had a cup of tea 2 hours ago and i just could not remember if i had one or not, my mind was blank, i thought i did have one but was not sure, then about 10 minutes later i clicked and remembered that i did have one.

I say words wrong quite alot, i forget alot of things within 10-20 minutes and sometimes remember them later.

I spell alot of things wrong, make alot of errors when typing, i get a little confused sometimes, sometimes i forget having dinner then i click around a few seconds later.

My partner's memory is almost as bad as mine though, she also forgets alot of things, i just think mine is becoming very bad recently.

I am hoping it is stress or depression or something not too serious like dementia.

I really think you should go back to your GP. Don't say you are worried you have dementia - your GP will just dismiss this as it is so so rare at your age.

Instead say you noticed you are having problems with your memory and communication, and say that you know these can be caused by conditions like underactive thyoird, depression or vitamin deficiencies, and you'd like to find out why you are having these problems so they can be fixed.

You also need to take a good look at your life. Honestly the kind of things you described above can be caused by stress, and I have had similar experiences when I am very tired and stressed. You need to work out for yourself if you are over stressed or over tired, and if you are make changes to your life to reduce your stress like learning relaxation techniques.

Good luck.

 

[gookeeper]

Hi worried young man

i'm sorry you think you losing your mind, i too are thinking i am losing my mind.

I've also been to the doctors about it and all they seriously said it was due to old age, im only 30!, it made me angry when they said it, he was a rubbish GP, so i went to another one and i mentioned i had memory problems, but too they didn't seem to interested, and told me to change my life style, by not smoking and getting exercise and cut down on the alcohol.

I lost my long term girlfriend because i irritated her cause i was abit slow at thinking about stuff, it effects me quit badly, I couldn't remember things she told me(maybe thats just a man and womens relationship, we never listen) i can't remember anything anyone tells me, I can't hold up a converstion with anyone for more than 20 seconds cause my mind goes blank and have nothing to talk about, but ive done so much in my life more than anyone i know but i can't remember any of it, only vague things, and find myself not contributing to anything.

after i split up with my girlfriend, i had more time now to sort things out, so im going to the gym 3-4 times a week and eatting health 5-6 fruit N veg a day, 2-3 portions of fish a week, i also take omega3 tablets every day, i still smoke but still keep tring to quit, i don't drink as much as i used too.

I haven't seem many changes yet to early to say, but im starting to feel better about myself, so hopefully this will sort me out im time.

I must say im quit an anxous person too, which is probably my problem, i don't know about you?.

I'll be going to the gp again soon, ill let you know how i get on.

hope you find your problem.