Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
Ok, let me start by saying I have had memory problems for about 8 or more years now.
It started slow, I would be talking with friends from High School who would say "remember when?" Nope, I didn't remember. I was never one to remember those kinds of things.
I could recall the people that I dealt with at work (there were about 800 of them) and if they were on FMLA, for what reason, etc. So I never really worried. I just figured that my brain only held so much info and mine chose to keep current information.
I have spoke to my PC about this and he has always told me that it was just part of getting older.
For about the last year or so, I have started having problems with remembering words. I also have trouble speaking sometimes, I know what I am trying to say, but just jumble comes out instead of the correct word. I just kind of laugh it off, make fun of myself.
I have started having, I guess you would call it, short term issues. I can take my morning meds, but if I don't take them all, I can't remember which ones I still need to take and which ones I did take. I now use the 7day seperators, one for morning and one for evening.
I had a very scary incident the other day. I was pulling into a parking lot that has a very distinctive entrance and exit. They are about 20 feet apart and have grass in between them. I looked at both of them and couldn't remember which one I was supposed to turn into. I chose wrong and turned into the exit. There was a car driving into the exit, it was only one lane so the person had to backup as I couldn't back up into traffic.
This has me pretty worried. I just turned 46 a few months ago, so I am not "that" old yet.
Any ideas or suggestions?
Thanks,
Kim
It started slow, I would be talking with friends from High School who would say "remember when?" Nope, I didn't remember. I was never one to remember those kinds of things.
I could recall the people that I dealt with at work (there were about 800 of them) and if they were on FMLA, for what reason, etc. So I never really worried. I just figured that my brain only held so much info and mine chose to keep current information.
I have spoke to my PC about this and he has always told me that it was just part of getting older.
For about the last year or so, I have started having problems with remembering words. I also have trouble speaking sometimes, I know what I am trying to say, but just jumble comes out instead of the correct word. I just kind of laugh it off, make fun of myself.
I have started having, I guess you would call it, short term issues. I can take my morning meds, but if I don't take them all, I can't remember which ones I still need to take and which ones I did take. I now use the 7day seperators, one for morning and one for evening.
I had a very scary incident the other day. I was pulling into a parking lot that has a very distinctive entrance and exit. They are about 20 feet apart and have grass in between them. I looked at both of them and couldn't remember which one I was supposed to turn into. I chose wrong and turned into the exit. There was a car driving into the exit, it was only one lane so the person had to backup as I couldn't back up into traffic.
This has me pretty worried. I just turned 46 a few months ago, so I am not "that" old yet.
Any ideas or suggestions?
Thanks,
Kim
If you go through the day with intentional thoughts to remember, see how you do. Like, whether you take your medicine. It's a daily task that your brain gives over to "muscle memory" instead of brain memory. You go through the motions but don't actually commit any of it to memory. Instead of that, make a tick mark on your calendar or put a piece of a paper near the med and initial and date it.
Why didn't you remember the exit/entrance? Well, more than likely your mind was occupied as you drove in.
Depending on your RA med, you may also have slight brain fog that just doesn't pay attention so well. I'm not on any med now, but I think I have a constant thought process about RA in my mind and so it overshadows my forethoughts. Same thing happens when I'm worried about one of my kids. That constant concern for my child lingers and I won't remember if I shut the garage door or the gate, etc.
One study someone recently posted here suggests that RA patients are less likely to get Alzheimer's.
Spend a few days watching yourself do each task. Pay attention to what you do and see if you remember it. If it's still an issue, then talk to your doctor about it. I hope you have a great, memorable weekend!
I do know that when I took Ambien, I did many things that I have absolutely no recollection of, talked to people, made appointments, ect...so I stopped taking that, which helped my "lost time".
A tired brain is easily confused.
It certainly wouldn't hurt to talk to your PCP, or your Rheumy, and see if they think that your meds may be an issue, or if you should see a neuro, or if you just need a nap.
It is also possible that depression and/or anxiety has become part of your life, along with this disease, and I encourage everyone who has a chronic disease to take anti-D's. I do not believe that it is possible to have ra and not be depressed. I was the most positive person I've ever known, and without anti'D's, I would be a raving bawling mess who never left the bedroom.
So that's my two bits, and a little more. You may want to be careful and not drive when you are tired, if possible. Good luck to you!
I will talk to my PC, I'm in the process of finding a new Rheumatologist. The PC did an MRI last fall because of vision disturbances that I was having along with numbness, but they came back fine.
Has anyone had the jumbled words?
Thanks,
Kim
meditation does WONDERS. try if it helps. i believe you are too young to have these memory issues. meditation helps us in many ways. try some meditation videos from youtube.
also try to see a neurologist also. better be safe than sorry. especially while driving, you gotta be very careful.
I've had problems, like you describe since the time that I started with RA and that was 6 years ago. I can say that it hasn't gotten much worse and that the issues seem directly related most of the time with how bad the inflammation is. If I am doing well, then my speaking trouble is far less than when my inflammation is really bad. My dad does have parkinson's though, so yes, I have worried a ton about that. I too have tingling, numbness on the edges of my fingertips most of the time, and here and there I will run into things when my inflammation is bad. I'll have weeks and weeks of thinking I have PD.
But, I didn't go down the med route after a year of being on meds. So I've recently upped my Coenzyme Q10, since PD is suppose to really be helped with high doses of that. And I've noticed I'm doing better. I also taking a lot of Gingko biloba for circulation and that really makes a difference. As well, I take high doses of B12 and B complex and that really makes all the difference in the world. Without the B's, I've noticed I'm a real idiot. I hadn't gone poop, sorry to be graphic in two days, took my B vitamins since I forgot them and took the hugest poop ever. Of course, know that the intestines are all nerves... And there have been studies that show that PD does need more B vitamins. It's nearly impossible to take too many B vitamins, so I never worry. I take as many as 3 or 4 a day and what a difference. niacin is suppose to really help with depression as well.
I'm also learning a lot about ph. I will start a post on it and explain what I've learned.
take care and good luck!
-Sarah
But yes, the jumbling comes out as if I forgot a name, and then falls apart and twists around from there. I, too, laugh, point out my terrible memory, and start over, with careful attention to what I am saying. I seem to have the most trouble when I am laughing, or in a relaxed conversation where I am not planning what to say ahead of time. I don't think that it is any cause for concern. The mistakes you remember are fine, it's when you don't know you made them that there is real trouble. However, it still would be a good idea to mention your concerns. Your doctor will have a better idea of whether there is a problem or not. I would bet on not, just remember to get some rest, and relax....Best of Luck to you! Hugs!!!
I agree that it's probably a good idea to see a neuro just in case. Mine decided it was probably a combination of migraines and exhaustion. I also mix up words - use a completely different word for the one I was trying to say - there's even a word for that, but funny, I don't remember it. I do it a lot less now.
Now that I'm more rested, it's akk getting a lot better. Hopefully that will be the case for you as well.
She said RA and medications and in my case probably age!! Think Sarah has good advice and am going to try some of those supplements too.