Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 26

Thread: Forgetting things constantly.........

  1. #1
    Senior Member CathyA's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    9,116

    Forgetting things constantly.........

    They say that you don't have Alzheimer's, if you think you have it. I guess people who have it are very adamant that they don't have it....or just have no clue about their behavior.
    Anyhow.......when do you know that your forgetfulness is just normal aging, versus early dementia?

    I have to remember sooooo many trivial things during the day, maybe my mind is just too full. But I can't remember so many names, words, etc.
    And I might take a pill and immediately forget if I took it or not. I've made myself write it down immediately, but if I sometimes forget, there's no way I can remember if I took it or not, and it might not even be 2 minutes afterwards.
    The other day, I was looking all through the fridge for quite a while for 2 things I needed for dinner. Couldn't find them anywhere. Looked on the counter, and there they were. I had absolutely no memory of getting it out.
    DH keeps saying it's normal.........but I sure don't like it.

    Anyone else having these kinds of problems? Funny thing.......sometimes I can't remember a name or a place, or a word. Then hours later, all of a sudden it pops into my head.
    Actually google is great for finding those words/names I can't remember, so I don't have to spend the day racking my brain.

  2. #2
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Posts
    4,192
    Well, that sounds like me always.

    One of dh favorites is that i once told him about a guy i went to school with who got a perfect SAT score. But i couldn't remember the guy's name. Hours later, i woke up, sat up in bed, and yelled the guys name outloud (first and last). Woke dh and then had to explain why i was yelling some guy's name. We were in our 20s.

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    5,478
    I think it's pretty normal to have forgetful episodes. It's more a lack of focus sometimes or as you said, too many thoughts period. I often have to force myself to focus. One of my frequent ones is that while in the shower, I can't remember if I just washed my hair or not. It's as if my mind disappears while I'm in the shower. I wonder too if our frequent activity on ever-changing screens isn't affecting us too.

  4. #4
    Yppej
    Guest
    My mother has gotten like this. She speaks in ever more vague terms as her vocabulary is shrinking. For instance, she said, "You know that thing that women your age get." She could not come up with the word menopause. This happens in pretty much every conversation with her, which I have at least daily.

    She also tells me the sanme stories two days in a row.

    No one else in the family thinks it is an issue.

    She reads all this internet science. One article said if you can smell peanut butter from the same distance out of each nostril you do not have Alzheimer's. I am not convinced this is valid science. However, her long term memory does not appear better than her short term so it could be some other form of dementia.

  5. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Posts
    7,454
    The smell thing can be related to stroke, too, and is a sign of brain damage, so yeah, valid science there.

  6. #6
    Senior Member CathyA's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    9,116
    Hmmm.....I had a virus about 28 years ago and lost a lot of my sense of smell and taste. But I blame that more on a virus than developing dementia.
    It's funny........I remember sooo much minutia throughout the day. Maybe it just takes up all my brain space.

  7. #7
    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Always logged in
    Posts
    25,383
    This mornng I couldnt remember if I had fed the dog breakfast. If I asked him, he would not give me a truthful answer, being a big chowhound who will eat any time. Fortunately his bowl was wet from slobber, so that told me I had, in fact, given him food.

    I still am able to remember if I have given him his daily pill.

    This was weird because it was the first time I wasnt able to remember feeding him. We have a routine where that is the first thng I do in the morning, but for sme reason this morning it didnt sink into my brain. slightly worrisome.

  8. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Boston, MA
    Posts
    2,175
    My memory is like a messy desk - it's there, but sometimes it takes a while to find it. Or I'll come across it long after I don't need it anymore.

    Name recall is awful until I have someone "memorized". OTOH, I can note what page # I'm on in a book if I don't have a bookmark, pick up the book days later, and remember it.

    I'm hoping as I get older, they develop a Siri-like AI that is more geared to help someone with memory issues. I might need it.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Teacher Terry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Nevada
    Posts
    12,889
    I think our brains go on auto pilot when we do the same things everyday. At 50 I had to take meds for the first time and I often couldn't remember if I took them or not. So I bought a pill holder by day of week and problem solved. IL: when it comes to food you can't believe dogs.

  10. #10
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Posts
    5,037
    I find that if I don't take my daily 2T of lecithin I forget words and phrases. It is remarkable on how well it works for me. YLMV

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •