This morning I picked up my toothbrush and instead of putting toothpaste on it picked up a tube of face wash cream and spread that on my toothbrush, as soon as the brush went in my mouth I knew what I'd done.
Last week I took a carton of orange juice out of the fridge and poured it into my tea. couldn't understand why the tea still looked very dark. In my defence the carton of orange is green like my milk one.
Is there any hope for me I ask? I keep these things a secret from my family, but know I can tell you all here and not be judged.
Can I blame it on the medication, Bisoprolol, Levothyroxine or Warfarin? Or is it old age (72), that's not old is it?
Jean
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Well since I stopped working end of July, I have to remind myself what day of the week is sometimes! Well I keep my toothbrush and toothpaste in a glass jar, potions and creams opposite, don't have a bathroom cabinet!
Put a little lable on your milk + orange juice 😁 or write it on with a black marker pen 👍 if they look similar!
Well last year I took my cartoon of orange juice and accidentally poured it into my coffee instead a bit on my porridge 😱 oh no, it curdled straight away, yukky 😂!
This week I feel really tired after last week's heatwave!
That's interesting to hear, yes it's certainly been hot and humid here in Devon. It's still like it today. Rain on the way, from tomorrow, according to the weather forecast. Will be a blessing to have it and perhaps it will lead to our hosepipe ban being lifted.
No chance Jean but it doesn't apply if you are over 75 or dissabled and I just passed (or failed if you like) my assessment and waiting for mine to arrive.
Not the weather, our weather here outside of Durban is like that most of the time and our instances are not greater (mind you my friend's granddaughter spent hours looking for her watch (she's 25) and eventually found it in the 'fridge !!!!!😀
Hmm, so it could be forgetfulness that all ages get. I'll have to investigate that with my grandchildren. I think it may be more prevalent in women as it's said that we tend to multi-task more than men.
one. I take Warfarin, but have no problems ....so of all the three drugs you take I'd blame Bisoprolol. Don't know how long you've taken but I just changed to Nebivolol, after 13 years.
Yes, I think you could be right and the Bisoprolol is probably responsible. I've only taken it since last October. I'm actually just into my second day without it as it's been making the lower part of my legs really ache. Earlier in the year when I asked my cardiologist if I could try Nebivolol, he just laughed and said, "That's not for you". I could kick myself now for not asking why. How are you with it?
Oh you just confirmed how I felt with Bisoprolol Jeanjennie, very tired every day and my calves ached a lot just walking 20 metres! My blood pressure plumeted quite low! It's supposed to protect your heart but it made me worse a year after my heart attack! So I literally told my doctor I need to stop this medication, I tried evening as well but January 2021 I stopped this altogether! Secondly I have vascular disease in my legs and I felt worse for taking Bisoprolol! The doctor didn't suggest an alternative, I can't remember if she did! I often think they do their yearly checks and then leave you to your devices! Or try to give you medication which is a contra-indication to another medical condition you have!
The swing over to Nebivolol has been good. Many of my experiences with Bisop have now gone. May I refer you to my post of 2 months ago entitled BISOPROLOL FUMERATE 5MG. In total, I got some 39 replies from peeps all very interesting and it may be useful for you to recap. 2 were particular good, from Finvola and Mrsvemb.
So, feeling alive, alive oh! more energy, less brain fugg ( feeling less like the Zombie from the Land of the Living Dead ), feel more alert AND .......... more interesting I am only on 2.5mg of Nebivolol compared to 5 mg of Bisoprolol. The down side ( there always is one isn't there ) my BP has raised slightly from a Bisoprolol average of 134/76 up to 138/80 with the HR up from 62 to 74 bpm. I have spoken to my Surgery Pharmacist suggesting we continue the trial until 5 October which will include a return to my partime job of driving buses and its range of stresses. She was happy to agree and review it then. I'm not quite so chuffed about the increase in BP - BUT the increase in HR is good ..... gets me to a level where I function best. Bisoprolol was holding my heart rate too low, particularly overnight when it would drop to low 50's even sometimes as low as 46 bpm.
Mrs Ben Hall1 has also commented favourably saying generally she sees the old me coming back. Much better natured.
So, Jean, so far so good, especially as there has been no sign of the old AF returning, with a reduced dose of Beta Blocker medication as well.
Thinking out loud, do you have to deal with your cardiologist ? why not try and get your GP to make the change from Bisoprolol to Nebivolol. Just sayin' ...... best wishes for an improvement for you.
My doctors surgery Pharmacist is calling me on Monday to check what my BP has been over the last few days without Bisoprolol. I've been recording it twice daily as he asked me to a few days ago. I rang the surgery to speak to a doctor about the Bisoprolol really making my legs ache from the knees down and was told the pharmacist would call me. Yes I may mention Nebivolol. It's good to hear that it's given you a new lease of life.
You know I've heard some medical experts say that we need a higher blood pressure as we age to get it through our narrowing arteries. Think I read that ages ago on one of John Bergman's YouTube presentations.
Bisoperal is the 3rd tablet I have tried,lousy for eight months ,and normal handful of. Times. cardio I saw yesterday,I have learnt from this website ,I asked for neb ivolol he thought it would. not make any difference .if it he is right ,going to feel lousy for ever. 1.25 I took for 2 years no problem,not strong enough that’s why I was put on something else, now iI am on 1.25,I have shrunk in height which I think these tablets are not for small people! (I might be repeating myself, sorry as I fell memory has been deteriating since
I’ve lost it but I blame my brain being ‘full’ and sometimes I concentrate on the wrong thing or don’t react sensibly. I moved to sheltered accommodation which is very reassuring but rather like my boarding school - lots of written and ‘unwritten’ rules. If you break an unwritten rule somebody either points it out to your face or tells on you to the manager who has a very kindly talk. To do your laundry there is a complicated procedure to remember - do wash in machine marking with your magnetic flat number, return as soon as finished and move with number to dryer, set dryer, return promptly to collect and defluff filter, leave in basket overnight if not dry enough by 6 pm, when all done return number to board. I always forget at least one, sometimes forget I did a wash at all so now I set a timer. Then I burnt something in the kitchen, didn’t take swift enough/correct action and suddenly found five hunky firemen bursting in because the alarm connects direct to the station 😱 I just ordered an air fryer so if I can follow the instructions there shouldn’t be a repeat I hope.
I would blame the Bisoprolol and tell your family that your mind is now set on higher things - my daughter aged 54 has a bad memory but that’s her excuse 😂
My goodness, I can't imagine sticking to rules about doing washing. My washing machine is in the back of the garage and plays a tune when it's finished, which I rarely hear. Fortunately with the lovely hot sunshine we're still having it hasn't been a problem hanging it outside late.
Hope you get on well with your air dryer. My daughter bought one and was saying how wonderful it was, but now she can't be bothered to use it.
You are so right my mind is set on higher things! Think I'll right that down ready to quote when the need arises.
Now, no trying to get those hunky firemen back to dance attention on you. It's not fair and we have to take it in turns calling them out. With me it's paramedics I call, they are so kind and attentive!😂
The air fryer just arrived and after wading through the instructions I decided to return it 😂 I could tell it was going to be more trouble than it was worth. Back to wasting energy by using the oven! But just have to be extra careful with a frying pan…..
Try a smart oven. Ideal for one or two. The size of a microwave. Far less electricity used - I've monitored it on the meter. Heats up in a flash. Grills, toasts, roasts, bakes, slow cooks. Got from John Lewis, lots of people do them.lakeland.co.uk/31779/sage-t...
I wanted one desperately when my daughter had hers and was saying how wonderful it was. At the time they were the 'in' thing and everywhere was sold out. I thank goodness I didn't get one, I'm sure she would let me have hers now if I wanted it, but I don't. I can understand your sending it back.
There might be simpler brands. We just took delivery of a dinky wee air fryer (2 litre) from Amazon. (Cosori). The chief cook and bottle-washer (aka my husband) is very pleased with it so far. Also, the main point is that it’s not a hulking great monster on the worktop, but is light and small enough to put out of sight if necessary.
Mine is the smallest Lakeland one but as my kitchen is dinky too the only place to keep it is on the cooker top which doesn’t seem a great idea. I am still dithering as I do like oven cooked food but when I found I couldn’t cook sausages in it I went off the idea (please nobody tell me how unhealthy sausages are - I’m 78 and weigh 48 k and it’s too late anyway!). Maybe I’ll pm pusillanimous and get some tips 😀
I just did a search for sausages air fryer and lots of pictures from BBC Good Food came up. Not tried them yet, but perhaps you can cook sausages.
You know what they say about very strict limits on diet - you might not actually live longer, but it will seem longer. Everything in moderation I reckon!
I think you need to take care of them spitting. Lots of stabbing them first. Looks like it’s 180 and no higher for the temperature so that the inside cooks without the outside burning. Though the resident chief cook says he would just dry fry them in a pan!
Sorry, Buffafly. Those rules sound just too much. At the moment I'm managing. My husband lives with me but sometimes it seems as though I am looking after him. I've always thought I would like to live in sheltered accommodation if things became difficult. However your situation sounds a bit stressful!
Gosh - if I were a resident there, I'd be on detention at the end of every day .... 100 lines ... I promise to be obedient and comply at all times with all rules .............. well it wouldn't happen would it, they'd turn me out.
This I find very interesting! At least it’s taken quite awhile for your experiences to happen, I was just diagnosed in January 2023 with AFib (and now also A Flutter) I’m 64 yrs old. I’ve also texted you about my Afib directly (sorry) but I have been experiencing some very strange happenings myself.
It started out as forgetting names of things, small things, like a kitchen item, name of a person, etc. Last week my husband told me about something which a little while later I managed to asked about several more times (like he had never told me). He finally looked at me with concern and said that he had already told me several times.
This week he told me about a story on the news…maybe 25 minutes later, I’m watching it on my computer and I tell him about it like he had never told me before. He reminded me that he had just told me. Funny thing is as I was telling him, some part of me knew that he had just told me.
I must say, I’m getting quite concerned and I do blame it in the meds as I’ve heard that they can cause “brain fog”. I would say what I’m experiencing seems to be much more than brain fog!
The other day, a girlfriend of mine confirmed this when she said that someone she knew on Metoprolol (BP med) was also experiencing this kind of forgetting.
I do think it has a lot to do with the meds. Probably all of them do something to the mind. I just feel that some people are more sensitive to drugs (I know that I am). I’m also experiencing endless hot flashes during the night not sure if that’s also related (who knows).
I’m going in for my second ablation for both Afib and AFlutter hopefully next month. Anxious about it as it’s supposed to be more complicated than my first one but also as anxious, if not more, to get off of the BP meds and blood thinner (if possible). I’m taking Metoprolol in 25 mg am and 25mg. pm.(sometimes 12.5 in pm).
Here’s to hoping things will get better someday soon!
It's worrying isn't it I forget names of people and things too. I volunteer as a house guide at a beautiful National Trust property, have been doing it for 10 years. Once recently, I was midway through telling someone something , paused and then completely forgot what I was leading on to say. You know what, they laughed and understood.
Yes, I agree we do all react differently to taking medication. I used to take Metoprolol alongside Warfarin for years, just 12.5 morning and night. I was once given a large dose of it when in hospital with high rate AF and collapsed when I got out of bed. My AF nurse told me I should never take more than half a 50mg tablet as it could kill me.
I think that beta blockers in general are to blame for our forgetfulness. If they slow down our hearts and BP I'm sure they must slow down other things (like our brains) too.
Jeannie, I fully agree with you about the effects of beta-blockers. Taking them can be compared to driving a car with (at least partly) engaged parking brake. Everything in the body is slowed down, with immune system being mentioned very rarely. HR and BP are of most interest, so people forget about the immunity. Taking them long term, causes body condition to worsen.
As for the reason we make mistakes when we get older (I am not on any medication, so no way out, lol), in my case it is usually because of doing two things at the same time. It is nothing new or unusual, we all live double lives - real life, on the base of impressions received via the senses in real time, and an internal life, based on reading from the memory and analyzing what's happened or making estimations for the future. But, as we get older, we are less and less successful in this parallel action, so we make "stupid" things sometimes. I am never ashamed of mistakes I make - consider it to be more than normal!
It's only been 2 days without Bisoprolol so far, heart has had a few short races., but I'm full of energy today. Been cutting brambles from the back hedge, two huge bin bags full. Didn't stop because I was tired either, just thought I'd better not over do it.
I know garden jobs are never ending and did lots all last week as weather was so good! Even painted my garden shed inside and outside! It was badly needed! But I wouldn't overdo it and I stopped on and off to sit down on my back step for 5 mins to rest my legs!
I hope you find an alternative to Bisoprolol which agrees with you better Jeanjennie 👍🥰
I feel perfectly fine, thank you! I do have some health problems (AF at night, with mild symptoms, and "increased BP"), but my decision is to go forward without medication. So far, so good! You would be surprised how well I function at 71. Where is the secret...? I believe good genes, plus careful exploitation - never smoked, never overweight, modest diet, loved wine, always physically active (mostly about my old house), despite, since a long time, I have abandoned regular exercise. My great-grandfather lived 59, my grandfather 67, my father lived 81 and I intend to make it 92, lol!
Well done Nesko!Because of my heart attack I was prescribed medications afterwards and I had to take them all to get well again 👍 But some medications I don't take any more! Especially since last year I am a lot more health conscious of what I eat and drink and have made big changes!
Exercise I enjoy too as it keeps my mobility going!
Do you have to pay for meds in Serbia when you are retired?
In the UK prescriptions are free from the age of 60 👍
Just read your bio, in your profile. Liked it so much! Ich habe jahrzentenlang aus Deutsch uebersetzt und behersche die Sprache ziemlich gut!
As for the medications - yes, we have to pay for the treatment and for the drugs we have to take. But, I must say, in the past years, we have a very poor medical care - the impression is that, like in UK, nobody takes care about the people any more. I see that people have to wait for months, just to be able to talk to the MDs per telephone...
Thank you Nesko, I like your theory and think I will follow that. This afternoon while cutting brambles out of my back hedge, a strange completely bright yellow spider ran near me. It had a huge round body. All I could think about after that was looking it up online. You are so right about us trying to do two things at once.
All of us have, actually, very good experiences with doing things in parallel. With the time, we get very good at it! Only the young ones, maybe until 20 yo, do not have the habit to do things automatically, while at the same time thinking of what has happened, what the plans are, what the neighbor has said, mostly thinking about unpleasant things we experienced. My guessing is that all of us think about bad things some 90% of the time and only very rarely about nice things. So sad about it, but it's the human nature...
I was always multitasking when I had my 4 children and had jobs where I had to think ahead and prioritize tasks! Now it's nice to relax a bit and not being under that pressure any more! Unless like week before we have sunny days, then I madly crack on with gardening as it needed badly doing! I also find when I haven't slept too well you are more scatter brainy!
But Bisoprolol definitely dazed me!
Even 5 mg of Ramipril in June made me not cope with the heat too well!
Back on 2.5 mg now but didn't take it last week as it was too hot!
I can only imagine what it looks like to raise 4 children! I had one child and had the impression that i will get horns from him. We did not sleep as it should be until he got 27 months old, he was very nervous and could not sleep himself. Whoever raises 3 children or more, deserves the medal from the state and amply pension.
I was told that all drugs (not just heart drugs) affect the brain. Having experience of Bisoprolol (l can’t take it regularly) l would bet this is the problem. Also, l tend to do stupid things when my mind thinks of too many things at once. I can start one job get interrupted and completely forget what l was doing and go on to another. Getting old is not for the faint-hearted. Laugh or you will cry!
Jean, about 30 years ago I was on a "Good Management" course and during discussions decided I had something important to contribute so in usual fashion stuck up my hand. By the time the facilitator turned to me to ask I opened my mouth and had completely forgotten the vital contribution I wanted to impart. And I was on no drugs at all at that time!
can't blame my beta blocker as I only take it when I go into AF but at the moment I am still searching for my kitchen spray bottle which disappeared 2 days ago, have searched everywhere =:0
It's horrible when you suddenly can't find something you've been using regularly. When you do find it the memory of why it was there soon comes back.
I once couldn't find my car keys, Searched everywhere and through the waste bins, rang a friend and asked if he'd accidentally picked them up, the answer was no. Then I looked at the spot where they're usually hung and there they were. I would swear they hadn't been there earlier, but there's only me lives in this house.
I am older than you so I will not say its age. I will say medications can mess with your brain, because of the newer understanding of our microbiome. I believe the meds mess with that which also then will mess with the brain. Perhaps you are just paying attention like you used to. In those cases I talk to myself. Especially when driving and I see situations that are concerning. It drives my husband crazy but I explained that when truck drivers are being trained they are taught to talk out loud in those types of situations. So, I suggest talking out loud to yourself. See if that makes a difference. It does for me.
I don't talk to myself but do sing quite a lot. Fortunately I've been gifted with a happy nature and rarely feel low. I totally agree with your re it being the meds we take, especially beta- blockers. If they can slow our heart and BP rates they must surely slow the mind and other parts of our bodies too.
I was on 5ml of nebivolol and felt really sluggish, so I asked my dr about a lower dose and she agreed we could try, so far so good. I don't feel so worn out, Maybe you could see if you could lower your dose some. just a thought?
HMM, there isn't anything lower, are you on anything at this point? I wish I wouldn't get so upset over things and maybe I wouldn't need anything to keep me somewhat stable. Between my husband and my gown adult male children, they keep me crazy. My 4 year old grandson makes more sense than all of the adults.
I am on 1.25 Nebivolol. You can only get the 2.5 but there is a split down them so that you can easily break them in half. I am very sensitive to drugs and feel better off them, so l take the minimum l can get away with.
I always try to do that too. Honestly doctors prescribe drugs and off you go for ever. My GP's surgery do call me in to be assessed but I'm too worried that they're going to try to get me to take statins, even though my cholesterol levels are low.
I wouldn't touch stating with a bargepole, but that's another story. I think everyone should do their own research on drugs. It is our choice whether we take the drug the doctor advises us to take. They aren't always right. There is 1 drug that l will always take that is my anticoagulant which l consider to be my friend keeping me safe. I was sent home from hospital after getting a,f with more needles to inject into my stomach and a good few warfarin tablets. I went to the surgery for a blood test and the doctor took the needles off me and most of the warfarin tablets saying that l didn't need them . A few days later l had a big stroke.
I did make a full recovery although l lost the pulse in my right arm with a clot in it and my arm went dead . I was rushed to a big hospital in Swansea from my local hospital to have an operation to have it removed. They just kept an infusion going and managed to get rid of it. The cardiologist said l was lucky to be alive. After a week in hospital , when l got home l found l couldn't read or remember the names of things or add up numbers. I did get back to normal within a few months. There was no aftercare l was just left to my own devices. It was a traumatic experience. Another doctor in the same practice told me l could make a complaint against the doctor who went against what the hospital had told me to do but l was in no fit state mentally or emotionally to do that. I did recover and just had afib for two and a half years, then went into heart failure due to my afib being too fast for long periods of time. That has incapacitated my body but funnily enough my brain is still good. The trouble is my brain tells my body to do things and my body says no. 😄😄
It's awful that you had to suffer all of that, a total disgrace!
I almost made a complaint about a Junior Consultant who discharged me from A&E when I was really poorly. The nurse who pushed me out in a wheelchair to my waiting daughter and her husband, bent and said to me that there was no way I should be being discharged and told me to contact PALS. My GP asked me twice to go back to hospital, even said she'd get me straight into a ward, but I would rather have died at home than go back there! My daughter, who works at the hospital asked me if I wanted it on my notes that I'd made a formal complaint and when I thought about it, I didn't. It took me about 6 weeks to get better and I lost a stone in weight.
My next door neighbour told me recently about his elderly uncle who's in his late 90's and had to go into hospital to have two toes amputated. While there he caught Covid and yes they sent that dear man home a few days later to the house where he lived on his own. My neighbour had travelled miles to visit him and no one had said anything about him being discharged the next day, or him and his wife would have stayed there with him. I think that's the most disgraceful thing I've ever heard!
You have been through it as well. I don't trust doctors anymore. There are other things that have been done to me by bad surgeons and doctors and to my relations. Simple procedures on otherwise strong healthy people, where mistakes are being made. Whenyou are upset and poorly , you don't want the added stress that comes with sueing someone in the medical profession, although really you should. There are a few good doctors about. You are lucky if you have one. I believe in doing my own research for me and my family. I am not saying , don't go to your doctor but be well informed on your condition so you can stand your ground if necessary. My partner has a saying " Doctors bury their mistakes ".
Surgery tried to get me onto statins, took them for 6 days - memory shot, mobility declined, pain levels through the roof…… so I stopped them. Was based on high blood lipid levels from a non fasting cholesterol test. Private Cardiologist I saw last week said it had to be a fasting test or results were inaccurate and affected by what you had been eating prior to the test and that my total cholesterol was fine, requested a fasting test and I am just waiting for the results in the next couple if days.
As for bisoprolol, I was on it for a few years and it was only because of the info in this group that I found it could be this drug causing my poor memory, inability to find words, brain fog and fatigue! Now on nebivolol. X
I would be a bad passenger then 😁👍When I visit my son's or daughter and they drive in heavy traffic, I told my 3rd youngest, don't drive so close behind cars mann, leave a sensible gap 👍
🚙 🚙 , he was like that close
🚗. 🚙 and that makes me totally nervous!
When I have to dust my house and hoover etc I talk to myself loud so I keep my strategy to get it done 👍😂😂 It helps 👍😁
I don't care if I talk loud to myself at home and tell myself off as well 😂😂😂 but sometimes! But it's good to hear your own voice! I like singing as well! Should do that more often really!
The fun bit is we are all different in characters otherwise world would be boring 👍🥰
Many drive too close in my opinion. we were just on mountainous and curvy roads which I love to drive by my husband does not yet he was stuck driving, He takes the curves way too fast and that drives me crazy. So I am saying out loud as I would to myself had I been driving. Curve ahead, step grade, speed 25. He's mad thinking I am telling him how to drive, I said I always talk out loud or at least mumble to myself to stay on track, not let the mind wander, truckers are taught that.
Oh sugar, your hubby's driving would scare me especially on curvy roads, 😱😱😱🤯🤯🤯 😂😂😂Secondly I would feel seasick as a passenger! Here where I live , no high mountains but there are places like Sutton Banks and Brimham Rocks and direction Pately Bridge etc. I am always driving carefully as some roads are narrow!
But when my dad was in his 70s he still drove like a 30 year old! But it also depended on weather conditions and I have learned a lot from my dad's understanding of road conditions in different weather! He's 92 in November this year and still driving 🚙👍
My ROSPA exams always include a running commentary. My examiner has a photographic memory too so can always pick me up if I get it wrong. "Why didn't you mention that white van coming down the lane from your left at the top of the next hill???"(half a amile away!)
I was sent on a driving course by my company. I think they got cheaper insurance if we all took the course. Had to recount everything I saw driving along. Ie Trees coming in from right, possible junction. Hated it!
No that's not old. I can't count the times I go into a room - or worse still upstairs and wonder what the heck I have gone up for. Other times I go upstairs or into another room knowing full well what I have gone to do but see something else that needs doing which leads to something else and then get back to my chair and think - Flip I didn't get or do that but did lots of other things. I have put milk in the oven and a book in the fridge I am 80 next month so know it is only going to get worse. The worst of it is that I put things down and it takes me ages to remember where I put them - the search for the correct air of glasses is ever lasting but it does give me a lot of good exercise along with walking around the house wondering what the heck I am doing.
Well I think you are excused as when working I went to our chemical room and couldn't remember why I went there! Going back into the restaurant kitchen and penny dropped, what I had needed! But I don't think it's old age or medications only which causes that!
Nowadays it's the stresses of life and pressures we are under either at work or looking after our families!
But since I have retired lately it could be that I am at home now and getting used to retirement!
I don't miss the hard work but I do miss people and the camaraderie at work! Yes I miss that! 👍🥰
I can remember doing that as a child - then having to retrace my steps to remember what I was going to that room for. I remember listening to a radio programme years ago about things like this - forgetting names etc. The conclusion was that it also happens to younger people but they simply don’t worry about it.
Having said that, I reckon I am more ‘woolly brained’ on Bisoprolol. Trying to recall some words drives me mad - and it’s worse if I’ve started with the wrong letter in my mind. Then, if I stop trying it often dawns on me within a minute.
I think it's a combination of beta blockers, all of them, and the memory Bank being full up after a lifetime, storage problem. So as we go about,we have to lose some memory to keep the brain going!I sprayed fly spray under my arms on holiday this week. I almost get things right but not quite ,such as I said ' I'll meet you by the pet shop" to hubby but its not a pet shop,its the PDSA charity shop...haha
Hubby also left his phone on top of the car in Welshpool ,we only realised 3 hours later when we got home today.
I was once told that forgetting where you parked your car is OK,but if you can't remember it's make that might be more worrying.
Oh no 🤯🙆🤣🤣🤣🤣 Wilsond, well don't think that fly spray smelled pleasant, insecticide 🤯As long as it didn't cause a skin reaction that would have been bad! 👍
What would we do without water honestly 💦 🚿 We are all still so very lucky 👍🙏🥰
I think it's a combination of things. I often find I'm doing stuff on auto pilot and thinking about other things. So i get absent minded. My mind is literally absent! I think the computer/social media is to blame too making me more easily distracted. So as I walk looking for stuff I've put down somewhere.... glasses, phone, book, bag etc, my eye goes to something else that needs doing and off I go!
The worst so far has been taking my morning and evening doses of meds an hour apart! I was reading the paper on my Tablet and reached for the medication box and just swallowed them down with my tea!
Luckily I was OK. The pharmacy was helpful stopping me panicking. And I got through the day feeling relatively normal.
As for Bisoprolol, it slows your heart so surely there must be less blood going to the brain. Stands to reason IMO. So hang in there!
Oh I sympathise, Jeanjeannie! I don’t reckon it’s age, though the betablockers don’t help, for sure. I’ve been doing things like that for years, and I find I go through phases where I do a lot of absent minded things in a cluster (putting the electric kettle on the gas hob was a fairly dramatic high, and putting antibiotic cream on my toothbrush a very disgusting low) and then I don’t do them for a while.
Maybe it’s when our minds are full of other things? Or we’re tired? My husband who is still in his 40s, and not on any medication at all, loses EVERYTHING. Found his phone in the fridge today… !! He just says his mind is on higher things 😂
Oh Jean, you have my sympathies! I used to blame it on the beta-blockers but I’m on calcium channel blockers now and it hasn’t improved, so it’s definitely meds in general I reckon.
I’ve answered the phone by picking up the tv remote and wondering why the phone’s still ringing - my excuse that time was that I’d been dozing in front of the tv when the phone rang. I’ve searched high and low for a packet of pills that I’d picked up from the surgery just hours before - they were in the fridge🙄Honestly, if I lived with someone it would have caused no end of rows, as I’d have been convinced they had done some of the daft things I do!
Probably my best one is chatting to one of my black cats who was, unusually for her, out in the kitchen with me whilst I was washing up one evening. It was only when I turned around and looked properly that I saw I was talking to my black ankle boots! At least they didn’t answer back 😂 It’s a good job I do live alone come to think of it, otherwise I fear I would have been quietly taken away by now.
Oh yes, I must add I’m convinced door frames contain a magnet that wipes ones memory every time you pass through them. That has to be the reason for the countless times I’ve gone into a room and forgotten what I went in there for!
It's good to hear that I'm not alone. I also went through a phase when menopausal of calling things by the wrong name. A classic one was when out cycling with a group of friends along what had once been a railway line, we came to the ruins of a small building and went to have a look at it. There was what looked like the remains of a fireplace and looking at it instead of saying is this a fireplace, I said "is this an onion". My friends husband responded by saying, "There's one thing we can be sure of Jean and that is it's not an onion". I'm glad to say I don't do that now.
Yes, those magnets in door frames that make you forget why you went into that room. They're in my house too, who should we report it too? 😂
The bad news is that it only gets worse, we’ve started writing notes about where we have left earlier notes 😢😩😳
Hiya Jeannie, thank you for sharing this and yes, same here lol, but hey, we are still here right??? My biggest problem is forgetting what I am supposed to be doing, especially if I get disturbed and yes, we can blame it on everything but certainly not age......much lol. My best one was cooking the Sunday roast, dishing up and wondering where the roast potatoes had gone.......hubby wasn't amused but I told him I was watching his weight!!!!!
Oh no, did you forget to cook some roast potatoes? That's always the first thing I prepare. I've forgotten to cook chopped onions in the oven to make the gravy with. I don't use the ready made powders etc. When I was working I never slept well on a Sunday evening, thought it was just the thought of going to work, but when I retired it continued. So I looked at the contents of the gravy packet and then started making my own gravy and sleep fine now.
Try cooking some chopped red onions alongside the juice from meat (only takes about 20 minutes) let them brown a bit to provide the gravy colour. Then make gravy with them and the water from vegetables you've cooked.
I don't even roast joints, I eat some organic chicken, fish, and chicken mincemeat! Make my own chicken curry with vege, onions, ratatouille, garlich and a mild curry sauce! With the mincemeat I make my own meatballs with oats and 1 egg or a bolognese sauce, most of it I freeze in small margarine tubs and then I have meals already partly prepared! I can't afford to put my oven on too often , uses too much electric Jean!I used to do that when money wasn't that tight once per month and my Ex was working!
But I am happy and my dinners are light for my stomach! I don't eat beef at all now but now + then buy some Cumberland sausages but not often! I eat eggs, boiled or fried but they are better just boiled or pouched! I like sardines with tomato sauce and salads! Simple does me 👍🥰
To be honest I've always had an active mind. I must admit I've turned into bit of an internet addict. Sometimes I eat my meals in front of my PC (have just bought a better one). I keep telling myself to stop using it so much, but to eat meals just gazing into the air is boring. I started internet shopping more when Covid struck us and love looking for new dresses that way. I rarely wear trousers, just hate waistbands!
A friend asked me if I'd like to join a local horticultural group she goes to, went along thinking it would be full of old men in their gardening clothes, but no it was a large group with mainly women of my age.
Hi Jeannie, thank you so much for this post, and to everyone who has replied. It’s given me so much to think about. I’ve been on 1.25mg of Bisoprolol daily for absolutely years, but I’m not sure it’s still appropriate. I too have been getting really forgetful in recent years, and also really really, tired, but I just put it down to getting older and too much on my mind. But actually, reading the leaflet, I can’t even see why I'm on it. My HR is low when I'm not in AF (right now it’s 58 bpm according to my Fitbit. When I’m asleep it goes down to below 50). Would it be sky high if I didn’t take the Bisoprolol? When I go into AF, my HR will pingpong from high to very low, sometimes so low that I faint. I feel I should check with my GP whether this is still the right drug for me to be taking, but it’s nigh-on impossible to speak to them nowadays…
Hmm yes, fainting does rather point to your Bisoprolol dose being the culprit , even though it's only a small dose of 1.25mg . I would ask your GP if you could have a trial of not taking it. That's what I'm doing now and I've already noticed how much more energy I have. Can feel my heart occasionally bumping around at times though, hope that may calm down.
Have you had your thyroid function checked to see if that's the culprit making you tired?
1.25 mg is quite a low dose (I’m on 10mg). I wouldn’t have thought that dosage would have caused too much of a problem. Have you discussed with your GP the possibility of changing the time you take the tablet so that it’s peak effect isn’t at night?
I wonder if the problem was that you were not fully awake? The toothbrush example was, presumably, early in the morning, but with the orange juice example I wasn’t sure. I would have thought that the combination of being drowsy in the morning and taking bisoprolol-which I also take- would explain the problem. About a month ago I nearly substituted some dry eye drops for a nasal spay which I take in the summer for mild hay fever. I attributed this to bring half- asleep at 7 in the morning. Luckily I checked myself at the last moment.
Yes, I was fully awake at the times I did my daft things, though my mind could easily have been distracted as I'm quite a deep thinker. I volunteer at a National Trust property and often do online research about that building.
I think if you had succeeded in putting your eye drops up your nose, it may well have resulted in it being runny all day. Thank goodness you realised your error in time.
I like to blame the medication Bisoprolol for dulling my brain. Have been without it for 2 days now and had amazing energy yesterday when I was pulling brambles out of my back hedge.
I take 10mg of Bisoprolol per day. It’s been very effective -touch wood-in controlling AF (more so than sotalol). But, yes, it does make you rather tired and also seems to produce vivid dreams. The only thing to do about things like the toothbrush incident is to have very fixed routines with everything in place, but that’s easier said than done!
If professors can be absent minded so can we ‘mature’ types. As they say, ‘don’t sweat the small stuff!’ Think ‘eccentric’ rather than ‘losing your marbles’ 😉
Well my fridge and freezer are next door to each other and I can see how easy it would be to do that. I can remember the days when hp sauce didn't even have to be kept refrigerated. I agree life is more complicated these days.
You are NOT alone. I have opened a tin of soup and poured it straight down the sink! It's distraction and your mind being totally preoccupied with your other thoughts. I can go on half a dog walk and suddenly realise I am in a totally different part of the walk, without remembering anything about getting there, as my thoughts are on other things. Whether it is growing old or not, I still find I can do amazing things with my memory and my use of language, on a good day, while on a bad one I can't easily remember the name of a close friend or someone famous. It is connected a great deal with fatigue as well as being distracted. Don't worry about it.
Thank you oscarfox49, you've made me feel a lot better. Remembering the names of famous people eludes me too. I've just been talking to my sister on the phone about Strictly Come Dancing starting again tonight on tv and couldn't remember the names of two judges. I've watched it for years. I do get rare days of brilliance when I can remember people. A friend of mine not only remembers who starred in films, but also who directed them! Names do come back to me eventually, but not right away.
I think of myself as a young 76 year old. I do those small silly things too and worry that I’m losing it! Are we? I don’t know. I watch a serial on TV or read a book and if 2 days pass without reference to either, when I go back to them, I’ve forgotten what they were about and what part the actors/actresses play! I can easily forget what I was thinking about a minute ago! And in the kitchen, I turn round from the cooker and wonder what I was going to do next! I don’t worry about these slip ups for very long though because eventually I forget what it was I was thinking about 😂 🐝
You've hit the nail on the head there Elizabeth. I just have the fear that my sister and my daughter are talking about my forgetfulness. My sister came round one day and I had my cardigan on inside out. I bet she told my daughter. I've never done that before, trust her to be witness to it!
It's embarrassing when I'm talking to friends. I start, pause and then forget what I was going to say. You sound exactly the same as me memory wise.
JeanJeannie50 it is worrying but I tell myself if I let it bother me, it will only add to my confusion. As long as it is nothing serious that endangers mine or anyone’s life, I’m not doing any harm and if someone were to point out my silliness, I ask them have they never done anything silly and tell them it’s good to be a child again. I also forget what I am going to say, so I openly tell those listening, ‘I’ve forgotten now what I was going to say’ and I start to laugh. Don’t dwell on any one incident JeanJeannie50, it will make you continually conscious of your actions and make you worse but I truly understand. ❤️🐝
Hi, I'm 61 male and not in AF so no meds but I still do silly things like putting the coffee jar in the fridge with the milk. Wife says I'm becoming annoyed bumbler since retiring early.
So i dont think it's your meds....now as to the Devon air/climate...well that's another matter.
Right, so it may not be the fault of pills I take.
I have friends who can talk non stop, they go on and on and on. I don't think I could ever be like that. Can recall something odd that's happened that day, but that's it. No one need call me as a witness to an accident or anything else. I'd be fine the day it happened, but would be confused as to what I actually witnessed by the next day.
Poverty - well when I look at how other people in the world live I realise how rich I am. All we need in this life is warmth, shelter, food, clean water and someone who loves us.
Hi youngster. You are certainly not old. 🤗😊. Time for the weirdness report. There's very strong activity on our sun at the moment and it's been like that for a few weeks. The increased electromagnetic energy is affecting our bodies and minds somewhat. The heart and brain functions both use electrical signals as we all know. Give yourself as much rest as your body calls for and the energies and symptoms will calm again. Meanwhile shop for a nicer flavour face cream.😁🥰
It's interesting what you've said about the sun activity right now. I can certainly believe what you are saying. Major disasters in the world have also happened recently. Blue flashes in the sky, right before one of them occurred was reported.
Yes, this is true and apologies Jean for hijacking I'm extremely sensitive to atmospheric pressure changes and these sudden switches have a major effect on me. Today I've a low-grade headache all day.
Hi Jean. Speaking as one of your Devon neighbours I have been struggling to sleep properly with the heat and humidity of the last few weeks. Is it possible you are just more tired than usual because of this very muggy weather? On the plus side I changed over from Bisoprolol to Nebivolol 3 weeks ago and I definitely feel more like my old self and less exhausted all the time. As anticipated though, my average resting heart rate has increased by about 8-10 bpm on Nebivolol - but I’m good with that. The pros have outweighed the cons for me x
What dose of Nebivolol are you taking? I may suggest my having that to my doctors surgery pharmacist instead of Bisoprolol. He's told me to stop the Bisoprolol (was causing an awful ache in my legs from my knees down) and record my BP twice daily and is calling me back this Monday. I will also tell him my heart rate, oddly he didn't ask for that.
I too am concerned about permanent brain fog and calf ache from Bisopropol and came up with Verapamil which can actually improve the memory although I have stage 2 kidney disease.
Was wondering about asking the GP if I could try it instead so would be interested if anyone is taking this drug. I have persistent afib and also take edoxaban
I would take my 1.25mg of Bisoprolol every evening about 8-9pm and very soon my leg ache would start and be with me until the following morning. It would still be there in the daytime but wasn't too bad then. I'd put your own post on asking about Verapamil, because it will be lost on this post with all the replies I've had.
Yes, the other week I thought I was putting my fake tan on and it was a bottle of hair conditioner , as the packaging looked similar lol . I wondered why it had such a weird texture 😂
Dear Jeanie, you sound exactly normal, we all have these anomalies in our lifetime ,
I attended a talk by an eminent Doctor specialising in the area of the brain, and I can assure you that I came away totally reassured ,
Appears be a problem that when we do these things we automatically believe we are losing the plot.
Concentration lapses usually can cause irrational things, ie doing one thing and thinking of something else at the same time , if it’s any consolation I do it all the time and I am definitely not senile.
Hi Jeanie. I see you take levothyroxine so I guess you have hypothyroidism. I've got subclinical hypothyroidism so I don't take levothyroxine but have got the symptoms. One of which is an inability to get nutriments out of the food we eat. Earlier this year I became very low on folate which caused exactly the kind of brain fog/forgetfulness you describe. Just thought it was worth a mention.
Yes, I have hypothyroidism caused by taking the AF drug Amiodarone. I've had several blood tests recently and all is ok with them, including my thyroid function. Will look at my folate results again. Thank you for responding.
Well Jeanie…I had my children here for a roast dinner. They love rice pudd with ice cream. When I came to get the pudd out of the oven, I realised that I had forgotten to add the rice! You can imagine that it caused much hilarity. “Can we come up for lunch Mum and have some milk?” Well I am 84 !
I did that with a tube of hair removal cream about 20 years ago 😁........ didn't have furry teeth for weeks 😂.Yesterday, I tried to get into the wrong car in B&M's car park. 🤣. In my defence, it was the same size and colour and ours is brand new and I'm still getting used to it 😁.
You've got 20 years on me so it doesn't bode well for me 😂.
When younger than you, we stopped in a layby and my ex husband went to get fish and chips. A strange man got into the car drivers seat with his back to me, he was talking all the time. Well what a shock when he looked at me. His car which was the same make and colour was behind ours. Also my ex used to drop me off in town to shop while he went to watch football. I knew where to wait for him to pick me up. Once I tried to get into a car the same as his as it slowed down and shocked the driver, probably thought I was looking for business. 😂
Yes, you have to be wealthy to have them now that prices have gone up. I'm lucky as I can't eat big evening meals and on the rare times I have them always ask for a small cod and small chips, think it's about £7.20 and I still can't eat all the chips I get.
I am shortsighted and in the days when we regularly used to go to spas, I'd often approach large bald headed men with a welcoming g smile on my.face...luckily my pther half thinks it's hilarious
How often do I go to do something and five seconds later I've forgotten what it was.
I can lose anything, any time of the day. Usually either keys, money, glasses and a lot of tools.
I dread to think what the neighbours make of it when I'm on a key hunt. So many names for a bunch of keys.
I've tried every strategy, special hook, "dump it" bucket, tie it to my belt etc., and nothing works. I end up buying screwdrivers because I can't find one.
Buying another always works, guaranteed to find the lost one next day.
I understand exactly and car keys are such a worry. I usually hang mine up, screwdrivers are in a drawer in the kitchen or a toolbox in the garage (spider hole that I hate).
A lot of us oldies (not you Jean, you are a spring chicken still ) don't get the amount of good quality sleep that we used to get when young ; possibly due to the drugs we are taking. As the brain repairs itself and washes away the plaque while we are asleep, the consequence of not getting that sleep will cause the memory loss and confusion when we are awake.
Jean, I find that some days my mind seems fuzzier than others and I "almost" do the things you mentioned (I'm 73). I do think medication has a lot to do with it. Maybe OJ in your tea isn't such a bad thing!
Yes, I'm exactly the same re some days having a fuzzier mind than usual. Also some days I have aches and pains in my body, but on others feel really well. Yesterday I was alive with the most amazing energy, today I have none.
I'm an avid gardener, and it used to be that it would take a day of rest after a previous day of strenuous gardening to get back to normal. Now it takes two days to recuperate. May your days of amazing energy outnumber those without it!
Thank you, I've always loved gardening too, but am finding it a bit too much lately. I've only had this amazing energy since stopping Bisoprolol a few days ago. Maybe my mind will come back too.
I was on Bisoprolol in my early days of a-fib and they knocked the energy out of me too. Good thing you're off them. Soon you'll be back to walking those hills of Devon (wish I could see that) and living the good life
Have you had your thyroid checked recently? When my levels are low and my TSH high I get brain fog moments. Also, if you're stressed Jean. Stress uses up our mental.bandwidth. thinking of you.
Yes, my thyroid was checked a few weeks ago and was fine.
I've had quite a bit of stress lately, we're trying to move our older sister down near to us. she's not the brightest button, so myself and my younger sister have had to do everything for her. We discovered she had no deeds to her house and other problems which we're still trying to sort out, it's all taken so long. The man who was going to buy her house got fed up with waiting and dropped out and of course house prices went down. We are stuck dealing with a council up north who are totally incompetent and have caused the problems. We've now had to make a formal complaint about them. Plus I had a bit of a health scare which I may write about on this forum at some stage.
So, there's you bandwidth issue Jean. It doesn't sound like your losing it. Just a system that's got tired having to stay 'on' all the time. Sounds normal to me.
I agree with Singwell - that kind of thing would def cause a bandwidth issue… and foggy/slower thinking and forgetfulness always follows that for me.
Sometimes, too, I think I don’t give myself enough ‘downtime’ in my head, both waking and sleeping, for it to rest fully. If I did that to my body it would show signs of protest or fail on me too! So I should try to get proper rest for my mind. (Says she, while writing a post online at 12.25 am 😁) xxx
I’m 76 and have learned that I can’t multitask anymore,,,my brain can’t do it and I have no idea why,,,an example,,,if I’m reading or crocheting and my hubby starts talking to me,,I have no idea what he is saying,,,I have to stop completely and look up and listen or I may not even realize he is speaking to me,,,if I’m shopping in a food store and my phone rings,,,I can’t still shop and talk on the phone at the same time,,,nor can I watch tv and listen to my hubby speak to me about something,,,,it wasn’t a problem til just in my 70’s,,,some might call it selective hearing but it bothers me,,,it’s a change in how I function,,,then add on entering a room with no clue why I’m there or yes,,pouring milk into my juice etc,,,join the club, Jean! we’re aging,,,,and don’t be too hard on yourself!
Reading your post I couldn't help but wonder if you've ever had your hearing tested? I know that it's offered free at Specsavers, including the hearing aids.
I sit watching t.v. then think of something that needs doing right away and think to myself that I'll do it as soon as the adverts come on. Of course when the ads come on I don't have a clue what it was!
hi Jean that all sounds familiar!! I’m inclined to put things in the fridge that have no business in the fridge!! I’m glad you shared that with us. I feel comforted by your confession!! I can hardly hold a thought so I’m now talking to myself reminding myself out loud about what I was about to do. It works but if people hear me chatting away to myself they’re taken aback! Too bad I say!!
Ahh 'talking to yourself'. I often hear people doing that and had a friend who used to do it. I keep my talking to myself mostly silently in my mind. Sometimes I say out loud that I'm an idiot, when I do something silly .
Probably just a bit of lack of concentration Jean, I lose my car keys sometimes but always seem to manage to find them in such stupid places.? I once found them in the fridge.!!!
I often have a pang of worry if I look for my car keys when they're not where they should be. Also when visiting friends and leaving their house to drive home. I'm only happy when I find them instantly.
Some dementia is creeping up on you and others if you over 70.
Did you have enough sleep?
Alzheimers diagnosis is can't count back from 100, forgotten your birthday, repeating questions, talking to the plughole or putting the front door key in a jewellery box etc.
Usually this state is genetic.
I am 74 and I make lists is I'm going out for appointments, buy groceries and put up copying that I have sent to copy warehouse.
I had to drive to Kaitaia for my testing for positions in our Elections in October.
I forgot my list so forgpt the recycling bottles etc, and an items of grocery.
Jeanie look forward. Are you still driving? That matters because indicating right to get off that exit and then driving right is so risky. My Mum did that.
Make a list of those events and at the end of the day examine them. A laugh or risky?
This is my 6th Election and I got the job as Issuing Officer, the lot, Maori Roll, General Roll and Special Votes. 3 different pads.My e-training book arrived Friday.
At the end of the day examine your day. to keep you safe.
I take Thyroxin (symthroid), Diltiazem, Bisoprolol, and PRADAXA. I've added 10mg Statin.
None of the above would cause your events. I wonder if you haven't got a urine infection which causes forgetfulness or stress.
My prayers are flying towards you.
They say keep doing challenges to alert your brain. But in MS, Parkinsons or Alzheimers, brain connections are not connecting.
Jean … you wouldn’t want to live in my world of “everything has to be perfect” … lotions and potions MUST be applied in perfect order and all kept in perfect order … all spices must be facing forward and perfectly arranged … everything in my home MUST be picture perfect! It’s awful and when one starts to age it can be very interesting and challenging … l think that you are simply starting the aging process as we all do … laugh it off, and listen to the inner voice telling you to think twice before doing all things! You will be fine but just double think everything … l’m not quite where you are age-wise. But l am starting to do little similar things. I double think everything and it seems to work! Best, Jan
Yes, I do daft things too. It’s part age, part being sleepy and or distracted. Modern life is complicated and at the end of the day or early morning my brain is elsewhere. I don’t dwell on it. It takes too much energy.
Hmm brain being elsewhere, yes my brain is very active so I could be trying to think what I need to do next . I probably need to concentrate a little more on what I'm doing.
On the bright side, you knew you'd done it. You could think of it as a failure in your automated processes. A bit like putting the sweet in the bin and the wrapper in your mouth!
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Am I really an 'enigma'?
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