Cardiac arrest - short memory

Does the short term memory loss after a cardiac arrest get better?

[rogerctyler]

Hi Nasv69 I had a massive cardiac arrest back in 2012, I spent 21 days in ICU & a total of 3 months in hospital. Since then my short term memory has been diabolical. I have had 2 further cardiac arrests since then which have not helped things. I think I can honestly say that my memory has improved slightly since the last cardiac arrest which was in 2014. Nothing since then I’m very pleased to report. To sum up I think your memory will improve but it will take time. I hope this helps/reassures you to some degree.

[Hidden in reply to rogerctyler]

Hi,

Thank you for your kind reply. It is my dad who had a cardiac arrest 3 weeks ago and I was the one who did CPR on him. We know he was very lucky that whithin 2-3 minutes I had started the CPR. He is making a fantastic recovery with only some short term memory issues. We do feel blessed. But I worry that maybe if I had started the CPR a minute or two earlier the would the outcome be even better!

[stevejb1810 in reply to Hidden]

Don’t beat yourself up - he’s still here. He might well not have been had you not started cpr when you did.

[sturon]

Hi Nasv.

What a fantastic job you did, you saved your Dad's life. Well done to you.

My partner had a cardiac arrest in December last year, so we are now 4 months on. Like you, it was me who did the CPR until help arrived. He had an S-ICD fitted so hopefully if it happens again it will do its job. He has no recollection of the few days that followed the arrest and since then at first he forgot things and did strange things, like putting his wallet in the fridge. Slowly over the four months he has returned to normal and has good memory recall now. Both his long-term and short-term memory is now Okay. So I think patience is what is needed. If it continues after a few months get your GP to refer him to the local memory clinic for assessment.

Hope that helps.

Regards Ron.

[Hidden in reply to sturon]

Thank you. Well done to you aswell. Doing CPR on a loved one is big thing to deal with. Same with my dad he does not remember the incident but his long term memory is very good. Will wait and see. My dad has also been fitted with an ICD.

[sturon]

As you say doing CPR on anyone is scary, but on a loved one it is much worse. We are both lucky that we knew what to do at the time. When I look back I think should I have done things differently but to be honest I think panic and adrenaline took over. For us the outcome for our loved ones was positive. Having an ICD fitted wasn't something we ever thought of but now it's a constant reminder of that day. As I type this my partners Latitude box is flashing for the weekly download - another reminder of the day I nearly lost him.

Regards Ron.

[Haylsnewc]

It gets much better, my heart attack was five weeks ago and afterwards I was forgetting simple words, struggling to manage my appointments etc. But I’m doing much better now, still forget words every now and again but that’s rare.

[donnie_the_aussie]

Hi I had a cardiac arrest and was dead for 9 minutes while being resuscitated by my partner and paramedics.

So lucky to make it and very grateful.

I found that the first couple of weeks I was really vague and dusty and basically lost ten days due to amnesia.

When I arrived home I couldn’t remember bank logins or many conversations I’d had with my partner before the event which left me feeling hopeless and depressed but as the days and weeks went on I would wake and feel a bit sharper earlier in the the day then go back to being forgetful and in a haze but each day I got better and my mind stayed more alert for longer now it’s been eight weeks since my cardiac arrest and I am on the the ball and back to normal and feeling great.

Which I think a healthy diet and and a slow build up day by day week by week of walking short distances at first slow extending the distance as I felt more comfortable.

I’m not sure my situation is the same as yours but I’m 49 with a long history of untreated high blood pressure bad diet and poor lifestyle choices.

And I feel great.

So chin up it’s a long steady road back. 😊