Memory loss after viral meningitis

[Csalzman30]

Hello!

I've had VM (Molaret's) five times.

I saw a neurologist after the fourth time who told me that chronic meningitis didn't cause memory loss. After each bout, my memory gets worse. Can any of you relate to this? What have your doctors said?

Thank you for your time.

C

[Fortywinks4]

Hi. My son ( who is now 34) had bacterial meningitis at birth. Short term memory loss is one of the challenges he faces as a result. Some days he may have a good day where he will remember something from a week ago but those days are few and far between. His way of coping is to put everything down on his phone or write it down. Wishing you all the best.

[Bellesmom12]

Yes it does. The end. I had it once and cannot remember nearly as well as I did. Especially lose my words. They have no clue.

[Csalzman30 in reply to Bellesmom12]

Yes! I lose my words! It drives me crazy, especially at work.

[Bellesmom12 in reply to Csalzman30]

Yes especially if I get stressed and need to sound smart. So frustrating. You are not alone.

[Jonad724]

I was diagnosed with Mollaret’s in 2010 and the issue is that the medical profession doesn’t understand it or indeed VM. I was told that Mollaret’s was so rare that I couldn’t possibly have it.

If you are experiencing memory loss after each bout and you know each attack of Mollaret’s is doing it then regardless of what the doctors say, that’s the cause.

Doctors understand about 20% of how the brain works but are reluctant to actually say so. The reason is they think confidence in the profession will be affected if they do. I work with the medical profession a lot and saying I don’t know is. It something they do very often.

[ncosto]

I had Mollarets Meningitis 3 times over a 5 year period between 2001-2005. Each bout was followed by Shingles. I did not experience any cognitive decline from them. I was recently diagnosed with CLL (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia) which has settled in my central nervous system, created Leptomeningeal disease, impacting my vision and my inner ear with meningitis type pain (at the back of the skull). I am in treatment for the cancer, but do not have any memory or congitive symptoms.