65

Today I visited my GP as I have been having problems recollecting memories and meetings. I was at the Surgery and I had to report to the PPG meetings I had attended in different parts of the NHS, I gagged.

My notes I had taken just seemed to fall of the page and when people asked questions I knew the answers, I just could not reply it was one big problem and eventually I had to make an excuse and walk away from my report. So I went to see my GP and she arranged a triage to see if my Depression was getting worse.

When the Mental Health Team phoned they put me on their books so I was on their Waiting list, then they felt that I needed tests for Dementia before I was seen by a CPN. Today I was visiting the GP and arranging for further tests as I had scans and things several years ago and had plaques forming in my veins of my brain then. I was told it could be my immune system affecting my brain and memory.

I have always been able to think on my feet and multitask up to five problems at a time although now I cannot concentrate on people talking to me, Hazel goes mad at it as I just go blank when she says something or telling me a story of that day. It is strange now I am remembering past activities, although something happening now I can just forget. It just seems I think for the time I am talking or listening, my concentration just sucks, to be blunt.

One thing that seems to be not affected is my typing I still type at about 60 bauds and my brain seems to be operating at that speed. All very strange.

What I am getting at is when we reach sixty, in my case things seem to be falling away, this I feel must start to drop of, life seems to speed up and days, weeks pass with a great urgency.

Hazel has started buying travel books that are mostly photo albums of where we have been as I cannot remember my holidays and the history of areas we have seem. That seems to help and I suppose that I am entering a second childhood where pictures explain a thousand words.

When we are depressed and getting older, not remembering things It can be age, depression or something else, that something else needs checking especially when memories or the lacking of them comes to the fore. If you feel that change through the fog of depression see your GP and have it looked into. Just because you are depressed does not mean nothing else is wrong. Please see to it

BOB

[celtic2746]

hi david youve really been throught it i hope things can improve for you ! take care david

[Stilltrying_]

Bob it is always so lovely to hear from you; I am sorry you are having these difficulties at the moment; it is very sensible advice though as you say that just because we have depression does not mean there can be other things wrong as well.

Bob sending hugs your way; you are really valued by me. Gemma X

PS I don't reply much on here anymore as it's got too busy but I am always really glad when some of the "old faces";( ie people who were on when I first came on and it was a small community ) post up. Interesting point you made about typing. I am able to type even when I can't concentrate on some other things and even if not especially when I'm feeling terrible it is an outlet for me.

XX

[Hidden in reply to Stilltrying_]

Gemma it is always nice to see you on site, you can always get me on the private pages for a chat.

BOB

[Photogeek]

Hi Bob what a lovely honest Post, it's very tough when your memory is affected,

But catching at the beginning will help. Bob I always felt that Depression affects

Our memory at the best of times, and I'm sure there will be research on this

In the future.

It's great that Hazel is so kind and thoughtful, please look after yourself as you

Are such a valued member of this Forum, you are always kind and helpful to

Everyone and have the patience of a saint.

Hannah🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃

[Hidden in reply to Photogeek]

Hello Hannah

I was able to multitask up to five different things and my work now is covering so many different situations, there is always some conflicts and before I was able to think around those.

Hopefully it will be just my sixty five year old brain taking longer

All the best

BOB XXX

[darkshadow]

Hello, BOB. Could it be that your medication is affecting your memory? I ask because I've noticed a change in my ability to remember things and I know that memory loss is mentioned as a possible side effect of my tablets. This is one reason why I am in the process of reducing them. Myra.

[Hidden in reply to darkshadow]

Hello Myra

Thank you for reply

My chronic medical condition causes my immune system to attack joints and i have just learned part of PsA causes tangles in small veins in the brain. I had tests about eight years ago and they saw changes then, they decided to make my condition matter of fact and did not want me to worry. They are still trying to keep my mood high although now I feel I now now the cause.

Hopefully when I take my tests etc it will be just the depression and medications, although the drugs I take thin the blood. I need just wait and see what happens

BOB

[Hidden]

Hi Bob nice to see you as usual, though I am not happy at your news. I hope it is just the depression and it can be sorted, rather than anything else.

Recently I was forgetting things a lot and asked my GP. She just said it was the depression but didn't do any tests etc. I don't think it's anything else. It is wise for you to get the tests Bob coz if it is something else then I do know drugs can help slow down the onset. Fingers crossed for you my love.

I have been to darts this evening and our captain seems to be forgetting a lot these days like names and how to mark the board. I don't know whether he has had any tests or not but we are looking after him and treating him very gently as he is a lovely man. He hasn't forgotten how to play darts though

Keep us updated please. Bev xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hello Bev

Thanks for your concern, I had a tranche of tests done a while ago and I was borderline then, they did not tell me that the problem is caused by my PsA..

The GP confirmed what could be causing the problem I will just need to wait and see.

My memory was really bad at the PPG and I was having problems at my CCG meeting and was having problems fighting my areas problems. Possibly it will be caused by just having to much complexity. We were discussing new contracts and services, I can generally think on my feet and was good at multi-tasking. I suppose if I worry about it, It will just get worse and be self fulfilling. My decisions are still sound, just a little slower, just getting older I suppose.

You want to tell you dart partner to have a good check up, there are several good new drugs coming on the market so I will just se

All the best Bev

BOBxxx

[Olderal]

Bob,I'm a wee bit older than yourself and most people start suffering senior moments , forgetfulness , and lack of sharpness past the age of around 60. Some lucky people stay as sharp as a tack into their nineties but most of us notice some deterioration and in my experience depressive spells also reduce mental sharpness, although usually I've found my sharpness returns when the depressive spell ends.

The trouble is that's hard to measure just how much the deterioration is ,and when depressed we tend to imagine it as worse than it really is. The trick is to realise that most of us lose some sharpness and to cope with it by writing things down, asking people to repeat things if we don't understand ,or when we have n't been really listening.

. The last thing to do is to worry about it , that definitely makes it worse. What we are at say 65 is what we are. Nothing can change that except for the worse by worrying about it. I think also its pretty easy to over estimate how good we were in the past , and therefore to think the deterioration is bigger than it actually is.

I think at 60 plus we can start to relax a bit. We're expected to forget the odd thing and have senior moments. I used to have an extremely good memory and used to be fairly sharp. I just am not as good now but I'm relaxed about it and quite happy to let others take up some of the strain. I'm careful not to take on as many or as demanding social or organising responsibilities. I now have to read the instructions for new purchases instead of doing it all intuitively. Things are more complicated now anyway now that microprocessors can be incorporated into nearly everything. I make lists .and if I have to remember something I have to do in the morning I put something stupid on the breakfast table which reminds me I have to do so and so (if I can remember what the hell it is).

In other words I recognise that although I'm not as good as I once was , I'm still as good as I was once ( but not twice ,if you know what I mean). I think recognising my new limitations stops me worrying about them which means I perform better , and when I fail I just apologise and explain I'm just not as sharp as in the past. I'm also deafer and my eyes are n't quite as good which can also mean I need to use extra brain processing which also knocks performance on memory and sharpness. When I'm struggling to hear what they are saying (if I have n't got my hearing aids in) its harder to make the right deductions.

Olderal

[deejames]

Bob. I'm pretty sure I recollect you are on lots of medication, not just for the depression but the pain. I hope I've not muddled that up.

I too have a kind of brain fog that sweeps across my brain. Sometimes it fine but at others I can't even remember the 'how' of thinking. Not just remembering things but the actual process of how to think. Its like a muscle refusing to co-operate. I'm on a small dose of Sertaline but an increasing dose of morphine. Pain fuddles my brain as well.

The thing is you sound so coherent and mentally acute in your messages. Is writing easier or did you just take a long time ?

I do feel very much for you. Physcial problems can be visible and hence easier for other people to respond sympathetically too.

Hope you tests can shed some light on what's going on

Dee

[Hidden in reply to deejames]

Hello Dee

We were talking about typing, I still type at about 60 Bauds a min and I find that easy, I suppose we type slower than we think on our feet, I was always taught on courses to multitask that now seems to have become slower now.

I am in a way happy that my typing seems ok. I have meetings next week and several reports to read for next week, sometimes I feel the print just falls of the page, Suppose if I get two reports that conflict I get confused when I should not.

All the best

BOB

[Findingme]

Dang, I thought the post meant it was your birthday and I was going to wish many happy returns. Sorry to hear of your troubles.

[Marylyn]

Short term memory loss,depression,can be all signs of Vitamin B 12 deficiency.There are a lot of other symptons as well IBS,falls,dementia ,anaemia & unable to walk due to nerve damage are severe long term deficiency.Drs usually prescribe antidepressants which don't fix the cause only treat symptons.Blood tests advised serum B12 ,folate,Vitamin d.ferritin,MMA,iron studies.My info comes from personal experience as both my hubby & I have B12 deficiency experiencing anxiety,depression,short term memory loss & numb feet peripheral neuropathy?Serum B12 needs to be > 500 otherwise you need supplements now.,Hoping this gives you an answer to your neuro symptoms.