Hi Friends-Do any of you struggle with memory issues from MS? I know cog fog is common in MS and my Neuro even wrote on my SSDI papers that I have mild cog fog a a few years ago. So, it’s not a surprise.
But I struggle mostly with a multiple step task at times and/or when other stimuli go on at same time like my hubby talking to me or my son. I can get easily distracted and forget something I’m doing then ask myself, ok where was I with this? Or did I do that already? Geesh, I still feel witty in ways even with daily MS fatigue, but I need to vent.
I know extreme heat affects MS symptoms too so I may be boiling my brain when I’m out since I live in Arizona, plus Covid sanitizing after I leave a store or appointment is too much to deal with. I’ve had this issue moreso since last year, and since my MS diagnosis 7 years ago. Some daily things are easy and some seem harder.
And I lose my CANE often, which I’m famous for in my household. I ask my hubby to look for it. And yes, I have a back up cane in room where I sleep for this reason, but sometimes I lose both at same time, LOL. It’s frustrating when this happens. It worries me with bigger things I forget. Ex. Like yesterday, I went to wrong Mri imaging place for my brain MRI and wrote it down last week but didn’t recall that it was a new address as Medical assistant told me so I went to old place I used to go. Dumb stuff like this. The smaller stuff I can let go or laugh about it and think, it’s MS, oh well. It’s a good thing I got rescheduled for this routine Brain MRI tomorrow (Wed) to see how things are looking upstairs.
I’ll be on a quest online for a GPS App that can find my cane and my reading glasses. I hope I find something like this and if not, maybe I’ll create one. Anyone else struggle with similar stuff? I’d love to hear from you if you like to share.
Thanks for reading!
Nikki
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nicoly3467
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I have short term memory loss Nikki, I put things down, then 2 minutes later, find it and wonder how it got there. Let us know how you get on with your brain mri. Blessings Jimeka 🤗
You are not alone! All of these things sound very familiar to me. I depend a lot on writing things down, but even that doesn’t always work; like the time something important occurred to me, along with the thought “I’d better write that down!,” and by the time I picked up the pen (that was *right next to me*!) I had absolutely no clue what I was even thinking about.
For your cane, maybe something like the Tile tracking device? Here’s a link about a few options: tomsguide.com/us/best-key-f...
A neuropsychologist gave me a couple useful strategies for not losing things so often. First, have designated places for things—for me, my phone was my biggest problem so in each room I have one spot it. At first I even limited the number of rooms. As it’s not always convenient to walk across the room to the designated spot, if I need to put it down somewhere unusual, I say to myself “I’m putting the phone next to the _____.” It works even better if you say the words out loud because your brain gets an extra two sensory inputs: speaking the words, and hearing them.
I totally agree about saying things aloud! I started doing this all the time now and probably forget and do it in public, like in the grocery store LOL Well, one of the benefits for wearing a mask is that people can't see my lips moving HaHa!! But saying things out loud do seem to help in cementing them in my mush of a brain!
Cognitive and memory issues were a big surprise for me. I didn’t realize they were not uncommon with MS and was shocked when I tried to can tomatoes and couldn’t think what I needed to do next. I’d done canning for about 40 years then. When I plunged my hand into a pot of boiling water, I knew I was in trouble. Some days, I don’t notice a problem at all, but other dats, it’s a struggle to accomplish anything. I sure understand your frustration with losing things, too.
I’ve had conversations I’m unaware of. I might be at an all time low for memory and verbal communication 😑
I’m always anxious about talking to people because I don’t know if I will make sense or if I will remember anything that was said. New neighborhood is super with that black cloud following me! Placing an order on the phone can be a nightmare, so I try to have everything written out and hope they ask no questions.
Yes, same thing happens to me. The most frustrating thing is that I used to be able to read something once and memorize it without any difficulties... text books, phone numbers, faces, names, stories, songs. And not only for a few days, but pretty much forever. Now it is like if the hard drive is full and I only work with RAM, which gets erased very fast. I can’t keep up with more than a single activity at a time. Totally frustrating. Trying to exercise my brain with word games and stuff.
Funny you should mention it! You’ll be glad to know you’re not alone with memory issue. I’ll be looking at some that I see 24/7 & I KNOW I know his name but for a few secs I can’t remember it. Or go someplace & be going down the road & wonder why I was driving on the road, turn around & go home. (Never did make it to the Post Office that day!) But the one thing I don’t do is take it seriously! None of us asked to have this “auspicious” disease (Like that big word, huh!?) & if we can’t joke about it ourselves, then who can?
Because of where lesions are on my brain among other things I have major cognition problems . These include the worst short term memory , problems concentrating , processing data and decision making . You get used to this in time but even now 20 yrs later I think I shouldn’t have to write notes on EVERYTHING so don’t forget all that’s happened per day .
I write everything that I need to do on a piece of paper, and then I promptly lose that note so I have nothing to do, or so it seems! So frustrating... Keep Smiling, nicoly3467
I'm constantly losing my c ane. A photo will show up someday on the back of a milk carton.
I have a fantastic memory!
I ust forgot where I put it.
It is probably where my cane is . . . . and that little bottle of antidiarreal pills.
But seriously, the heat does makes my cognitive faclties worse. And I do find my really foggy memory very frustrating because I did used to have--not a photographic memory, but I called it a Memorex memory. I drove teachers and professors nuts. If I heard them say something, I could repeat it back to them word for word months later. My brain was crammed with a lot of useless trivia.
Now it is just crammed with brain leisions and dead brain cells from my brain bleeds. And I might actually remember something at 3:00 am.
Short Term Memory Problems - Got a solution for that....in a minute. Forgetting your cane, that's an easy one to solve, get more canes! I had quite a collection for many years. I inherited some, got gifted some, bought some. Nearly all the same cheap design that worked well for me for year. Now I still have one in the car, 3 in the cane rack at the front door, one hanging on the wall as a trophy, in the basement, and one more, never used in the front hall closet. And see, I remembered them all! I'm getting better!
Long term memory, well that's another story. Don't ask me details about anything, unless I'm near my computer. I may have lost mine, but I did a great job filing EVERYTHING onto my own personal database, my computer. And it's backed up to the cloud, so if it ever dies, it will live on to be downloaded to it's successor. Come to think of it however, how do I get it from the cloud if the means to do so is stored on my computer? Better paper copy that before I forget. Speaking of forgetting,....sorry, took a second to write that thought down before I forget. Post-it: "Paper Copy How to retrieve Cloud Accounts" Done, do it later. Oh yeah, forgetting. POST-IT's!!! Those handy dandy things! I've got the paper type, the digital type, all over my screen. I estimate at least 350 on my desktop right now! Time to start filing I guess. Stored in their proper spot? Thousands? I got 650,000+ miles on my last truck in no time at all, relatively. I've been at this longer, so??? M.S. is the post-it disease! Luckily years ago when I was first diagnosed, I invested in Post-It Corporation. Or had I just wished I had? LOL!
Your canes.... They also make this key finder thing, that comes with all these little tags you attach to things you can't keep track of. I use one on our cat! You could assign one to your cane, or one to each of them. Press the button, and they will start beeping, and a bright lite will start blinking. Now, if you can only keep from loosing the remote?
My neurologist told me a fool proof way to keep from loosing things, (no he didn't), simply permanently attach them to you. That thin stainless cable crimped to your cane, and your wrist. You won't loose that again! Just have to arrange the cane just right to get to bed. And make sure your spouse or other doesn't mind getting whacked once in a while if you turn in your sleep! Did I ever do that? Nope, used the post-it on the forehead thing.
i haven't worked since i was 27. i looked fine and was fired and it still breaks my heart i can't work so i'm on ssdi which equals poverty for me. cog fog is putting it mildly re. my experience. i have serious cognitive impairment. i pass as fine but i have no short term memory and forget about multi tasking. my cognitive problems due to ms has changed everything. it's maddening.
How I got out of the Cog Fog? I tried a 1 million candle power rechargeable spotlight. Didn't help. I tried air horns. Nope. My fog lights on the car, did nothing either. Enough sorry humor, though humor does help a little. But what did help me, was everyday, stop eating. Don't know why, maybe gut health? Maybe nutritional changes? Anyway, noticed that after eating anything ion the morning. Example, an egg, over easy, literally nothing else, and an hour or so later. The fog rolled in, such that I couldn't function. But, after trying everything I could think of, I realized if I simply didn't eat, I didn't go comatose with brain fog. So I learned to hold off till dinner, when I knew after eating that was it for me. Did that for a year? But then came up with the idea, what if I juiced fruits and veggies. Did not slip into the brain fog coma! Did that for over a year and a half. Then started vita mixing to try and get some bulk. Juice is great, but it doesn't hold off hunger long. And if your not comatose, you are actually doing something and need to eat more? That worked too. Slowly then added in solid veggies, with bits of lean meat or fish. Now, I eat healthy, mostly fruits and veggies, with small portions of fish, seafood, or meat. NO PROCESSED FOODS.
Okay, as a special event, we did a pizza! But right back to healthy eating. Read up on it. Worked for me! After many years of life in the fog, I'm back!
Also, don't know if it helps or not, was desperate, saw a Dr. Oz where Bacopa Leaf helps? Still do that with my other vitamins. Don't think it does much, but I'm good, so why mess with it? On no meds whatsoever, just a few vitamins / supplements. And for the pain at night, cannabis flower, vaped, per my neurologist's recommendation after exhausting everything he (and my other neurologists) could think of for the pain. High CBD flower, even from hemp, works great to kill the pain (burning feet similar to but different than diabetic neuropathy).
Try a few months of juicing fruits and veggies. Doesn't take anything fancy. I used a $40 Hamilton Beech juicer. Worked like a charm. But be diligent, give it time. If after a couple month's of honest trial, then judge for yourself.
You are definitely not alone! My biggest issue - cognative! I was a degreed accountant. But couldn't dare do it now... I get confused, anxiety issues. I used to have great fun throwing large parties or going out. Not now. I say things that sound stupid. I can't keep up in large crowds. And on and on. The damage to the nerves in our brains is real. Just had this conversation with my neurologist yesterday. He put me on Webutrin and referral to psychiatrist. This is not the old me. But I have to learn how to work with the new me. Hang in there!! 😊
I've had neuropsych testing twice. He told my "computer is buffering" so when my brain takes a walk, I think of that little circle going round and round.
nicoly3467 I hope you see you are not alone. The only reason I don't lose my glasses is they stay on until bed time. I have lost canes, cameras, phones many times. I've gotten lost in familiar places and forget names instantly. I actually couldn't keep my full time job anymore because i kept mixing people up with eachother. Multi-step processes are impossible. I write everything down on my phone. If it's not in there it doesn't get done. I had to work with a cognitive psychologist who helped me figure out plans for keeping track of stuff. Still haven't done my taxes!
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