I keep forgetting things: Hi, for some time I've... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

143,884 members•169,351 posts

I keep forgetting things

•

12 years ago•21 Replies

Hi, for some time I've been very forgetful. I always have had the odd lapse or two but for some reason it's been getting worse as it happens every day and it's bothering me a lot.

Things that I forget/get mixed up are:

* Not putting things back where they belong.

* Forgetting to do something continuously - I was planning on putting my electric toothbrush on charge and I meant to do it in the morning but it wasn't until late afternoon that I remembered and that I did it.

* Forgetting what I wanted to say.

* Forgetting names of people, places, etc, items.

Yesterday and today were the worst. Yesterday I couldn't remember if I locked the flat door or not - turns out that I did and I didn't remember. It was only when I was outside the main block's front door that I decided to check.

Today I had a microwave meal (one of those that you put on for 3 minutes, let stand and put on for another 3 mins). I had it on for the first 3 mins then took it out and started to eat it, forgetting I had another 3 mins to put it on for!! I mean I know my memory has ever been a hundred per cent and examples like these make me feel ever so senile. I'm only 28 and my memory is this bad? I feel awful!!

Is this typical of Hashi's? I'm only into my 125mcg meds by 5 days but it's been bothering me so much I don't know what to do about it. I guess I just let the meds do their thing for now. I've only been diagnosed this May.

Thanks

Read more about...

Dementia

21 Replies

•

12 years ago

Typical thyroid symptoms I'm afraid! It's early days with your increase and does sound as though you're being monitored.

• in reply to12 years ago

Hi, thanks for your answer.

Yes, I haven't been on the increase for long so it's just a matter of waiting. It's a shame the GP can't do anything about it as of now.

Jackie12 years ago

Hi It is normal with any hormonal illness or in severe illness, eg, Cardiac. Your meds may not be right. However, you can only tell after 3 months daily on the prescription. Then repeat tests TSH, T4 and Free T3. Then meds adjusted as needed.often T4 ( thyroxine) and T3 needed, depending on tests. Always have a print out and keep. Normally depends on, how you feel, T4 being in top third of range and FT3 near the top ( never over). Also, you will need the further tests for commonly related problems, see the site for details. First get the thyroid tests right if possible. However, vit D ( hormonal) is an important first test too. If low, corrected calcium ( separate test) before D treatment from a doc,, monitored.

I hope that helps.

Best wishes,

Jackie

• in reply toJackie12 years ago

Hi Jackie, thanks for your answer.

Well, my GP has said for me to be reviewed in three months' time - what for I don't know. Would that mean he'd be reviewing my meds again? I've only been on the 125mcg thyroxine for a little under a week and he wants my blood test done three months after that !!

Jackie• in reply to12 years ago

Hi Yes, That sounds right, be sure you have the bloods done about a week before and do not take the thyroid meds until after the test on that morning. Also do try and get a free T3 test with the TSH, T4, at the very least. Always ask for a print out ( receptionist) and keep. Good idea to study before you see the GP.Put on the site, if time.

Best wishes,

Jackie

12 years ago

Hi, I think memory and attention problems can be a normal side effect of any illness that affects things like hormone levels because your body is stressed and therefore taking attention away from the external world. The best way to cope I think is relaxation and allowing the body to recuperate although I know that's easier said than done. Whenever you can do the things that enable you to forget about yourself and just enjoy.

• in reply to12 years ago

Hi thanks for your answer.

Yes, I do relax by listening to music. What I use as real therapy is drawing but that's harder for me to do as my dominant hand gives up more quickly than it used to!!

serenfach12 years ago

When you get to the stage of putting your handbag in the fridge, getting into the passenger side of the car and wondering who had pinched the steering wheel, running a bath then doing something else and then thinking that you need to run a bath, forgetting to put coffee in the cup so you end up with a cup of hot water, posting letters without putting the letter in the envelope..........then you can join my club! I miss my brain....

• in reply toserenfach12 years ago

Haha, lol. Well I've forgotten to put a teabag in the cup so I end up with hot water. (I do drink coffee but I'm a tea drinker normally!) But when I do forget my brain comes over a bit cloudy/foggy. This is what puts me off looking for a job as I'm worried I'll forget things. I'm trying to look for an easy job, not too demanding. I loved my old job before but I left because I didn't agree with their work/life balance policy they kept bleating on about (there was no work/life balance at all!!) and because I'd started to feel so sick (as in feeling tired, being constipated and having aching muscles etc) I didn't want to spend any time off ill as I'd been on disciplinary for it in the past. Some places - you just can't win!!

• in reply to12 years ago

Hi Jo, been there! worst moment for me was when I was driving and forgot where I was heading! pulled over on the motorway distressed and phoned my hubby to tell me where I should be! Ironically, I was heading for the doctors, only sympathy I got was to be told off for being late!!

• in reply to12 years ago

Hi Shellbee, thanks for your answer!! I can empathise with how distressing it can be. I only have to get a minor thing wrong - my OH would think it's nothing - but to me it's a pretty big deal.

I said something yesterday (which he actually found very funny). We were watching the US Open tennis and the players/umpire use the electronic review system called Hawkeye. Of course I knew it was called Hawkeye but I called it Birdseye! He found it so funny that he's going to tell his dad about it!!

I had a similar experience when out driving - I had to go for an interview out to Portishead but the only way to get there was on a motorway. I reached the actual road with no problems but there were about 10 office units and they were dotted over more than just one estate!! I was getting so stressed out after driving round aimlessly that I gave up. There was just no way I could be driving out to Portishead from Bristol via motorway every day - and Portishead is about 8 miles from where we are!!

I even do things like put the lid for the teabag pot on top of the cup I want to use for tea - last night I meant to fill the kettle with water and instead I was going to fill my teacup with tap water. I don't know what's going on.

beaton12 years ago

Isn't it nice that we are all so "normal".xx

• in reply tobeaton12 years ago

Yes it is lol!! xx

Hansaplatz12 years ago

I'd say it is normal for Hashi's if you aren't yet on the right medication. I'm 28 too and I have problems like that when I've not been on the right dose - makes me feel bad too, especially since I used to have such a good memory. They went away completely for the time I was on a good dose (2 years) but have had them lately as no longer on the right dose sadly. I hate the fact I can literally think I should do X thing and turn around and have forgotten it in the split-second. Names and words also so hard for some reason, I use thingamy and wotsit a lot in my house!

• in reply toHansaplatz12 years ago

Hi Hansaplatz thanks for your answer.

Maybe I'm still not on the right dose - I'm worried about going back to my GP about anything hypo-related like the brain fog/memory issues as he's not expecting me to come back until November for a follow-up.

I had a pretty good memory too - so I can understand how bad it can make you feel when you forget things.

With me if I forget names and words I'd call them something else or take a long time to come up with the right name/word!!

Hansaplatz• in reply to12 years ago

With only 5 days into your new dose it's probably too early to tell if the 125mcg is right. Hopefully you'll have a better idea in about 3-5 weeks once you should be feeling most of the changes of that increase. Frustrating to wait but necessary. If you still have symptoms after 8 weeks from the change it is worth going back to your GP about it though.

Yeah, it can be bizarre when you used to be good at remembering and suddenly your brain is all foggy and it feels like grasping at nothing suddenly! I do find I come downstairs and often forget why, which is extra annoying if I don't remember until I go back upstairs as getting up the stairs are not my friend when I'm like that.

• in reply toHansaplatz12 years ago

Thanks for your answer!!

We're lucky with the stairs issue - we live in a flat and don't have any lol! But still I've gone into the bedroom for something and completely forgotten why I'm in there. Or sometimes I've gone into there and got what I thought was everything I wanted - turns out that I still forget the odd thing.

Hannahbanana12912 years ago

It's lovely to hear that I'm "normal". I'm on 200mcg thyroxine and am about to start 20mcg liothyronine. Hoping sorting the T3 may help my memory. I constantly forget where I'm walking or driving, pick something up and forget why, even have to re read pages of books as I can't remember what I've read!! (Not great as I'm studying)

• in reply toHannahbanana12912 years ago

Hi Hannah,

I really feel for you considering you're studying -- hope that works out ok for you in the end. I've been in similar situations where I've had to write things down when starting a new job as that's studying in a sense I guess! In my last role which I wasn't in for very long there were so many processes I had to learn and I explained in my one-to-one that I had trouble with my memory. She merely asked me to use a notepad to write things down in but then I would go back through my notes and not know why I wrote certain bits down!

Anyway, I'm now hoping that the job I've now got my interview for is simple. It's with my previous employer and should I be offered the post I would be under the same title as I was before. So hopefully it shouldn't be too much to learn all in one go. The only difference is that it's part-time, I would be working in a different department and maybe on a different floor. I can also mention to my potential boss the problems I have as well as go through HR and see what happens. I wanted it to be part-time as I could have rest days when off duty.

Ditto with the driving as well - I don't know why but if I know I have to go anywhere my fear is I'm going to forget which pedal is the brake and which is for the gas. When I get into the car I instinctively know but it's a very strange thought process.

I'd love to try T3 but I've heard that you have to really fight to be put onto it. I don't know if this is still true. I wrote to my GP some time ago saying I wasn't getting on with the T4 very well at all and all he wrote back about that was that he was sorry it wasn't initially working out as it does with most people.

I'm trying to also alternate when I take thyroxine but no time seems to work for me. If I take it before I go to bed I wake up early in the morning and if I take it in the morning I get "buzzy" and then slump again. It's so frustrating that I'm working to get everything with myself just right and the one thing that's the most important doesn't want to work at all.

Good luck with taking the T3!

Thanks and take care

Jo xx

tateygreentea11 years ago

Hi every one my memory is getting worse and what makes it even worse is I work for the alzheimers society and im really worried about my life in the future im 59 years old and feel their is no help out there once you are told you have a thyroid problem just take the pills im getting very depressed and spoke to gp and more pills are given you know one will tell you what to exspect once your told i have had a thyroid problem for over 15 years

helvella4 years ago

When you see a user name of Hidden, it means that the person is no longer a member of this forum.

We often close posts that were originated by members who have now left. Occasionally, the thread might still be active and popular and will be left. More often, it is simply a case of none of the admins noticing!

There is no point in wasting our time making replies which will not be seen by the former member.

Sometimes the information in the thread is out-of-date.

Mostly, members will not even see any replies that are made (unless it happens to be noticed in the news feed).

I shall now be closing this post to replies.

If you wish to call any new post to the attention of another member, such as someone on the old thread, you can follow this Help topic:

support.healthunlocked.com/...

We recommend that you write a brand new post to ask your question or post your information.

You can always copy the link to this thread (from the address bar of a web browser) and paste it into any new post you make.