Loss of short-term memory?

[Debby]

I know many of you talk about the cog-fog, the word searching and verbal issues. I have experienced those things to a degree. But in the last 1-2 years my short term memory has begun to scare me. There are often complete blank spots. If it wasn't for my family reassuring me that something happened, or was said, or done, I'd think they were messing with ME! Is this a direct result of MS, the meds, or a combination of those two things? Also, can the location of lesions result specifically in memory loss? Can short-term memory loss translate eventually into long-term memory loss as well?

[mjan]

Yes, Crystal, I can identify with you. It is hard enough to put up with cog fog, memory issues, but complete "black outs" is harder.

I have been evaluated for this thinking it was seizures. That was ruled out,though I do have abnormal EEGs.
In fact next week I am seeing a vascular neuro to further investigate this and some pressure pain/dizziness at base of skull. Not sure if any of this is connected or not.

But yes, I lose periods of time. Either its only seconds or longer, not sure. I NEVER know when it happens or that is has happened. It is not until someone tells me that they already told me, or I spoke to them, that I realize I have no memory.

When I was working it was more serious. I would unknowingly put the wrong words or dates in a patient's chart and not be aware until I checked it out later. I would "space out" while seeing patients or when conducting group therapy.. and not know I "disappeared" for a few seconds until they told me. I wonder if it is a o2 thing, vascular or what. That is why I am seeing this vascular neuro next week.

What does your neuro think?

Let me know. Hope you get answers. But yes it should be investigated and seizure activity ruled out.

Warmly, Jan

[Debby]

Hi Jan...I have had seizures as well, likely due to certain meds. I was aware when it first started, and somewhat aware afterwards (after the first time I recognized the sx). It is very disorienting.

For me, I am not aware of the memory loss until an issue comes up. For example, for my birthday I got tickers to Jim Brickman's Christmas concert. My husband and daughter felt the tickets would be safer if they took care of them, but apparently I fought hard to tuck them away myself! Yikes! In October I suddenly thought about the concert, and asked my Dh and dd where those Jim Brickman's tickets were. They both looked at each other with a look like , "crap, we should not have given them to her"!

It turned into a whole thing. I tore everything apart, while crying because I had NO memory of having had the tickets or putting them anywhere.

This a lighthearted example, but there have been other more serious situations. But, like you, I don't know there's a problem until it's pointed out to me.

Good luck to you with your appointment, I hope you get some solid answers. This stuff is scary.

Btw, I also have severe pain in the back of my skull...I thought it was my sinuses?

[mjan]

Hmm... so did you tell your neuro? Just blaming this on cog fog?

I am available via email in my profile if you want to correspond more personally. I would be happy to do that, but identify yoursef in heading that you are from MS world ok?

Ask your family .. if there are times they have witnessed you talking to them or you/they said something and you have no memory..

An enigma for sure!

Jan

[22cyclist]

Short-term memory loss is common in MS. It is a function of both storage and retrieval. We don't store things well and when we do store them we have trouble retrieving them. Long-term memory loss is not common in MS though. Luckily it is a separate function in the brain that is not part of the white matter. It is more deep in the gray matter that MS does not seem to attack. So unlike in Alzheimer's disease, MS patient's tend to retain long-term memories.

I have horrible short-term memory loss. I often don't know if my dh is playing tricks on me or telling me the truth when he says "I told you about this last week". Maybe he did, but I don't remember it at all.

Although seizures do account for some of the blackout features, you don't have to have seizures to have the short term memory loss associated with MS. Most of us just loose blocks of time right out of the blue for no reason other than our disease process.

Lisa

[Debby]

Jan...thanks I will contact you. I appreciate your offer so much. Lisa, thank you for your info. I do not have problems with long-term memory, in fact people will say, "see, you can remember well" (I.e. I must not have a memory problem after all). I didn't realize it was a gray matter vs. white matter issue. You learn new things every day! I'm grateful though. I'd rather forget what I watched on TV or a conversation over memories like my wedding, my Kid's growing up, some of our family/couple trips, the memories of my youth...

[Ga dancer]

I lose many things and some span a period of time. I stopped taking a medication and my doctor chastised me for stopping without letting him know first. I didn't remember taking it, I didn't remember stopping it and I didn't remember discussing with him that I stopped it.

We recently went to Nashville and we were at a great honky-tonk and my husband said I ordered the same thing the last time I was there. My response - did I like it? Don't remember.

[MsGymRat]

Parking

What I hate is not being able to find my van and just standing in the middle of the lot without any clue where my van is. It's so scary and unsettling.

[Debby]

Dancer...I've experienced the medication thing too. I have found keeping meticulous records of date, time & quantity help. The catch, however, is that I have to have my med notebook and pen in hand at the moment I take the medicine, because I often can't remember seconds later if I took the medicine or not. I've worked out some little tricks to help myself, like preparing all my meds for the day and having them in little plastic containers, all lined up.....and sometimes I use alarms/timers - on my phone, the microwave, etc. - to help me remember "when" to take them, and in that moment I CANNOT be distracted and think, "I'll get it in a minute", I make myself take it right away.

Your honky-Tonkin experience made me laugh! Many times my husband will say at least I am "consistent" in my memory loss....we might watch a TV show a second time before moving on because I don't remember it. My husband tells me I respond the same way, or say the same things as I did the first time I watched it!

Karen, ditto on losing the car! It IS scary, frustrating, and occasionally funny! I "try" to see the humor when I can to lighten things up a bit. You have to laugh when you can!

When I was a teenager my brother and I use to mess with our parents. My Dad had a bad memory about where he'd parked the car. So if he & my Mom were going to the grocery store my brother & I knew that was our moment to strike because Dad would always drop my Mom off, then go park the car. We'd wait until he was in the store, then I'd jump out of my car (that was parked in the nether-regions of the parking lot!) and run to my parent's car and park it somewhere else! Then my brother & I would wait until they came out of the store, and my Dad would be standing near where he'd parked the car, gesturing to the effect of, "I know I left it here", while my Mom's hands were in the air, and she was clearly mad at him....meanwhile my brother & I were laughing hysterically! Ah....the days when I had TOO much time on my hands!

I've had to break it down as to when I should take the memory loss seriously, and when I just need to laugh and let it go. I DON'T like having those "blanks" in my memory where it's not like I forgot something, but as if it never happened at all.

Hang in there...at least we have each other here on these boards for understanding & support.

[tinkernurse]

I too have been having a lot of issues with this lately...and its been super frustrating because my friends look at me as the "elephant" because of my notoriously good memory.

A few weeks back one of the doctors I work for asked me to get an instrument and for the life of me I couldn't recall its name or where it could be found in the office (I could see it in my mind at our other office but not where I was)...thankfully one of the other nurses (a friend) found some for me and saved me from crying...I was just soo frustrated and scared to not be able to think.

I've also found myself having to ask my BF if I saw him this day or that or if something happened today or yesterday.

Long term is still as sharp as a tack though

Couple that with SERIOUS word issues that I think are dysrthria and I am a mess

[seal]

What did I do today??

(Truely, I'm not trying to be funny) I had meant to pose this question about memory loss, but I FORGOT (that's so bad!).

Anyway, I work 7 hours a day at a job I've been at 12 years. Luckily, I have that experience, because I will get home and could not tell you a single thing I scheduled or a single conversation I have had.

I always feel a little saner when I have a weird symptom and am not alone!

[fishead]

What I hate is not being able to find my van and just standing in the middle of the lot without any clue where my van is. It's so scary and unsettling.

OMG,
THAT is one of the MAIN reasons I park in handicap (even have clicked my FOB, to initiate the alarm, so I could better find car). Holey COW. So I am CERTAINLY not alone.

[Debby]

If y'all need a laugh on this subject, my post, "I can't believe I just did that" was moved to the wellness page, under the good life. Sometimes we just need to laugh...and we do some crazy things!

I have used my FOB to find my car...guilty! I feel so stupid, staring Into the parking lot, not remembering where I parked, and not always willing to play hide & seek with the car! So I flash the lights, I haven't yet set the alarm off!

[wodita]

I can relate!

Wow! Can I relate with this thread...Been struggling with my short term mem for several years...

Dx RRMS 11/2012..MRI in 2004 showed lesions but I had no real sx so they ruled out MS and said lesions were from migraines when I was young....

9 and 10/2012 I went back to my neuro with the concern about my short term memory and numbness, tightness and tingling in my right hand primarily thumb and pointer finger and palm near them.....

MRI showed 2 new small lesions that we active. one in the neck one in the brain....that lead to the dx.

I am still waiting for the numbness etc to remit but so far the best I get is maybe 2-3 on 1 - 10 with 10 being completely numb and not moving. The worst (currently happening now) is 6-7....

But my s.t. memory is still bad and has been for several years. I may tell the same person the same story two days in a row.....and do lose my truck sometimes in parking lots (it does not have an alarm I can trigger -- time for a new car ) .

I travel alot with my job and now only park my truck on one of 2 floors at the airport, and only on one side of garage and I have to write down spot number....

Before this I once spent 2 hours walking every floor of the garage looking for my truck after a 5 day trip...Very embarrassing and funny at the same time.

Also I Now start some discussions at work saying "just let me know if I told you this already.....my MS may be acting up"

Most of my co-workers now know about my MS and I am able to joke with them and they are very understanding....

Aside from the awkwardness of that part of my memory...I am still able to perform exceptionally well at my job....

I sometimes have to refresh my memory prior to a meeting but once in the meeting, things seem to come back.. But If i forget to "refresh" i can stumble a bit....

At 44 and a dx 2 mos ago--- I am coming to grips with this disease but will be happy to only have the S.T. mem problems and the sensory sx...

Glad to know I am not alone

Take Care!
TONY

[shylarae]

Huh? Short Term Memory

I'm sorry I forgot what the thread subject.