Spondylitis Association of America Forums General Discussion General Message Board for Ankylosing Spondylitis and Related Diseases How bad is your memory?

I took my granddaughter to school and went on another 9 miles to get stuff to make a cookie castle. I could only look, because my little zipper pouch with everything in it was not in my purse, because I forgot to put it in when I paid something. I hope I paid something. I get home and start on the dishes. Can't load the dishwasher, because I forgot to unload it. Have to check them to make sure I actually turned it on and washed the damn things.

I empty the bottom, open the top and remove a coffee cup. Sidetracked, coffee sounds good. No creamer, go to pantry grab something out for later and forget the creamer. An hour later, realize the dishwasher is still open and half unloaded. Oh, that's right, I made a cup of.......water. I forgot to put the coffee in. Dump the water and put cup back in dishwasher, crap, I was emptying that. So, finally the dishwasher is unloaded, the sink is still full and now i'm sitting down because i'm out of energy. I'm my own worst enemy. Will have to pick up the child from school, surely I can remember that.

sounds like me!! I have to set a timer/alarm/task on my phone for everything or I will forget!

Maybe some of this for me is just "senior moments," but I depend on lists, calendars, and notes to cope with my forgetfulness, which is worse when I'm stressed, tired, or super-medicated. I put a "CLEAN DISHES" post-it note on the dishwasher when I start running it - otherwise I either forget to unload it, or if there's space for one more dirty dish, my husband (or I) will find it and put the dirty in with clean.....

Since we're a 20-minute drive from town, I try to consolidate trips and almost always use a list to help me keep errands in order, to save time and gas.

I used to think my mother (who lived to 93) was "sot in her ways" just because she wanted to be...but now I realize it was her way of coping and keeping things straight. And I think I'm following right in her footsteps...egads!!

Don't worry too much about the memory thing, unless you find yourself doing something dangerous like leaving the stove on or forgetting to get a child out of the car -- otherwise, just laugh it off and go on. You have lots of good company!!

How bad is my memory? I can't remember.

This is what they call "multi-tasking." Hah. A myth. Seriously though - this doesn't sound like a memory thing as much as being overly busy and as a result, scattered. Like Joani, I am a listmaker - always have been. I also use the calendar function in my cell phone to help remember appointments but also other time sensitive stuff like certain errands. Helps a LOT. If I had to remember everything I'd be sunk!

I'm losing my vocabulary. Years ago, I would know just the right word to use for a particular conversation or description. Then it got to where the word wasn't there when I started the thought, but I knew it would appear on my tongue by the time I got to that point in the sentence. Now I stammer and stumble trying to say what I want to say, because that "just right" word eludes me altogether. I sometimes have to stop mid-sentence and just wait for the vocabulary part of my brain to catch up.

I attribute it to several things:
1. Fatigue
2. Always being so busy
3. Fatigue
4. trying to juggle too many thoughts at once


Oh, and did I mention fatigue? :p

I have noticed a big change in my ability to speak since the Gralise. I think I lost have my vocabulary. Luckily, I don't have to talk to too many people and the ones I do seem to start guessing what I was gonna say. I used to be a super multi tasker and a super hard worker, now I feel useless sometimes. It will get better.....

My mom has trouble with her words all the time, and I notice it's because she's trying to use overly complicated words. I think she's trying to come across as knowing more vocabulary than she does. She has told me (and I don't mean for this to sound egotistical) because I am quite intelligent, she feels like she has to use "smart words" instead of speaking like she knows how to speak. Friends have told me the same thing several times. It's not like I correct them (at least not all the time)

But seriously, I think some people are too quick to jump from the beginning of a thought straight to the end. Maybe they feel rushed in life, maybe they are hurrying everything during short times of feeling half decent, who knows. Unless you begin to forget your own name or things along those lines, I wouldn't put too much thought into this. Things like this could start a revolving stress-maker. You get stressed about something that makes you rush your words, you get stressed because you are rushing your words, cycle rinse and repeat.

endoplasmic reticulum, deoxyribonucleic acid, supercalifragi.....ah, forget it, that's all the big words I know!

I've noticed my husband having trouble finding words. I make him keep at it until he finds them. I think sometimes we just need to reinforce those connections.
I have memory problems similar to what myre reports. In addition I find that I don't trust my memory, like did someone tell me that or did I just think it. That's a little scary. I found out that certain statins have been implicated in memory problems. I'm sure fatigue plays a role.
My mother in law had alzheimer's. Usually the first things they lose is short term memory, such as repeating yourself or forgetting to pay bills etc. A certain degree of forgetfulness as you age or are fatigued/stressed is normal.

I'm having trouble with words I used daily (and trust me they are simple words, lol), but this started after the Gralise. I never look up side effects unless something changes after I start a new med and that is on there. The agitated feeling is one too, I cut down the dose one pill and it seems to getting better. May have to adjust slower than the titration pack. I'll get it figured out, this is the only thing that has helped the boots in my back, all my ribs are broke and it hurts to breathe problem. I would hate to have to stop it.

A big one for me is forgetting what I am talking about in mid-sentence. It helps if I ask what I was talking about or when people finish my sentences. I really wish there was something that could help my memory or lack of concentration.

On the other hand, I have found that if I study hard (at school) I can still retain a lot of information and recall it if needed.

It's funny in a way, kinda like charades around here. When I can find a word my hands get to going. Sometimes I do the lost mid sentence thing, I just ask "what was we talking about"?

I have watched movies and realized somewhere halfway that I have seen it before. I'm started to read some of my books that I have already read. I usually recognize the story lines, but have no problem reading it again. I get them mixed up, too, and think somethings gonna happen in it and it doesn't. Oops, that was another book, lol.

Mrye
I do the same things with movies and books. I joke with my family that I don't need as many movies or books cause they're all new to me.

Yep, if its not in my "reminders" it doesn't get remembered. I have such bad brain fog it's scary.

I'm trying to take two online courses and I seriously can't remember things like I used to a few years ago. I'm SUPER anal about my class work too so being scatterbrained is killing me. I am afraid to take my two tests bc I don't want to screw them up!

I'm definitely having problems with words when I talk. Most days, I will just speak the wrong word - apple instead of chair, or 15 instead of 25. I'm not having an issue with complicated words - just simple everyday words.

It's bad enough that I often have people stop suddenly and tell me "Huh? What did you just say?" I have to ask them what I really said (I don't remember saying the wrong word), and then figure out what I was trying to say.

It's reaching the point that I'm somewhat scared to give public talks, which I used to do frequently, because I'm afraid I'll speak nonsense.

Wow - I'm amazed to read that so many of us are experiencing exactly the same things. Age might explain some of my memory issues, but I've been alarmed at how quickly they're worsening in the last 2 years. I'm not on any serious meds - just NSAIDS. Anyone think these sxs are spondy-related?

i was told at Mayo that high inflammation by itself can cause fagged memory- coming and going

Hooray-- it's not just senility! Sometimes the wrong word just falls out of my mouth...so good to know I'm not in this boat by myself!

My memory is bad, plus I also have a hard time finding the right words when I am talking. It is frustrating because I have always had a decent vocabulary, now I find myself stuttering when talking as I try to come up with even simple words that I should recall with ease. I am only 38 so it does concern me a great deal. My attention span is also terrible.

I understand what you are saying, but in my case that's not what I mean when I say I can't find that "just right" word. It's not big flowery words, but just normal words that I lose. For example, yesterday I was talking to someone about a civic club fundraiser and I couldn't find the word "chairperson." Ordinary, every day word, but it wouldn't come. After stuttering for a moment, I had to say "the person in charge." Not a big deal when it's just an occasional thing, but when it happens every day, it's very disconcerting.

That is exactly what I do, although I think it has improved since dropping the dose of neurontin.

we, ppl living with AS, are usually astute with disease knowledge. I'm wondering if this effects a lot of us?

Study out of Israel published in August 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106325