Losing memory & scared

Hi there,
Has anyone that has been on meds. noticed a progressive loss of memory? I'm not sure what is happening to me but quite frankly I am becoming scared, really
I know some meds can do this, but is it forever? I am going to call my pdoc and see if I can see him sooner than scheduled too. Meanwhile it is getting very scary and today it made me panic and start crying, I do not know anymore what to think
Your input would be appreciated.
Thanks,
"darkeyes"

In giving advice seek to help, not please your friend
SOLON

It could be that you are really stressed. Are you? I know I used to be able to memorized like insane. I could remember every conversation I've had..........Anywho, I got really stressed over a lot in my life and at first it would really upset me that I couldn't remember things, but then I realized it was stress and really need to slow up a little if possible.

People know a little about everything and alot about nothing.

What kinds of things are you not remembering? Important things or less important? If it is less important stuff, maybe you are just filling up that memory space with new information. What did your pdoc say?

I used to be able to remember conversations word for word years afterwards and I have recently realized that I don't anymore. Sometimes I can't even remember recent conversations that I considered important. But I think that remembering details like that just isn't so important anymore so I haven't really worried about it. I'm not on meds (except for St John's Wort) but I have had a lot of stress in the last several months. I don't know whether you have something you should be worried about or not, but it's entirely possible that there is a legitamate reason that you don't remember things. Talk to your doctor about it though. If it is related to the meds it could be reversible too.


The juvenile sea squirt wanders through the sea searching for a suitable rock or hunk of coral to cling to and make its home for life. For this task it has a rudimentary nervous system. When it finds its spot and takes root it doesn't need its brain any more so it eats it. It's rather like getting tenure.
Rodolfo Llinas, neuroscientist (from Daniel C. Dennett's Consciousness Explained).

Thanks for both of your replies, I sum it up to the great deal of stress and loss I am going through, oh and yes, being "middle aged", ha!ha!
Take care,
"darkeyes"

Too bad we just couldn't forget only the things and people we want to, like "selective" memory, ha!ha!

In giving advice seek to help, not please your friend
SOLON

I was taking a full class load at college a few years back. I felt that I had to take notes and study 2-3 harder than my peers in order to keep up. I had to keep a very detailed calendar just to recall where to go from one class to the next, what homework to do, what test to study for, etc. In conversations topics would come up that I should have recalled and it was brand new. This was embarrasing and I learned how to fake it, or at least try to fake it when memory failed. (My much younger classmates must have thought I was senile.)

My pdoc said these were typical ssri side effects. Not good for a student!

Now I am off meds and have been for a few weeks. I have not noticed any better memory, but not been put to the kind of challenge that classwork is. It would be a great benefit to regain better brain functionaltiy.

Thanks for your reply I have been off of SSRI's for a whole year now, we have summed this problem to all the family stress that has gone down since last year, dad died, and mom has been progressively getting worse (health) and as I speak is in ICU again
Pdoc says this is all the junk in my head taking up more room than the brain and emotions can take.
For now, I'll deal with it and see what happens, I do keep with all my pdoc appts. and regular doc appt. so my health in both areas get the "nod of approval", yay!
Great talking to you
"darkeyes"

In giving advice seek to help, not please your friend
SOLON