Suddenly realised I was getting old!

I'm so comforted by reading about all your experiences, as I've been having some weird things too recently. And as I'm 81 it well could be the start of something! However, maybe it's not as some of you are having "blank moments" too. I'm grateful for this poster.

Yes to everyone’s questions I forget names for minutes sometimes hours I have talked to people who use my Christian name and I ve no idea who I am talking to
I do find if I get a bit flustered or nervous I m ten times worse
My daughter once mentioned there’s no such thing as a brain losing its edge (so to speak) and that I may have the beginnings of Alzheimer’s when I moaned about forgetting things, so now when I forget a word when talking to her my brain goes into panic mode to try and remember it and it takes me twice as long The other day I was showing her my beautiful honeysuckle and said ‘in a few weeks the smell of my ummmmmm, I saw her look as she said ‘ you’re what’ it jumped into my mind ‘My honeysuckle’ I said with pride ‘see I haven’t got Alzheimer’s’ I have to add she’s a kind girl and knows that I am a great head hider and avoider so I know she’s thinking of my welfare but it spooks me and makes my memory a hundred times worse

Had a similar experience some months ago. I was upstairs with the Dyson and just couldn’t remember how to attach the nozzle for doing the corners! My brain completely froze. I stood for what seemed like ages trying to work it out.
As another poster said,I had a shower moment when I couldn’t remember how to switch the water on.
I’m 61.

This happens to me on a regular basis and most of my friends too. We are all in our sixties and are always sharing our 'senior moments'. But all joking aside I know we are all scared that it could be the first signs of dementia no matter how much we joke about it. I try to tell myself that it's a sign of ageing and take comfort from the fact that I am not alone in this. I can remember my Mum telling me of similar episodes she had when she was around my age and she lived to be 89 and didn't have dementia.

Various memory lapses and memory loss are described here.
I relate to the stomach churning fear causing ones where you KNOW you know something simple but have lost the ability to recall it.
A build up of stress ( not always recognised by us) can factor in this.
A one off experience of memory loss, like you describe, is just that. ‘Let it go’ ( as someone once sang)
Further episodes would be a sign to discuss with your GP.

Caci -that's where I work I wouldn't worry it's a very busy environment and I think that's where we get our 'moments' from. Glad to have a virtual friend in nursery work!

Comforting to know all these comments are relevant have ahead a few blank moments just before doing something at work usually at end of day when tired. Hopefully that's all it is for me as I have a long way to go to retirement.

Craftycat, I hope that reading the responses on here helps you to feel calmer. I go to aquarobics and Pilates three times each per week when I am on form. My friends from both classes( all reasonably well educated) all report such frightening moments, as do I. The comforting thing is that it appears to be a normal part of ageing. It is still scary but apparently normal.

I'm in my 60s but still working in a children's day nursery. Every day, several times a day, I put on a plastic apron and change nappies. The other day I changed a nappy, put the nappy in the bin, then looked down at the plastic apron and couldn't figure out why on earth I was was wearing it.
I often start a task (like emptying the dishwasher) then get distracted part way through, and walk back into the kitchen and remember I had started that task, but the 'not knowing why I was wearing the apron' was a completely different feeling.

I think we all have so much on our minds, especially us women, who are thinking of everything and everyone all the time so it’s very understandable that occasionally our minds go blank! It’s happened to me. I got in my car and for a few minutes had to think hard about how to turn it on. Something that normally comes automatically without any thought at all. I was thinking about where I was going and what I had to do there and how much time I had and what to have for dinner etc etc. So no wonder my mind went blank!

senior moments, I get them all too frequently, when they happen we can often jump to the worst scenario.You can go to docs to ask their opinion? there are lots of reasons for lapses in concentration, fatigue, depression,anxiety etc or merely a senior moment...

I remember my poor dad just sat in the car one day and had completely forgotten how to drive (he was in his 50's at the time). Turned out that he had developed diabetes and didn't realise it - so might be worth mentioning it to your GP as might be a symptom of something-else; and don't panic that it's dementia - there are lots of health-related issues that can cause memory loss (can also be a side effect of some medication).

I how reassuring it is to read of all these incidents! I also got myself locked out of my bank account recently although adamant I was putting in the correct pin. New pin arrived in the post...same as forgotten pin phew! Think it's down to brain overload with far too many family crisis and looming funeral next week.

What a great idea elleks - I do the same if I make porridge for breakfast!

I get many mini episodes involving names, what to do etc, they only last a few seconds and I put it down to getting on a bit. also loose the thread of what I am talking about, usually because I am thinking about something else at the same time. I have always had a butterfly mind but still kept two or three threads going at one time! maybe those days are passing and I should slow down a bit.

I'm not looking forward to a few weeks of incapacitation when I get a new knee soon, I may slow down physically but the mind will get overuse. Partly why I would prefer a full anaesthetic so I will take longer to come out of the fug! I really don't want an epidural for this one - too squeamish.

However I am (pause to look for the word I want) comforted (on reading this through reassured is a better word - got there) by the fact I have just read and taken in an article about the recently deceased architect Michael Pei (there I remembered his name easily!).

Lisa Lou, I too am in my early fifties with a mother in early seventies with Alzheimer’s. This week I have been in a state of mind where I don’t feel very aware. I am forgetting everything. It’s very scary. I’m convinced I’m going to have Alzheimer’s. I see my mum a lot and I know the early signs. Mum once forgot to put the handbrake on her car- before diagnosis- in Asda car park and she got out and her car rolled and hit another car. She was so so upset by this. I notice I do things like that and I’m fearful. I’m working in a very responsible job although part time and it scares me that people will notice that I forget and I think maybe they’ve pointed it out and I’ve forgotten . Minds play tricks onus! Copycat, I have also done similar things to you and no it’s not funny at all, it’s really really scary. People always say oh we all forget things but it’s more than forgetting, it’s forgetting a process that you know and it’s terrifying. One thing I have learnt from my brave mum is that whatever happens you still have a life to live and you adapt it so I’m trying not to worry just to think well if it is I can’t do anything about it just make the most of life. But I totally understand how you feel . Big hugs to all of us feeling like this!! We are going to be ok xxxxxx

Thankyou everyone for sharing.
Sometimes I feel very scared about what is happening in my head and how very difficult it is to retrieve the words you need when you know so well what you want to stay.
Hugely frustrating and I often don't have conversations now because of it.

Anniebach; The first time I weighed my dog's food I found a mug that it just fitted, so I only have to scoop it up now.

Ridiculously reassured by this post. We can’t all have dementia can we?!

well, my opinion is that there is so much "stuff" going around, not only in our heads, but in the atmosphere, like electricity, and radio waves.... know what I mean? there is far more "stuff" whizzing around now with technology, computers, IT "stuff" it is all around and it MUST affect our brains/minds..

not only that,, we, as humans, particularly as women! yes, I am a bit of a feminist, we have so much more to think about, to organise... remember what our mums had to contend with? nothing like we have.. depending how old you are, and I am OLD! a young child during the war years, that`s how old I am ! of course our brains can get overloaded...

I talk to my young gks and dil about how I forget things, can`t think of someones name,,, as all mentioned above... and they are not that dissimilar... they can`t remember lots of names etc.. and forget!

just think of the b*** passwords we have to have for our computers!

gorra larf,, but yes, worrying. but let`s be sensible? constructive? so much buzzing about...

I do think that signs of dementia, as someone mentioned above, is nothing like these occurences.

Big hugs to all those of you who have shared your experiences, how frightening for you xxx
I would like to ask you if any of you have had the experience of being told you said or did something at some stage, or promised to do something and you have no recollection AT ALL of what is being talked about ? I don't mean the "damn, I forgot I said I would do that" syndrome, we have all at some stage, been through that. I mean really having no memory of the conversation or commitment. This has happened to me several times and I am a bit scared. I am in my early fifties.

I hope you are all reassured by the postings showing how common this is to all of us!

I think my scariest moment was over ten years ago, driving over to a friend's house, it was near where we used to live, so knew the area really well. As I approached the roundabout, I suddenly had a complete memory loss. I didn't know where I was, where I was meant to be going, or even how to get home. I kept going round the roundabout in terror, and eventually it came back to me.

I have had half second repeats, but nothing like as long as that one, it was absolutely horrible!

Every day I weigh out my dog’s dinner , a few days ago stood looking at the scales, didn’t know the weight , no idea , no figure would come to mind, it was alarming.

This is happening more regularly now because I am so stressed with everything that is going on at home. It is indeed very scary. I was going to post an example of this, but I cannot remember which one!

I regularly go to put some trays away in the wrong drawer. I find myself doing it at least twice a week.

Today whilst shopping in the nearby town I was lamenting the closure of Waterstones from the shopping mall. I turned the corner and there was the bookshop. I was in a different part of the mall ?

I’m glad I’m not the only one with problems.