Gransnet forums

Chat

Short-term memory, absolutely appalling….

(112 Posts)
Shinamae Sat 01-Feb-25 11:41:36

It has worried me for awhile now,the fact that I can remember what happened 20/30 years ago with absolute clarity but I cannot remember what happened the day before yesterday or sometimes even three or four hours ago..
I will be 72 next week….😳

Deedaa Sat 08-Feb-25 22:24:20

I seem to be forgetting names of people and places all the time now. I find that if I go and do other things for half an hour or so my brain will work through its filing system and eventually come up with the name, As long as I know that the knowledge is in there somewhere I'm not too worried.

watermeadow Sat 08-Feb-25 20:47:12

I think we all worry about dementia and we all forget things, especially names.
My memory is really no worse than it used to be and it’s always been poor. I remember my own past clearly and I always found it very easy to remember poetry. What was impossible was to learn any subject which didn’t interest me and that was most of the school curriculum.

Aldom Sat 08-Feb-25 11:28:46

Witzend your post reminds me of my cousin's experience. She was concerned about the possibility that she had dementia. Her main concern was that she could still read music, but could no longer play the piano.
My cousin was diagnosed with dementia. She was in her mid sixties at the time.

Witzend Sat 08-Feb-25 10:16:57

I once heard an expert on R4 saying that it’s common for people to worry that they’re getting dementia if they can’t remember where they left their car in the car park.

He said the time to worry is when you get in the car but can’t remember how to drive it. (Or, from family experience, can’t remember the way home, which is only a couple of miles away.)

Taichinan Fri 07-Feb-25 09:22:56

I have to add, I think I am otherwise compos mentis with just the lapses in short term memory that everyone seems to experience. With regard to going into a room and not remembering what you came for, I was told by someone that if you go back over the threshold of the room and come in again that jogs your memory. It works!

Taichinan Fri 07-Feb-25 09:06:02

loopyloo šŸ˜‚
At 83 I have my greatest moments of confusion when talking to my granddaughters and I forget which generation I'm talking to. The other day I was talking to one of them about things that had happened with my two sons. They are of course the girls' uncles but I was speaking about them as if they were her brothers. I only realised when I noticed her confusion. I laughed about it at the time, but now having written it down, it does seem a bit odd ......

loopyloo Fri 07-Feb-25 02:32:48

Started watching a series on tv. Was on to second episode on tv when realised I'd seen it before.
It was " Unforgotten".

Karen22 Fri 07-Feb-25 01:59:39

Listening to a guy recently on the radio talking about this he said its perfectly normal to forget where you've parked
your car at the supermarket, it's when you forget what colour your car is , then you need to be concerned ! Lol

Aldom Tue 04-Feb-25 15:14:48

Dadima I suppose it is possible that Heaven Leigh meant that her father has both dementia diseases, Vascular and Alzheimer's.
My late husband had young onset vascular dementia with some
Alzheimer's disease too.

HelterSkelter1 Tue 04-Feb-25 15:06:03

I think Goldieoldie15 was saying the hard disk is full in relation to short term memory failure, which was the theme of the thread, not in regards to dementia.

I also think my head (hard disk) is crammed to the brim with "stuff" that there is very little space for new information to be stored and retrieved quickly. However I expect a scientist would disagree saying that I have used a very small % of the human brain's capacity.

Am very happy to know I am not alone.

petra Tue 04-Feb-25 13:42:19

Goldieoldie15

Hard disk is full is the reason.

Oh dear šŸ¤¦šŸ¼ā€ā™€ļø I expected people of a certain age to be better educated in regard to this dreadful disease
Unfortunately you can’t educate spam.

kittylester Tue 04-Feb-25 13:27:21

Dementia is the umbrella term.

Alzheimer's Disease is one form. There are over 400 different types.

Daddima Tue 04-Feb-25 13:04:35

HeavenLeigh

So far I’m ok I’m 67 but my dad had Alzeimers : vascular dementia. I try not to think about it but I’m sure if I suddenly were finding that I had the start of short term memory loss I’d be making an appointment with my dr.

Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia are two different things.

yogitree Tue 04-Feb-25 13:01:11

Out with the family for my 70th Birthday Lunch at the weekend, I said to my DIL (while discussing Films on Netflix) "Oh we watched a good one last night". She replied "What's it called?" - me after a pregnant pause, "I forget!!!" How embarrassing!

I did eventually remember after identifying Liam Neilsen was the main man, but right now? It's something to do with Saints and Sinners!

I have been forgetful my whole life, as my mother used to threaten to send me to "memory lessons" smile as a child, but my long term memory is great, compared to my DH's.

As someone already said, we're all in the same boat as we age.

flowers

Wishes Tue 04-Feb-25 12:59:17

Today I got up for work, DH popped his head in the bathroom just as I was about to get in the shower and told me it was Tuesday today.
I go to work Wednesday!

The evening before, I had also prepared my work clothes and lunch. confused

Jaxjacky Tue 04-Feb-25 12:43:20

wibblywobblywobblebottom

It's called Alzheimers.

Thank you Dr for your cognitive analysis deduced from the scientific evidence on this thread šŸ™„

InTheCove Tue 04-Feb-25 12:36:05

I had the same problem. A friend recommended Lion's Mane, and my short term memory has improved very much. I take two 1 ml droppers each morning. Doesn't taste good, but well worth the temporary bad taste.

Goldieoldie15 Tue 04-Feb-25 10:50:44

Hard disk is full is the reason.

HeavenLeigh Mon 03-Feb-25 23:46:45

So far I’m ok I’m 67 but my dad had Alzeimers : vascular dementia. I try not to think about it but I’m sure if I suddenly were finding that I had the start of short term memory loss I’d be making an appointment with my dr.

annodomini Mon 03-Feb-25 23:43:25

What a reassuring thread this is. I thought I was unusual in having little lapses of memory - at 84 - and generally make the excuse that I was always absent-minded and if my mother was still with us (unsurprisingly, she isn't) she would confirm this.
Cheers!

EEJit Mon 03-Feb-25 23:07:14

Are you on statins? I had the same problem quite a while ago. When i finally admitted to my doctor tuat I was having problems he changed my statins and all was well.

It happened again a few later we tried the swap to another brand, problem solved again. I'm having issues again so it's off to see the doc again.

This whole thing has happened over the last 25 years so it's not really an issue

1summer Mon 03-Feb-25 20:27:24

My daughter is furious with me, A family member has recently had a baby, buying a gift this weekend I thought of a really good gift which I bought,
Showed my daughter yesterday and she said ā€œI told you Friday I had bought her thisā€. I was horrified completely forgot,
I can exchange gift but quite upset I had forgot!,

Allira Mon 03-Feb-25 20:15:42

kittylester

wibblywobblywobblebottom

It's called Alzheimers.

No it isn't.

Thank you kittylester

Indiebee Mon 03-Feb-25 20:13:47

Kittylester - Perfect! šŸ‘

kittylester Mon 03-Feb-25 19:28:08

wibblywobblywobblebottom

It's called Alzheimers.

No it isn't.