Short Term Memory Loss and What Can One Do About It

[carolinarider09]

Over the last few days I have had some issues with what I will call short term memory.  I'll be sitting at the table and thinking I wanted to go get my "thing".  I'd get up, get distracted by something else and then, as I walked in the direction I was headed, I could not remember why I was going that way.

I have searched the web for "over the counter" "drugs" that are suppose to help with short term memory loss.  But, it is all so "sketchy" as to whether you can actually take something to improve short term memory.

The question is, has anyone else suffered from short term memory issues and if so, did you find a solution? 

Thanks for reading.

[Chrisj CMA]

It’s called getting old. Join the club and forget about it. The good thing is, now you get in less trouble when you forget something   

[GiG]

 :Yes, getting old as many on here can affirm  
And, I had a brain injury not too  long ago & now sometimes have a hard time recalling names . I remember the face & person, but what is my good friend’s name ?!??!?
It helps to have my darling GF  nearby to make names up  
Watching this post -  not believing claims of memoriy enhancement potions  

[f6john]

I don’t have a problem with short term memory loss. I have a major problem with storage capacity! I (we) are bombarded with so much info that memory and processing capabilities are maxed out most of the time. That’s my story and I’m sticking with it.

[Jess from VA]

Bill I also have short term memory lapses.

I spent a lifetime multitasking all the time, and I'm not as good at it anymore.

I get up to do or get something (usually while thinking about something else) and find myself upstairs wondering what it was I was to do or get.

Forget drugs.  It's just part of aging.  And most of these little things that slip my mind, are the least important things anyway (so easiest to forget).

I've always been a list maker, and I do that more than ever now.  Lists for the grocery, long term important things that must be done list, list of what I want to talk to X about, list of work I want to do on my bikes, list of things I will do today.  When something comes to mind that warrants it, I add it to the proper list.  And I routinely consult these lists.  They keep me on track, organized, and mostly out of trouble.  If it's on a list, it doesn't matter if you forget about it.  

[Pluggy]

It's normal to experience some memory loss as you get older.  We must recognize that memory loss may be the first indication of a serious medical condition.  42 percent of adults will eventually experience some form or dementia.  There are medications and treatments to help people with these conditions.

There is no shame in asking your doctor about it.

[Jess from VA]

It's normal to experience some memory loss as you get older.  We must recognize that memory loss may be the first indication of a serious medical condition.  42 percent of adults will eventually experience some form or dementia.  There are medications and treatments to help people with these conditions.

There is no shame in asking your doctor about it.

Good advice Pluggy.  Dementia and Alzheimers are hereditary too.  So if it's in the family tree, watch out for it.   

[Pluggy]

It's normal to experience some memory loss as you get older.  We must recognize that memory loss may be the first indication of a serious medical condition.  42 percent of adults will eventually experience some form or dementia.  There are medications and treatments to help people with these conditions.

There is no shame in asking your doctor about it.

Good advice Pluggy.  Dementia and Alzheimers are hereditary too.  So if it's in the family tree, watch out for it.   

Jess, at age 57, a routine test indicated I had cancer.  I noticed no symptoms.  We reach an age when getting evaluated for possible problems is good medicine.  If I had waited until the condition became obvious, it would have been too late.

[Valker]

As I've aged (70 now) I found myself thinking more and more about the Hereafter. When I walk into a room now I frequently ask myself: "What am I here after?"

[sandy]

My mind is like a rusty colander. info goes in and you never know what or how much is gonna fall out.

[Jess from VA]

It's normal to experience some memory loss as you get older.  We must recognize that memory loss may be the first indication of a serious medical condition.  42 percent of adults will eventually experience some form or dementia.  There are medications and treatments to help people with these conditions.

There is no shame in asking your doctor about it.

Good advice Pluggy.  Dementia and Alzheimers are hereditary too.  So if it's in the family tree, watch out for it.   

Jess, at age 57, a routine test indicated I had cancer.  I noticed no symptoms.  We reach an age when getting evaluated for possible problems is good medicine.  If I had waited until the condition became obvious, it would have been too late.

At 70, blood, urine and std chest X ray 'indicated' a possibility I had both prostate and lung cancer.  My dad died hard of prostate cancer.  That scared the sh!t out of me.  They proceeded to prod, probe, scope and MRI and CT scan the hell out me which I didn't enjoy.  When it was all done they called me in and said I didn't have anything at all.  I was pretty angry about the whole thing, but then on consideration I decided to be happy about it.  Doh.  It also made me significantly change my diet and walk a few miles daily (forever) (and drop 30lbs). 

I am not trying to live forever, I just don't want to die in misery.   

[POPS 57]

I was pretty proud of myself the other day. I went from room to another and remembered what I was in there for. It was the bathroom but that should count right.

[old2soon]

     Already having COPD my stamina ain't what it used ta wuz. And YES I've forgotten things! Anything important forgotten? I'm guessin not cuz I would have gotten a phone call or a text or an E mail. As others have stated-old age. I'm thinkin here you can't outrun it But you/me/others Might be able to deal with it better. My RIDE today took me on roads I have NOT traveled in awhile. BUT I got back home without consulting my GPS! BUT I could use some help looking for 10MM sockets and 10MM wrenches!  Most of all Do NOT let these little set backs bring you down. Deal with it and roll with the puches. At 80 year old I'm just happy to still be sucking wind. More importantly I KNOW I'm still sucking wind!  RIDE SAFE.

[Oss]

the Ginko story

I found that I was repeatedly forgetting my wallet which has my court ID

Started taking the stuff daily

After only a month I would remember that I forgot my wallet while only a few miles from home

I dont really take it  just a funny


As to keys. I put them in a crystal candy holder all the time.  Then I can find them

Who remembers refrigerator girl?   She has disappeared from my computer

[LadyDraco]

I remember  reading  something  about "Threshold Syndrome" AKA  Door way Effect.
   It's as  we  go in to  a  room the  threshold  takes  us  away from why we went into a room..
Take  a few  steps  back turn around  and  walk back over  the  threshold.
  Bam  90% of  the  time  you remember  why you walked in to that room..
It happens  to us  all ,when you have  a lot on your  mind..

https://www.scienceabc.com/humans/doorway-effect-why-we-forget-what-we-were-supposed-do-after-we-enter-room.html#:~:text=Psychologists%20believe%20that%20walking%20through%20a%20door%20and,is%20generally%20referred%20to%20as%20the%20doorway%20effect.

[t-man403]

Good grief!
I was going to tell you guy something about my Valk…but now I forget…thanks to you guys! 

[98valk]

It's normal to experience some memory loss as you get older.  We must recognize that memory loss may be the first indication of a serious medical condition.  42 percent of adults will eventually experience some form or dementia.  There are medications and treatments to help people with these conditions.

There is no shame in asking your doctor about it.

Good advice Pluggy.  Dementia and Alzheimers are hereditary too.  So if it's in the family tree, watch out for it.   

Its not hereditary, its diet related.

https://raypeat.com/articles/articles/alzheimers.shtml

https://raypeat.com/articles/articles/alzheimers2.shtml

""AN EXAMPLE OF A REGULATORY PROBLEM

    Vegetable oil suppresses the thyroid, increasing estrogen. Estrogen and calcium depolymerize microtubules. Microtubule transport for Apo E, transthyretin, thyroid, and cholesterol for pregnenolone synthesis is disrupted. Transthyretin and Apo E accumulate unused, and deposit in blood vessels, around nerves, and in cytoplasm. Pregnenolone and progesterone deficiency (aggravating thyroid deficiency) causes memory loss, destabilization of nerve cells, failure of myelin formation, and excess cortisol synthesis. Free radicals and calcium cause multiple cell injuries including nerve-death. Estrogen is released by elevated beta-glucuronidase. Imbalances of other steroids, including cortisol and DHEA, develop as cells compensate for pregnenolone deficiency, causing shifts in balance of glial cells. Hypothyroidism, estrogen excess, free unsaturated fats cause increased vascular permeability and brain edema, protein leakage, and alteration of the matrix.. ""

""EFFECTS OF ESTROGEN AND UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS

    Estrogen production is facilitated when tissue is cooler, and it lowers body temperature. Estrogen and the endorphins act together in many ways (including the behavior of estrus), and naloxone (the antagonist of morphine and the endorphins) raises body temperature and in other ways opposes estrogen. Naloxone has been found to improve the symptoms of demented people, and I have seen it quickly, and dramatically, improve the mental clarity of a 60 year old woman who had used estrogen. It, like clonidine (the anti-adrenaline drug), is a good candidate for controlling the hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause.

    In various degenerative brain conditions, blood clotting has been implicated either as a cause or a complication. Many people are promoting unsaturated oils for their "anti-clotting" value, in spite of the older literature showing that they inhibit proteolytic enzymes and slow clot removal. Several newer publications have revealed other aspects of their involvement in thrombus formation. A. J. Honour, et al., "The effects of changes in diet on lipid levels and platelet thrombus formation in living blood vessels," Br. J. Expt. Pathol. 59(4), 390-394, 1978--corn oil caused platelets to be more sensitive to ADP.

    Although there is a lot of talk about "membrane fluidity," as a desirable thing, and the loss of unsaturated lipids in the aged brain, there are some interesting observations related to "viscosity" in Alzheimer's disease. The platelets of Alzheimer's patients are less viscous, and lipids extracted from the brain are more fluid, and contain 30% less cholesterol than normal (on a molar basis, in relation to phospholipids). (G. S. Roth, et al., 1995.) In general, lipid peroxidation causes cellular viscosity to increase, apparently by causing cross-linking of proteins, but I think the significance of the decreased cholesterol relates to its significance as precursor to pregnenolone and progesterone, and to the known association with Alzheimer's disease of a variant form of the cholesterol transporter protein, ApoE, which I suppose is a slightly less stable molecular form that is more susceptible to malfunction in stress.

    The extracellular matrix is a major factor in the function and stability of brain cells. (L. F. Agnati, et al., "The concept of trophic units in the central nervous system," Prog. in Neurobiol. 46, 561-574, 1995. Any factor producing edema tends to disrupt the extracellular matrix (Chan and Fishman, 1978, 1980, and L. Loeb, 1948.)

    Seizures are known to be promoted by estrogen, by unsaturated fats, and by lipid peroxidation, and to cause an increase in the size of the free fatty acid pool in the brain. Prolonged seizures cause nerve damage in certain areas, especially the hippocampus, thalamus, and neocortex (Siesjo, et al., 1989). Dementia is known to be produced by prolonged seizures.

    Prenatal exposure to estrogen, to oxygen deficiency, or to unsaturated fats decreases the size of the brain at birth. There is apparently a requirement for saturated fats during development (J. M. Bourre, N. Gozlan-Devillierre, O. Morand, and N. Baumann, "Importance of exogenous saturated fatty acids during brain development and myelination in mice," Ann. Biol. Anim., Biochim., Biophys. 19(1B), 172-180, 1979.

    Under the influence of estrogen, or unsaturated fats, brain cells swell, and their shape and interactions are altered. Memory is impaired by an excess of estrogen. Estrogen and unsaturated fat and excess iron kill cells by lipid peroxidation, and this process is promoted by oxygen deficiency. The fetus and the very old have high levels of iron in the cells. Estrogen increases iron uptake. Estrogen treatment produces elevation of free fatty acids in the blood, and lipid peroxidation in tissues. This tends to accelerate the accumulation of lipofuscin, age-pigment. Lactic acid, the production of which is promoted by estrogen, lowers the availability of carbon dioxide, leading to impairment of blood supply to the brain.

    Estrogen stimulates cell division, but can also increase the rate of cell death. Unsaturated fatty acids can also stimulate or kill.

    Both estrogen and unsaturated fats promote the formation of age-pigment. Besides increasing the free fatty acid concentration, estrogen possibly depresses the level of cholesterol, both of which are changes seen in the senile brain.

    Estrogen causes massive alterations of extracellular matrix, and seems to promote dissolution of microtubules (Nemetschek-Gannsler), as calcium does. Unsaturated fats increase calcium uptake by at least some brain cells (H. Katsuki and S. Okuda, 1995.) Unsaturated fats, like estrogen, increase the permeability of blood vessels. The unsaturated fat causes edema of the brain, inhibits choline uptake, blocking acetylcholine production.

    Progesterone is a nerve growth factor, produced by glial cells (oligodendrocytes). It promotes the production of myelin, protects against seizures, and protects cells against free radicals. It protects before conception, during gestation, during growth and puberty, and during aging. It promotes regeneration. Its production is blocked by stress, lipid peroxidation, and an excess of estrogen and iron.

    Aspirin protects against iron toxicity, clot formation, and reduces lipid peroxidation while blocking prostaglandin formation. Aspirin and other antiinflammatory drugs, taken for arthritis, have been clearly associated with a reduced incidence of Alzheimer's disease. Aspirin reduces the formation of prostaglandins from arachidonic acid.

    Unsaturated fatty acids, but not saturated fatty acids, are signals which activate cell systems.

    Many different stimuli can induce cell activity, cell death, or change to another cell type. (J. Niquet, et al., "Glial reaction after seizure induced hippocampal lesion: Immunohistochemical characterization of proliferating glial cells," J. Neurocytol. 23(10), 641-656, 1994: "...hippocampal astrocytes from kainate-treated rats experess A2B5 immunoreactivity, a marker of type-2 astrocytes." "This suggests that in the CNS, normal resident astrocytes acquire the phenotypic properties of type-2 astrocytes.")

    A "deficiency" of polyunsaturated fatty acids leads to altered rates of cellular regeneration and differentiation, a larger brain at birth, improved function of the immune system, decreased inflammation, decreased mortality from endotoxin poisoining, lower susceptibility to lipid peroxidation, increased basal metabolic rate and respiration, increased thyroid function, later puberty and decreases other signs of estrogen dominance. When dietary PUFA are not available, the body produces a small amount of unsaturated fatty acid (Mead acids), but these do not activate cell systems in the same way that plant-derived PUFAs do, and they are the precursors for an entirely different group of prostaglandins.""

[Jersey mike]

I use to be able to multitask at a rapid pace, now I can still multitask however I need to slim those tasks down to maybe 2 things and concentrate a bit harder to stay focused.

There’s suppose to ne many products on the market like previgen(sp?) and many say using coconut oil help with cognitive function. I’m kind of leery on the medication side, afraid that once a treatment is started the effects of stopping may be more severe and does it really work or is a placebo tricking a person into self recovery.

[Jess from VA]

I remember reading something about "Threshold Syndrome" AKA Door way Effect.

I don't know about doorways/thresholds Tracy, but my whole life (not just old age), if I go all the way back to exactly where I was when I had the original thought to do something (even sitting back down in a chair), it will often come back to me.

Something I think most everyone experiences. 

Its not hereditary, its diet related.

I don't know about diet (alone), but I stand corrected on 'heredity.'

While a family history of Alzheimer's disease or dementia increases the risk, most cases are not directly inherited, but rather influenced by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors. The risk increases if more than one family member has the illness.  Modifiable risk factors such as sleep, smoking habits, hypertension or diabetes can further increase the risk.

[LadyDraco]

I remember reading something about "Threshold Syndrome" AKA Door way Effect.

I don't know about doorways/thresholds Tracy, but my whole life (not just old age), if I go all the way back to exactly where I was when I had the original thought to do something (even sitting back down in a chair), it will often come back to me.

Something I think most everyone experiences. 

 

That's why I  put that  link up..
   We  all experience  it, it's NOT an age  thing per say...

[Pluggy]

I use to be able to multitask at a rapid pace, now I can still multitask however I need to slim those tasks down to maybe 2 things and concentrate a bit harder to stay focused.

There’s suppose to ne many products on the market like previgen(sp?) and many say using coconut oil help with cognitive function. I’m kind of leery on the medication side, afraid that once a treatment is started the effects of stopping may be more severe and does it really work or is a placebo tricking a person into self recovery.

Mike, there was a medication that really helped my father.  In his 80's, it restored a lot of his mental ability.  He started it three years too late and lost out on enjoying those years.  

When you have a serious condition, plenty of neighborly free advice comes at you.  I heard things like: "Forget the doctors, drink cranberry juice with Vitamin E".  I found the best doctors and lived to be a grandfather.  It had nothing to do with Vitamin E.

[Rams]

Was going to discuss the topic but..........
Wait, what were we talking about?   

Rams

[LadyDraco]

    

[GiG]

Yo, OSS: Please don’t mess with crystal candy , it’ll stunt your growth, my yankee friend  

[RP#62]

I have what I call "game show" memory.  I can't outright remember the word I'm trying to remember but I know it starts with an "R".  Sometimes I get additional clues.

RP

[Rams]

Apparently, I'm easily distracted.  Have been known to get up from my chair and walk to wherever only to return, not doing whatever or getting whatever from another room multiple times.  This didn't use to happen.   Now, it's almost a regular occurrence.  It's not really a big problem; my wife will happily tell me where to go and what to do.

She's especially helpful when I'm driving.......................   

Rams   

[carolinarider09]

I remember  reading  something  about "Threshold Syndrome" AKA  Door way Effect.
   It's as  we  go in to  a  room the  threshold  takes  us  away from why we went into a room..
Take  a few  steps  back turn around  and  walk back over  the  threshold.
  Bam  90% of  the  time  you remember  why you walked in to that room..
It happens  to us  all ,when you have  a lot on your  mind..

https://www.scienceabc.com/humans/doorway-effect-why-we-forget-what-we-were-supposed-do-after-we-enter-room.html#:~:text=Psychologists%20believe%20that%20walking%20through%20a%20door%20and,is%20generally%20referred%20to%20as%20the%20doorway%20effect.

I have noted the same thing.  It was by chance the first time I tired it.  But it works about 50/50 or half the time.  Just needing a trigger to bring the thought back.

[carolinarider09]

I appreciate all the comments and insights.  I sort of thought it was age related. 

So, I will just lean to live with it and remember a note book (small one) is a very convenient way to remember things without using "brain power". 

This is one of the main reasons I have lists for all kinds of stuff.  I keep then as secure as possible.  But they are beneficial when I need to remember something. 

Again, I thank you all for the responses, it means a lot to read and see how others handle this situation.  And it is about growing older.  Which is a good thing. 

[threevalks]

Cause - Birthdays.
Cure - Quit the birthdays.

[GiG]

When I went in for TBI Cognitive Tests, they would ask things like: “What day is it?” , “Who is President?”, . I felt like RP MacMurphy, knowing I should give the answer they want, but constantly thinking of my own very funny responses.  
Good Thing they didn’t whip this one on me! “works about 50/50 or half the time”  might have caused a meltdown  :
… gonna hafta run that one through the math department  



So confused ;  is it short term memory?     Or  
Short term loss??!??    

[98valk]

I appreciate all the comments and insights.  I sort of thought it was age related. 

So, I will just lean to live with it and remember a note book (small one) is a very convenient way to remember things without using "brain power". 

This is one of the main reasons I have lists for all kinds of stuff.  I keep then as secure as possible.  But they are beneficial when I need to remember something. 

Again, I thank you all for the responses, it means a lot to read and see how others handle this situation.  And it is about growing older.  Which is a good thing. 

if u read my post simple fix via diet and supplements, or u can take the dangerous drugs that are avail today they work but bad side effects such as make u worst.

[98valk]

side note, Statins came to market on September 1, 1987.  Alzheimer's deaths have increased by 50% since 1999.

""Scientists found prolonged sleep loss makes the brain's immune cells go into overdrive, leading to long-term damage.
Astrocytes, which normally eliminate unnecessary synapses, begin breaking down more brain connections and debris in sleep-deprived animals.
While this may initially serve as a protective mechanism, clearing potentially harmful debris and rebuilding worn circuitry, it could be detrimental in the long run. Microglial cells, which remove damaged cells and debris, also show increased activity after chronic sleep deprivation.
This is particularly concerning, as excessive microglial activity has been linked to various brain disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and other forms of neurodegeneration.
The research suggests that sleep loss triggers astrocytes to start breaking down more of the brain's connections and their debris, with portions of synapses literally being eaten by astrocytes due to sleep loss. Most of this remodeling appears to target larger, more mature synapses that are used more intensively. It’s still unclear whether getting more sleep could reverse the effects of sleep deprivation. The findings may explain why lack of sleep increases vulnerability to dementia and other neurological disorders.
Notably, Alzheimer's deaths have increased by 50% since 1999, highlighting the potential link between sleep deprivation and neurodegenerative diseases. Sleep plays a crucial role in maintaining brain health and function, serving as a vital period for neural restoration and cognitive processing. During sleep, the brain undergoes essential maintenance tasks, clearing away toxic byproducts accumulated during wakefulness and consolidating memories.
 Research has shown that sleep deprivation can lead to impaired cognitive function, decreased attention span, and reduced problem-solving abilities. Chronic sleep loss may contribute to the development of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Sleep allows for the strengthening of neural connections important for learning and memory formation, while pruning unnecessary synapses to optimize brain function. The glymphatic system, which removes waste products from the brain, is particularly active during sleep, highlighting its importance in maintaining neural health. Adequate sleep also supports emotional regulation, with sleep-deprived individuals often experiencing mood swings, irritability, and increased stress levels.
The brain's plasticity, or its ability to adapt and change, is enhanced during sleep, facilitating learning and skill acquisition. Different sleep stages serve unique purposes, with the REM sleep being particularly important for creativity and emotional processing, while slow-wave sleep contributes to physical restoration and memory consolidation. Sleep also plays a role in hormone regulation, including those that affect appetite, stress response, and growth. Insufficient sleep has been linked to increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, emphasizing its importance beyond just cognitive function.
Furthermore, sleep supports the immune system, with sleep-deprived individuals being more susceptible to infections and illnesses.
The brain's energy consumption is carefully regulated during sleep, allowing for the replenishment of energy stores depleted during wakefulness. This process is crucial for maintaining optimal cognitive performance and overall brain health. In essence, sleep is not merely a period of inactivity but a dynamic state that is fundamental to our brain's ability to function effectively, adapt to new experiences, and maintain long-term health.
learn more https://www.jneurosci.org/content/37/21/5263""

[crow]

I just smoke more pot, I think.

[Hook#3287]

I have a good memory, it's just short.

When someone complains about any age related issue, my response is "Don't worry about it, it only gets worse"

I find I'm not as focused as I once was, but some will say I never really was, while others may say I focused too much.

It all relative.

Or is it diet?

[0leman]

Our brains are like a computer.  You have a processor and storage.   The storage portions starts as soon as we are pop out.  Over our lifetimes this storage system takes in a lot of data, unfortunately we can't delete data as well as we can on a real computer.  So, the processor takes a lot longer in coming up with the data we have.    That's why we remember the name of place two days after we try to think of it. 

That is my opinion, and I am sticking to it.

[carolinarider09]

if u read my post simple fix via diet and supplements.

I will read your post and I am not planning on taking any drugs unless something strange happens.