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Normal Memory Lapse?

A week ago I had an odd memory lapse that really frightened me. To give you some back information, I'm a 29 year old female in good health with no family history of Alzheimer's.

I was decorating the Christmas tree with my fiancé. He was placing decorations on the tree while I was stringing up the lights. As I was putting the lights on the tree, I came across an ornament. It was a dried starfish with a sand dollar attached to it. I started to say, "Hey, I really like this...." and then blanked on the word starfish. It took me approximately 15 seconds to remember what I was called. I knew as I was staring at it what it was but I couldn't produce the word.

I will admit I'm a bit prone to anxiety and do have a tendency to always think the worst, but could this be an early sign of young-onset Alzheimer's? I haven't had any other major issues such as forgetting appointments or not being able to preform daily tasks. I've had infrequent moments of forgetting someone's name, but then I'm able to recall it after a moment.

Is this just a normal bout of a memory lapse? Or should I be more concerned?

Thank you.

M
7 Responses
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212161 tn?1599427282
COMMUNITY LEADER
glad you got a good report, i do most what you have done and it scares me to but we cant go threw life scared everytime we do something not right.

i take fish oil the mega red 500 mg i know it has helped with my blood work its been great. as far as memory not sure lol but it cant hurt. enjoy your weekend, thanks for sharing and we are here to talk.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My doctor said none of the things I've done are cause for concern. She said sometimes your mind is elsewhere when you're trying to do something and it needs a moment to refocus. That's definitely me. I feel like my mind is always buzzing with something (I've always been a worrier)

I'm actually starting to take fish oil supplements to see if t helps with my anxiety. I read online it can also help improve memory. Added bonus.
Helpful - 0
212161 tn?1599427282
COMMUNITY LEADER
did you go to your appt and what did the dr say.

everything you have done. i to have done, its little silly things that we do that scares us. we get so busy in life that we forget what we are doing like the sugar , your cup was right there by the eggs so as you were talking you just poured the sugar in the eggs not thinking because you was busy talking. not anything bad , i have done that many times, and the milk, i have gotton ice cream out and put it back in but found out later i put it in the freg instead of the freezer, but i was trying to hurry put it up so i could go watch a movie. the problem comes in when you put it in the freezer and you blame someone elsa, but if you know you did it than it was just a mistake. try not to be so hard on yourself. we all do silly things in our life because we trying to move to fast. hope you have a great week.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the comment, Heart. I've been thinking back to all the sort of "lapses" I've had. I noticed a few at the beginning of this new school year (I'm a teacher).

In the first few days of school I blanked on a co-worker's name. I was standing at the copier in the teachers room and he came in and said hi and I totally spaced out on his first name (I did remember his last name). Of course the second I walked out of the teachers room it came to me.

I also did some odd things in October. One morning I poured myself a glass of almond milk before school and instead of putting it back in the fridge where it belongs I put it in the glass cupboard. I didn't realize this until I came home that afternoon, went to pour myself another glass and saw that it wasn't in the fridge. I immediately realized what I'd done and found it in the cupboard.

Another morning my fiancé and I were making eggs for breakfast. He was cracking the eggs into a bowl as I was making my morning coffee. As I was tearing open the sugar packets for my coffee I started a conversation with him and instead of pouring the sugar into my coffee I poured it into the bowl of eggs. My fiancé asked what the heck I was doing and only then did I notice that I was pouring the sugar into the eggs and not my coffee cup that was right next to the bowl.

Maybe I'm making a big deal out of nothing, but when I look at all the "silly" things I've done in the past four months it still sort of scares me. I have a doctors appointment on Thursday for an unrelated issue (I had my first migraine headache a few weeks ago).

I don't know if the migraine was brought on by the stress of me worrying about the memory issues or if they're related in another way. I think I'll feel better once I talk to my doctor about what's been going on.

M
Helpful - 0
212161 tn?1599427282
COMMUNITY LEADER
hi. i to say dont worry about forgetting a word now and than i to do the same thing, but it does come back to me later.

these days we are all under so much stress trying to live in this world that we have so much on us, this will cause you to forget things now and than, as long as you do remember it its no big deal. may ya have a great week and a new year to come.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for the advice, Niko! I think it was just the word I blanked on the worried me, since it was one that I obviously know.

But everyone I've talked to says it happens to all of us from time to time. One of my co-workers teaches social studies and blanked on the word mosque (she's my age too). That made me feel a bit better :-)

Happy holidays and thanks again!

M
Helpful - 0
1530171 tn?1448129593
Hey ArtsyMe,

Nothing to worry about!
If all the people who experienced an isolated brief memory lapse,
were later diagnosed with Alzheimer's, there wouldn't be anyone left to
take care of them! lol!
Seriously,  you are light years away from such a possibility.
It would take a lot more than what you posted, to warrant your suspicion.

Carry on with what you're doing, enjoy your life, enjoy the holiday season
and just keep one thing in mind:
"Mens sana in corpore sano"in Latin, or the saying of the ancient Greek philosopher Thales, "Νοῦς ὑγιὴς ἐν σώματι ὑγιεῖ" in ancient Greek, meaning a sound mind in a healthy body.

So taking care of your body, eating nutritious food, avoiding junk foods and  excesses,exercising and doing the right things, will ensure a sounder mind.

Cheers!
Niko
Helpful - 0
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