Aa
temporary memory loss confusion
I use the word "awake" as I do not know how else to explane it.
The last few days I have been experencing temporary memory loss, and when I "awake" I am very very confused.
I am a 26yr old female, I have many health issues, but this is new.
I'm not sure when this started, I do know that yesterday I remember watching tv it was around 8pm, and the next thing I remember was talking to my husband on the phone around 10ish.
Then this morning I know I fell asleep, but when I awoke, I was very confused, disorientation and was un sure of what was going on, then like now my fingers and toes are freezing cold. I'm not sure if that has any involvment or not, but don't want to leave anything out.
Tonight, I was playing Mahjong ( it tells you how long you've been on that one puzzle) I remember I had been on it for about 3 mins maybe 4 and then again, I don't remember anything I "awoke" and the clock said 9pm,
(my mahjong game was at 92 mins and 36 seconds,) I ran into the bed room to wake up my husband to get him to work, ( he normally leaves at 5ish) and couldn't figure out why he wasn't home. Walked outside saw that his truck wasn't there, but the dogs we have seemed normal, nothing strange there. I just can't remember.
I'm scared, I have no family around ( my parents just moved over 10hrs away, my closest family is 4.5hrs away).
Here is the list of meds I am on,
Cyclobenzaprine ( 10mg nightly)
Repinirole HCL (1MG nightly)
Alprazolam ( 1 mg nightly)
Citalopram HBR ( 20 MG 1 in the morning)
Metoprolol Succ ER ( 50MG 1 in the morning)
Levothyroxine ( 100 MCG 1 in the morning)
Sprintec (1 in the morning)
I recently had a pap come back with these results
"No Neoplastic Cells Identified
Heavy Inflammation Present"
and my DR put me on Metronidazole 500MG twice a day for 5 days,
after that I got a Yeast Infection, and was put on Fluconazole 150mg, take 1 by mouth, then repeat in 48hrs.
( only 2 doses)
I'm not sure if any of that is related or not, but doesn't hurt to have the extra info.
The last few days I have been experencing temporary memory loss, and when I "awake" I am very very confused.
I am a 26yr old female, I have many health issues, but this is new.
I'm not sure when this started, I do know that yesterday I remember watching tv it was around 8pm, and the next thing I remember was talking to my husband on the phone around 10ish.
Then this morning I know I fell asleep, but when I awoke, I was very confused, disorientation and was un sure of what was going on, then like now my fingers and toes are freezing cold. I'm not sure if that has any involvment or not, but don't want to leave anything out.
Tonight, I was playing Mahjong ( it tells you how long you've been on that one puzzle) I remember I had been on it for about 3 mins maybe 4 and then again, I don't remember anything I "awoke" and the clock said 9pm,
(my mahjong game was at 92 mins and 36 seconds,) I ran into the bed room to wake up my husband to get him to work, ( he normally leaves at 5ish) and couldn't figure out why he wasn't home. Walked outside saw that his truck wasn't there, but the dogs we have seemed normal, nothing strange there. I just can't remember.
I'm scared, I have no family around ( my parents just moved over 10hrs away, my closest family is 4.5hrs away).
Here is the list of meds I am on,
Cyclobenzaprine ( 10mg nightly)
Repinirole HCL (1MG nightly)
Alprazolam ( 1 mg nightly)
Citalopram HBR ( 20 MG 1 in the morning)
Metoprolol Succ ER ( 50MG 1 in the morning)
Levothyroxine ( 100 MCG 1 in the morning)
Sprintec (1 in the morning)
I recently had a pap come back with these results
"No Neoplastic Cells Identified
Heavy Inflammation Present"
and my DR put me on Metronidazole 500MG twice a day for 5 days,
after that I got a Yeast Infection, and was put on Fluconazole 150mg, take 1 by mouth, then repeat in 48hrs.
( only 2 doses)
I'm not sure if any of that is related or not, but doesn't hurt to have the extra info.
Hi Marie. I was subcribed Metoprolol Tartarte 25 MG twice daily. I was also subscribed Hydralazine 25 MG tabs, which Intake 3 times daily. I noticed within the last 2 months, I can't seem to recall simple names and experiences, which I never encountered in life. However, I am going to talk to my general practitioner to get me off both medication because memory is a need tool in order to exist. I suggest you should do like wise. After all these pharmaceutical care only about money not the quality of the patient's health.
Bless your heart, Marie, falling down and all. Gosh, I can't say enough good things about your neurologist. He's doing so many good things, he's quite the detective, and he will indeed figure you out. Thanks for the continuing updates! And I hope whatever he finds is the cause of all this, that you will get much better real soon.
After all my blood test have come in, he's started me on B12 shots, 1CC a day for a week (5days) then once a week for a month, then one a month. Also have started on B6, 100MG a day. I have a EEG Test, a Nerve Conduction Study and a electromyogram on the 18th. They also want to do a 24hr urine study on my copper, not sure why, but with all the labs he had done, (24 pages) he has a very good idea of blood wise whats going on in my body. So anyway, I'm not sure what some of these test where for (sed rate is high, WBC is high, TSH is high, B12 a little low,Copper is high, SM-RNP is high, B1 is high, Vitamin E is high, but not by much at all, ceruloplasmin is high ) but this DR atlease is running test and not pushing this as a "unknown" problem. It doesn't help matters that earlier this month I fell and I've been on pain meds and now have to go see a Orthopaedic tomorrow to see how badly I messed up my back and hip. So yay, I'm just having LOADS of FUN...hahaa..... lol... I'll keep you updated.
Gosh, I'm SO glad you got such a good neurologist! And it was kind of him to say it COULD be the medicines. But thankfully he's checking everything out for you. The only thing unusual I saw on the MRI report was "mild atrophy of the cerebellar hemispheres," but that's not like "damage" or "growth." It just means they've contracted a little, which can be caused by fifty million things and is NOT necessarily a troubling finding. Once he gets all his test results together, it'll hopefully point him to a diagnosis or a reason for your blackouts, and he can then treat you for it. Thanks for updating us, and we'll look for you in a few weeks, hope you have a followup appointment already set up so he can discuss everything with you.
Just a update - I got a MRI done Friday and here are what the findings say:
( I'm coping what the report says, not sure what it means)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Findings:
Normal brainstem and posterior fossa structures including normal CP angles. Normal sella pituitary region. No extra axial hematoma or evidence for a fracture.
Mild atophy of the cerebellar stuctures. No areas of abnormal enhancement.
The paranasal sinuses and mastoid appear quite clearly aerated.
Clear aerated paranasal sinuses.
IMPRESSION:
1 Normal brain with no evidence for focal cerebritis.
2 No evidence for brain tumor.
3 Slight atrophy of the cerebellar hemispheres.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Also got blood work done yesterday, and here is what all the Neuro is testing. and then I got back on the 18th for 2 more tests ( Nerve Conduction Study & a Electromyogram)
Blood Test:
ANA
Anti-Gliadain - AB
CBC w/ differental
Ceruloplasmin
CMP ( Comprehensive Metabolic Panel)
Copper Level
Fulare ( I think? could be Fulate? )
Homocysteine, Total
Rheumatoid Faction ( Quantitave?)
SED Rate (ESR)
TSH
T4 Free
Vit B6, B1, B12, E, Sinc, Trigycerides, Anca and spep
So the Neuro said it would take about 2 weeks for those results to come in. But I like this DR as he's jumping in and testing for stuff. Now he did say it COULD be medicine related, but we're doing all the test first, then if he can't find anything we're going to start looking at the meds. So it will be slow going, but atlease he's wanting to find out whats going on. And I really like that.
Anyway, I'll keep you all posted.
Thanks again!
( I'm coping what the report says, not sure what it means)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Findings:
Normal brainstem and posterior fossa structures including normal CP angles. Normal sella pituitary region. No extra axial hematoma or evidence for a fracture.
Mild atophy of the cerebellar stuctures. No areas of abnormal enhancement.
The paranasal sinuses and mastoid appear quite clearly aerated.
Clear aerated paranasal sinuses.
IMPRESSION:
1 Normal brain with no evidence for focal cerebritis.
2 No evidence for brain tumor.
3 Slight atrophy of the cerebellar hemispheres.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Also got blood work done yesterday, and here is what all the Neuro is testing. and then I got back on the 18th for 2 more tests ( Nerve Conduction Study & a Electromyogram)
Blood Test:
ANA
Anti-Gliadain - AB
CBC w/ differental
Ceruloplasmin
CMP ( Comprehensive Metabolic Panel)
Copper Level
Fulare ( I think? could be Fulate? )
Homocysteine, Total
Rheumatoid Faction ( Quantitave?)
SED Rate (ESR)
TSH
T4 Free
Vit B6, B1, B12, E, Sinc, Trigycerides, Anca and spep
So the Neuro said it would take about 2 weeks for those results to come in. But I like this DR as he's jumping in and testing for stuff. Now he did say it COULD be medicine related, but we're doing all the test first, then if he can't find anything we're going to start looking at the meds. So it will be slow going, but atlease he's wanting to find out whats going on. And I really like that.
Anyway, I'll keep you all posted.
Thanks again!
Good of you to post back. I'm a little troubled that the doc who's giving you the Cyclo ignored that you ain't supposed to be on that long-term. Oh, well, like I said, I could have been wrong. But no question, I'm SO glad you've got an appointment with the neuro. He will most definitely help you out. We'll look forward to hearing back from you in a couple weeks after you see the doc!
My DR. said its not a drug interaction so he's sending me to a neuro on the 23rd. So till then I have to put up with this , but again I'll keep you posted. Again, thanks for all the info.
You should not be on the Cyclo for over a year...it's short-term only. It may be the one thing that is throwing the other four "sleepy drugs" into overtime, altho I agree, a year seems to neutralize that possibility. There IS another possibility, could be since you're now on some antibiotics, your liver is having a hard time breaking all your medicines down, and this is making you a little tipsy. And of course Erites could be correct, that you've got some sort of neurological glitch that needs to be taken care of. Do let us know what finally happens. I'm really glad you'll be with one of your docs tomorrow, especially since he's giving you the Cyclo stuff, and he may be able to review all your meds and realize what's going on and explain it to you and make suggestions, if the drugs are indeed contributing to your blackouts. And by the way, you have a wonderful husband who seems to care about your situation, so you're in good hands until you get to your docs.
After my Husband got home we talked about it, he remembers times that I have just "blacked out" and now he is very concerned about it as well, the first thing in the morning we are going to my Rheumatologist ( I've had an appointment with him for a while) and since he is the one that put me on Cyclobenzaprine ( for my fibromyalgia) he may have an idea. But either way we are going to my Primary after that and seeing what he wants to do.
GG Thank you so much for the information. I read over the drug facts ( on webmd) but I've been on Cyclobenzapine and Alprazolam for over a year now, so I wasn't sure if I would be getting side effects this late or not? But I am going to bring that information up to my dr, as well as some of the other things you pointed out. He may send me to a neuro and he may try some new meds, I will keep you posted.
GG Thank you so much for the information. I read over the drug facts ( on webmd) but I've been on Cyclobenzapine and Alprazolam for over a year now, so I wasn't sure if I would be getting side effects this late or not? But I am going to bring that information up to my dr, as well as some of the other things you pointed out. He may send me to a neuro and he may try some new meds, I will keep you posted.
Marie,
I mostly agree with Erites' post, but I DO think medication is the more probable cause of your temporary memory loss. But I also agree it's a good idea to go to the neuro, since I could certainly be wrong about the drugs. But here's your drug story as I understand it.
First of all, four of your drugs have the potential to make you tired or sleepy:
Cyclobenzapine, Ropinirole, Metroprolol, and Alprazolam
I might add that the Cyclobenzaprine, a muscle relaxer, is only to be used short-term.
Two of those can also affect the memory:
1. Metroprolol can give you short-term memory loss AND make your extremities cold (you had mentioned your hands getting cold, so that probably explains that!!)
2. Alprazolam can give you memory impairment and, more rarely, transient amnesia
I currently take a tranquilizer, a pain killer, a nerve pain medicine, as well as an SSRI. I am also in a lot of pain from a car accident, for years I've been disabled, and I'm just in my 50s (I know, it sounds old, but when you're supposed to work another ten years and cannot, when you want to go places and do things and cannot, it's sort of hard to take). I lost my concentration because of the constant discomfort, and also probably because of my medicines, which have been added little by little over the years. I have forgotten a number of events over the last five or ten years, sometimes I'm not sure what I'm saying, and I also fall asleep a lot during the day. You might say I'm spaced out from really rough discomfort and medicine.
I think you are having some similar problems to me becuz of meds, plus since you're a cancer survivor, you know all about what pain can do to a person's thinking. My guess is when you're watching TV and you wake up later and hours have gone by, you just plain passed out, which I do that also. But since I don't do the thing when you were playing your game, you may have experienced the memory problems that two of your medicines have as a side effect. In addition, when you recounted the experience in your post about waking your husband up, I noticed the times you put down didn't make much sense (9pm you wake up to get your husband becuz he leaves at 5-ish). So, I think your health history, the sleepiness caused by four of your meds, and two of those with memory loss, are all conspiring to kind of space you out, too!
I am used to taking medicines, I am aware of all the side effects, and so when something unusual happens, I know what's going on. So, perhaps your regular doc can familiarize you with your medicine effects, and also figure out a way for you to still take the drugs you need for your problems, but maybe change kinds, or change times you take them, that sort of thing, so you won't be so sleepy and forgetful. And even tho your family is far away, email and phone calls are close. We will be real interested in how things go with your neuro! Remember, I may be wrong about the drugs.
GG
I mostly agree with Erites' post, but I DO think medication is the more probable cause of your temporary memory loss. But I also agree it's a good idea to go to the neuro, since I could certainly be wrong about the drugs. But here's your drug story as I understand it.
First of all, four of your drugs have the potential to make you tired or sleepy:
Cyclobenzapine, Ropinirole, Metroprolol, and Alprazolam
I might add that the Cyclobenzaprine, a muscle relaxer, is only to be used short-term.
Two of those can also affect the memory:
1. Metroprolol can give you short-term memory loss AND make your extremities cold (you had mentioned your hands getting cold, so that probably explains that!!)
2. Alprazolam can give you memory impairment and, more rarely, transient amnesia
I currently take a tranquilizer, a pain killer, a nerve pain medicine, as well as an SSRI. I am also in a lot of pain from a car accident, for years I've been disabled, and I'm just in my 50s (I know, it sounds old, but when you're supposed to work another ten years and cannot, when you want to go places and do things and cannot, it's sort of hard to take). I lost my concentration because of the constant discomfort, and also probably because of my medicines, which have been added little by little over the years. I have forgotten a number of events over the last five or ten years, sometimes I'm not sure what I'm saying, and I also fall asleep a lot during the day. You might say I'm spaced out from really rough discomfort and medicine.
I think you are having some similar problems to me becuz of meds, plus since you're a cancer survivor, you know all about what pain can do to a person's thinking. My guess is when you're watching TV and you wake up later and hours have gone by, you just plain passed out, which I do that also. But since I don't do the thing when you were playing your game, you may have experienced the memory problems that two of your medicines have as a side effect. In addition, when you recounted the experience in your post about waking your husband up, I noticed the times you put down didn't make much sense (9pm you wake up to get your husband becuz he leaves at 5-ish). So, I think your health history, the sleepiness caused by four of your meds, and two of those with memory loss, are all conspiring to kind of space you out, too!
I am used to taking medicines, I am aware of all the side effects, and so when something unusual happens, I know what's going on. So, perhaps your regular doc can familiarize you with your medicine effects, and also figure out a way for you to still take the drugs you need for your problems, but maybe change kinds, or change times you take them, that sort of thing, so you won't be so sleepy and forgetful. And even tho your family is far away, email and phone calls are close. We will be real interested in how things go with your neuro! Remember, I may be wrong about the drugs.
GG
Thank you. I will do that first thing Monday.
And I guess I should have said I have a VERY long medical history, I had cancer at 14 and that has caused most of my issues now. But the best I can do is deal and try to get a Dr. that will take the time to get to know ME as well as I know myself medicaly that is.
And I guess I should have said I have a VERY long medical history, I had cancer at 14 and that has caused most of my issues now. But the best I can do is deal and try to get a Dr. that will take the time to get to know ME as well as I know myself medicaly that is.
actually sounds quite a bit like my temporal lobe seizures, and you've had some memories fall into the "seizure gap" where they just don't get encoded. you're obviously walking around doing things, but long-term memory isn't being laid down. that could be a complex partial seizure. that could be a weird drug interaction. that could be a psychiatric problem, though it would be odd for it to suddenly manifest.
at this point i almost get a kick out of my lost hours. i've been known to receive emails from myself-i email poems i write to my brother so he can play with them for possible songs, and i cc myself. so i go to my email, and voila. a bit freaky. and i find pictures i drew and photos i took and food i cooked...i can relate. and coming "back" to an empty house just IS scarier than coming back to a house with people there who weren't there before. but i at least know what's going on, and know that i was me in those hours, though if we are the sum of our experiences i will never be who i should have been because i will never remember all that i have experienced...too many moments over the years are lost to the seizure gap.
you are experiencing altered consciousness. you can adapt to this, but first you need to know what's causing it. start with your primary care physician. he'll probably refer you to a neurologist first-assuming it isn't a medication issue, and you're just having a really unusual side effect. relax, though. i can almost definitely assure you that you are simply being you, you just don't remember it. all you are losing is the ability to playback that time...look around you, you can see that you're still you. you still play mahjong on the computer, etc. get thee to a neurologist, go...
at this point i almost get a kick out of my lost hours. i've been known to receive emails from myself-i email poems i write to my brother so he can play with them for possible songs, and i cc myself. so i go to my email, and voila. a bit freaky. and i find pictures i drew and photos i took and food i cooked...i can relate. and coming "back" to an empty house just IS scarier than coming back to a house with people there who weren't there before. but i at least know what's going on, and know that i was me in those hours, though if we are the sum of our experiences i will never be who i should have been because i will never remember all that i have experienced...too many moments over the years are lost to the seizure gap.
you are experiencing altered consciousness. you can adapt to this, but first you need to know what's causing it. start with your primary care physician. he'll probably refer you to a neurologist first-assuming it isn't a medication issue, and you're just having a really unusual side effect. relax, though. i can almost definitely assure you that you are simply being you, you just don't remember it. all you are losing is the ability to playback that time...look around you, you can see that you're still you. you still play mahjong on the computer, etc. get thee to a neurologist, go...
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