Today I've noticed that I've had some problems remembering things. I've been on the computer a lot posting to Facebook and other social sites and as I'm typing all of a sudden I can't remember how to spell a simple word. This has happened several times today. Now I do take pain medication for my back. But I've been taking those for approximately 10 years without this happening. This is new since my PMR diagnosis. So is this PMR, prednisone or is my mind just going wacko.
I have also noticed that my memory is not so good at the moment. I used to have a great memory, but after PMR/GCA and pred it´s not as it was before. I think it is the pred. Some people call it the pred brain, or brain fog. I hope it gets better once we are off the pred. But if you think it is severe you should mention it to your doc.
I had dreadful 'brain fog' in the first year - now just entering my 3rd year and I'm really much brighter. In my case I believe it was the combination of the illness, the pred AND the depression of being so unwell.
Good to hear you are bette and brighter. it gives us hope. Are you on a new biological medication now ?
I also notice I'm not as sharp as before.
Names and words elude me.
At the doctor visit, if the doc leaves the room and I gave further questions, I must write them in my phone for fear I won't remember when He returns.
I am 74 on 10.5 pred. Diagnosed almost one year ago. Started at 15mg.
Hi, I call it Roid Fog ( Prednisone ) some days worse than others for me :
Have a 10 minute break each time, it may help :
Don't know how old you are amkoffee but that's pretty common in my age group. I'm 74 and although I have been that way for awhile, my GP said that Prednisone and my sleep meds could definitely contribute to that and I shouldn't worry about it at least until I'm off the Prednisone. I was off for a short while and noticed a definite improvement in my memory. I think it will take a lot more than forgetting a word to be deemed a "wacko." At least I hope so.
Thank you in happy to know I'm not a wacko. But I'm only 55. So I don't think it's safe related yet. And although i don't take
Real sleeping pills I do take a very low dose of valium to help me relax and get to sleep. I guess I'll just wait and see if things
Improve our get worse before I freak out.
lol...don't freak out. Still think you ought not to worry especially since you're on sleeping pills and Prednisone. I have a large meetup group (worldwide social group) which starts at age 55. Many of them worry about their forgetfulness too. If you're really that worried, talk to your doctor. Maybe he can put your mind at ease. PS...I rarely tell anyone how old I am because I still feel like I'm 40...maybe 50...except of course for the aches and pains and...ummm...oh yeah...senior moments.
Don't worry about it, most of us have this annoying problem. It's the Prednisolone. We give it the endearing name of Brain Fog, which fits perfectly and is so much nicer than Steroid Dementia! My understanding is that it will go as it came once we get off Prednisolone without leaving any lasting effects. I think mine has improved a bit now that I'm down to 5.5mg
Thank you all for your helpful replies. I'm starting to feel a lot better to know that I'm not alone in this brain fog thing. I certainly hope it doesn't get worse but it doesn't sound like it will. I've always been one to have to write things down so I don't forget or I add them to my smartphone calendar. I did just recently increased my dosage because i was having a flair so that may have accounted for the recent brain fog. So I hope you all have a pleasant day, hugs to everyone.
Low dose Valium, a benzodiazepine, withou pred can impair memory without pred. So can ambien and Xanax. They are given clinically to achieve just that. The current thinking in the US is to avoid using these for sleep because they impair the restful sleep cycles- not to mention dependency.
One dose of Valium takes 3 days to be fully excreted from the body. Daily ingestion causes accumulation within the body resulting in depression.
This happened to my mom.
Retired anesthetist.
Yikes I don't like the sound of that. I don't take it every night but probably 4 nights out of 7. I know my prescription has to last 30 days and I have no problem with that. I usually make it last almost two months. But I will reconsider my usage for bedtime in the future.
I strongly suggest you do not use those types of meds and learn some relaxation exercises, such as deep breathingt techniques, etc. I used to teach them, also make tapes, years ago when I worked techniques in the psychiatric unit of the hospital, and I also practised them myself. Once you keep practising them, it gives you a great feeling of relaxation. Elinor4
Valium probably doesn't help. Since starting pred I have noticed a disturbing pattern of not being able to find the right word or remember a name. I try hard not to look it up, but to make my subconscious memory dig it out, and usually it will, perhaps hours later. This happened to me on the weekend. We watched a movie with Christopher Plummer, ironically the film is called Remember and the main character has dementia. I highly recommend it btw. When I saw who the director was I wanted to mention to my son that this man married an actress who started her career playing such and such - and I remembered a whole bunch of stuff about her and her subsequent career, but her name did not reach me until the following morning.
Sarah Polley.
The undeserved feeling of accomplishment when her name popped into my head was interesting. Is this the future? Working through a fog of incomplete memories? Or have I always been like this, just more aware (and scared) now that I'm old and somewhat ill?
I AM! started last week - second self injected dose yesterday. No side effects that I can tell, although I have the week from hell with my daughter's disasterous wedding on the weekend and two sick grandbabies to look after all week/end!!
I'll give an update once I've had my next blood test to see how my CRP is looking.
I'm confident enough to start another reduction of pred this week!
Im only 53 - just turned 51 when diagnosed. So it's the PMR and or the pred, not you!
Well that all sounds very dramatic. Hope you get through it better than you expect!
It was a Big Fat Greek Drama Wedding. I'm just happy and relieved it's over and I don't have to be nice to them again. lol
Ah, it was the weekend past then, I thought it was the one coming. So you survived!