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Memory loss......

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Lyme Disease
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Cheezhead
Veteran Member
Joined : May 2007
Posts : 517
Posted 11/11/2008 7:53 PM (GMT -8)
So it seen I can not remember anything anymore. Even on days I don't have brain fog. Before I started treatment, I recall one morning I had to feed my cat. I was trying to open a can of food; I could not figure out how to use a hand can opener. Now years later I am forgetting things all the time. I'm going to start putting post-its on my forhead if things don't get better. Anyone else notice a loss of memory?
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Dowa
Veteran Member
Joined : Sep 2008
Posts : 1120
Posted 11/11/2008 9:01 PM (GMT -8)
Oh absolutely. I think it is a common symptom of Lyme. It takes me hours to do something that I woud have accomplished easily before, such as paying bills etc and things that require organization. Grocery shopping is a a real chore, when before I could have done it in my sleep! Did it not improve at all for you with treatment?? D
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Cheezhead
Veteran Member
Joined : May 2007
Posts : 517
Posted 11/11/2008 9:48 PM (GMT -8)
Hi Dowa,

Wish I could say it has improved, but it's probably just me. I leave for work twice nearly every morning. I'm always forgetting my lunch, meds, coffee, phone, or even my keys. hopefully it will improve in time!!
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bablymers
Veteran Member
Joined : Oct 2006
Posts : 1458
Posted 11/12/2008 1:09 AM (GMT -8)
The lymers I have met all complain about this problem. I think it is common----even in young people. With successful treatment, it can get better. We have not yet enjoyed this success, but we look forward to it. I agree with all your comments. I write notes/lists to myself all the time, to help with managing this. Best wishes. bablymers mom
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woodswalker
Regular Member
Joined : Oct 2008
Posts : 99
Posted 11/12/2008 10:50 AM (GMT -8)
I hear you. I was driving the other day and turned down the radio because I was too warm! Must keep a good sense of humor about it -- at least I found my way home....
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Dowa
Veteran Member
Joined : Sep 2008
Posts : 1120
Posted 11/12/2008 11:44 AM (GMT -8)
WW: That made me chuckle, if I didnt have my sense of humor, who knows where I would be right now! Its SO important, we must laugh at least once a day!

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Cheezhead
Veteran Member
Joined : May 2007
Posts : 517
Posted 11/12/2008 12:15 PM (GMT -8)
Get this, last Friday my boss handed me my check. I went and put my check in the glove box of my truck, went back inside for the last few minutes of the day. I started driving home, got about a five miles from my office when I suddenly started thinking about my check. I dug through every pocket on my cloths atleast 3 times. I turned around and went back to my office, thinking I had left my check on my desk. After finding no check on my desk; By now I'm in a full panic, I returned to my truck only to find it safely where I put it in my glove box. shakehead
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ashleyf3
Regular Member
Joined : Sep 2006
Posts : 364
Posted 11/12/2008 12:58 PM (GMT -8)
I work from home and my desk is covered in post it notes! I should buy stock in the company. I will send my husband to do list, and set myself appointment reminders - reminders to take my meds through outlook- write the kids notes on post it and stick it to their doors so I don't forget to tell them and talk to them about it later - and this after years of treatment. What was I like before?!?! While I do feel better now to an extent, I still feel I will never be as "quick" as I once was and still find myself some days struggling to juggle the chaos in my brain.

Blessings,
Leah
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Contessa420
New Member
Joined : Nov 2008
Posts : 6
Posted 11/12/2008 1:21 PM (GMT -8)
Wow...I've just joined this site...it's amazing how many people are dealing with this, yet there is still not a lot of exposure on talk shows or the news.

Just last night, I was on the phone with my sister. We both have Lyme - half way through the conversation (if you could call it that), we both just started laughing (at this point, that's all we can do)...neither of us had a clue what we were talking about...made me think Gary Larson could do a cartoon of two Lyme sufferer's in conversation...lol.

In any event - after a diagnosis in July 2007 and Doxy through the end of this past September - I just had a spinal tap done and alas...the Lyme doth liveth in my brain. I have neuro Lyme and I've just been a mess...getting better, but never great. With this new discovery, I will start IV antibiotics and continue on Rocephin for the month of December. I am really hoping and praying it doesn't leave me to worn out.

What's weird is - we think my sister has had Lyme since the early 90's and we thought I had gotten it about 10 months before being diagnosed...through everything I've read...who knew Neuro Lyme's would manifest itself so quickly. I've obviously learned to deal with it - but, my dreams of grad school and other continuing ed goals, have completely diminished...now all I focus on is beating this bug.

Anyway - in taking the IV antibiotics - I will have a picc line in and 45 minutes a day, every day for a month - can some people who have done this, let me know what side effects you've dealt with. I've read a bunch online, but would rather have insight given from people of this forum

Thanks and kind regards and to overcoming this!

Contessa420
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Dowa
Veteran Member
Joined : Sep 2008
Posts : 1120
Posted 11/12/2008 2:45 PM (GMT -8)
Contessa: May I ask about your spinal tap. I read somewhere that only 5% of Lyme will show up in a spinal tap. What a "regular" neurologist know to look for Lyme, and what shows up in the spinal fluid, bacteria? Thanks D

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JELAINEP
Veteran Member
Joined : Sep 2007
Posts : 2017
Posted 11/12/2008 5:44 PM (GMT -8)

anoyed said...
So it seen I can not remember anything anymore. Even on days I don't have brain fog. Before I started treatment, I recall one morning I had to feed my cat. I was trying to open a can of food; I could not figure out how to use a hand can opener. Now years later I am forgetting things all the time. I'm going to start putting post-its on my forhead if things don't get better. Anyone else notice a loss of memory?

Me too, I think... I can't remember, I'll have to check my calender... Where in the he!! is my calender?  Ummm, never mind. rolleyes turn rolleyes

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Contessa420
New Member
Joined : Nov 2008
Posts : 6
Posted 11/13/2008 7:39 AM (GMT -8)
Dowa - really? Only 5% of Lyme shows up in a spinal tap? Is that because of strain or the person?
I was already diagnosed with Lyme for over a year and was off of my Doxy because we felt we had gone as far as we could with it. The neurologist I see, works in conjunction with my internist (the man who found the Lyme) and since he had already found neuropothy in my left foot and lower leg and slight neuropothies in both my hands and we had already done a brain SPECT and found profusion in my prefrontal cortex and my ANA was still positive - they both agreed a spinal tap was in order. Now, I'm not sure exactly what you are asking...

I can tell you the spinal tap, itself, was just scary, but no real pain - it was the 7+ days of headaches which really sucked! And, we did it in a hospital and I did everything I was supposed to do to prevent a headache...oh well. But - i'm going to google what you wrote about the 5% now...please feel free to ask whatever...

Good Luck and be well!
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maggiemoo
Regular Member
Joined : Oct 2008
Posts : 56
Posted 11/13/2008 9:12 PM (GMT -8)
This morning I was walking by the laundry room and I thought to while I was here I would place the clothes from the washer to the dyer.  When I opened the dryer I was so surprised to see there were clothes in there and when I touched them they were warm.   I couldn't imagine what had happened, totally forgetting I had washed another load earlier and place them in the dryer!

Days like this I don't operated machine or handle sharp objects!!

maggie

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Martha's Vineyard
Veteran Member
Joined : Jul 2008
Posts : 1119
Posted 11/14/2008 5:06 PM (GMT -8)
anoyed,
the memory loss issue is very scary. and being absent minded. one friend on here left her car running while at the mall. keys and all....in florida. I keep introducing myself to the same people every day at my daughters school. I was getting annoyed that people kept saying "we've met". I was also getting annoyed that my kids started every sentence to me with "remember".
My maid would follow me around the house. My keys never to be found, my glasses, my water, could never find anything. 6 trips to the car later..I am off. Now where was I headed? Then off in the car, uh, what was I going to do? And then oh yeah, the cleaners, and now where is it. Getting lost in my neighborhood, once only 2 blocks from home. That time I did not get scared. Walking out of the grocery store all proud of myself for pulling that off, dressed with matching clothes and clean hair...lol, only to stand in the front and stare at the cars....could not for the life of me remember what I drove. Looked right at my black mercedes and thought, what is the deal with a 430 anyways, and man they are dumb for having a black, and dirty car in the tropics...while having conversation about the stupid person with the black mercedes in my head...
The young man who bags the bags pointed at my car....uh......oh...yeah...thanks....I laughed and went that way. But checking in the back for my kids car seat first. Oh yes. My dirty car. Never liked it much anyways.
Weeks before I came out to scottsdale for my therapy here. I was driving and all of a sudden I freaked. I had no idea where I was and I was scared out of my mind to be driving. I grabbed my phone. And called my x and told him. I felt like pulling over. But was to scared to on the HWY. I could not think clearly. I felt like a 105 old lady in a Porshe. Freaked out. I got home and that was when I decided to have my kids picked up by their dad that day.
I guess it is a blessing of sorts that with the demensha that one gets a wacky sense of humor. I thought everything was funny.
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Martha's Vineyard
Veteran Member
Joined : Jul 2008
Posts : 1119
Posted 11/14/2008 5:07 PM (GMT -8)
But be careful it got worse and worse for me. And it can be very dangerous for you. Altimers is not a laughing matter.
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hopingToFindCure
Veteran Member
Joined : Nov 2008
Posts : 759
Posted 11/14/2008 5:13 PM (GMT -8)
lose everything. including memory. etc.

Can B12 help?
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Hbd
New Member
Joined : Dec 2012
Posts : 6
Posted 12/8/2012 5:13 AM (GMT -8)
Hi everyone,
I'm new to this site. I was just diagnosed with lyme and found this site searching about if antibiotics can make lyme disease worse... i thus learned about herxing.
Anyways, the doctor said it's acute lyme disease and it's likely been "months". Not sure how long that is, but I can say that the first time I felt "not-normal" would have been 2 februarys ago when I got really lightheaded/dizzy suddenly. With eating better and exercising I felt better, but I slowly stopped all that and it kind of came back, constant lightheadedness feeling and then the extremity tingling sensations. More recently I have experienced mild memory loss. Nothing major like leaving keys in the car yet or forgetting exactly what I'm doing, but I did notice at work I am just forgetting to take things with me and feeling like I need a to-do list to accomplish anything.
So how long have some of you had lymes and how bad are your memory issues? That's probably the largest of my concerns right now and want to make sure that will heal when I'm hopefully lyme-free.

Also, it's tough/time consuming to create a detox bath. Any other detox suggestions? I'd like to avoid severe herxing.

Thanks!
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wellbeautifulspirit
Veteran Member
Joined : Sep 2012
Posts : 671
Posted 12/8/2012 5:42 AM (GMT -8)
I see the previous posts older, thankful to read these

so me.... wow.

I did forget where my calendar was

paper, pens in every room, purse, so I cna write it down

the phone helps to saving in notes

I dont know how I made it this far, but memory is really bad

scary
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Traveler
Elite Member
Joined : May 2007
Posts : 36542
Posted 12/8/2012 12:36 PM (GMT -8)
Hi Hdb,
First of all, this is a really old thread and I don't think any of the original posters are here any longer.

Fortunately, most find that their memory issues resolve with proper treatment. I know for me that I had lost all memory - both short term and long term - when I was at my worst. It was a bit scary, but I was so focused on surviving my infections, that it only bothered me occasionally - LOL!!- when I thought of it!

I can tell you that now, I have recovered most of my memories and that my memory now works pretty well! I'm still in treatment, so my hope is that it will return to it's full capacity.

I'm not sure what you are using in your detox baths that takes time to prepare. We suggest that you use Epsom salts and peroxide, as described in the last half of the 2nd post in the "New to Lyme?" thread at the top of the forum. It would be a really good idea for you to read through that thread as it's packed full of important information, helpful links and pdf's as well as a list of questions to ask any doc that you are seeking treatment for your tick-borne infections from!
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Traveler
Elite Member
Joined : May 2007
Posts : 36542
Posted 12/8/2012 12:41 PM (GMT -8)
Hope2B -
Note taking is a really good way to deal with the poor memory! I used to have notes all over my house reminding me to take

this set of pills at this time, to do things like brush my teeth, or to go to the store, or anything else you can think of!! I used to

think I needed to buy stock in "Post a notes" because I used so very many of them each week!

I couldn't figure out how to take notes on my phone back then - and I lost track of my phone every day anyway!! LOL!

Hang in there! You're in treatment now and things should improve before much longer!
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