memory problems

[Emee]

Are memory problems a part of seizures? I was told my seizures are probably caused from a head injury & I've always thought that was why I have a problem with memory . After I've had a seizure I have trouble with recall & a delay in finding the right word for as much as a day later. When I was younger I sometimes used seizures as an excuse for being forgetful but now that I'm older I just call them senior moments. Thanks.

 

[Fortis_Mos]

I have Grand Mal epilepsy and those are usually electrical/chemical malfunctions of the brain. Anyways, point being is that I have memory issues as well. On a rare occasion it is something in the long-term but it is all mostly short-term. Worst case I had was I seized up and lost all memory of the events the day prior. Someone actually had to tell me since it didn't come back.

 

[petero]

Are memory problems a part of seizures? I was told my seizures are probably caused from a head injury & I've always thought that was why I have a problem with memory . After I've had a seizure I have trouble with recall & a delay in finding the right word for as much as a day later. When I was younger I sometimes used seizures as an excuse for being forgetful but now that I'm older I just call them senior moments. Thanks.

when I've had seizures I've definitely had memory problems
immediately after tonic-clonic seizures I have no idea where I am.

 

[The Mathematician]

when I've had seizures I've definitely had memory problems
immediately after tonic-clonic seizures I have no idea where I am.

Same here. My memory has gotten terrible since I started having seizures. I would give you examples of some of the major things I've forgotten, but, sadly, I don't remember. :/

 

[Nakamova]

Tonic-clonics are definitely hard on the memory, but it's usually a short-term phenomenon -- somewhat akin to a sudden power failure that shuts down the computer You lose a bit of data in all the open programs, and have to start fresh.

If they happen in/or around the temporal lobes they're more likely to affect memory over the long-term. This is because the hippocampus is located in the temporal lobe, and it's the area responsible for encoding and retrieving memories.

Meds can affect memory too, so we're damned if we do, damned if we don't...

 

[RobinN]

My daughters memory and verbal processing, was greatly improved following her neurofeedback therapy

 

[Malla]

Yes Emee, I believe it is so. I have memory problems when I experience days with many seizures. The memory problems are usually temporary and I regain my memory if and when I have the seizures under control. Hugs Malla

 

[jyearta]

I haven't notice a memory problem right after a seizure.

Having said that.... my memory has gotten worse with each year that passes. In reading this post--I just learned why.. I have Temporal lobe E.

I started taking Magnesium 250mg about a month ago and it seems to be helping me.

 

[knothing]

After a t/c I forget everything that happens for the 3 days after the t/c. I do suffer from memory issues overall. I watch Jeopardy and play a few memory type of games on Facebook to get my brain back to recalling information like it did before the seizure. Those seem to help me.

 

[elizzza811]

I have absolutely zero short term memory, and having my seizures go unrecognized and untreated for so long, huge chunks of my long-term memory are also lost forever. Even when people try to 'remind' me of an event, I have no recollection of it.

What's really scary is I have trouble on occasion remembering familiar phone numbers...my daughter's, for instance...(numbers I call frequently)...and on several occasions I've forgotten my own house number. Actually, these both happened to me (again) this past week. When writing a phone number down incorrectly, I seem to sense it is incorrect, but I manage to convince myself that the number is correct until later when I find I was wrong. It is getting rather frightening.

I've been unsure of the day of the week, the month (at times), even complimented my husband on a robe he was wearing, only for him to point out that I was the one who'd bought it for him.

 

[valeriedl]

After my very first seizure I lost almost everything that happened in the 10 years before it. Some stuff was still in there, but not much.

When I first started having the seizures I would blank out and forget things that happened as much as a few days before the seizure and during it. Now I usually blank out during the seizure so I don't know anything that happened during the seizure. Recently I am starting to have some seizures where I'm not blanking out, not all the time though. I know everything that went on during it I just can't react to what's going on.

My long term memory is horrible. After a few months things just start to fade away. I also have problems thinking of words to say. I'll be talking to some one and just stop because mid sentence because I can't think of the work. I'll say "that furry thing that runs around the house...." The person will say "you mean your cat?" Even ones as simple as that.

 

[RobinN]

After my very first seizure I lost almost everything that happened in the 10 years before it. Some stuff was still in there, but not much.

Rebecca had a seizure that did this, and it lasted for about 3 months.
I found some information that said that blood sugar issues can cause this.
UCLA attempted to diagnose it as psychogenic

When I first started having the seizures I would blank out and forget things that happened as much as a few days before the seizure and during it. Now I usually blank out during the seizure so I don't know anything that happened during the seizure.

This is what was occurring with Rebecca's seizures. She had tonic clonic seizures and all recall prior to the seizure was gone.

Recently I am starting to have some seizures where I'm not blanking out, not all the time though. I know everything that went on during it I just can't react to what's going on.

Rebecca had a few of these, but I later connected them to the medication she was taking at the time. After the meds were dropped all seizures of this type went away.
But then again, we had started neurofeedback and also had begun the nutritional changes.

 

[Cint]

Recently I am starting to have some seizures where I'm not blanking out, not all the time though. I know everything that went on during it I just can't react to what's going on.

My long term memory is horrible. After a few months things just start to fade away. I also have problems thinking of words to say. I'll be talking to some one and just stop because mid sentence because I can't think of the work. I'll say "that furry thing that runs around the house...." The person will say "you mean your cat?" Even ones as simple as that.

My first seizure started this way, as simple partial, without medication. I went to Primary care dr. and he diagnosed it as hypoglycemia, but the seizures only increased to CP and then I had my first TC in the shower and suffered severe burns. My blood sugar levels at the time were fine. Now jump to 30 years later and my short term memory is bad. Some days I have trouble remembering my son-in-laws name or can't think of the words I want while trying to explain something (called aphasia). Sooo frustrating. I have temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal damage and memory loss is common with TLE.

 

[petero]

...Recently I am starting to have some seizures where I'm not blanking out, not all the time though. I know everything that went on during it I just can't react to what's going on.

My long term memory is horrible....

I've had a couple different types of seizures like this too. Come to think of it I wonder if this is atypical because it would mean activity in different areas of the brain...

 

[survivor]

My hubby gave me a watch in gift! After few days when my watch (old one) went out of order, I told him about the problems I was facing due to the watch. He said - 'Why not u wear the new watch'. And I said -'WHICH NEW WATCH!!' U can imagine what happened next! And the truth is I did not remember anything about it even when I took it out from the almirah!! I have lots and lots of memory prob!!

 

[Brent]

I spent $800 on train tickets to Montana for Christmas, and a few days later asked my wife what she wanted to do for Christmas. I had no recollection of deciding to go to MT or of buying the tickets ... whatsoever.

Yes, memory problems come with the territory. As others have said, they come with the seizures and with the meds.

 

[jyearta]

I'm getting to frustrated with my memory, I keep losing items.
Sometimes it's because I put the item in a good and safe place.
I will look for it for days, but when I do find it, it was in a safe place.

I have also lost package of items I purchased on a shopping trip with friends.

I have started having problem taking my medication when I'm out of my house. It's as if everything has to be in their place on my counter.
I use to pill organizer, but they pop open in my pocket book.

My problems with taking my medication only comes a dinner time. This is because --being in the forum, I learned when to take my medications correctly--every 12 hours.
This shouldn't be a hard thing to do, but I find I'm getting anxious if we are out for dinner. I know I'm having a harder time when there is a change of some kind, it's like my brain will not re-program.

 

[valeriedl]

I have started having problem taking my medication when I'm out of my house. It's as if everything has to be in their place on my counter.
I use to pill organizer, but they pop open in my pocket book.



My problems with taking my medication only comes a dinner time. This is because --being in the forum, I learned when to take my medications correctly--every 12 hours.
This shouldn't be a hard thing to do, but I find I'm getting anxious if we are out for dinner. I know I'm having a harder time when there is a change of some kind, it's like my brain will not re-program.

When I go out and I don't have my purse with me, where I have my pill container, I'll put them in a plastic ziplock baggie and keep them in my pocket. If I'm wearing an outfit without pockets then I'll give them to my husband to hang on to.


I have an alarm set in my cell phone that goes off every time it's time to take my meds, that way I'll always remember to take a dose.

 

[petero]

When I go out and I don't have my purse with me, where I have my pill container, I'll put them in a plastic ziplock baggie and keep them in my pocket. If I'm wearing an outfit without pockets then I'll give them to my husband to hang on to.


I have an alarm set in my cell phone that goes off every time it's time to take my meds, that way I'll always remember to take a dose.

there are a lot of small candy and advil containers that are small too - empty them out, peel/re-label them - yadda.~~

I'm an artist, so I make containers anyway - I made one of an old champagne cork that became part of an ornament - intended as refunctionable... but it ended up a bit too small for my pill sizes - so I repurposed it

 

[seizures4ever]

I have problems with my memory as well.
My tonic-clonics are under control, but my s-p and c-p seizures are not.

Following a complex-partial, when I'm post-ictal, I lose my memory from 5min.-2hrs. after the event. It varies with each seizure.

I attribute this to several things.

1. I am on high doses of mind-altering drugs (change the uptake of neurotransmitters)
2. I have frequent refractoy szs., and I do believe decades of this can alter/hurt brain function.
3. It's the nature of the beast: seizures alter my brain's activity
4. I have a scar on my brain; no doctor has been able to tell exactly how my brain is wired b/c it mutated during gestation.
5. I'm getting older and my 5 yr. old takes my attention off of remembering details.

But as a cyber hug to you, I know how frustrating it is. I was upset about this just the other day. My husband swears I ate a bunch of cookies from the mall food court while shopping...apparently $10 worth...according to my bank statement. lol. I have absolutely no memory of it. I had had a seizure about an hour earlier, and I realize now that a large block of time is missing for me. Sigh...you are definitely not alone.