posted
Does anyone here have problems with their memory because of lyme? My long and short term memory are both real poor and I just wonder if anyone else has had this problem and will it be resolved with the antibiotic therapy? My dr.says yes, but I'm not seeing much of an improvement!!
-------------------- "I can see clearly now" Posts: 22 | From midwest | Registered: Dec 2005
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5dana8
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7935
posted
yes going on 20 years & have both short term & long term memory loss.
This is a very long fight and takes alot of faith and patience otherwise I would have given up years ago.
In my case the neuro & memory is the hardest to clear.
I know alot isn't permanent.Because in 95 I had 5&1/2 weeks iv & years of oral followup & My memory cleared for 9 years.Yes I had a relaspe three years ago but I had 9 glorious years where I was 80% better.I did alot in 9 years!
Thanks to my current Doc ,Who saved my life and has returned much of much of my life back thanks to abx treatment I would be a babbling catatonic by now.This I know for sure.
All I can say is try & stay the course and you might be surprized over time/maybe a long time with treatment your memory will return.
-------------------- 5dana8 Posts: 4432 | From some where over the rainbow | Registered: Sep 2005
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
Welcome Angel!
Yes, most of us do here! It was due to my severe memory loss that I decided to be tested for lyme disease to rule that out over early-onset Alzheimer's diesae. Sister-in-law, 41, died of early onset AD so I knew all the symptoms too well.
I've been misdx for 34 yrs. on abx 16 months plus others and see NO improvement either.
Write yourself plenty of post it notes or on a sheet of paper; check off after it's done.
I have to do this when running errands. I stick it to the dash & check off so I haven't forgotten anything on this trip.
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posted
I agree with all of the above. A long shot....but if you are or have been on a statin it might make you worse. For a while I thought my husband had lyme because of memory loss (which I have)...his was due to taking Lipitor and almost a year after stopping has seen his memory improve.
If it's the lyme...hang in there...it will improve, though I have days when have the old memory thing flare up.
Good luck!
-------------------- nan Posts: 2135 | From Tick Country | Registered: Oct 2000
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Marnie
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 773
posted
Google the words, "acetylcholine memory"
Bb is after our choline...documented.
Posts: 9481 | From Sunshine State | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
I have post-it notes all over as reminders. (just have to remember to look at them)
Also for phone numbers I had a book with all important numbers written in while in the hospital.
At home type or write them on a piece and tape them to the phone.
When my memory was really bad the only thing I have as reminders of things that happened are pictures. So important because you can't remember those special moments.
Sad and scarey when things happen and you don't have the slightest idea of what went on but so nice to have them to look at.
Missed so much of my kids growing up just so sick. Happy to have these pictures to cherish.
Just a few hints hope they are helpful.
Posts: 139 | From nj | Registered: Mar 2005
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lymeHerx001
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6215
posted
youre funny
Posts: 2905 | From New England | Registered: Sep 2004
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liz28
Unregistered
posted
I take phosphatidycholine, provigil, vinpocetine, CoQ10, calcium, magnesium, and theanine; will soon add B-complex and zinc. Celebrex also helps, since a lot of my memory problems are a side effect of systemic inflammation.
In my case, this whole chronic Lyme situation was, in the words of Keanu Reeves, totally bogus. Most of the "lingering neuro Lyme symptoms you just have to live with" turned out to be "untreated babesia and bartonella." So don't give up the farm just yet--those memory problems may be an indication of another problem.
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Boomerang
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Member # 7979
posted
what further treatment did you have for the babesia and bart?
Posts: 1366 | From Southeast | Registered: Sep 2005
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Andie333
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7370
posted
I've been banned in my house from renting movies. I'm constantly bringing home films that really look great to me only to be told we just watched them a month or two earlier.
Last Christmas I apparently saw the Nutcracker. I have some vague memories of that evening: dinner, three little girls dressed up and beaming, the Christmas lights downtown. But I don't have any recollection of seeing the performance.
My memory used to be so keen that I could sit through an interview with someone then return to the paper and write an article by memory -- with direct quotes. In 20 years, my accuracy was never challenged.
Now, it takes me forever to read a novel. I read a section then pick up the book the next day and have to reread everything just to figure out what's going on.
I've been on abx now for almost 7 months.
So far, my memory hasn't recovered at all.
I use a Palm to keep appointments. I also call my house and leave phone messages for myself. Currently, there are 22 messages in my phone mailbox...things I just don't want to forget (but then I forget to listen )
Mostly, I try to be light about it.
Otherwise, it would just be too sad!
Andie
[ 01. January 2006, 04:36 PM: Message edited by: Andie333 ]
Posts: 2549 | From never never land | Registered: May 2005
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posted
My excellent memory stopped working once I got Lyme. It started to improve in my 5th month of treatment when I went on tetracycline. Now I'm on my 18th month of treatment and my memory is continuing to improve. Some days it is almost back to normal. I can not remember much of the last year though and don't think those memories will be recovered. Frankly, I'd rather forget most of the details of my first year of Lyme.
Like Andie I can't remember which movies I've seen. Sometimes the endings seem a bit familiar! hats
Posts: 956 | From MA | Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
My memory is really bad some days, and it's usually after a really painful day that's full of lightheadedness and balance problems. I'm just coming off a bad week, and today I feel pretty ok. Not normal, but able to type this at least. I'm working on my disablility application (taking forever due to memory), and haven't worked since Sept. '05 due to memory and pain and balance problems. My advice is post it's and all the rest that have been said, but also stick to a schedule. Eat at noon every day, do laundry every Monday, check off the calendar, all those things. I also have my family keep a journal of things I forget, then I type them into my file for reference. A good example of my memory was yesterday. Dear hubby and I apparently discussed what he was going to town for (to fix our dripping sink), and we had quite the discussion over what we needed on that trip that he could also do while out. He was gone about 10 minutes (according to the kids) and I was going all over the house trying to find him to see if he was going to town for the stuff we'd just talked about. I never remembered we'd even talked. After the kids told me, I still couldn't remember any of it. I just sometimes find myself in the house alone and just sit and wait to see who returns and why they left. It's rather sad sometimes.
I also cannot read books like I used to. I used to be an avid reader and have only read 2 books completely through in 2 months due to not being able to remember what I read. One of those 2 was a book I'd already read (at least according to my daughter who'd read it too), but I never did remember it. Oh well.
Makes me appreciate my cracker jack memory that I used to have. Hope to get started on treatments soon (looking for a LLMD now)to get it back.
Posts: 13 | From WV | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
Thank you all for your replies. I actually had forgotten that I posted this until I saw my name and all the replies! I have missed so much with my family because I don't remember!! I write things down, but forget where I put them. I'll have to go with the post its so I can't lose them!! I'm afraid to say things to my kids because I don't know if I've already told them-and they get irritated with me!! I'm not having a good couple of days here. My heart is pounding real hard and I'm having more pain the last few days. I'm trying to keep a positive attitude, but somedays.....!!
-------------------- "I can see clearly now" Posts: 22 | From midwest | Registered: Dec 2005
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hopeful123
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3244
posted
I have been in fairly agressive treatment for about three years now and still have major problems. It is better than it used to be by a longshot, but it is so hard to remember what I used to be like except to say I can't do this anymore or can't do that.
I am hopeful (that's my name) that now I will gain more of what I've lost since I am attacking the babesia and bartonella a little harder. We'll see. Every so often I ALMOST feel like myself and then it passes.
MUCH BETTER THAN I WAS!!!
moving in the right direction...
stay hopeful
-------------------- some days you're the bug, some days you're the windshield Posts: 1160 | From NY | Registered: Oct 2002
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posted
After 4 years of ABX, my memory is working great. Before dx I couldn't tell you which way to turn the shower faucet for Hot or cold water. Everyday I studied it for the next day but I still couldn't remember. I was dx'd ADHD and Bi-polar . . . it took about 1 month for the fog to lift enough for me to realize I'd had a fog. Slowly it kept lifting . . . at 3 mo. I remembered alot better but truly, at 18 months my whole symptom list began to really recede for most of my symptoms ranging from joint pain fatigue abd mood swings etc.
Today I am fortunate to function at a high level. It takes time, I was fortunate to respond to abx but truly alot of my sx were neuro so I was very grateful to avoid the next dx of "early onset of Alzheimer's".
Hang in there, it gets better!
Posts: 982 | From Florida | Registered: Feb 2002
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