Have you ever had a time period where you forget things often and very quickly like asking a question to someone and almost immediately forgetting the answer you received.
This is something I have not have encountered for long periods of time before maybe once in a while but not for this long and this bad.
If you have had a similar problem what do you do to help?
(I'm not writing down something like so n so is not busy on this day when I'm out)
Gosh Mary, I do, but I am in comparison to your 19 yrs - about 857 yrs!!!!
However, my 26 yr old son is HOPELESS when it comes to remembering his own name let alone anything else. My suggestion to him was to use the diary in his phone. Once you get used to jotting everything down, it is easy. I know this isn't the answer you want, but it may help you to deal with how best to handle it.
PS I have been writing everything down for years. Each night I make a list of things to get done tomorrow/phone calls to make etc. Then throughout the day I add to the list....how I slept, what i ate, what meds I took, who I spoke to re whatever......Have found this info so very useful both at the time and looking back on things in the future. Its a great habit!
Oh yes I totally experiences.. and yes I'm only 28 so I can't really blame my age either. But it can be scary. I'll be walking into another room to do something or get something and I'll forget that quickly!! I tend to write myself alot of notes or I write reminders in my phone so that I don't forget things...
I am much older too but I have been doing the notes thing for years and years. I was writing things on my calendar when I was in my 20's and started having those issues. I went undiagnosed for lupus until 1998, then undiagnosed and then again 2 years ago. I was diagnosed with fibro in 1994 finally and found out why I have always hurt and had short term memory problems. Subconciously I knew I had to track everything and I guess I thought it was normal. Well, it is our normal and it will become 2nd nature for you. Good luck and gentle hugs, Reet
I use to remember everything. People use to come to me to ask me things from years ago and I could tell them on the spot little computer code rules from years ago. Now I can barely remember what you just told me to do three seconds ago. The worst part is since I use to remember everything I am not very good at writing things down so I have to now learn new tricks to remember things and it is driving me crazy. I am 41 and it sucks! You are 19 you can learn new tricks and be good at it. I still think I can do what I use to do if I just try harder. But it just isn’t happening! The prednisone helps, it really does. But I hate the side effects. What am I going to do at 50! I am going to need a map to find the way home!
I can make an appt for later the same day and forget it. I have 3 different ways of reminding myself in the house. And on my ipad and iPhone. I feel like I am walking in slow motion and my brain has to work only by first wading through cobwebs to get to that next thought. The weird thing about the fog symptom is how different it can be from day to day - and I don 't have an answer for this one !!
I am glad you brought this up. I am 42 and I have been battling the lupus fog for over 3 years. yes, I have learned to right down things, etc but my question is I am in customer service so I have to deal with a lot of people and money every day. I have notice in the last 2 years I have been forgetting more often; I can't remember anything from minute to minute and when you ask me a question I like so confused it is ridiculous. I now see that this affecting my job and performance. I have created some huge mistakes because I am not function like I should anymore. It's like you are in a fog trying to remember. Do anybody have any other suggestions beside righting stuff down. This has become very serious for me and if I do not get help; i will possible loose my job just because I am unable to process things like I should. I constantly ask questions over, over again at home. I try to hide my illness at work but now it seems it is affecting m y job. i have talked to my rheumy a long time ago about the lupus fog but they said this is normal or it might be age but there is one thing of not remembering but there is another of not being able to process things and never have an answer as to why.
Michelle, I do not have an answer for you as I am battling it also. I will say this, thigh- your doc sounds like an idiot to me if she says it is age. I am 49 and am assured over and over by my docs that it is not age. 42 is too young for t to be age unless there is something else going on…like lupus fog.
Does your supervisor know that you have lupus and this is a part of it? Before you are fired you might want to inform them and that means they can't fire you but may be able to find you a less stressful position. I was in customer service for years and I know how hard it can me. See what others here think about my idea. There are a lot of ins and outs of this for sure.
Michelle Ballard said:
I am glad you brought this up. I am 42 and I have been battling the lupus fog for over 3 years. yes, I have learned to right down things, etc but my question is I am in customer service so I have to deal with a lot of people and money every day. I have notice in the last 2 years I have been forgetting more often; I can't remember anything from minute to minute and when you ask me a question I like so confused it is ridiculous. I now see that this affecting my job and performance. I have created some huge mistakes because I am not function like I should anymore. It's like you are in a fog trying to remember. Do anybody have any other suggestions beside righting stuff down. This has become very serious for me and if I do not get help; i will possible loose my job just because I am unable to process things like I should. I constantly ask questions over, over again at home. I try to hide my illness at work but now it seems it is affecting m y job. i have talked to my rheumy a long time ago about the lupus fog but they said this is normal or it might be age but there is one thing of not remembering but there is another of not being able to process things and never have an answer as to why.
I am a really busy person as well. I tell myself I need to get rest. Yes, I thought about telling them because I really see that it is affecting my job; but how can you get people to really take you serious. I have an appointment with my rheumy I really is going to talk to her again about this; but I think I need to discuss this with my job but I do not want to use this as an excuse; but I believe they will believe me because when I spoked to her today she kept asking me question does that sound right, etc like I was acting or sounding stupid.
I experience this in reference to work, more than other things, but sometimes it happens at home, too. I can be working on something and get side-tracked. At work, I make a list of things I must get done the next day and I use a lot of post it notes and electronic reminders. I think this is also intensified during more stressful times. I have only started having this experience in about the last year, so my point of reference compared to others may not be the best.
Yes the ole brain fog goes hand n hand with Lupus. Try eating more berries that is to enhance your memory. Also look into other natural products that may help. Your lupus meds may need adjusting if this is creating a big problem for you.
As others have suggested write down at night what to accomplish the next day. Later in the day is when I have more problems. Also try and make your lifestyle if possible "Simple".
I am 43 and have recently quit my corporate high stress job for several different reasons. The job also involved dealing with alot of money. I forced my self to hyper focus through the day, and then I would deflate at home and was scaring myself and calling my husband and son different names and would try to talk and what came out just wouldn't make sense. It was organized in my head, but all confused once it came out. Now, I have my own business and is flexible to adjust to my brain fog. Might I add the stress of my job worsened my physical state of Lupus with kidney and Thyroid involvement. I probably should be on disability but will continue to work. Just happy to be corporate world free for now.
I thought abt doing the same thing but kind of afraid to tell my job abt my disease bcz they might be saying its an excuse. I have been messing up huge, I mean huge even they asked me is something wrong; I see it more and more now. I really thought I cld hide it.
I had to change jobs because I worked as an RN in ICU & it got dangerous. I had a hard time remembering & had to write everything down. I'm now working as a Case Manager. Besides being to stressful with 12 hr shifts & brain fog it was very tiring. Sometimes u have to change your lifestyle to accomodate the dx
I love it when ppl think age is the only reason a person should have memory issues. Lupus attacks the brain. I am often rendered the helpless idiot who can not read or count, let alone speak clearly. People look at you with pitty, frustration, malice, or just annoyance. As if dealing with lupus was not enough, we also have to deal with other peoples attitudes. But, they do not understand, so we must forgive them. After all, we would not want them truly to know what it feels like on our side of the fence. I am 32, far too young to be the sort who “should” be having memory issues. Yet I find that I can not even keep a few numbers straight in my head some days. Don’t feel bad. It’s not your fault. People with not understand. That’s okay too, because we don’t understand why they are so stuck up and self obsorbed! Lol ! Jk… A little. Lol lupus is going to mess with you. This is just one way it will. Accept your limits but don’t limit your possibilities. Xoxo
The stress Of your job may not be worh it. It could be making the problem worse. Have you thought of switching jobs? A simpler life will make living with Lupus easier. Michelle, I know it’s scary, but you should think about what is more important to you. Really important. Are you going to look back and wish you stayed in this situation or that you got out while you could? Only you know the answers.
Hugs, mindy
Michelle Ballard said:
I am glad you brought this up. I am 42 and I have been battling the lupus fog for over 3 years. yes, I have learned to right down things, etc but my question is I am in customer service so I have to deal with a lot of people and money every day. I have notice in the last 2 years I have been forgetting more often; I can’t remember anything from minute to minute and when you ask me a question I like so confused it is ridiculous. I now see that this affecting my job and performance. I have created some huge mistakes because I am not function like I should anymore. It’s like you are in a fog trying to remember. Do anybody have any other suggestions beside righting stuff down. This has become very serious for me and if I do not get help; i will possible loose my job just because I am unable to process things like I should. I constantly ask questions over, over again at home. I try to hide my illness at work but now it seems it is affecting m y job. i have talked to my rheumy a long time ago about the lupus fog but they said this is normal or it might be age but there is one thing of not remembering but there is another of not being able to process things and never have an answer as to why.
