• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2026 Survey »

Worried about my husband's forgetfulness

Kimbox

Kimbox

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
My husband is only 44 and has short term memory loss that is severe- I am thinking it's the metformin- but could just be the diabetes.. You don't have to be over 50 to have forgetfulness- sometimes its not age related even when you are older- it can be a symptom of something else- the doctors are baffled and still trying to figure out whats going on- his started about 6 months ago and is worse- his is accompanied with episodes of childlike behavior- in which he has to be reprimanded- he doesn't get upset when i do this he actually listens- i have to remind him to behave - it's like he is 6 yrs old.. but he will forget by the time we get home that he acted like that.
 
Hi @Kimbox and welcome to the forum.

There may be other posters who can shed some light on your problems. None of us can give medical advice but we can try and help you.

I did find one recent study about Metformin and Impaired Thinking and although the study was on older adults it may be of some use to you. They are wondering if low B12 levels is a reason.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/Diabetes/41455

You also say on your blog page here that he took Champix for a while and there is plenty of anecdotal evidence on the web that this is a side effect that some people suffer even if they only used it for a short duration.

Early onset dementia may be another possibility or even Vascular Dementia, bearing in mind that on your blog you say he has suffered mini strokes.

I hope that your Consultant is still testing your husband as this must be a very worrying time for you and please keep us informed.

Take care,

CC

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/struggling-for-answers.146/
 
Hi,

Have you mentioned this to a doctor yet? They may be able to run tests that could help. Especially cognitive ones. And Catherine's b12 suggestion is excellent.

What you describe is far more severe than anything I have seen or experienced. So you may be describing something completely different. But here are the two experiences I've had with memory weirdness.

I have discovered that if I eat soya (e.g. A protein shake) my mind goes completely wooly. I can't remember the simplest things. It is like my short term memory wipes itself - for a couple of hours. I can still function, drive, etc. I just struggle to remember it. Needless to say I now avoid soya as much as poss! And try not to operate machinery if it happens!

Also, my father was starting what we thought might be Alzheimer's (he was 82 at the time). He had become vague, absent minded, slow thinking, slow reaction times. He took forever to answer questions, and was then usually careless about the decision.

Turns out he had become type 2 diabetic, and his brain fog dramatically cleared once he brought his blood glucose down.

I've no idea if either of those are relevant to your situation, but I really feel for you. In both the situations I've described, it was both bewildering and very worrying.

Do you have a blood testing meter? And can you test your husband's blood glucose when this behaviour happens? I'm thinking that another possibility might be he is having a hypo.

Hope someone else comes along with a suggestion that helps.
 
Just a thought - does he take statins? This had a major impact upon me. I stopped taking them and the situation improved quite dramatically.
 
My Cousin has the same symptoms regarding memory and behaviour. After scans etc she was diagnosed with early onset dementia, she's 53 years old and had the condition for about 5 years :(
 
He doesn't take statins- he is a type 2 diabetic- it is or seems to be well controlled- his last a1c was 6.0 ( he takes 500 mg 2x a day) They are testing him for dementia vs pseudo-dementia on April 9th- will have results on the 22nd. All his blood work so far is normal- they tested his B12- Normal which is weird because he has all the symptoms-. Of course his symptoms are a page long- They did a EEG - it was normal- they tested him for alzheimers - he doesn't have that-

I do believe the Chantix gave him the strokes- the time line correlates with his memory issues- Chantix is bad- and i think it's the culprit of alot of his problems. especially since all blood work is coming back normal.
 
Lchf diet? Assuming that's low carb something...??????
 
Oh dear sounds awful.
You must be very worried and stressed.
I wish I could help but I'm afraid not.
Only thing I can relate to is if I have a hyper or a hypo ... especially a hypo.
Doesn't happen often but I get confused angry forgetful and very very tired.
Becoming more rare now I have good control of my bloods.
Thinking of you.
 
No he isn't... Right now we have implemented no fried foods.. And nothing white.... He has had success and lost 13 lbs this past month. Down from 282 to 269.. I must admit he does not check his sugars when having an episode but will the next time and will begin a journal to document what sugars are doing.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Bring that weight down if he can ..... 13 lbs is not a bad start but a lot more weight loss will certainly not hurt.

CCs advice re B12 is also worth considering
 
B12 has been checked it is normal. Results were 675. All blood tests have been normal. Tsh...free t4...b12...b1... Metabolic panel...etc.. All normal .. EEG normal... Last a1c was 6.0
 
Wish i could advise, but of course (I) we can't. Something else going on methinks. Do these memory lapses occur right thru the day?
 
Yes short term is bad. Long term good... But memory lapses are thru out the day... But he does have good days where he can remember things he has done. Like errands after work.. Other days he won't remember any of it
 
By chance, does he admonish himself if forgets the errands when you remind him?
 
No...he tries to laugh it off.. Says it's better then crying... He doesn't even get mad when I reprimand him in public when he is having a episode and I have to get him to behave. I don't remind him if he forgets until after we try going back thru his day. I give him cues or trigger words to help... If after that he still doesn't remember then I will remind him
 
Hmmm ...... so if you remind him of what he might have missed when the day closes out, does he remember at all? A bit?. Nothing?
 
If cues and trigger word doesn't work... And i remind him it just depends.. Sometimes he does.. Sometimes he doesn't remember at all.
 
Back
Top