Confusion

Hi
I have type 2,
I forever get confused! You are not alone, I will admit...What was i saying!
Honest we all get that way! Dont worry you are not going mental!
Sandy

Hi John,

We all of us have a certain degree of forgetfullness and this does increase as we get older. I always remember a joke from the late and great Dave Allen

I was halfway up the stairs and suddely couldn't remember what I was going to get. So I sat down on the stairs to think about it. No joy, so I stood up again. Now, was I on my way up, or on my way down?

As far as I am aware the only link between diabetes and confusion is in a hypo, where confusion is one of the symptoms of hypoglycemia.

Worth checking your BG when this occurs in case it's related.

In my case it isn't related.

There is some discussion about the long-term effect of regular and persistent hypoglycaemic episodes, in terms of the potential for neurological damage. I refer to discussion because I'm not sure there's much agreement, but I don't think the possibility can be ruled out of hand? I'm mad as a hatter but always have been. Interesting question.

This is a link to an article on the BBC website about Alzheimer's being a form of "brain diabetes".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7866022.stm

Firstly, I have to say I am not medically qualified, however, I have some knowledge about dementia care and neurological illness.

Most causes of forgetfulness are probably not an organic brain problem. People who are either stressed or anxious or depressed, or any combination of those things tend to forget things. You tend to forget more as you get older, simply because you know more things to forget.

Forgetfulness can also be due to any number of physical illnesses, including brain injury, thyroid problems, vitamin deficiency or being anaemic. Also, things such as respiratory tract infections and urinary infections can cause something known as "acute confusional state", this is a confusioanl state whioch cones on very quickly and respinds to treatment with antibiiotics. As Dennis said, this is also one of the symptoms of hypoglycemia. Forgetfulness can also be related to medication side effects. It can also be related to long term heavy alcohol use.

Research has shown that there are many factors which increase the risk of someone developing progressive memory problems - including Alzheimer's - and these include general anasthetics, heart conditions and diabetes.

However, just because you have one of these risk factors does not mean you go on to develop a dementia. Just as not all overweight people will go on to develop diabetes. If you are under 65 it is much more likely that you have a problem that will respond to treatment. If you are worried you should talk to your doctor.

The Alzheimers Society has some excellent information and advice about memory problems on this page http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents.php?categoryID=200137 Their fact sheets also include information about memory problems not caused by dementia.

Diana Friel Mcgowan, author of "Living in the labyrinth", the book she wrote about being diagnosed with Alzheimer's at a young age, said that everyone loses their house keys, but if you have lost the house, that is a problem.

Spiral said:

You tend to forget more as you get older, simply because you know more things to forget.

Click to expand...

Yes! That describes me to a tee! I can remember the PIN I had 30 years ago but not the one I need today. I don't remember someone's name until I'm talking to the next person whose name I've forgotten.

It's the recall, eveything's still stored up there but my brain needs a defrag and to rebuild its indexes. The things I'm worst with are names, phone numbers and part numbers, all things I've spent years remembering but can't delete to make room for the new ones.

I had hoped the statins might have been a factor as they are for some, but I dropped them some time ago and found absolutely no difference.

I started having memory problems about the time of menopause, in my forties. I found I would go to say the name of something that I know so well I couldn't forget it but shocked when I found that I could not remember. It would come back when I was washing the dishes. Washing the dishes is the best time for memory recall. I don't have to try to remember it but it suddenly pops up but it is so annoying because at the time it makes you feel like an idiot. I would get periods like this. Then I had a nervous breakdown (for particular reasons) and could function at all then but recovered. It took a long while to recover but I did then a few years ago I began getting fibromyaligia symptoms and my brain became completely foggy at times then. I really felt half daft at times and worried I was getting Alzheimer's disease. My husband have the same problems but he is 13 years older than me. Then I found I started to react to glue, perfume, chemicals from aerosol sprays (vocs). As I stopped using these things I found the fibromyalgia symptoms and foggy brain began to clear. I also began having food intolerance problems so I had to find out what foods affected me, and then I found out I had diabetes type 2 three and a half years ago i began losing lots of weight and had a lot of problems so had to altar my diet again but my memory is much better today and I am sure it is a combination of living in a less environment and reducing blood glucose by reducing carbs. I have noticed that my husband's memory is pretty good a the moment as well. He does not have diabetes. We both take Simvastatin.