Concentration , Focus and Memory Problem

[daryop]

Hi,

Before I was diagnosed in 11/2006 , I was proud of my self how easy I learn and memorize and not forget the things and remember every single detail. Now I feel like I am having a serious Concentration , Focus and Memory Problem . How can I be like before ? Whats wrong with me? IS anyone having the same problem? And hoe can I make my memory stronger ?

Please let me know

Thanks

Daryo

[owlyn]

How much over 40 are you?

[daryop]

I`m 33 years old, was born in 1974.

[soso]

Yes, I agree I am the same... I can still do it, but I have to really work at it these days...Now, I am 52 so it could be that as well... but it is very noticable to me, also slips of the tongue getting words a bit wrong and even spelling mistakes...am still very good at crosswords though... but I don't feel as sharp as I used to be...
ss

[Peggy]

When my bs is out of whack I have memory and concentration problems. I'm old enough to chalk it up to "senior moments" but there IS a corrollation between my bs and the concentration problems. I do alot of crossword puzzles and if I'm having trouble getting the answers to one I check my Bs. Once it's in range again I can pick up the same puzzle and go right thru it with no problems.

[duck]

Consistent blood sugars will help a lot--that should be your goal in any case, but memory would be a side effect as well of good/bad sugar management.

Also, you'll read anecdotal evidence of people here and elsewhere saying Vitamin-B supplementation helps with a myriad of issues related to diabetes--Vitamin B spectrum vitamins are also touted as "memory" and cognitive enhancers...and there is some evidence as diabetics we seem to suffer from slight B Vitamin deficiencies...who knows?

[soso]

This post reminded me to take my B complex.. lol...

For me, I notice that right at the 1 hr mark of my bolus I get a little vague.. I suspect it is when my bg is dropping.. I keep my numbers in a pretty tight range and for sure if I get to 4 or below I can be downright clumsy, but when I feel vague and test I am always in the 5-6 range and it is always 15 mins to 1 hr after the bolus..so I think it must just be the movement that does it...
ss

[jerryn]

I'm a systems engineer. I've always been **** proud of how quick I pick new stuff up and I've alway been on top of my game. When I started to get my glucose lower, but not stable
and a lot of spikes, yes I experienced the same thing as you.
My best description is that it kind of felt like just getting over a bad hangover. Can't focus or concentrate.
That problem hasn't bothered me since I lowered my bg and have kept the it more or less flat. I'm not spiking as often.
Don't worry, it will get better. Keep up the good work bringing the bg down.

[notme]

YES YES YES soso, I definitely have this problem. I used to remember what day I had cereal three years ago. Now I am lucky to remember what I had for breakfast in the morning. Yes....some of it could be age, but it happened very quickly and quite quickly after diagnosis. It is very frustrating and annoying.

I constantly have people come up to me and call me by name and ask about my kids. I will not have a clue who they are. I hate it. I am taking B complex now, but who knows. Maybe the damage is done.

[Sharethesecret]

Diabetes is known to drop your magnesium levels...I take magnesium suppliments now...since then I haven't had any anxiety attacks, and I was able to go off the anxiety meds. Now I can think straight!!!;)

[notme]

What was the question again??? :confused:

[daryop]

I believe I`m doing pretty good with my levels. But still no change. I feel very uncomfortable with the memory situation. Is there any Dr`s that we could get a professional opinion ?

Thanks to everyone
Daryo

[soso]

Hahaha Nancy.. that happens to me.. people I have just seen phone and say hi it's me------- and I'm like....who the ..... and then finally the penny drops, but it is stressful.. and god forbid I meet a client out in the real world.... I better get me some magnesium...
ss

[LantusFiend]

Daryo, I feel like you're describing my worries exactly.
I too had a terrific memory and concentration abilities. I was diagnosed with T1 diabetes and about two months later my memory and attention span started slipping. And I'm a teenager, so this is NOT dementia.

[shabbie6247]

i take 3 fish oil capsules a day and this seems to help with the memory issues i was having.

BG spikes dont help me though.

[dgrilli]

Diabetes is known to drop your magnesium levels...I take magnesium suppliments now...since then I haven't had any anxiety attacks, and I was able to go off the anxiety meds. Now I can think straight!!!;)

I can say this was my problem and I started taking Jigsaw Magnesium w/srt and this problem is past tense.

The mental confusion and other frightening symptoms have now reversed along with some nice post prandial numbers.

Investigate magnesium supplementation add a B-Complex.

This should help.

[deb wardle]

I have noticed a big difference in my concentration over the last few months and as for memory, I cant belive that when I was working in personell I could remember most colleagues six digit payroll number and any telephone number would come to mind without having to look it up each time. That was only two years ago. Now i have to write my self a list each morning of things that I need to each day or they just go out of my head completely.Like handing my prescription in/picking it up. picking my sons necklace up from the jewelers for days on end. I am 42 and feel really confused.

[notme]

The good news soso, is if we ever meet, we won't be embarrassed if we don't remember later.

I was at the grocery store a few days ago and a very nice lady started chatting with me. She told me about her kids, her husband and the stress of aging parents. I just couldn't put two and two together. It is so darned frustrating.

I am a master at smiling and nodding these days. I hate memory loss.

[princesslinda]

I wonder sometimes if it's just that our focus has shifted and we spend lots more time concerned with our health, diet, meds, exercise, etc. more than we used to. I also think in us over-40 ladies that its related somewhat to perimenopause and hormonal fluctuations. I try to take Ginko...when I can remember.;)

[desperado]

yes yes yes! Only since I got on insulin though! I hate the way I can't remember things but as already said here deal with it and live with it. Gonna go look for some of that magnesium stuff........:) Hubby is getting tired of finishing sentences for me.....:T

[CaptainMike]

Anyone here notice a correlation between memory/confusion/concentration problems and starting on a Statin drug for cholesterol? My Dr. did not believe me since she had never heard of any cognitive affects, but I found a bunch of people on a side-effects newsgroup that all had similar issues. Statins stopped; memory/confusion/mood swings stopped within 3 days. Weird coincidence. My Dr. still doesn't believe me but whatever, my cholesterol is staying in range on my current low-carb diet.

[lgvincent]

I have problems with recall when my blood sugar is low but otherwise seem fine. Now dang it . . . where'd I put my glasses? I know I had them here a minute ago. At least, I thought I did.

[REDLAN]

there are studies showing that people with diabetes perform less well on tests involving recall, than controls - I don't believe the effect is particularly large.

the DCCT, showed that there was no difference in cognitive function between those on the intensive therapy and those on the standard arm of the trial - the conclusion they drew was that increased hypo risk did not impair cognitive function.

The reason they looked at this, is because frequent hypos do cause memory loss - according to my educator you have to hit 14+ a week before this becomes significant.

and now time for an anecdote...

Back in february I was on a DAFNE style course (the same style as the one Gary_W didn't like), however one of the people in the course asked if diabetes caused problems with memory - the opinion was that it didn't, and then...

everyone put their hand up (myself included), and said that they had a poor memory.

coupled with this thread, it seems to me that memory problems are a common complaint of people with diabetes.

Also bear in mind that memory becomes worse with age - my wife was complaining the other day that she finds remembering things about her childhood harder than she used to - and she has an exceptional memory.

Was wondering if symptoms such as this can be linked to the recent discovery that plasma thiamine (vit B1) levels are low in diabetics - alhtough I have some questions about this study that I can only answer by stumping up $32 and getting the full study rather than the abstract.

[LantusFiend]

I bet I'm at 14+ per week.
I read recently about B1 deficiency being implicated in diabetes, and I know that B1 is important for memory, so if I remember I'm going to go on B1.

[Oradev]

I notice memory problems when I have a long spell of lows or a bunch of blood sugar swings. I never heard of the Vitamin B thing. Thanks for the information! I'm going to get some B complex after work.

[notme]

Well, I am on Super B complex and have been for about four months. I wished KGM a Happy Birthday today.........it is Saturday. :o

I will keep trying. I hate my memory. It used to be so good.

[JasonJayhawk]

Daryo (or however your name is spelled--I can't remember!) ;) ,

I'm the same way. Before being dx'ed with T1 in March 2004, my mind was very fast, and I could recall things very quickly (I'm a software engineer). Now, I end up having to look up function names and parameters that I used to know like the back of my hand, and just can't remember things as easily. Like you, I'm in my early thirty's.

How often do you think about diabetes? Some days, I think about it at least once every thirty minutes. One day, I went without testing my glucose for 4 hours...at the end of 4 hours, my glucose was in perfect range, but by forcing myself to spread my tests out, it seemed to reduce my "thought breaks" when testing myself. I dislike going that long without a test, and my A1c shows -- it's always been in the 5 percent range.

I've mentioned my lower concentration level to my endo several times, and she's always jotted it down on my chart, but never responded back with anything other than motherly concern.

I know that depression can cause memory concentration issues, too. But I don't feel depressed, clinically. I think I have normal "ups and downs" (for a diabetic, at least).

My wife has said that I snore quite a bit... so I explored the option of sleep apnea being the cause; a sleep study done.

Unfortunately, being in a strange bed and new environment, as well as the fact that the sleep tech kept coming in with a flashlight when I tested my blood glucose (I had a severe low), I got less than 30 minutes of sleep, and the study was inconclusive -- and $2,200 for the insurance company. Sleep apnea can lower concentration during the day... The insurance company is unlikely to consider giving me another sleep study! (I was later told that they should have cancelled it by 3 AM, when I still hadn't fallen asleep.)

Like others have reported, glucose excursions can cause concentration issues. I think for me, it's more of a feeling of fatigue, when I'm correcting a 300mg/dl that sneaks up after pizza buffet or other high-fat food nights.

I've tried going with Bernstein's food recommendations -- just to level out my peaks -- but high protein and high fat still sneak up on me. But there was a week where I stayed in "normal" ranges -- and I think I felt pretty good.

You might also get your thyroid levels checked (almost every T1 does) -- hypothyroidism can cause fatigue, which leads to concentration issues.

Thanks for bringing up this topic... it made me realize I'm not alone.

[daryop]

Thank you Jason and everyone. I appreaciate. I think I`ll buy some Vitamin B.

Daryo

[duck]

BTW, "memory problems" and recall are among the top complaints in any field right now, along with "fatigue". I'm not saying diabetes does not take its toll, but even if you were not diabetic, you'd think you were tired and losing your memory.

[anxiousgimp]

I didn't get "stupid" until I started taking anti-anxiety medication.

However, I know exactly what you're talking about: My brain occasionally has to flip through its rolodex of names three times before it comes up with the right one. I know it's there, but I just can't recall it.

[JasonJayhawk]

I didn't get "stupid" until I started taking anti-anxiety medication.

I'm curious... Are you happier on the anti-anxiety med or would you prefer to have your brains?

[anxiousgimp]

I'm curious... Are you happier on the anti-anxiety med or would you prefer to have your brains?


The ol' brain works just as well, except for the 'recall' function. To colleagues at work, I'd guess I look like I'm looking for the 'right' word or name, in a quasi-scholarly way. However, I know I'm just flipping, flipping, flipping as I pause in my sentence, searching.

The truth is, without anti-anxiety medication, I wasn't able to enjoy life as much as I was constantly in a state of panic and fear. Right now I'm working on reducing my anxiety levels, (as well as my diabetes self-care) with aid of psychiatry and psycho-pharmaceuticals. I long for the day that I don't have to make the choice between crushing anxiety and a recall problem-- and I sincerely hope that it will happen soon.

[Mich]

I had to laugh when I read this thread. I was diagnosed many years ago at a young age--I think that this means I've probably been a dingbat my whole life!

Each September when I got a new class, it seemed to take me a little longer than the average teacher to learn all of the kid's names.

I've always had to use lists. I though it was because of my strong "right brain" or it was genetic, passed to me by my own children.:o

About ten years ago, a doctor friend of mine read something about this in the JAMA and has used it since then to poke fun at me. (Well, bless his heart, as southern ladies say...)

From now on, I'm blaming the big D! Mich

[jen_slc]

hmm, if you really and truly think you're having a serious problem with your memory, focus and concentration, and it's not just plain old life, fatigue, older age, whatever... it could be that your thyroid levels are off. No-one's mentioned this yet, probably because it seems like you might just be fatigued, getting older, stressed, or whatever, and that it happens to all of us, diabetic or not. I bring it up because a few years ago, all of a sudden my focus and concentration went haywire (but not my memory). I've always been very good at focusing, concentrating, blocking out distractions, etc. But something happened and I literally couldn't function anymore - I was jittery, I couldn't sit still for more than 30 seconds, I couldn't pay attention to anything longer than that. I felt like I was going crazy. After several months, my docs finally realized my thyroid was hyperactive - I did have other symptoms as well, in addition to the concentration/focus problem.

So... just another idea to throw into the mix. If you honestly think your lack of concentration/focus is serious enough that it interferes with your life, work, etc, and it's not fatigue-, stress- or anxiety-related, and you have other symptoms... overactive thyroid is a possibility.

[mho357]

I sometimes have trouble with words. The other day I was on with tech support and for the life of me I could not spit out "authentication".

I always assumed that the occaisonal memory lapses were from a combination of past abuses (alcohol) and age (50).

Does anyone else have trouble with words from time to time?

M

[Oradev]

Does anyone else have trouble with words from time to time?

M

Yes! I was in a high level database/project manager meeting a few days ago and couldn't get out the word "convenience" for the life of me. I had to substitute it with "laziness" which made me sound like a complete moron. Oh well, i'm still here...

Adam