Random memory loss

[Scarlett]

I was not sure how to title this. I know a man (mid 60s) who has huge gaps in his memory for almost an entire year.  He can’t remember texting certain people, he can’t remember what he texted even though it is slanderous stuff.  He can’t remember phone calls he made to people he normally would not be making phone calls to.  He also seemed manic during this time running around at a high rate of speed and making unreasonable purchases. 
 

He is also fully convinced certain things happened that absolutely did not.  
 

He seems shocked and confused by these things. And concerned enough that he is going to the doctor.  I think that is a non negotiable at this point.  
 

He seemed to ‘snap out if ‘ and come back to reality suddenly and for no discernible reason.  
 

My question is……could this have been triggered by an emotional stresser?  Or is it more likely a physical problem?
 

Edited April 2 by Scarlett

[gardenmom5]

Is this recent behavior changes?  

is he in denial in face of proof?  is he embarrassed?
has he started a new medication?  some, can cause truly bizarre side effects.

Is he using drugs?  recreational drugs, even booze, can cause personality changes.

has he had a recent head injury?  - even if it seemed minor, and he didn't seek treatment for a knock to the head

if the personality changes are recent and unexplained, a full medical workup could be in order.
my friend's daughter had major personality changes (also having headache her dr ignored), and she had a massive tumor.  But different parts of the brain are more sensitive to things than others.

[Katy]

It could be either. There’s no reason to speculate. He needs someone who can explain this to go to the neurologist appointment too. 

[Scarlett]

9 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

Is this recent behavior changes?  

is he in denial in face of proof?  is he embarrassed?
has he started a new medication?  some, can cause truly bizarre side effects.

Is he using drugs?  recreational drugs, even booze, can cause personality changes.

has he had a recent head injury?  - even if it seemed minor, and he didn't seek treatment for a knock to the head

if the personality changes are recent and unexplained, a full medical workup could be in order.
my friend's daughter had major personality changes (also having headache her dr ignored), and she had a massive tumor.  But different parts of the brain are more sensitive to things than others.

His behavior began to change slowly maybe 3 years ago. But a year ago it went into overdrive and the memory loss is mostly things he did during the last year.  
 

No head injury, no drugs, no increase in alcohol use.  There was extreme emotional upheaval in his family about the time the worst of it began.

He is going to go to the doctor.  I guess he needs to start with his GP and get referred to a specialist.  
 

He absolutely would not believe he did the things he did if there wasn’t proof.  He is very embarrassed 

[gardenmom5]

31 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

His behavior began to change slowly maybe 3 years ago. But a year ago it went into overdrive and the memory loss is mostly things he did during the last year.  
 

No head injury, no drugs, no increase in alcohol use.  There was extreme emotional upheaval in his family about the time the worst of it began.

He is going to go to the doctor.  I guess he needs to start with his GP and get referred to a specialist.  
 

He absolutely would not believe he did the things he did if there wasn’t proof.  He is very embarrassed 

I could be completely off base, it  might be a tumor, but it might also be something degenerative.

I hope he's able to get help.  He may need to insist on a referral to a neurologist.  (that's more a commentary on dealing with doctors.  I've had ones that are happy to refer, and some who think they can treat the patient themselves - when they don't know enough.)

Edited April 2 by gardenmom5

[Scarlett]

29 minutes ago, Katy said:

It could be either. There’s no reason to speculate. He needs someone who can explain this to go to the neurologist appointment too. 

This board is all about speculation.  😂 

But yes his wife is going to be going to all the appointments.  

[Scarlett]

I know the neurologist will get answers if it is something physical.  I just wonder if a break with reality can be caused by extreme emotional distress.  
 

I am off to Google that but thought maybe someone here would have experience with it.  

Edited April 2 by Scarlett

[Catwoman]

I have no idea what might have happened to him, but I would probably advise him to go straight to a good neurologist if possible, because that's where he will end up, anyway, and the sooner he gets whatever scans and tests are needed, the better.

I hope it turns out to be nothing serious, Scarlett. I'm sure this is very scary and confusing for him and his wife. 😞 

[gardenmom5]

3 hours ago, Scarlett said:

I know the neurologist will get answers if it is something physical.  I just wonder if a break with reality can be caused by extreme emotional distress.  
 

I am off to Google that but thought maybe someone here would have experience with it.  

a person can disconnect from reality with extreme emotional distress.  but His behavior began to change slowly maybe 3 years ago. But a year ago it went into overdrive and the memory loss is mostly things he did during the last year.   

You're talking over a period of three years showing downhill degradation, with an escalation in the last year.  That doesn't sound like something caused by extreme emotional distress.

[Scarlett]

11 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

a person can disconnect from reality with extreme emotional distress.  but His behavior began to change slowly maybe 3 years ago. But a year ago it went into overdrive and the memory loss is mostly things he did during the last year.   

You're talking over a period of three years showing downhill degradation, with an escalation in the last year.  That doesn't sound like something caused by extreme emotional distress.

You are probably right;  however the gradual change 3 or so years ago also happened during a time of extreme stress.  What happened a year ago was even worse.....I don't know though what is going on.  I just hope the doctors can figure it out.

[EKS]

6 hours ago, Scarlett said:

He seemed to ‘snap out if ‘ and come back to reality suddenly and for no discernible reason.  

Everything that I come up with does not have this as an outcome.  Anything degenerative, a brain tumor, that sort of thing.  I guess the only thing that would have this as an outcome is alcohol/drug use or perhaps some crazy metabolic thing.

I've heard the untreated UTIs can do a number on a person's cognition.

Did he have covid right before things started?

[Scarlett]

9 minutes ago, EKS said:

Everything that I come up with does not have this as an outcome.  Anything degenerative, a brain tumor, that sort of thing.  I guess the only thing that would have this as an outcome is alcohol/drug use or perhaps some crazy metabolic thing.

I've heard the untreated UTIs can do a number on a person's cognition.

Did he have covid right before things started?

Same with my quick Googling.....if it is some sort of brain tumor why would he suddenly 'snap out of it'.  A few people have said they don't believe he doesn't remember these things.....but his wife does, and I do...and his behavior was off enough during the last year I really believe there was something going on with his brain.  There is nothing to indicate drug use.  Some of the behaviors were definitely manic though.  I don't think in general people in their mid 60s develop bi-polar or paranoid schizophrenia.   

[Katy]

Anything that causes inflammation, including a UTI, the flu, covid, anything could cause these sorts of symptoms in a temporary way. 

Also, medical conditions like heart failure could cause symptoms like that that go away when being treated properly.

[klmama]

I'm glad he's getting evaluated.  I've known several people with similar behaviors.  Scary causes were life-long bipolar disorder, early onset Alzheimer's, drug use, or a brain tumor.  Less serious ones were a sleep disorder or a major UTI.  Praying your friend's cause is treatable and that he gets a correct diagnosis quickly.

[Clarita]

6 hours ago, Scarlett said:

No head injury, no drugs, no increase in alcohol use.  

Also no one really knows that there is "no head injury". Head injuries are one of those things that can happen and no one knows that it happened. It's not like breaking your leg where it's very obvious when it happens.

[Scarlett]

2 hours ago, Clarita said:

Also no one really knows that there is "no head injury". Head injuries are one of those things that can happen and no one knows that it happened. It's not like breaking your leg where it's very obvious when it happens.

I know that is true. What I can’t wrap my head around is how he just….. snapped out of it. 

[EKS]

Another possibility is that he was taking medication (or medications) where one or more were recently changed and no one has put the pieces together.

Edited April 2 by EKS

[bolt.]

I have a family member with frontotemporal dementia (often called "early onset Alzheimer's" which is a problem, because it's not actually very memory-centric). His behavior was similar to your description, except for the 'snapping out of it' part. FTD sufferers have good days and bad days like most conditions -- but they rarely are completely well after the condition begins to show.

However, something people with FTD do (as a symptom) is lie and fake things -- usually to get themselves out of something the perceive as 'trouble' and/or to convince people they aren't sick and can be trusted to do the things they want to do. (Edited to add: or to encourage others to think well of them; or because they have had a hallucination which, of course, they believe to be real.) Claiming 'not to remember' aberrant behaviour would be consistent with the condition -- as would 'not remembering' as a function of a brain protecting itself through fictional worldbuilding. But on the other hand, they also generally continue to deny things even with 'proof', and they tend to resist exploring their condition medically.

In terms of diagnosis, it's a tough road.

Has your friend gotten POA established consensually, while he is still well enough to consent? It's harder once he is deemed too unwell to make his own decisions.

Edited April 3 by bolt.

[TechWife]

10 hours ago, Scarlett said:

His behavior began to change slowly maybe 3 years ago. But a year ago it went into overdrive and the memory loss is mostly things he did during the last year.  
 

No head injury, no drugs, no increase in alcohol use.  There was extreme emotional upheaval in his family about the time the worst of it began.

He is going to go to the doctor.  I guess he needs to start with his GP and get referred to a specialist.  
 

He absolutely would not believe he did the things he did if there wasn’t proof.  He is very embarrassed 

Did he have COVID 19 at any point during this time period? There is a lot of info out there from reputable sources about long COVID “brain fog,” memory loss and possibly accelerating Alzheimer’s. 

[Ausmumof3]

Could be so many things… Covid brain fog, tumour, bipolar, some kind of vitamin shortage. Think there was a similar case here that was tapeworm or something like that though I’m vague about the details. Glad he’s getting it looked into anyway.

[Ausmumof3]

I will say I have chunks of my kids babyhoods that I don’t remember - I think purely due to sleep deprivation. How was his sleep?

 

Edited to say I somewhat lean towards Covid or bipolar because of the fact symptoms resolved. The other issues don’t seem to have a possibility of resolution without medical intervention 

Edited April 3 by Ausmumof3

[Rosie_0801]

Emotional trauma and shame can absolutely do strange things to memory, but so can everything else said upthread.