How can I determine the cause of my memory issue?

Asked by tedibear (19315) November 7th, 2016 from iPhone

Over the last six months, my memory has gotten worse.

Some examples:

My boss sent me an email to ask what things I worked on last week. (She needs it for department notes.) I can remember two things. I know I did more than that, but I can’t come up with what.

During a conversation, there are times when I struggle to retrieve the word I want to say. I can come up with words that are almost what I mean, but until someone else says the word, I am stumped. I feel a physical struggle in my head as I fight to find a word.

There are many times while I am at work that I think of something that I need to do at home. By the time I get home, it’s gone from my memory, even if I write it down.

I have a few possible culprits:

1. Perimenopause. I used to have the vocabulary issue mentioned above during PMS time when I had a regular period.

2. Stress. I am sick to death of my job and I don’t see it getting better. Home life is okay. Not perfect, but nothing particularly stressful. My husband’s job may be in jeopardy, though every time he has thought that in the past, he has ended up getting a promotion. He’s with a different company now, so I am concerned.

Medically, I have an issue that may or may not be a big deal. The doctor and I are in “wait to see and check it again in January” mode.

I think that some of the stress issue is also worsening the depression side of being bi-polar. I have little interest in anything other than cooking, reading and a couple of iPad games.

3. Alcohol. I have moved to two glasses of wine most nights, more on a Saturday. This may not sound like much, but is an increase over the past year.

4. Something as yet undiagnosed.

When I saw my doctor in May (June?) she said that she thought the memory loss was most likely a combination of hormones and stress. I didn’t mention alcohol because at the time, I wasn’t paying attention to my consumption.

My plan at this point is to ditch the wine and try to decide what else to do in the evening other than read or play games. That won’t alleviate the stressful bits, but it might be a good distraction until I go back to the doctor.

I know to not take medical advice from the internet, so I won’t hold you liable for anything you say!