- This topic has 8 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 2 months, 1 week ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Greetings,
I am a 50+ year old Male who has been dealing with OCD since I was 14. Having said that and while I knew that something was wrong, it was not until 1985 that I was diagnosed with OCD by a sharp Psychiatrist. Bear in mind that at that time little was ever heard of OCD.
Since that time I have participated in several studies and have tried a variety of drugs including though not limited to Paxil, Effexor, Zoloft, Anafranil, Luvox, and several others that I cannot remember. None were particularly effective hence the bouncing around. I was treated for approximately five years by an excellent Doctor but obviously the OCD is still very much present.
At any rate, since 2000 I have been experiencing severe short term memory loss and it has become progressively worse over the years. To wit, a few weeks ago I was unable to identify the key that let me into my house even though this is the same key that I've been using for nearly 10 (ten) years*. Simple math such as adding a dinner check and tip (I.e., $20.30 + $4.50) was an arduous and embarrassing task a few weeks ago.
I know there exists or it is believed to exist a relationship between memory loss and OCD. However, is one type of OCD more prone to impacting memory than another? That is to say, is a repetitive hand washer more or less likely to have memory issues than is, say, one whose OCD centers around Scrupulosity?
Thank you very much,
Skip
* I have been evaluated for the memory issues many times, dating back to 2000. If I recall, I was also evaluated in 2004 and 2010.
At any rate, I was at a clinic for an initial evaluation a few months ago for the memory issues, scheduled to return in several months after that visit. On the day when I could not identify which key to use to gain entrance into my house I sent an email to this same Doctor explaining that I could not identify the key to let me into my house, he never responded to my email or fax, the latter sent immediately after the former in that I wanted to be certain this was received by him. In like manner, at that same initial visit he had asked for the results of the Brain MRI that I had done outside of the clinic. I asked him via email if he had received the CD containing the images and he never responded then either. Both the email address and fax number are valid. To me the issue with the key was and is major. Would I do well to find another Doctor to evaluate me?
hello Skip
yes, you certainly should be evaluated for the memory issues. short term memory issues warrant a medical and neurological workup. Mass General Hospital has a great Memory Disorders Clinic. i would think most such hospitals would have such a clinic. there is not a specific type of OCD that is associated with memory loss; in fact, i don't think any kind of OCD predisposes to memory loss and i don't see much memory loss in OCD patients. sometimes people obsess about their memory and it can appear like they are having problems. one thing to consider is the effect of medications you may be taking. Anafranil/clomipramine has a lot of anticholinergic effects and the cholinergic system is involved in memory so anything that gets in the way of that system can produce memory loss. there are many other medical drugs that can interfere and all these effects are additive. you should have your doctor go over your medications with memory loss in mind.
in terms of drugs for OCD, you might consider Namenda. this has been helpful when added to a SSRI drug in some OCD patients. it just so happens that the primary use of this drug is as a memory enhancer so you might get a double benefit. you can Google “OCD & Namenda” and get some articles to take to your doctor or email me at jenike@comcast.net and i will email them to you.
all best wishes,
Michael Jenike, MD
Hi Skip,
I have had OCD for 25 years & I am 50 years old. My main concern at the moment is the memory loss that I am too having. It's frustrating & embarrassing. I have thought many times about getting it checked out. I think it is because my brain is on overload every waking moment. Not only has my OCD in some ways gotten worse as I age, but now the memory loss puts the icing on the cake. And yes, my compulsion is primarily fear of germs.
kbartley said:
Hi Skip,
I have had OCD for 25 years & I am 50 years old. My main concern at the moment is the memory loss that I am too having. It's frustrating & embarrassing. I have thought many times about getting it checked out. I think it is because my brain is on overload every waking moment. Not only has my OCD in some ways gotten worse as I age, but now the memory loss puts the icing on the cake. And yes, my compulsion is primarily fear of germs.
Dr. Michael Jenike said:
hello Skip
yes, you certainly should be evaluated for the memory issues. short term memory issues warrant a medical and neurological workup. Mass General Hospital has a great Memory Disorders Clinic. i would think most such hospitals would have such a clinic. there is not a specific type of OCD that is associated with memory loss; in fact, i don't think any kind of OCD predisposes to memory loss and i don't see much memory loss in OCD patients. sometimes people obsess about their memory and it can appear like they are having problems. one thing to consider is the effect of medications you may be taking. Anafranil/clomipramine has a lot of anticholinergic effects and the cholinergic system is involved in memory so anything that gets in the way of that system can produce memory loss. there are many other medical drugs that can interfere and all these effects are additive. you should have your doctor go over your medications with memory loss in mind.
in terms of drugs for OCD, you might consider Namenda. this has been helpful when added to a SSRI drug in some OCD patients. it just so happens that the primary use of this drug is as a memory enhancer so you might get a double benefit. you can Google “OCD & Namenda” and get some articles to take to your doctor or email me at jenike@comcast.net and i will email them to you.
all best wishes,
Michael Jenike, MD
Dear Doctor Jeinke,
Thank you for having this Forum!
So you are saying that there is no direct correlation between OCD and Memory Loss? I always thought they went hand-in-hand, no?
Thank you,
Sharon Ward
people with OCD don't generally have memory problems. in fact, many seem to have exquisite memories for things about which they obsess. there are some subtle differences between OCD patients and control subjects in some studies about the way the organize things to remember. all best wishes,
Michael Jenike, MD
I'm a mom with a son who had PANDAS which is now become PANS since the H1N1 “epidemic”. My son was making trememdous progress in school after recovering from his PANDAS. When he got a catastrophic case of PANS, he began having extreme difficulty with memory loss- the “working memory”, (not things from 10 years ago). He constantly forgets something he wants to say, so feels compelled to speak “right away”, even if that's interrupting a conversation in place. He also lost all of his math skills, which is very typical in PANDAS/PANS and has a LOT of trouble with fine motor skills. Handwriting deteriorated, shoe-tying became hard, fumbled with buttons and snaps, etc. What is very interesting is that we both suffered from those H1N1 nasal flumist immunizations that were being used heavily and indiscriminately in 2010 and 2011. Because they are live viruses, they shed for up to 21 days after they are inserted into a person's nasal cavity. This means that anyone within sneezing, coughing, or breathing distance from the person who got the inter-nasal immunization was at risk of getting contaminated with the same live virus. There was no consideration for the anyone who had a weakened immune system, mitochondrial impariment, autoimmune disorder, or defect in the blood brain barrier. (these things are never, ever routinely tested by your doctor, as they are not considered to be in the scope of normal procedures- you have to first get injured and get thru layers upon layers of doctors, specialists and neurologists before you can get these things tested). My son had a CATASTROPHIC episode of PANS, including all 7 of the major criteria, and has lost years of his life, which he is finally beginning to regain after being on antibiotics (azithromycin) daily for 9 months. In addition, I know many adults who came down with PANS in 2010/2011 with similar results- the feeling that they were going nuts, the inability to concentrate, loss of math skills, short-term memory loss, etc. I think all adults suffering from these types of symptoms should be tested for all the same viral and bacterial panels kids are tested for who are suspected to have PANDAS or PANS. Sue Swedo has said she's sorry she ever coined the acronym PANDAS, because physicians keep saying it's ONLY in pediatric population, and only strep is involved, when there's ample evidence that's simply not true. A simple google search for “adult pandas” pops up many jounal references and case studies.
Clearly, kids with PANS/PANDAS do get cognitive, handwriting, and organizational problems. if a child suddenly develops these problems, then this diagnosis should be consider and testing done. it is less clear how these syndromes present in adults but we are thinking more about this. i have tried a few adults who have a PANDAS history on antibiotics when their OCD suddenly worsened during an infection. about half of them improved.
take care,
Michael Jenike, MD
From my own experience, I know that making new acquaintances at this age is not easy. Therefore, the Internet helps me with this. I found this chat and it helps me a lot in these matters https://isexychat.com/chatrooms/sex-chat/with-transgenders/ For me, this is an opportunity to make new interesting acquaintances and try something new.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
English
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Dutch
French
German
Japanese
Russian
Spanish