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Ask Dr. Carolle |
 Please help me. I am 48 years old, and I'm having trouble remembering things lately. At a family gathering I mentioned getting together for someone's birthday and then completely forgot about it and made other plans! Is this a sign of menopause? I'm so embarrassed and now suffer from overwhelming anxiety. Can you help me understand what's happening to me?
 I know exactly what you are going through. Do not worry, you are not loosing it. I do the same thing from time to time, especially when under lots of stress. A number of my perimenopausal patients-women accustomed to being in charge of their lives-have come to my office over the years complaining of forgetfulness and lack of concentration. I did not realize how frightening this could be until one day, when I was 47, a woman approached me in a store, calling me by my first name and telling me how glad she was to see me. (People with whom
I am not close usually call me Dr. Jean-Murat.) "This has to be someone I know very well," I thought. The woman came right up to me, kissed me, and said how sorry she was that I had missed her last party. I tried in vain to remember who she was!
It took several minutes for me to realize that the woman was Marcia, a dear friend of mine! I was shocked that my brain had failed me in this way. It was an unusual and scary experience. I have had no problems remembering things that happened years ago, even when I was writing one or even two books at a time. I performed major surgery and juggled many different tasks. But the day arrived that I realized I could no longer totally rely on my memory to remind me of the things I had to do that day!
I now use a daily planner and review it every morning. Sticky notes lie everywhere to remind me what I need to do. Some times, I leave myself reminders on the answering machine. I keep a carbon-copy message book in full view.
Remember, memory loss can also be caused by stress, insomnia, depression, and certain medications. You are not alone!
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