Does fibromyalgia affect memory?
@morgandrake (2136)
United States
December 12, 2007 1:57pm CST
Last night, I was talking to my wife, Toni, about how sometimes she can read something and completely forget what she just read. And she mentioned that her mother, who also has fibromyalgia, blames it on fibromyalgia. This was a new bit of information to me (after all, I don't suffer from fibromyalgia myself; my interest in the disease is due to Toni having it) and I found myself wondering if this is a common thing amoung fibromyalgia sufferers. So does fibromyalgia make remembering things harder?
5 people like this
10 responses
@RosieS57 (889)
• United States
13 Dec 07
Everyone with fibromyagia has some degree of cognitive deficit that manifests itself in various ways.
I get aphasia and really work hard to come up with the word I want to say.
Fibro results from problems with the hypothalmus, pituitary and adrenal glands. For some the fog is quite thick, for others not so much.
Another thing to remember, as a normal, is that when FM'ers flare all other conditions get worse. Fibro Fog is quite a bit worse during a flare and greater still if the FM'ers pain is left untreated. Untreated or undertreated pain can cause problems with thinking skills all of its own.
3 people like this
@morgandrake (2136)
• United States
13 Dec 07
I didn't know that. Thanks for the information.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (85677)
• United States
14 Dec 07
I wish more people could be educated about this. There are so many people, mostly women, blaming themselves for their shortcomings, when they really have a disease like fibromyalgia. My doctor made me feel like an idiot until another doctor diagnosed me.
1 person likes this
@RosieS57 (889)
• United States
14 Dec 07
Like the father-in-law in this thread, a whole lot of doctors used to call Fibro AIYH (All In Your Head)and sent the FM'ers to a psychiatrist. One doctor even referred to Fibromyalgia in a medical journal as "middle aged coach potato woman" disease. The fight to have FM recognized has been long and hard.
Now that FM'ers can show roughly six times more Substance P in spinal fluid, now that more men than ever are showing FM symptoms and now that we actually have a TV commercial (for Lyrica) saying it is real, that seems to be good enough for many. But now there's many docs who will tell you "I don't treat FM."
I wince over knowing that Restless Legs Syndrome got legitimized and had a TV commercial before FM did.
Since Oprah wrote back to a group of FM'ers and said she'd NEVER do a show about FM we've all come a long way. LOL
3 people like this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
13 Dec 07
check out this site might help you better
http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/fibromyalgia_memory_loss.html
I was told a few years back that I had it from work related problems with my shoulder. I had several tender spots on the right shoulder blde and I was very very sick and hurting all the time even with the threapy they was giving me. now I dont have the sore spots but if I scrub a wal I get very ill. and puts me to bed. I didnt have any momoery loss thru any of it so now not sure If I was diagnoied right .
There is alot to learn on this subject for I beleive they are still tring to find out just where all the pain and every thing comes from
3 people like this
@morgandrake (2136)
• United States
13 Dec 07
Thanks for the link; it is helpful.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (85677)
• United States
14 Dec 07
Yes it does. I think about what I could remember ten years ago, and how quickly I could process things, it makes me sad to think of how I am today. I'm perfectly able to do whatever needs to be done, but I can ask someone something, forget it ten seconds later, and have to ask them again. My mother also has it and her memory has greatly been affected, mostly short term. Concentration is a huge factor for people with fibromyalgia, and those facts along with the physical pain, makes me sad that not all doctors consider it a 'real' disease.
2 people like this
@morgandrake (2136)
• United States
14 Dec 07
I believe that many doctors think that only diseases that generate huge doctor bills are real diseases. Hence all the male problems (baldness, softness, and size) got commerical first. Restless legs had a pill, so it was real first. Heck, attention disorders (most of which I believe are parents and teachers not being willing to control kids) are considered real. I was shocked the other day when I saw a commerical actually address the issue of fibromyalgia; it is about time they start to figure out that it is real.
1 person likes this
@Phaedra_Scythe (3325)
•
12 Dec 07
Does she also suffer from chronic fatigue?
I suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome and it's a common side affect. It's often referred to as "brain fog". I have memory problems and find myself just getting confused sometimes. Gingko Biloba supplements are supposed to be quite helpful for memory problems.
2 people like this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
13 Dec 07
Does she also have chronic fatigue? This affects memory and concentration. I have chronic fatigue and I forget things all the time. It makes the brain very foggy. I have no problem with comprehension but I find myself re-reading a page because my concentration was not working.
1 person likes this
@morgandrake (2136)
• United States
13 Dec 07
I know that she is tired all the time. Yeah, she was talking having to reread pages, so it might be.
@kristine0 (3)
• United States
21 Jan 08
Hi there. I am new here and this is actually my first post on this site. I too have Fibromyalgia and memory loss is very common. It's usually called Fibrofog. I'm only 29 and you would think I was in my 80's sometimes by the way I forget things. If I want to tell someone something but it's a bad time to do it, I try to write it down so I don't forget what I wanted to say. It can be extremely frustrating but the more understanding you and the people around your wife and mother are, the better for everyone.
@chertsy (3798)
• United States
13 Dec 07
I can read something and still remember it. Now if I have to run to the store I have to write down everything or I won't remember it. I think it's my short term memory that messes up on me. Sometimes I can't even remember where I parked my truck at the store, how bad is that. I never blamed it on the fibromyalgia, I just figured my memory skills are slowly fading away.
1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
21 Jan 08
my mom was just diagnosed with this-i can't say whether it's due to her age in general or the fibro,but she has very short term memory and sometimes i catch her just staring off into space.
she says sometimes she focuses on the achy feeling instead of what she should be thinking about,she can't help it.
@successmode1101 (172)
•
13 Dec 07
No it has nothing to do with memory lost. I have been living with fibromyalgia for over 7 years and the only thing I suffer from is pain and fatigue. I did develop depression from it also because of what I was going through with my doctors.Maybe she's depressed and don't know it. Depression some what clogs my mind at times.
