Forgetfulness and Memory Loss during Menopause

Carrying on from the post on low moods and January blues…Forgetfulness and memory loss - often dismissed as just part of getting older but aren't they flipping frustrating these common symptoms of the menopause...

Add to that the pressures of everyday life and the amount of multi tasking we have to do, it’s no wonder, with the addition of the old fluctuating hormone, why these two occur more often than we want them to!

Common terms bandied about when referring to these symptoms…brain fog...red mist… life does generally sometimes just get a bit foggy and overwhelming doesn’t it.

Before mobile phones I genuinely used to consider walking around with a notepad hung round neck — I would make lists but then forget where I put them, only to find them written on another pad 2 days later!

We are now sometimes referred to as the ‘sandwich generation’ — caught between those delightful, equally hormonal teenagers and often forgetful parents — we become the ultimate PA to the whole family without even realising it — usually falling down only when it comes to looking after ourselves. Sound familiar?

These two ‘joyous’ symptoms of the menopause can often creep up on us starting in the perimenopausal years. I’m sure not so long ago you prided yourselves on your slick organisational skills, sharp wit and recall — I lost track of the amount of times I ended up in the supermarket with my slippers on! All very frustrating when coping with work and a busy family life ( especially when you catch said teenage children rolling their eyes — even though they seem to get away with lying in and missing tutorials, forgetting half of their rugby kit …). Add to that some of the other debilitating symptoms like fine motor skills being affected...ever found yourself becoming more clumsy or dropping things? For many women this can unfortunately result at work in them either reducing their hours, taking on a less pressurised role within the workplace or in the worse scenario taking early retirement.

Please don’t put up with these symptoms there are things you can do to help yourself. First and foremost take a moment and think about yourself for a change instead of the rest of the family.

Have a good look at your lifestyle — what you eat & drink is so important. Take a look at other posts on nutrition.

Do you incorporate enough exercise & movement into your life — I know I bang on about these in most blog posts but it is so important and really does help...releasing endorphins helping to lower those stress hormone levels like cortisol, reducing inflammation, not to mention being good for your bone and heart health. I don't know about you but if I'm off on a jog or going for a cycle all of a sudden my brain suddenly whirls into action - it has the space and time to think — only problem being as soon as I come back from exercising I have to rush to a notepad or computer and jot everything down or I would have forgotten it!

Other options which can help and are worth looking into are Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and other complementary therapies like acupuncture, reflexology and hypnotherapy or give yourself a treat and book yourself in for a massage. Have a look at other blog posts to find out more or listen to our podcast where you'll get lots of information on these.

If your symptoms are severe and they are affecting your quality of life — get yourself to your GP / practice nurse to discuss other options available.

HRT - it doesn’t just help the physical symptoms it can really help the psychological & emotional ones as well — sometimes when you’ve sorted the draining physical ones out you can find yourself in a better place to be able to tackle the ones you probably didn’t even realise you were experiencing.

Anti-depressants are not advised as the first line of treatment for these symptoms but they definitely have their place in the medical world and sometimes are an option for women who maybe can't or don't want to take HRT — NICE guidelines 2015

Relaxing — definitely helps — giving yourself and that foggy brain of yours some space and time whether through simply having time to read a book, listen to a podcast, go for a walk, have some reflexology or a massage (both should be on the NHS!) attending a yoga or pilates class or one of the simplest ways...run a bath get some magnesium flakes in or your favourite bath oil, get the music on to drown out other family members and lock the door for half an hour ...ahh!

One good point to end on — for the majority of us these symptoms should start to improve once we find ourselves moving into the post menopausal years...

So it's up to you — unfortunately no-one is going to do this for you — start with the lifestyle choices first...small steps are sustainable...

NICE guidelines 2015 : https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng23/ifp/chapter/managing-your-symptoms#low-mood

Any information is as accurate as possible at time of writing and is for information purposes only. The information and support that Let's Talk Menopause provides is for your own personal use. It is not intended to replace or substitute the judgement of any medical professional you may come in contact with. You should always seek advice from your healthcare professional regarding any medical condition.