OT:Statins and memory loss

Okay, I've been on statins for about 5 yrs and now also take fish oil to lower triglycerides. I'm 49 and am noticing memory loss. My wife is complaining that I forget everyhting and with 3 kids in school with all the associated activities, caring for my aging parents, and earning a living I realize that life can be confusing. But, I have made a very deliberate attempt to try to remember whos going where and when, etc. I'm still not "with it". I did a net search on the statin/memory thing and it appears to be more common than I thought. But, a lot of the internet results are also selling alternative remedies. I know some may be "selective listening" of the wife or not really interesting. But, the other day, for a few seconds, I couldn't remember if I had showered before I left the house. I know some of it is aging or stress. Do any of you guys have experience with Statins and memory? It seems it would show up sooner after starting to take it. I'm scared what this is going to do to my tractor hobby.

Hell thats normal to me! We get bombarded with information to the extent that I can't remember all the stuff I have to do with kids and grandkids ,hockey here, driving somebody there,appointment ,Legion mtg,..professional people would have a daybook and write all this stuff down otherwise they'd be the same as you and me..so its not unusual that we don't remeber the details of all the stuff going on around us..I do put some stuff on the calendar,my wife reminds me of dates and mtgs...just normal overload..I get accused of not listening too,but theres too much coming at me sometimes..totally normal in my opinion!

I agree with M. Soldan. I have been carrying a little flip notepad in my pocket since I have been 25. Not because I forget, but because I have so many things coming at me at once. Regular job, kids activities, tree farm, which truck is broke, which tractor needs maintenance, parents need help with something, in-laws, etc, etc, etc, etc.
I keep a planner/calendar in my office so when someone calls I can look to see when I am free.

Rick

I take statins and have no memory problems. Oh wait - what are we discussing here?

take statins, work crazy job, when stressed I remember less, its the stress, its the stress, its the stress, got it. carry a small planner and find 2-3 times a day when its your time, whether to read, check on YT, have a quiet cup of coffee and collect yourself before the next round

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4. Without using a calculator - You are driving a bus from LondontoMilford Haven in Wales.In London, 17 people get on the bus.
In Reading, 6 people get off the bus and 9 people get on.
InSwindon, 2 people get off and 4 get on.
In Cardiff, 11 people get off and 16 people get on.
In Swansea, 3 people get off and 5 people get on.
In Carmathen, 6 people get off and 3 get on.
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Get the INSERT that's supposed to be given to you with your meds---that's not the little normal newspaper size print thing they usually hand out (often called "the handout"), but the one that unfolds into a blanket size with all the teeny teeny little print and the funny little graphs...read CAREFULLY all the "Warnings", "Indications and Usage", "Contraindications" "Precautions" "Information To Patients", "Adverse Reactions (aka Side Effects)" sections, AND scan everything else--Big nnalert is very good at burying ugly things in out of the way places in innocent sounding language.
Do that with all your meds, and run them thru one of the online sites where you put in all your meds and bad interactions are supposed to show up...if anything about mental shows up talk to your doctor about an alternative med (then you can start all over again)...
This's all SUPPOSED to be done by your doctor AND your pharmacist, but often isn't.
Talk to your doctor even if nothing mental shows up; he might've gotten other similar questions. Good luck.

Mark is right. Stress. Stress does funny things. the root of most health issues.

Discuss it with your Doc.

I took Statins for five years. They completely changed my personality. Over that period I went from a happy friendly person to a depressed, suicidal one, unable to be with people or family. It got so bad that my wife of 35 years considered divorce.

All the time this was happening, there was part of me inside watching and saying "This is not right". Eventually, one day, that part won the struggle and I stopped taking Statins.

Within 24 hours I was starting to get back to my normal self. Now, 9 years on, I am back to my normal self though I still have panic attacks when faced with crowds. Its getting better slowly though.

I have seen the same thing happen with an number of other people. One heart hospital here calls it the mind altering drug. It works well for some people with no side effects, but others suffer as I did.

It's human nature to assume cause and effect. I've been on simvastatin for about three years and haven't noticed any problems with my memory, which wasn't great to begin with.

According to this Scientific American article, there is some anecdotal evidence of memory problems connected to statin use, but the studies have been inconclusive. I wouldn't be too concerned about it if I were you, but you should probably mention it to your doctor on your next visit.
Scientific American statins and memory

Memory loss starts at 45 without statins.You start finding tools left in odd places.Losing parts for projects,buying replacments and then find the original parts.Aint no cure ,just gets worse.

Can't comment on the statins...

As the middle generation of a 5 generation family though I can tell you that trying to keep up with aging parents, grandparents, kids, grandkid and my own activities (work, volunteer, tractor) pretty much required coming up with a system to avoid missing stuff. Mine, at the moment, has several components.

1-- (I actually used for a while in high school) is a whiteboard in the kitchen that I put everything that someone here at home needs to know about what/when/where. Helps me remember as well as making sure spouse and kids at home know of. Started this in high school when my parents were working night shift and as the oldest I was handling "taxi" duties for siblings. If it didn't/doesn't make it on the wall... someone isn't getting somewhere.

2 -- All the other stuff goes in a monthly planner/calendar I keep on my desk and check each morning. This is separate from the calendar at work that keeps only work related/impacting events (so Dr. appts end up two or more calendars).

Writing stuff down seems to help two ways... one it re-enforces your minds retention of it and two it's reduces your reliance on your mind.

I haven't gone to a newer , fancier phone yet. Some of this may get easier if I do as there are some nice calendaring/to-do list features on some of them so that may be an option to think about too.

Hang in there... find a system that works for helping track some of what's going on. And as others have said... keep looking into the literature on the meds just realize as far as the memory and overload of when/where/what there are limits of what you're mind will do even without being on meds (and it changes as we age).

Randy

At 61 now, been taking simvastatin for over 15 yrs. Yeah, I've got some memory loss, but I can't pin it on the statins. Heck, I feel better at 61 than I did in my 40's. Diet, exercise (including mental exercise) goes a long way toward a better quality of life. I think you're causing part of your stress problem by worrying about the statins. Life is going to happen, just enjoy it and think about the fact that the statins are probably lengthening your lifespan.

As we age, our mental capacities diminish, our hearing & vision deterioate, our reflexes slow down, our strength weakens. That's normal. I just am a little bit more careful nowadays about doing stuff. Like walking on roofs.

What was the question? I've taken statins for years, but my memory was never very good, so I don't know if has gotten worse. I have carried a bunch of 3x5 cards around for years. If I don't write it down I will forget it. Maybe I am just lazy???

You have a lot going on, that is probably contributing to the memory loss. I am going through the same things and notice it is worse the more stressed I am.