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Cognition, memory issues post medication withdrawal
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26-06-2017
07:06 PM
Hi
I got off medication on and off a month back. I used it for a duration of about 6 months (3-4 times a week before bed) mainly for sleeping issues. I had several jaw cramps that turned out to be due to low vitamin D around November 2016 which triggered health anxiety and sleep problems for me.
I was prescribed medication to help me sleep which I took about 3/4 nights a week for sleep, until I noticed that it wasn't really helping sleep and my cognition was getting impaired. I tried taking one a week and so on, which didn't help, so I just stopped a month back on 26th of May. Since then I have had a myriad of symptoms but the most concerning of them happened this week when I started waking up with pounding heartbeats and mild chest and back tightness. I went to my GP and an ECG was taken which turned out fine. Next day, I got a call from the GP that I needed to go to the ER ASAP as my blood Potassium level was at 6.9. I rushed to the ER with my friend and what happened next scares me the most. While filling out the forms, I was asked for my DateOfBirth, I didn't think much of it. When I sat down with my friend he mentioned why did I say 19Jun1984 instead of 19Jun1985 - I obviously insisted I did no such thing. When I was taken away for another ECG and blood tests, I noticed that the tag indeed had 19Jun1984. This scares the hell out of me as I cannot think why I would have got the year wrong as 1984 instead of 1985. Could this be anxiety/panic, or something more sinister neurologically? I have had mild cognition issues while coming off the medication like rarely struggling to find words while speaking, and typing incorrectly on the computer at times. Should I be concerned that I got the year of birth wrong and insist on further checks? Incidentally, the potassium level turned out ok in the ER blood test, and the WCG was fine as well.
I got off medication on and off a month back. I used it for a duration of about 6 months (3-4 times a week before bed) mainly for sleeping issues. I had several jaw cramps that turned out to be due to low vitamin D around November 2016 which triggered health anxiety and sleep problems for me.
I was prescribed medication to help me sleep which I took about 3/4 nights a week for sleep, until I noticed that it wasn't really helping sleep and my cognition was getting impaired. I tried taking one a week and so on, which didn't help, so I just stopped a month back on 26th of May. Since then I have had a myriad of symptoms but the most concerning of them happened this week when I started waking up with pounding heartbeats and mild chest and back tightness. I went to my GP and an ECG was taken which turned out fine. Next day, I got a call from the GP that I needed to go to the ER ASAP as my blood Potassium level was at 6.9. I rushed to the ER with my friend and what happened next scares me the most. While filling out the forms, I was asked for my DateOfBirth, I didn't think much of it. When I sat down with my friend he mentioned why did I say 19Jun1984 instead of 19Jun1985 - I obviously insisted I did no such thing. When I was taken away for another ECG and blood tests, I noticed that the tag indeed had 19Jun1984. This scares the hell out of me as I cannot think why I would have got the year wrong as 1984 instead of 1985. Could this be anxiety/panic, or something more sinister neurologically? I have had mild cognition issues while coming off the medication like rarely struggling to find words while speaking, and typing incorrectly on the computer at times. Should I be concerned that I got the year of birth wrong and insist on further checks? Incidentally, the potassium level turned out ok in the ER blood test, and the WCG was fine as well.
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27-06-2017
05:54 PM
Hi Oz85, there are many reasons why people become a little forgetful or make minor mistakes with facts.
Sometimes it is due to sinister medical conditions that can be for example Neurological ,Cardiac, metabolic , or degenerative.
Mostly I think that memory issues can be based in the mind not being focused or not really "caring” enough to lay that down into the memory files.
Memory is extremely complex and not fully understood . There are 2 basic processes involved though . Deciding what one is going to put into the “memory files” and then the retrieval system. Both can be disturbed if someone is distracted by being stressed.
In your case in the ER , it is possible that the stress of the situation messed with your retrieval system so you got a detail messed up . I think it would be more of a sinister sign if you persisted in getting your birthdate incorrect once you were home and calmed down and things had settled. The fact that you can identify the mistake in the retrieval and that it happened during stress seems less concerning to me.
HOWEVER… I don’t know the full extent of your personal situation , medical history and family history and I feel that best person to really check your concerns with is your GP. If they think there is any basis on which to be really alarmed , I’m sure they could refer you for more formal evaluation via a trained psychologist or a psychiatrist who has an interest in this area.
Sometimes it is due to sinister medical conditions that can be for example Neurological ,Cardiac, metabolic , or degenerative.
Mostly I think that memory issues can be based in the mind not being focused or not really "caring” enough to lay that down into the memory files.
Memory is extremely complex and not fully understood . There are 2 basic processes involved though . Deciding what one is going to put into the “memory files” and then the retrieval system. Both can be disturbed if someone is distracted by being stressed.
In your case in the ER , it is possible that the stress of the situation messed with your retrieval system so you got a detail messed up . I think it would be more of a sinister sign if you persisted in getting your birthdate incorrect once you were home and calmed down and things had settled. The fact that you can identify the mistake in the retrieval and that it happened during stress seems less concerning to me.
HOWEVER… I don’t know the full extent of your personal situation , medical history and family history and I feel that best person to really check your concerns with is your GP. If they think there is any basis on which to be really alarmed , I’m sure they could refer you for more formal evaluation via a trained psychologist or a psychiatrist who has an interest in this area.
