Alzheimer's at 27?

Ok, I am really starting to think that I have alzheimer's!! I can't remember ANYTHING!!!!!! It all started 4 years ago when I became pregnant, my memory went out the door!! I used to have an amazing memory but it seems as though every day it gets worse. I'm starting to wonder if I should be tested. Have any of your ever heard of someone my age developing alzheimer's?

Here is the latest thing that happened to me:
I bought my husband a really expensive watch for Christmas and decided to wrap it today. Well..........I go to get it from my closet where I KNOW that I put it and it's not here! So, after looking in every possible place I enlisted my husband's help. I'm starting to freak out b/c I can't find it! We tore this house apart for 2 hours before he found it. Guess where? In front of the TV already wrapped in plain sight! I had wrapped it the day before and that's the only thing that I had wrapped.............I think.

What is wrong with me? That's just an example I do other things all of the time. I'll ask my husband a question, he'll answer it and I'll answer him and not 5 min. later I ask him again!

It's really starting to scare me! What do you all think?

Hi Catherine. I've never heard of anyone that young having it but i guess it never hurts to have a check up. i just wanted to let you know you arent alone. and i'm only 22! i am constantly misplacing things. the other day i spent over an hour and a half looking for my car keys. i KNEW where i had put them but they just werent there. i finally found them. right where i thought they were to begin with. I am always looking for something or another or forgetting about something. it worries me sometimes but i think all it is is that i have too many things all going on at the same time and some things are just going to get lost in there. maybe the same thing for you?

Sorry you are going through a difficult time.

My first though is to ask are you under alot of stress right now? Stress can really cause alot of problems.Second is maybe it's time to go to the doctor for a good check up, blood test to see if everything is okey dokey.

I've been getting forgetful lately too, but mainly it's I forget what I was gonna say as soon as I open my mouth to speak it.

Hope you find answers soon.

Poor cathrine....I just looked over the alzheimers website and i didn't see anything about people so young getting the disease....plus i can only asume that some one else in your family would have to have had it for you to get it this young....but I am not a doctor and my best advice to you would be...If you are worried then please go see a doctor stressing about it isnt going to help you..in fact it could make you sick...i know i stress all the time....but here is a link to the site if you want to look it up........Also to make you feel better it doesnt seem like you would have symptoms come on so quick but stay plataued like they are if you had this Illness...I hope your ok though....and I am sure you are...but let me know how you do if you decide to go to the doctor...
http://search.alz.org/overview.asp

I agree that it is very unlikely that you have Alzheimers at such a young age. It is true that this is a very stressful time for you, and your recent forgetfulness is likely related to that. I forget things all the time, too! I recommend you go to your Dr. for a thorough exam, and you can discuss your concerns at that time!
I heard a Dr. explain very well one time that with Alzheimers, it's not that you forget where you put your keys, but rather you forget what the keys are use for.

Thank you all........I have been seeing a doctor regularly for the past 18 months. I had discovered a serious blood clot in my arm in July of 2003 and was hosiptalized for over a week. Since then, I have been on blood thinner and have to have blood work done every week and a full blood work up evey 2 months. But this all started way before the clot appeared. I'm sure that a good bit of it is stress, my mother-in-law passed away 2 months ago today, and I finished my last final exam for the semester Monday and I'm trying to get pregnant again. My life has always been extremely stressful, even as a young child. It just puzzles me b/c I noticed when I was about 6 months pregnant is when it all started and just gets worse every day. Oh well........I guess I'm just running on and on now. I'm going to take your advice and tell the doctor on my next visit right after Christmas and I'm also going to visit the site you left for me.

Thanks again!

Please do let us know how that goes, Catherine!

Are you a scuba diver? I had a friend who had the "bends" and now she's as forgetful as you. The bends are the result of nitrogen buildup in the body when you go underwater. The reason why divers surface slowly is to gradually release the gas from the body. If one is not careful, the nitorgen overload can affect major organs and the nervous system.

Oh, don't stress... maybe it's just you stressing? I'm 22 and have the worst memory, and have it for such a long time. And my boyfriend is the same, we'll tell each other the same story multiple times. We're just practicing for when we get old.

Let us know what happens, I hope it's nothing serious!

pinkdaisy
i notice when i stress alot ,i dont remember what i have done... Sometimes i will buy things 3 times because i forgot i had got it and misplaced it..
Maybe since your pregnancy you have been stressing way too much. and worrying too much about you child.. and things around the house.
But still get a check up, maybe from stressing you burst a nerve?
I hope all the best

Did you deliver the baby? If I had a 4 year old running around, I'd be crazy, too..

No, I have never gone diving.....I would love to do that though.

And Yes I did deliver the baby but he's a very good child. He can test my nerves at time with all of his questions but overall he's very mature for his age. I never did talk "baby talk" and made him take on some role of responsability at an early age. He even gets aggervated with me at times and tells me, "Mom, I told you before - WRITE IT DOWN!" The only problem with that is that I forget where I wrote it down at!!

I can laugh about it but like I said after the gift episode, I'm beginning to think that I would be a very likely to get this in my future. But, i'm going to talk to my doc. about it right after Christmas at my next appointment..............if I remember.

Best wishes, please don´t give it up!

Originally Posted by catherine

He even gets aggervated with me at times and tells me, "Mom, I told you before - WRITE IT DOWN!" The only problem with that is that I forget where I wrote it down at!!

I can laugh about it but like I said after the gift episode, I'm beginning to think that I would be a very likely to get this in my future.

But, i'm going to talk to my doc. about it right after Christmas at my next appointment..............if I remember.

Click to expand...

Carry a notepad in your purse with you at all times? That's what I do, or else I'd forget half the groceries I need.

And sure, talk to your doctor about it... perhaps leave a bunch of sticky notes in your purse, wallet, car, bathroom mirror, set an alarm reminder on your cell phone if you have one...

Hopefully, I can add a little something here.
Catherine: I want you to try extra super hard not to stress yourself out further using words like Alzheimers to try and explain your problem to yourself. Rest easy knowing that early onset alzheimer's refers to patients under the age of 65, specifically in their 40s and 50s. I do not think anyone as young as yourself has ever been diagnosed with this debilitating disease....and it truly is debilitating. Also, memory loss alone is not the hallmark of Alzheimers, dementia is. Dementia is not only memory loss (quite different then forgetfulness- ie you forgot you wrapped the watch but not that you bought it) but also problems with communication, judgement....Even if you can go as far as dementia, alzheimers would be a worst case diagnosis. Dementia can be caused by a number of things: strokes, infections/diseases (AIDS, Meningitis, TB....), B12 deficiency, Thyroid malfunction, Medications (this is an important one: muscle relaxants, anti anxiety drugs, tricyclic antidepressants, sleeping pills can ALL produce symptoms of forgetfulness, memory loss, and dementia - changing current medications of those types may help).
I only know what has been said in this thread, but it sounds more likely to me you are experiencing short term memory loss. This is a diagnosable condition, and maybe good news, is known to occur as a side effect of pregnancy in some cases - generally manifesting in the third trimester, and often recognizable for up to and perhaps longer than, a year after giving birth. There are also many many other causes of short term memory loss, and many ways to treat it. Indeed you should discuss it with your doctor, I just do not want you worrying more and more painting yourself a worst case scenario. Good Luck!