Declining mind or mental health? what sort of age?

Get referral to geriatric dr for a test

mrsnonsmoker

I'm 62 and already struggling with memory, driving and planning due to stress I reckon (recent divorce).

I notice my friends in their late 60s early 70s seem to be going through some sort of mental decline. Is that what I have coming? I woudn't be so concerned if it was just one or two but seems to be most I know of those over 65.

Most likely due to stress, but other things come into play as we get older. Have you had a full blood count blood test? Also underactive thyroid, which is more common in older women can cause mental health problems (memory loss, anxiety, depression). Also vitamin B12 deficiency can cause memory and mental health problems. I urge you to see your doctor and ask for full blood tests. Some individuals can develop early onset dementia (usually between 50 - 65 years of age), but this is quite uncommon.

Sorry Fleurpepper just seen your post, yes, blood thinners are one and some bp medication, perhaps checki with your pharmacist, probably easier than GP.

She probably had a few minor strokes, rather than dementia Cateq. Good you were able to visit her, and that she didn't have to live for many years, deteriorating and losing dignity and joy.

My Gran only started to show signs of dementia in her 90’s shortly before she died. She looked after my aunt who was disabled with some help from me and social services organised home helps for some basic care. They’d been moved into a care home whilst her house was being renovated, and shortly before they were due to move back home we noticed signs she wasn’t quite the same. I’d gone to visit them after work and she didn’t recognise me. She told me I reminded her of her granddaughter. At the end of the visit I was distraught and couldn’t stop crying. As my husband was working away that week, the taxi driver wasn’t keen to leave me on my own, so dropped me at friends house. That was the last time I saw Gran alive as she died during the night.

Jaxjacky

My Mum was 80 when dementia was diagnosed.
Not everyone can take curcuma aka turmeric Fleurpepper, I can’t, so worth checking.

Of course, anyone taking food supplements or OTC medicines, should aways check with GP for any contra-indications.

Diet has a huge effect as well. If I slide into a bread and cheese, biscuits and choc phase I can't do the simplest crossword or remember what day it is. Couple of days on protein and veg and I'm sharp as a tack.

Fleurpepper

Jaxjacky

My Mum was 80 when dementia was diagnosed.
Not everyone can take curcuma aka turmeric Fleurpepper, I can’t, so worth checking.

I am so sorry to hear about your mother.

I would be very interested in who and why can't take turmeric- never heard of this. We were told about turmeric being a really effective anti-inflmmatory- including for the brain- by a Swiss specialist in Plant pharmacology. He explained how Big Pharma is doing everything it can to stop research into any easily available, cheap, natural products- as there is not money in it for them.

Professor Kurt Hostettman works with several University Hospitals in Switzerland, India and China.

Apparently Turmeric causes problems with certain medications, I can't take it either.

Diet has a huge effect as well. If I slide into a bread and cheese, biscuits and choc phase I can't do the simplest crossword or remember what day it is. Couple of days on protein and veg and I'm sharp as a tack.

See your GP. Ask for a memory test.

It's not inevitable, I am in my late 60's and most of my friends in the same age bracket and older are fine (other than our recall for names of actors). Keeping as active as possible, learning new things, being interested in the world all help.

All I can say is if you are under a lot of stress the memory can be affected badly you can be like a robot plodding along but so stressed putting things in wrong places forgetting where things are. I suffered like that when under extreme stress after death of loved one. I’m 67 and I don’t have any memory probs so I wouldn’t really generalise but stress can play havoc with you

Mental decline can start at any time, but yours is doubtless due to stress, and that probably applies to many of those you know too.

Another factor is good-old-fashioned laziness! A lot of people as they reach retirement age, or after it, stop making the effort to use their memories and their brains.

My form mistress when I was fourteen informed us that the brain is the only organ of the body that will not be strained by being put to work!

Now that we nearly all have mobile phones, practically none of us can remember the screeds of telephone numbers we used to have learned by heart, can we?

Try solving the problems that have given you stress, and your memory will probably bouce back.

Me either.. it is a sweeping generalisation

Im 69 and Im fine as are my friends older, same and younger.

I think that sometimes we think ourselves into feeling 'old'.

I am 81, live alone and carry out all my own cleaning, shopping, gardening and decorating!

I have driven since 1961 and still drive with no accidents caused by me.

On no age related medications.

I love sweet foods and have always seemed to be eating the wrong things according to the experts.

According to medical experts I should be nearing the end but feel as if I am still at the beginning.

If you feel OK, carry on doing what you are doing and don't let any 'age related theories' frighten you.

Sometimes stress can cause 'mind problems' and I have experienced this from time to time but as soon as the stressful period is over the problems go away.

I hope your life has now settled and you can get back to being the young, active and clear minded person you have been in the past.

Defo echo re checking out the blood pressure. I got told mine was very high and worrying. Duly bought a blood pressure monitor - so I could keep an eye on things personally. I bought the Omron X3 Comfort one - as a friend of mine that's long suffered from this has got it and recommended it as easy to use. She's right - it is easy to use indeed.

It is possible to get that blood pressure down for at least some people. I'm taking a couple of natural things for it - ashwaganda and drinking beetroot juice - and reminding myself that "my own personal blood pressure" was stated as being "a bit on the low side" years back when it got measured.
Sure enough - it's gone from worryingly high to normal (yep...."normal normal" of 120/80 - rather than "normal for my agegroup normal"). In fact I think it's going back to "my own normal of years back".

So - yep....that is proof in my own mind that it was stress causing that high blood pressure - rather than a problem with my body doing it. I remind myself firmly "Do NOT let the neighbours and the government do that to me (ie create high blood pressure I myself am not due for)".

I had dreadful stress from my late 50s divorce, and it did affect my driving , at one point I thought I was going to have to give it up, but at one point I was prescribed beta blockers to help with the acute anxiety, and things did settle down. Moving on a while I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and once that went down to a normal level, I was much less anxious, I guess if your blood pressure is high and there are difficult situations while driving that stress you then the blood pressure rises. I'm not back to how I was pre the big stressors, but I no longer think I need to give up driving..
Stress contributes to other things that aren't dementia, one of the risk factors for prediabetes ( and obviously diabetes if not tackled) is stress, another is poor sleep. Blood sugar issues can deffo affect how you're feeling too.
Worth getting eyes checked out to make sure if you wear glasses for driving they are still ok and if you don't, maybe things have deteriorated and you might feel better with a pair for driving
I did have a period on antidepressents which helped, as did the support from the doc, I did wean myself off them gradually, I had been worried about dependency but no problems there
I did know someone with early onset dementia, she was in her early 60s, she started having problems with doing the bookkeeping for an organisation she had done it for for years, and that was the first tlsign to those who knew her through that

Dementia can start very young much younger than 65. Go see your GP to ask for a memory test. Probably your problems are due to stress, but best check.

Link

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2781139/

Jaxjacky. Just been checking- it seems side effects are rare, but that

'Side Effect

No apparent side effects have been reported thus far. GI upset, chest tightness, skin rashes, swollen skin are said to occur with high dose. A few cases of allergic contact dermatitis from curcumin have been reported.[41]

The chronic use of curcumin can cause liver toxicity. For this reason, turmeric products should probably be avoided by individuals with liver disease, heavy drinkers and those who take prescription medications that are metabolized by liver. Curcumin was found to be pharmacologically safe in human clinical trials with doses up to 10 g/day. A phase 1 human trial with 25 subjects using up to 8000 mg of curcumin per day for three months found no toxicity from curcumin.[42]
Interaction

Curcumin is said to interact with certain drugs such as blood thinning agents, NSAIDs, reserpin. Co-supplementation with 20 mg of piperine (extracted from black pepper) significantly increase the bioavailablity of curcumin by 2000%.[43]
Contraindication

Curcumin is not recommended for persons with biliary tract obstruction because it stimulates bile secretion. It is also not recommended for people with gallstones, obstructive jaundice and acute biliary colic. Curcumin supplementation of 20-40 mg have been reported to increase gallbladder contractions in healthy people.'

Very interesting, thanks.

Jaxjacky

My Mum was 80 when dementia was diagnosed.
Not everyone can take curcuma aka turmeric Fleurpepper, I can’t, so worth checking.

I am so sorry to hear about your mother.

I would be very interested in who and why can't take turmeric- never heard of this. We were told about turmeric being a really effective anti-inflmmatory- including for the brain- by a Swiss specialist in Plant pharmacology. He explained how Big Pharma is doing everything it can to stop research into any easily available, cheap, natural products- as there is not money in it for them.

Professor Kurt Hostettman works with several University Hospitals in Switzerland, India and China.

I don't know the average age at which dementia (IF it's going to happen) kicks in. But I would have thought you were too young an age.....

There is no age too young to develop dementia. Even some children (very few) develop it.

I certainly know of people with early onset dementia, developing it in their 40s and 50s.

No illness should ever be discounted because someone is too young. There are a number of cancers, breast cancer and stomach cancer among them, where young people have died because the doctor dismissed them as too young to have the disease.

My Mum was 80 when dementia was diagnosed.
Not everyone can take curcuma aka turmeric Fleurpepper, I can’t, so worth checking.

The death of mr i, only six months from diagnosis, was just 2 years ago. During the 6 months diagnosis to death I got on with it, smile on my public face, weeping walking my dogs.
After he died, I lost confidence, I’ve always been a confident driver, dog handler (I’ve fostered ‘damaged’ dogs etc) and confident communicator. That diminished.
My conclusion is we consistently under estimate the impact of trauma. I ‘knew’ this in my working life. Remembered it in my private life. Despite this, I believe inexpected too much of myself.
Do t over think this mrsnonsmoker. Take some time, live quietly and breathe