memory

greetings all:
i had my medtronics dual lead ADDR01 pacemaker implanted in 12/07 and have relatively few real concerns (okay, more just after the implant!). but all has been well. i had it implanted for sick sinus syndrome and take florinef to increase my blood pressure as it is usually very low. recently, maybe 3-4 months, i seem to be having some memory problems-shortterm recall mostly. i have always been very sharp, excellent with numbers, you know, math calculations in my head were no problem and now it is much more challenging. i am only 50 years old. anyone else with this same feeling or other information?
thanks.

3 Comments

memory

by OIMAPRINCESS2477 - 2008-07-21 11:07:11

Hello,

I also have a pacemaker because of Sick Sinus Syndrom. I had a problem passing out all the time and as a result I was loosing my memory of the event and some things before. I often had trouble speaking or remembering simple things that I never had a problem remembering before. I spoke to my doctor about it and he said that it was probely because of the oxygen loss to my brain when my heart stopped. He said that I should return back to normal after a few weeks and I did. But I didnt like the feeling of not being about to speak or do certian things some times. I am only 21 so I am much younger and it bothered me alot. I think you should talk to your doctor and see what they have to say about it. Good Luck

Britt<3

Memory problems

by ElectricFrank - 2008-07-22 01:07:35

Hi,
There are several possibilities for the sort of memory loss you are having. Since it is mild it is difficult to sort out. Here are a few problems, some insignificant and others serious. I don't want to scare you, just give you some ideas
1. The low BP can result in mild impairment of brain function. How low is too low depends on the person. I find that when my BP gets down in the 90/50 range I tend to get more tired or groggy than anything else. If the phone rings and I run for it my mental alertness returns quickly.
2. There are various infections or viruses that are showing up that can cause encephalitis (brain inflammation) that will bring on mild stroke like memory problems. The problem is that they are hard to diagnose and most docs don't even want to admit they exist. There was an article on it recently and several docs talked about seeing it in their practice, but only on condition of not being identified.
3. It could be one on these mini strokes called TIA's. A very small blood clot forms in a capillary and impairs blood flow.
4. I just looked up florinef and under Neurological—convulsions, increased intracranial pressure with papilledema (pseudotumor cerebri) usually after treatment, vertigo, headache, and severe mental disturbances are listed. If it can cause severe mental disturbances there is no reason it can't cause mild cognitive impairment.
5. Then there is the onset of Alzheimer's which can happen at your age.
6. And finally, 50 is old enough to start losing some of that sharpness we have when we are young!

My suggestion is to try to find something that gives you an objective measurement of brain function. After my wifes stroke she found that her scores in playing Spider Solitaire on the computer was one of the best ways of tracking her return of cognition.
Along the same line it helps to know whether it is getting better, worse, or stays the same.

Hope some of this helps,
frank

Pumphead

by dtread - 2008-07-22 07:07:26

Hi, I have the same kind of PM you have, but I got mine after undergoing open heart surgery to get my bicuspid aortic valve replaced with a mechanical one. There is an effect commonly called "Pumphead" following being on a heart/lung bypass machine. This is pretty much attributed to damage to red blood cells from the process, etc. I had some short term memory loss after the surgery; e.g., I had difficulty remembering directions. This seemed to go away after a few days/weeks. I'm older than you (59) and find that I have greater difficulty sometimes in remembering people's names than I used to, but I pretty much chalk it up to getting older versus the PM or the surgery. The American Association for Retired Persons (AARP) website at www.aarp.org has some memory information you might find useful. You should try to eat a healthy diet and exercise is supposed to be good for helping memory too. There are also brain "teasers" that you can do to help keep your mind sharp. Good luck!

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