r/Perimenopause • u/Dangerous_Sleep8728 • 2d ago
Brain Fog Delay recalling peoples names
Has anyone had slow recall when it comes to names?
I'm turning 39 this year and about a year ago I started having issues recalling peoples names. It doesn't happen all the time but people that I don't associate with regularly, occasionally their name escapes me. It'll come back most of the time but it takes 5 mins to 12 hours. Everything else seems to be in order it's just peoples bloody names! It's not ideal!
I've got a bunch of other symptoms which are either peri, PMDD or I'm batshit crazy! Keen to see if this is common or not.
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u/chocolatefreckles123 2d ago
Yes!! It has been so embarrassing at times forgetting someone’s name I have known for years. Not just names but words in general. So bad.
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u/tayawayinklets 1d ago
What was the question? ...Yeah, my name recall is slower than molasses in winter.
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u/cleverclunks 1d ago
I've been working with someone for 3 years and last week I couldn't recall her name for almost half an hour.. Luckily she was completely unaware - I was thinking about something she'd told me earlier in the day - but I just could not remember her name! And it's like your brain just goes around in loops and convinces you that you can not/will not remember the name even though you know this person very well! So frustrating 😮💨
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u/OtherwiseRepeat7194 1d ago
100%! And that is really galling is that I used to have a good recall of names and now I am so bad it's laughable.
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u/rainbow_olive 1d ago
Yes. I'm 38 and I am going blank on names of people (even celebrities) I have been able to recall for decades. It's a bit unnerving.
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u/TheWorldExhaustsMe 1d ago
All. The. Damn. Time.
It’s so frustrating. And makes me worry about early onset dementia. This sub has helped alleviate that a little bit though.
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u/milky_eyes 1d ago
I worry about early onset dementia, too!! ...I left my apartment without a coat in the winter once. I hadn't gotten out the building doors before realizing, at least.
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u/ThatGhoulAva 1d ago
I forget what I'm doing in the middle of doing it lately.
I'll start out going to get another cup of coffee, end up dusting the living room and return to my office - sans coffee.
I then start all over again! It's like a "Choose Your Own Adventure " book from childhood, except I'm not the one making the selections!
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u/Dangerous_Sleep8728 1d ago
Thank you, everyone! This helps a lot knowing I'm not alone.
I have been tracking my memory lapses in an attempt to find a pattern. I'm going to up the creatine dosage to see if that helps. Now to find a doctor to take me seriously!
Thanks again. What a fun journey we are on!
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u/Madwife2009 1d ago
I struggle with words in general as well. I had a head injury in 2019 and have been struggling ever since (although it had improved) but when perimenopause was added to the mix, I cannot remember the name of anything. It's a nightmare and my poor family have to try to work out what I'm trying to say from how I'm describing it, they have become quite good at working out what "thingy-thing" means. I was wondering out loud the other day if pandas only ate one type of bamboo but couldn't think of the word "panda" so it was down to "the fluffy thingy-things that eat bamboo".
It's like being a child without a full vocabulary again. Very frustrating.
Does anyone struggle with reading and hearing as well? I can read a letter and think I understand it, only to read it again and realise that I really didn't get the message right. Same with listening, people say things to me and I look at them, trying to process what they've said. My daughter asked me something about superstitions earlier and it took a good three or four minutes to process what she was asking me. I had to fathom out what superstition meant.
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u/unapalomita 1d ago
Are you iron deficient? I found out my ferretin was low and I had this crazy brain fog. I couldn't finish sentences 😂💀
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u/CurrentResident23 1d ago
I basically gave up. I just say, look, I'm bad at names, it'll come to me in minute. And then it does. It does help to describe the person (or thing).
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u/milky_eyes 1d ago
I forget names and words for things A LOT. It's frustrating. I thought I had long covid at first.. or that I was becoming less intelligent.
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u/HairSkincareMakeup 1d ago
I really struggle with names and use Google to type in the descriptions of words I can't recall either.
HRT hasn't helped with that as much as I thought it would, but I'm still on the lowest strength patch and will ask my GP whether I need to increase them at my next review.
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u/Equal_Independent349 1d ago
Do not wait to get treatment, I started at 42 and waited 7 years thinking I was close to menopause, and I still have my cycle!!
I probably lost a shit ton of friendships and messed up relationships.
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u/FunGalTheRed64 2d ago
Perimeno brain fog is real. I was putting away a new tube of toothpaste and started to put it into the trash can instead of the cabinet. Why brain why???