Normal memory loss from aging?

[erosenst]

Yup on perimenopause/menopause. I had *significant* brain fog - it did finally go away but I'm now ~10 years post menopause.

It was most noticeable for me in true 'memory' stuff - like most of my life I could easily remember 4+ numbers to transfer from one place to another - and it got so bad that I was often only able to do one at a time. While I'm not as good as I once was (where 8+ were routinely do-able) I find at times I'm back to 8. Four is relatively reliable.

There are still periodic "wait what was that word I'm thinking of" but at the same time it's usually available pretty quickly. I do the NYT crossword, and it's often by the next clue or two. Someone once described it as taking longer for the right file to surface through all the other available files - and for some reason that helps me be less irritated about it...

[Globetrotter]

In 2019 I mostly stopped volunteering extensively for one of ds's academic teams, which involves a lot of judging and researching questions, etc.. When covid hit, I noticed a significant hit to my memory. I couldn't even memorize a five digit number! Like I would have to keep going back to the number to transfer it. I started doing brain puzzles, and that helped, but the thing that really helped me was getting involved in a very intensive volunteer job that involved learning a ton of new information and developing skills. it still involves ongoing training and working with people. After I started that, I noticed a HUGE improvement in my memory. Now I can still remember travel confirmation codes from last week lol So for me that's what it took. I too was having the symptoms you described. I also started two book clubs and now I always read a book for fun and a friend and I meet weekly and walk the hills while we discuss podcasts we both listen to. I do the NYT puzzles- they say it doesn't help ?? but surely it has some effect. I socialize a lot. ETA: I also exercise routinely.

I know it can be related to perimenopause and stress, lack of sleep (that is another HUGE HUGE trigger for me- if I am not well rested I struggle), etc..

DH was also having some scary symptoms during covid, and I wonder for him if it was due to lack of social interaction as work is his social outlet. It greatly improved once he went back to work in person. He reads and does a lot of puzzles. He has since started making more of an effort to socialize outside of work and meets friends for hikes regularly, and fortunately his work is 100% in person now. I am worried about retirement. The funny thing is he has a very difficult job that requires a lot of critical thinking and new information, so I guess that's not enough. I hope he does something like tutoring after retirement.

[Globetrotter]

This is an excellent podcast on this topic and gives some perspective to what we should be remembering at our age: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas...=1000646306247