Transient Global Amnesia

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Has anyone ever experienced this due to exercise? I have had 2 episodes within a week both the morning after I exercised heavily the previous evening.

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  • musicfan68
    musicfan68 Posts: 1,136 Member
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    My uncle had this one time from being in excruciating pain/stress.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Oh my gosh. Did you get checked out? I'd be worried that you'd had a mini stroke.
  • Tausi
    Tausi Posts: 35 Member
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    jgnatca wrote: »
    Oh my gosh. Did you get checked out? I'd be worried that you'd had a mini stroke.
    I did go see my doctor who sent me straight to the neurology clinic. I had never heard of it before but I am waiting for an MRI scan and EEG.
  • brightresolve
    brightresolve Posts: 1,024 Member
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    My brother ended up in the hospital over a day long episode of this. I hope you are seeing a neurologist?
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,224 Member
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    If you have not seen a doctor, you should do so. This may indicate a major health issue.
  • Tausi
    Tausi Posts: 35 Member
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    My brother ended up in the hospital over a day long episode of this. I hope you are seeing a neurologist?

    Was it linked to exercising?

  • Tausi
    Tausi Posts: 35 Member
    edited March 2018
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    If you have not seen a doctor, you should do so. This may indicate a major health issue.

    On it. Its a strange one as I have no other symptoms except the short term memory loss. Both with witnesses.

  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
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    What are your height/weight/calorie stats? Are you underfueling?
  • Tausi
    Tausi Posts: 35 Member
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    What are your height/weight/calorie stats? Are you underfueling?
    5’7, 198pounds, 1800 calories( never less than 1600 or more than 2200) I aim for 10,000 steps a day and hit that goal 75% a week.

    I exercise 1.5 hours a day 6 days a week. Started from February. Before that it was only 3 days a week 45 min at most.

  • orangegato
    orangegato Posts: 6,570 Member
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    Tausi wrote: »
    Has anyone ever experienced this due to exercise? I have had 2 episodes within a week both the morning after I exercised heavily the previous evening.

    Glad you brought this to medical attention and are referred to a neurologist. It’s a weird diagnosis of unclear etiology falling between vascular causes and seizure. Most of the time it is triggered by extreme emotion but as a whole it is rare. Very unusual to have 2 episodes so close together. Please keep us updated.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Might I respectfully suggest that you go back to 45 minutes exercise, three times a week? This grandma is worried.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,146 Member
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    Hope that you get better and find the root of the problem. Glad that you are seeing a doctor soon.

    Transient global amnesia (from the Mayo Clinic)

    Overview
    Transient global amnesia is a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that can't be attributed to a more common neurological condition, such as epilepsy or stroke. During an episode of transient global amnesia, your recall of recent events simply vanishes, so you can't remember where you are or how you got there. In addition, you may not remember anything about what's happening in the here and now. Consequently, you may keep repeating the same questions because you don't remember the answers you've just been given. You may also draw a blank when asked to remember things that happened a day, a month or even a year ago.

    With transient global amnesia, you do remember who you are, and recognize the people you know well. But that doesn't make your memory loss less disturbing.
    Fortunately, transient global amnesia is rare, seemingly harmless and unlikely to happen again. Episodes are usually short-lived, and afterward your memory is fine.

    Symptoms
    Transient global amnesia is identified by its main symptom, which is the inability to form new memories and to recall the recent past. Once that symptom is confirmed, ruling out other possible causes of amnesia is important.
    Necessary symptoms for diagnosis
    Health care professionals base a diagnosis of transient global amnesia on the following signs and symptoms:
    Sudden onset of memory loss, verified by a witness
    Retention of personal identity despite memory loss
    Normal cognition, such as the ability to recognize and name familiar objects and follow simple directions
    Absence of signs indicating damage to a particular area of the brain, such as limb paralysis, involuntary movement or impaired word recognition
    Additional symptoms and history on which a diagnosis for transient global amnesia is based:
    Duration of no more than 24 hours and generally shorter
    Gradual return of memory
    No evidence of seizures during the period of amnesia
    No history of active epilepsy
    Along with these signs and symptoms, a common feature of transient global amnesia includes repetitive questioning, usually of the same question — for example, "What am I doing here?" or "How did we get here?"

    When to see a doctor
    Seek immediate medical attention for anyone who quickly goes from normal awareness of present reality to confusion about what just happened. If the person experiencing memory loss is too disoriented to call an ambulance, call one yourself.
    Although transient global amnesia isn't harmful, there's no easy way to distinguish the condition from the life-threatening illnesses that can also cause sudden memory loss. In fact, sudden amnesia is much more likely to be caused by a stroke or a seizure than by transient global amnesia. A medical evaluation is the only way to determine the cause of sudden memory loss.

    Causes
    The underlying cause of transient global amnesia is unknown. There appears to be a link between transient global amnesia and a history of migraines, though the underlying factors that contribute to both conditions aren't fully understood.
    Some commonly reported events that may trigger transient global amnesia include:
    Sudden immersion in cold or hot water
    Strenuous physical activity
    Sexual intercourse
    Medical procedures, such as angiography or endoscopy
    Mild head trauma
    Acute emotional distress, as might be provoked by bad news, conflict or overwork

    Risk factors
    Interestingly, high blood pressure and high cholesterol — which are closely linked to strokes — are not risk factors for transient global amnesia. Your sex doesn't seem to affect your risk, either.

    The clearest risk factors are:
    Age. People age 50 and older have a higher risk of transient global amnesia than do younger people.
    History of migraines. If you have migraines, your risk of transient global amnesia is significantly higher than that of someone without migraines.

    Complications

    Transient global amnesia has no direct complications, but it can cause emotional distress. If you have an episode, the gap in your memory can be unsettling, and you're likely to worry about a recurrence.
    Also, a symptom as dramatic as memory loss often indicates a serious underlying disease. Transient global amnesia is an exception, but it can be hard to let go of the fear that you have a tumor or had a stroke.
    If you need reassurance, ask your doctor to go over the results of your neurological exam and diagnostic tests with you. A counselor or psychotherapist can help you deal with persistent anxiety. Importantly, transient global amnesia is not a risk factor for stroke.

    Prevention

    Because the cause of transient global amnesia is unknown and the rate of recurrence is low, no standard approaches for preventing the condition exist. If your episode of transient global amnesia followed a particular activity, such as a strenuous workout or a swim in a chilly lake, talk with your doctor about limiting or avoiding the activity that seemed to trigger your memory loss.

    By Mayo Clinic Staff
  • orangegato
    orangegato Posts: 6,570 Member
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    jgnatca wrote: »
    Might I respectfully suggest that you go back to 45 minutes exercise, three times a week? This grandma is worried.

    Agree. But I assumed your doc told you to ease up on your workouts and you are??
  • Tausi
    Tausi Posts: 35 Member
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    orangegato wrote: »
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Might I respectfully suggest that you go back to 45 minutes exercise, three times a week? This grandma is worried.

    Agree. But I assumed your doc told you to ease up on your workouts and you are??

    They didn’t tell me to change anything but I haven’t exercised since. I am taking a break as that is the only thing I feel may be linked to this. I am in my early 30’s therefore not in the typical age for TGA. I do have a history of Migraines though.
  • Tausi
    Tausi Posts: 35 Member
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    jgnatca wrote: »
    Might I respectfully suggest that you go back to 45 minutes exercise, three times a week? This grandma is worried.
    I haven’t exercised since it happened a week ago. I plan to ease back to exercise with light jogging/cycling for 30min and see how it goes.
  • Tausi
    Tausi Posts: 35 Member
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    orangegato wrote: »
    Tausi wrote: »
    Has anyone ever experienced this due to exercise? I have had 2 episodes within a week both the morning after I exercised heavily the previous evening.

    Glad you brought this to medical attention and are referred to a neurologist. It’s a weird diagnosis of unclear etiology falling between vascular causes and seizure. Most of the time it is triggered by extreme emotion but as a whole it is rare. Very unusual to have 2 episodes so close together. Please keep us updated.

    @orangegato Sorry for the late update but the professionals never found out what was going on in my head other that it might have been a brain virus🤷‍♀️. I didn’t have any other episodes nor any other symptoms. Just alot of anxiety afterwards because no one could explain why it happened or if it will happen again. It was just one of those odd unexplainable things in life I guess.

    Looking back at your comment though and thinking of that time, I was under alot of emotional stress for atleast 3 days preceding the incident. I will just take it as that was the cause.
  • Hanibanani2020
    Hanibanani2020 Posts: 523 Member
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    Get a check. Happened to my uncle and it ended up being a TIA.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,737 Member
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    Tausi wrote: »
    orangegato wrote: »
    Tausi wrote: »
    Has anyone ever experienced this due to exercise? I have had 2 episodes within a week both the morning after I exercised heavily the previous evening.

    Glad you brought this to medical attention and are referred to a neurologist. It’s a weird diagnosis of unclear etiology falling between vascular causes and seizure. Most of the time it is triggered by extreme emotion but as a whole it is rare. Very unusual to have 2 episodes so close together. Please keep us updated.

    @orangegato Sorry for the late update but the professionals never found out what was going on in my head other that it might have been a brain virus🤷‍♀️. I didn’t have any other episodes nor any other symptoms. Just alot of anxiety afterwards because no one could explain why it happened or if it will happen again. It was just one of those odd unexplainable things in life I guess.

    Looking back at your comment though and thinking of that time, I was under alot of emotional stress for atleast 3 days preceding the incident. I will just take it as that was the cause.

    Thanks for reporting back. I'm glad it hasn't been a persistent problem!