Type 1 Diabetes and Memory

[tnmom30]

I have been married to a type 1 diabetic for almost 2 years.  We only dated about 6 mths prior to our marriage part of which time he worked out of town.  I am still having trouble learning the effects of this disease on his memory.  Just as an example someone can tell him a story and 2 days later when he repeats the story to someone else it is totally wrong.  Or another example is that he can tell you something that happened to him in the past or in the present, about  a conversation he had or an event that happened to him, and later it changes.  This upsets me very much and I explained it to him and he says it is because of his diabetes. I assume that because he wants to lead a normal life that he never really thinks about what he is saying might not be right due to memory issues.    
I have learned to see the signs of low and high sugar and I know that he is very aggitated and is angried easy during and I can deal with that.  I have also come to an unsterstanding of how he manages his diabetes and that he as dealt with the disease for 32 years and that he knows his body.  Please help me with this issue about memory.
Thanks

[Tfurd2]

I am 60 yo now.  Been type 1 since I was 16.  I have been having these memory probs for a long time.  I was a computer programmer/analyst for years, but had to take disability 10 years ago because I just couldn't do the job anymore.  Sorry I don't have any solutions for you, wish I did.  I am getting a reputation for forgetting, whether my sugar is low, high, or just fine.  The 44 years of lows and highs do take their toll even tho I have no prob with my eyes, heart, circulation or any of the classic long term diabetic problems.  Hate to be a pessimist, but maybe it is best to try to learn to deal with it.  More recently, I have had TIA probs.  I really lost memory after this last one.  But then the emergency room didn't treat me for a TIA because they were convinced from the start that I was having a prob due to illegal drugs which I am vehemently against.  Even tho my lady friend told them many times that I don't do drugs and that it was a TIA but I distinctly remember hearing them say "if you don't tell us what drug he took, we can't help you"....  I was unable to speak coherently to tell them myself(I did 'dress them out' once I began to recover.  They still put me out the back door, in the cold of 5 A.M. , no car in sight (came by ambulance), cell phone dead, and no shoes.   Since I can't prove severe and permanent damage, I can't sue them.  What a crock .  Lesson to be learned.....don't go to St. Pete General Hospital in Florida and carry proper documentation of your condition(I don't call it a disease). .........good luck......Tony

[tm2ley83]

I too am a type 1 diabetic and found this website looking for a solution to my memory problems. I am 26 diagnosed at 24, my memory and learning abilities seem to be on a quick decline. My sugars are kept at healthy levels, yet I still have these problems- hoping for a solution : )

[keaton23]

i can't guarantee this but i recall reading somewhere that diabetes does prevent higher learning to a certain degree.  I'm not sure if it is due to sugar levels or just happens in  some cases.

[c5buck]

I am also an engineer and a diabetic.  I found this forum because I was searching for a connection between my Type 1 diabetes and memory loss.  It was just a hunch, a constant wondering if there was a connection because I'm certain that something isn't right.  My memory is not what it should be.  I can think and I can analyze but recall and learning/applying new skills is very difficult.  The worst part is probably my confidence.  I don't trust myself.  I can work my way through any problem, but if I encounter the problem again, I have to repeat much of the work.

My A1C is excellent, typically in the low 6's but a tighter margin means more low blood sugars.  Only once in 20 years have I been hospitalized for hypoglycemia, so they are almost never extreme.  I have none of the long-term effects typically associated with diabetes. My eyes are good, my kidney and liver function is normal and my circulation in my feet is good. Still, I am wondering if my brain is being damaged slowly over time.

I'm glad to hear I am not alone, but diabetes care is egregious.  The professionals, even those in reputable children's hospitals aren't telling people what they need to LIVE with diabetes. . . but they do a good job of keeping us from dying.  I was diabetic for 7 years before I discovered that hypoglycemia affects my brain.  It was before I had a pump and I was in college, failing my linear algebra class right before lunch.  I had to discover for myself that even before any other physical symptoms were expressed, my mind was being affected by low blood sugar.

Granted, I hold myself to a high standard as far as the expectations I put on my mind, but I used to be able to hold my own, and though I'm only 33 years old, I'm scared that I've lost my edge and I don't know where the bottom is.  

My wife complains of these memory problems too.  I forget conversations,  I'm unable to remember names, I am unwilling to do research for things like home mortgages, car insurance, etc, because I don't trust that I'll remember what I read and so I make excuses to do other things.  It affects us.  She doesn't understand because she still sees me as "the engineer" but inside me something isn't right.  

[LCI071769]

I have been experiencing memory loss of and on since July 2009. Every diabetic
will experience some sort of blood vessel damage at some point; especially
in eyes and feet. So why couldn't memory loss issues happen because of blood vessel
damage that affects the blood flow to the brain?  I think it's something that we all
need to be aware of.

[ac03]

i apologize fro the grammar. I wrote it really fast. sorry