So today, I stopped at the store and took my usual back route to go get the mail. I got to a major intersection and could not figure out where in the heck I was. This was scary. It took me several seconds for it to click that I needed to make a right turn there. I knew where I was going but it was like I had never seen this intersection before. Has anyone had this happen before? Is it peri or am I starting early dementia?

Nope it's peri my dear. That part comes and goes for me. Hang in there.

Gracie,

Don't panic! I think many of us have had similiar things happen, so you're not alone.

Yup, had it happen!! I live in a small town of 12,000....lived here, except for a 4 year hiatus...since I was 16. And darned if I didn't get lost!!! Driving, and all of a sudden I don't know HOW to GET where I was going!!! I had to laugh at the absurdity of it. And I did find the place. I am a BHRT user now, and can honestly say I haven't had anymore of those total blank moments since I started the hormones. I am sure there is some connection between diminishing estrogen and memory....but I am no scientist!!

Gracie - I have had that happen before, and a couple of times before I hit Peri. Usually I was stressed about something else or having a particularly anxious week. I think part of it has to do with we are often on semi auto pilot - oh where the heck am I. Also, I am sure the hormone thing has a lot to do with it. We just aren't where we are at that moment and it takes a few seconds to re acquaint ourselves with where we were going and what we are doing.

I remember this happening to me in my mid 40's. My hubby had to drop something off at a local business and I was with him. Now, we had been to this place many, many times in the past. As I sat in the car, I began to panic because I could not remember where we were. Nothing looked familiar. It was the single most frightening moment of my life.

I talked to my doctor about this at my next appointment and she brushed it off saying that I was probably so preoccupied with my own thoughts at the time, I didn't take notice about being in a place that had been so routine in the past. Still scared the begeezus out of me.

Oh boy this has happened to me so many times,sure feels good to know I'm not alone.I get the strangest body wave that I can't even explain I don't know if this is a panic attack or what but it scares the poop outta me!!!!

It happens all of the time with me. I see a therapist regularly, and it always takes me a minute to remember how to get there!!!! It can be very frustrating! I couldn't remember the other day what my sisters telephone number was...finally at the end of the day it came to me...heavy sigh!

I've panicked a few times and have had to call someone because I didn't recognize where I was... I'm 48!

TJ

Thank goodness! Thanks everyone!

I had an incident last week where I wanted to turn the heat down in my car but couldn't for the life of me remember which knob i needed to turn....i did finally figure it out thank goodness...and yesterday I went out and started my car to warm up and forgot all about it and left it running for 3 hours....it worried me too....but it makes me feel better that i am not the only one having these lapses...

Alexsmom - you leaving the car on brings to mind another question.

Does anyone ever have to get up in the middle of the night because you can't remember if you turned the oven/stove off. Or had to turn around and go back home because you can't remember if you locked the door/ shut the garage door/ turned whatever off ....

Yes, with me it is the coffemaker or iron. I have 36 steps from the bottom of the garage to my front door and 3X in one day, I get all the way down to my car without my keys...yes, I got a lot of exercise...my husband was laughing with me.

Plumeria

It is definitely peri! I go through this every now and then. My kids think I am crazy because they will say, Mom did you forget where we live! HAhahahaha

i beleive it is the same hormone that kicks in after you have a baby , you know the one that makes you forget all thepain in order to have another baby in a year or two !!!!!

Now I'm laughing!! The same thing happened to me a couple of months ago. The rain was pouring down and I could not remember what switch to use to turn on the windshield wipers!! Believe me, I wasn't laughing at the time.