Memory problems from Prednisone?

[HoneyismyMoney]

I was diagnosed with Crohns like Colitis 9 months ago and was prescribed Mesalazine, then I got real bad recently and went into hospital. Coming out of hospital I was prescribed loads of new meds: Mercaptopurine, Prednisone, Colecalciferol, Codeine. I have been having issues with my memory, like really bad, forgetting all sorts of things, studying is nigh on impossible. Even today I went to the store to buy some ham and I got distracted by a box on the floor and I put the ham down and remembered about 2 hours later when I was at home! So anyway I was wondering if anyone else has been having memory issues and knows of a way to counteract it? (I have a very healthy diet, the whole Crohns thing scared me into eating healthy and Ive cut sugar, well except honey, out my diet if that helps).

 

[Christi]

Hi , no never did that happen while on prednisone only cravings, lack of sleep as that kept me awake and pimples and that went away. Although every person are different. A healthy diet are good and it's good that you know what you can tolerate with food. Just quick question are you sure you can drink codeine, codeine are not good for you as it does worsen your symptoms , i am not allowed to drink anything with codeine. Hope you find some answers

 

[HannahR]

I was diagnosed with Crohns like Colitis 9 months ago and was prescribed Mesalazine, then I got real bad recently and went into hospital. Coming out of hospital I was prescribed loads of new meds: Mercaptopurine, Prednisone, Colecalciferol, Codeine. I have been having issues with my memory, like really bad, forgetting all sorts of things, studying is nigh on impossible. Even today I went to the store to buy some ham and I got distracted by a box on the floor and I put the ham down and remembered about 2 hours later when I was at home! So anyway I was wondering if anyone else has been having memory issues and knows of a way to counteract it? (I have a very healthy diet, the whole Crohns thing scared me into eating healthy and Ive cut sugar, well except honey, out my diet if that helps).

Prednisone is quite the drug and I remember it causing this when I would take high dosages of it. I called it cloudy brain. It's almost like you become high as well as forgetful. As your body gets more used to it this symptom should subside, it did for me, and as you dose down it will also become less noticeable.

 

[Lizzie]

My memory is awful, but it was before I started on pred, so I can't blame that! On the subject of codeine, a GP prescribed it to me at a walk in clinic just when this awful flare started but the IBD clinic at the hospital told me I mustn't take it, and I assume that they are more knowledgeable than a GP (who also told me my flare would last 4-8 days - joke, still going on months later and only kept vaguely under control by these steroids!).

 

[HoneyismyMoney]

Hi thanks for your answers guys, um for the codeine, my Gastro nurse gave it to me for the flares and said it would help my motions become more formed, sadly Im on the max dose for it everyday as the pain never seems to go away I was meant to have tramadol but I had a reaction to it in hospital so yeah just codeine.

 

[Lady Organic]

I get quite opposite brain reaction with pred. I get overstimulated like I am on a speed drug. But i would not be surprised your situation could happen too.

To help your brain's functions in the meantime, I would suggest eating blueberries. I try to eat half a cup of (un)frozen blueberries a day. They are said to be good to stimulate brain's functions. Introduce them slowly if you are still in a flare and unsure about certain foods.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22414320
.

 

[HoneyismyMoney]

Thanks Im willing to try anything to get my memory back on track and if blueberries have a chance then blueberries it is! Thanks for the advice! :strawberry:
-Edit: Strawberry is the closest image to blueberry I could find in a hurry haha

 

[Cataja]

Last night, which is day 9 of Prednisone, I waited for 50 minutes at the wrong restaurant. I finally got really mad, thinking I had been stood up, and left, only to find out the venue had been changed...and I had been told about it, but I forgot.
It could have been worse...at least the party whose table I was sitting at didn't show up... while I was there...at their table...by myself. :redface:

 

[rnman]

Just recently placed on steroid that is different that yours - Entocort. Over this weekend, I've felt I wasn't really with it mentally, and the feeling of "speeding" too. Just so you don't feel alone.

I would suggest that if your at max dose codeine, if I got that right, that perhaps that could be contributing to your difficulty. Some addiction sites say codeine is associated with memory loss, while the national institute of health seems to suggest in this abstract that their use of codeine may have had another effect in the abstract:
Codeine-induced memory changes: nature and relationship to opiate system



Maybe you could try Tramadol again, if you didn't have an absolute allergy, and give you a break from the codeine so you could assess any response; that is if it's doable for you.. Good luck!