Memory Loss in a healthy 20 year old male

he didn't take any meds or vitamins when the memory loss started and continued… he only started meds and vitamins in the last year. (He’s now on Vit D, Omega 3, Probiotics, Vit B12)
No, he has no previous injuries.

@canadamom After a lot of searching I finally found a physician at Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care in Toronto that I know personally. I am going to try and get his contact information (it's not on the Baycrest website) and see if he knows someone who can be helpful to your son. While Baycrest does evaluate and treat adults for memory problems it appears that their focus on the geriatric population.

You mentioned in another post that your family lived in the Caribbean for awhile before returning to Ontario 2.5 years ago. Have you told the doctors that your son resided outside of Canada and lived in a tropical climate? I bring this up because of the diseases, some transmitted by mosquitos, that are found in tropical climates that are not common in North America.

I'll get back to you when I have more information.

Thank you so much, patiently waiting to hear your findings. Yes all the drs knew we are from the caribbean, none of which were bothered by it.

Hi @naturegirl15 hope you are well and having a great summer. Just checking in to see if you've made any progress... appreciate your help in any way.

cheers
CanadaMom

People can have strokes at young ages. I had a major physical event that no one has ever found the reason for, in my 30's. Even the doctors (small US town) assumed it couldn't be a stroke. But there are other things it could be. I do understand. My memory was great, then pffft, not so great anymore. Everytime I drove myself somewhere, got out, and then went to find my car again to go back home, I couldn't find it. I used to joke to my kids I was going to put a flag on the old antenna, on the car trunk, that we used to have on our cars. Spending time on the phone with my sister was very helpful for getting back memories of our childhood, our parents back then, relatives, all sorts of things. My brother did a family party a couple summers ago, and that was a flood of good, loving, memories. So too, a call to some old friends from grade school. The one with Alzheimer's remembered me instantly, and her husband was delighted to see her come back, if just for our phone calls.

I'd avoid the Psych. stuff, until all the MRI's etc are done and read. I have one congenital small abnormality up there, in my brain, but no doctor thinks it is anything to even consider. They tell me its vascular and then don't listen when I tell them I had an MRA and it doesn't show as vascular. Well, something sure happened.

It's now 35 years later and no Neurologist has ever taken it or me seriously, like I just made it all up. Right, and the loss of reading for 8 years back then, that too? How would they know? Even the old medical records are long gone now too. I got the reading ability back, but not like the book worm I once was. I also had to relearn all my English vocabulary. Swear words I had, just not anything nice, or polite. That went over like a lead balloon with the Christians I was once among.

Looking for what's wrong, or what went wrong physically, is a good thing, However, he needs to learn how to live in the world the way he now is. And to relearn what things lost to him, that he possibly can. The good part for me was when someone told me learning things/skills a second time (or third time) doesn't take as long as it did originally. I think that is true, from my experiences now too. Some bits still remain. I'm terrible at remembering faces, and new names of new people into my life. That's very different from how I was originally. I try to remember to warn new people to my life, when I first meet them.

Good luck.

Sorry to hear you’ve been through all this. Medical issues are so frustrating, as we all feel so helpless.
We are doing some neurological tests in the coming months, I am praying something manageable shows up that can be fixed. I am constantly having to followup and get apts at different docs, as no one is really guiding us or really interested in helping. It’s all so hard and he’s so young.

So very frustrating dealing with physicians sometimes! The answer to the unknown is "depression." It shouldn't be hard to understand that he is depressed because of his memory loss and not having memory loss because he's depressed. The physician tried the same thing with me with dizzy episodes/vertigo and wanted to put me on an anti-depressant. Politely refused! It's the easy way out...requiring no differential diagnoses, further testing, consults maybe and maybe some research. Good thought re the Caribbean - maybe have Infectious Disease take a look! A+ student with memory loss....something is going on! Best of luck.....so frustrating when you can't get a diagnosis or find a healthcare provider that is willing to take it that extra mile. They are few and far between nowadays!