Memory problems
Forgetting why you walked into a room, or failing to find the right word, is ordinary — particularly when tired and rushed.
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Medicines commonly prescribed for Memory problems
For informational purposes only. Always consult a doctor before taking any medication.
Dosage form: ORALLY DISINTEGRATING TABLET/LIOTAB, 10 mgActive substance: donepezilManufacturer: Aurovitas Spain, S.A.U.Prescription requiredDosage form: INJECTABLE, 1 mg/mlActive substance: hydroxocobalaminManufacturer: Laboratorios Basi Industria Farmaceutica S.A.Prescription requiredDosage form: TABLET, 10 mgActive substance: donepezilManufacturer: Kern Pharma S.L.Prescription required
Forgetting why you walked into a room, or failing to find the right word, is ordinary — particularly when tired and rushed. What should draw attention is something else: memory lapses that start to interfere with work, home life and relationships, that build month by month, or that other people notice. The encouraging part is that there is often a correctable cause behind a memory problem, and the sooner it is found, the fuller the recovery.
What is normal and what is not
The difference lies not in forgetting but in how the forgetting happens.
- Ordinary forgetfulness: a name does not come immediately but arrives later; you forget where you put the keys but remember looking for them; you forget details of a conversation, not the conversation itself.
- Worth investigating: recent events vanish entirely; you repeat the same question without recalling having asked; you become disoriented in familiar places; you forget medication or to turn off the hob; people around you notice the changes before you do.
Common causes
Memory does not fail only because of brain disease. Far more often the cause is something that can be dealt with:
- lack of sleep and chronic fatigue — sleep is needed to consolidate memories, and without it both memory and attention suffer;
- stress, anxiety and depression — in depression, memory and concentration problems can be marked enough to resemble dementia;
- medication — sleeping tablets and sedatives, antihistamines, some blood pressure drugs, painkillers;
- alcohol taken regularly;
- deficiencies of vitamin B12, vitamin D or iron;
- thyroid disease, more often an underactive thyroid;
- sleep apnoea — pauses in breathing overnight that the person is unaware of;
- past infections and head injuries;
- dementia — an important cause, but by no means the most frequent.
When to see a clinician
- memory problems interfere with daily tasks or with work;
- they have noticeably worsened over recent months;
- the changes are apparent to people close to you;
- language, spatial orientation or arithmetic have been affected alongside memory;
- the decline began abruptly or after a blow to the head;
- apathy, low mood or loss of interest in usual activities have appeared.
If you are worried about an older relative who is becoming increasingly forgetful, it is worth being the one to start the conversation with a clinician: many people in that position do not seek help themselves.
What happens at the appointment
The clinician will ask in detail what has become harder and since when, and also about sleep, mood, workload, medication and alcohol. They will then run short tests of memory and attention and order blood tests: a full blood count, vitamin B12, thyroid hormones, glucose, and liver and kidney function. Where indicated they will refer for an MRI or CT scan of the brain and on to a neurologist.
What helps the appointment: bringing someone close who can describe the changes from outside, bringing a list of all medicines and supplements, and writing down concrete examples. Not "has become forgetful", but "twice this week forgot to turn off the hob".
What you can do yourself
While investigations proceed, it is worth removing whatever stops memory working: getting sleep in order, limiting alcohol, reducing load where possible. External props help too — a calendar with reminders, to-do lists, a pill organiser, fixed places for keys and documents. Physical activity, company and mental effort all influence memory, and not just symbolically.
Common questions
Is forgetfulness always the start of dementia? No. In most people who come forward, another cause is found: lack of sleep, depression, B12 deficiency, the effect of a medicine.
Memory declines with age — is that normal? Some slowing in taking on new information over the years is expected. Losing independence in daily life is not part of normal ageing.
Do memory supplements help? There is no convincing evidence of benefit in healthy people. What makes sense is treating the specific cause that is found.
Online consultation
In an online appointment a doctor can look at the pattern of your memory lapses, weigh the role of sleep, mood and the medication you take, determine which blood tests are needed first and advise whether an in-person neurology assessment is required.
This article is for general information and does not replace a consultation with a doctor.
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Medically reviewed by
Reviewed on Jul 15, 2026
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