Hi,
OMG! I totally understand. I was just recently diagnosed in August but I have had milder symptoms/auras over the years, knew there was something wrong but I just never knew what the heck it was until I ended up in hospital a few times. I was always told my seizures were anxiety. I knew I had something wrong with my brain but I just couldn't get someone to look into it for me. After I have the seizures I feel like I have amnesia and it scares me because I can't speak well or recall fast enough and I still can't. Well i can speak but sometimes it is hard to use words to make a statement and when typing messages I sometimes leave words out or spell them wrong. I have to proof read and check things all the time. I can't remember instructions very well either and I get down on myself for that because I don't want others to think I am an idiot. Some people are very ignorant. That's when the story HAS to be told. I HAVE to write everything down. Usually I just give in and say, yeah I am stunned rather than get into the big epilepsy story and sometimes I cry about it because people might say, I just told you, don't you remember, go write it down so you don't forget. That really upsets me. I used to be very bright and good with remembering information, dates, names, problem solving now I am horrible at it and i told me husband he has to have patience with me because i am really having trouble. He reminds me of events when to take meds and anything I need to remember. Just yesterday a lady from my past came up to me and said hello how are you doing??? Don't have a clue who she is...another time a lady saw me and came over to have a chat. My husband knew I worked with her and said that's (her name)you used to work with her. so I agreed and said i wonder what she worked at...??? It's horrible but just gotta stay positive and go with the flow. Take care!

I wish that I didn't have the memory loss but the older I get the worse it gets...and I'm only 32 years old.  It's really frustrating b/c I will be talking to an old classmate and they'll ask me if I remember when we did this or that and I just don't. There's really only a few things that have stuck in my head thru the years and its usually just peices of memories. I really hate it. Its soooo frustrating. I feel stupid to a whole lot and used to be able to remember stuff, I mean I could memorize anything!! Sometimes when I'm talkin with an old friend I'll just pretend that I remember... And I do say I don't know a whole lot too!! LOL My husband will tell me something I did and I have absolutely no idea what he's talking about then he gets mad and then I get mad... LOL

Hello to all, yes I'm new here with posting, but not in reading. 

I have one of the severest forms of Epilepsy caused by "grey matter Hetertopias" (I was born with the condition) for 50 years now, from experience, memory loss is normal and can increase with age as well as the amount of siezures you have over the years but comes in various severities from minor to extreme, no two people are alike and will have varying degrees of short and long term memory issues caused by the label called "epilepsy", yes it is actually a general label applied to cover all forms of siezure.

Medication can sometimes increase the severity of memory loss but this seems not to affect all people in the same way, some may find the problems increasing, some may find no change, some may have no memory loss at all, I have found this during meeting people I have come to know at UK epilepsy association meetings/conferences over years and from personal experience.

I personally deal with my memory issues by adapting to it, it's taken me most of my life to learn to do this, my smartphone (a smart mobilephone or smart cellphone for you Americans) has a built in organiser function which is set to give audible reminders for appointments, I also have impotant notes I store in it daily to help me remember what other things I have to do, I use the calendar for that which displays the information daily on the home screen and can be set to give an audible reminder.

I have one tip for all who are stressed since they know their memory is acting up, DON'T worry, take every day at a time and as it comes, don't get stressed and especially DON'T worry, you can adapt to the condition should you put your mind to it, it's not easy I can tell you that but it can be sort of done, even now I still forget stupid things as well as do stupid things but I don't ever let it bother me.  I find that stress makes it worse just as stress can trigger more siezure episodes.

As I already said, I was born with epilepsy caused by grey matter Hetertopias which causes many multiple forms and types of siezures, I never let it stop me live my life, I may not be allowed to drive a car, I may have to be careful with everything I do, but I do not allow my condition to rule my life or dictate to me how I should live it. 

I find it hard to remember names, I find it hard now to do mental maths and arithmatic, but like many I found ways round that, a calculator.  I also find it hard to remember things from the past in any detail due to long term memory issues, I also have short term memory issues too.  I also found that doing simple memory exercises helps, as I call it "if you don't use it, you lose it"  carry on exercising the grey matter as it does help even if you forget it.

So for all who are worried and stressed, try not to be, there is hope for
those who try not to let it affect them and their life, just don't let it dictate how
you live your life or enjoy it, life is short enough.

And most importantly, you are not alone so don't feel isolated or stupid, most of us epileptics have memory issues and many don't even notice or even know.  You have to understand this too, there are ignorant people out there who do not understand Epilepsy, it's side effects or even how many forms of it there are, Epilepsy is just a label to define a group of conditions cause by a biochemical-electrical malfunction in the brain, it is due to a lack of general education most non-epileptics do not understand this, that is not your fault but theirs for being ignorant of the facts.

Like one person said "this person has epilepsy but doesn't do that", so what, every Epileptic is different, no two are alike no matter what anybody may claim, only a complete uneducated moron would class all Epileptics the same. In all my years, I still haven't met two who get the exact same symptoms or side effects, it varies in severity from person to person.

I hope that helps you all. :)

Ps, I have more info stored away in my grey matter somewhere, unfortunately I cannot access it currently, I know it's there but cannot remember all the details as they are vague, no doubt I'll get a memory flash later and I will remember, this happens a lot before it vanishes again.  If I remember, I'll try post back here with it. :)

 I have experienced memory loss and I lost a lot of hair and there a white spots on my face but they aren't pimples because there is no head on them. I pinched one and it turned into a mole so no more pinching for me. I have had grand mals since I was 9 yrs. old.

 Can you answer a question for me if you don't mind ? What does a petite mal feel like or act ? I changed meds after 52 yrs. because I was having these feelings and I thought they were petite mals I was getting up to 5 a day sometimes please help me. I haven't talked to anyone about how they feel when one was coming on because I don't know anyone with this problem. I have talked to my doctor and he's very a  sympathetic Dr. but they don't truely understand only another person with the problem can understand.. Thank you, L.G.

See? Thats why i am so grateful for finding this site. The short term memory loss, while frustrating, is only the tip of the iceburg of epilepsy issues being dismissed by others as a cop out. Recently, I have began having a new type of seizure. Horrible muscle twitching for 15 minutes, followed by uncontrollable shaking, all while I am aware. I had one a few days ago and my husband just stood over me, doing the "bullsh.." head shake. So, punch, you can show your mom how many of us have the same symptoms. Because we are the only ones who know the facts, the only ones whos understanding matter. And if they refuse to believe, we need to tell them to keep thier opinions in thier heads.