[MuddyBoots]

I haven't had a period since April 2025 so that's not a good indicator other than I'm probably less likely than otherwise to have conceived.

But I don't remember beans, man, with how hardcore the dissociations are. I don't remember taking my pants off for any one other than this one WOMAN (so that's not going to be a factor) but also I don't know who like 60 of the contacts in my phone are? I guarantee like 3 of them at least are drug dealers and of course a bunch are women.

I don't know. I just kinda looked at myself in the mirror and I'm like "holy fk I'm bloated. I look like I'm a solid 5 months pregnant." Then wondered about that possibility. I looked at the calendar and months had gone by and I don't really know anything that happened in the meantime. My dad's birthday passed (August) and I was planning on going hiking and then ??? I'm worried because, I mean, along with THIS, I have a physical tomorrow (obviously I'm gonna ask to be tested) and she's probably going to ask a bunch of questions about recent history and I'm going to look like I have dementia.

I rearranged my whole apartment and I don't know where half the stuff is. I got a new computer and everything and it took forever for me to unlock this thing. I don't know. Do I have dementia? There's no way I just don't remember the last 3 months because my brain just didn't want to?

I'm kinda starting to think I hit my head and just don't remember

[Blueberrybook]

Odds are the bloating is due to ED behaviors. You could always ask for a pregnancy test for peace of mind at your physical.

With the memory, I can't remember, but if you take benzos, I have found those to really affect my memory, sometimes to alarming degrees. Any illegal drug use or alchohol abuse could have an affect on memory too in which case the best thing to do is keep staying clear of illegal substances & alcohol.

[SquarePegGuy]

For me, my "dementia" is due to mindless action, which comes from distraction, which can be both external or internal.

For example, I'll be walking to the kitchen with my coffee mug, but then the cat starts puking. So I put the mug down somewhere to try to catch the puke or to get a rag to clean it up with. But as I fetch the rag from the closet, my wife starts complaining that the bread isn't sliced and "Why do you do this to me?" Then I need to pee, after which I get back on the computer. At some point I'm thinking it would be nice to have some coffee, so I walk toward the kitchen, see the cat puke, do the virtual forehead smack, get the rag and clean up the puke. Then I get back on the computer....

That was external. As for internal, you don't want to even imagine that!

[SquarePegGuy]

Oh yes, there are meds that can lead to dementia, two of which my wife is taking. Klonopin (as BBB mentioned above), and gabapentin (I think). I'm sure the opioids and Benadryl don't help. I can get bloated from too much bacon or a "bad" food combination.

[MuddyBoots]

I haven’t taken benzos since they were giving me mega doses of Ativan IV in the hospital after my Valium od but that was a couple months ago, I think July. Right now I’m on Tegretol for bipolar, topiramate for migraines/neuro, and clonidine for nightmares with a bunch of PRNs (zyprexa, thorazine, hydroxyzine, and albuterol).
I just realized I don’t have the pantoprazole anymore. Maybe that’s causing bloating? I don’t remember a discussion to get off it.
I can’t steer clear of alcohol as we are required to use hand sanitizer when entering the clinic. It smells of cheap tequila.

I don’t really remember any disordered eating behaviors recently (not that that means much), I actually thought I was doing better than normal. Same goes for substance abuse. But how should I know?

[MuddyBoots]

What’s a “bad” food combo?

My fridge literally has an Ensure, water, and barely touched teriyaki sauce in it so I don’t have much to go off of. Oatmeal, apples, and PB in the pantry. Maybe I had too much oatmeal and PB and the bloating is part of a gastro flare from the fiber and fats?

[SquarePegGuy]

@MuddyBoots, the "bad food combination" I was thinking of is a starch with a meat. The idea is that starchy food requires an alkaline digestive process. And meat needs the stomach acid to break down.

Some people think that when we eat those foods together, the alkalinity and acidity are neutralized, and so both foods are not fully broken down. So that leads to the stuff putrefying in the gut, and the release of poorly broken down proteins and toxins into the blood stream. The proteins can provoke a response from the immune system (inflammation) while the toxins might overload the liver and kidneys.

Another bad combination is meat and dairy for the same reason. And also because it's not Kosher.

Other people (like the AMA) think this is absolute rubbish and that the body knows how to deal with these foods.

My opinion is that the ideal, healthy, prototypical primate can deal with these foods. But those of us who are "defective" cannot.

BTW, I remember drinking Ensure when I was unable to swallow solid food for a while. But now I prefer to drink liquid coffee creamer. (Not really, just being funny.)

[SquarePegGuy]

Oh, I find that too much fiber all at once can be a bad thing for me. I've heard that it helps to soak oats / oatmeal in water overnight to make them easier to digest.

But the number one thing that causes bloating in me is stress.

Blessings

[Tart Cherry Jam]

I think in general the idea that we cannot process searches and protein together is indeed rubbish, but the separation of meat and dairy in the kosher regimen has a solid scientific backing behind it. Dairy interferes with the absorption of heme iron from meat. If you are treating anemia, separating meat from dairy is indeed indicated, to get the full benefit of eating meat. I love meat and cheese together too much myself, but I acknowledge that it is not an optimal combo. To the extent that growing children and pregnant/breastfeeding women are at a higher risk for anemia, maybe there was ancient wisdom in kosher eating, a regimen designed to protect the health of these vulnerable groups.

Muddy, I do not think you have dementia. What you are describing sounds like partial amnesia, which can be due to mood episodes, mania especially, and dissociation. I hope the pregnancy test came back negative. You should also request STI testing, as you do not know what happened and whether condoms were used.