Well.....I am back...my move went fairly well.....actually quite well thank goodness. Unfortunately......I don't remember much. How scary is that? It is like it was so overwhelming...my brain shut right off and then I started to think of other stressful times. When I have my epidurals...I don't remember much about these appts...my car accident 7 months ago...lost about 6 hours, the whole time I was in emergency...can't remember that. It is scaring me quite a bit. Does anyone know of a way to stop this? Is it common for anyone else? I don't know why I am so concerned it is just maybe that I am realizing that it actually happens and I don't know how to stop it.

I'm lost pandora.... why would you be having epidurals? You are referring to the spinal block epidural?

I have a back injury along with mt PTSD. I was referring to situations that seem overwhelming to me and i just shut off and was asking if other people have had the same experience.

I have been having cervical and lumbar epidurals along with joint blocks and nerve blocks. I have degenerative discs...causing bony growths and my spinal cord is kinked as a result.

Ouch... that sounds painful in itself. Never had one, but seen it done once during first wifes pregnancy.... just looked painful watching. Damn.... sounds like your dealing with some pain then.

I haven't had an epidural, but as you know Pandora I've had spinal taps and other invasive treatments for my cancer which were very painful. I recall having the tests and treatments, but I know what you mean about losing time, because I would often lose time after the treatments, sometimes as long as a couple of days. I also lose time when I'm really stressed about something. For me anyways, I think it's a form of dissociation, a delayed reaction to physical or emotional stress. Everything you mentioned was really stressful, maybe forgetting is your way of reacting to the stress. I know it's mine to an extent.

Yes, I do what I call night stalking. I get out of my bed and do things, it usually has to do with protecting my surroundings, hiding weapons, rehiding weapons that I told someone where I hid it, and of late for no reason, because the others have reasons, I have thrown out hot chocolate late in the early morning, and then obviously wanted it for the next three days and searched the house hi and lo in case I simply hid it...
Anyway, I hope it doesn't continue for long.
Also I will drive for miles, and then realize I wasn't even coherent in the last 45 miles, must be auto pilot, I guess.

Hey Pandora, it is Grama-Herc

I don't have the epidural/memory loss connection, but I have a couple of thoughts

As Batgirl pointed out, it may be stress related. Whitewolf mentioned the driving on auto pilot.

Once I was released from the hospital/treatment center as an inpatient, I had to drive there every morning. It took 45 minutes to get there and I hated every mile of it. I was scared, it was always dark and the traffic was horrible--early morning ya know! There would be many mornings where I simply did not remember driving to the center, or I would suddenly become aware of the fact that I was further down the road than I thought. I told the therapist at the center and he was very concerned about what I told him, but never said another word about it to me. He just let me continue to drive "unconcious" every morning.

Another T. explained that I was using every inch of my brain to get through the stressful time-what ever it was, and that my brain simply could not process or retain anything else. He actually said I did not remember things because I never knew them. I never noticed them, never heard them. My brain was just to occupied trying to get me through the day minute by minute in 1 piece to retain anything else.

Guess it makes sense when you think about it