Dan Patrick Details Struggles with Memory Loss, Intense Joint Pain

Sports media personality Dan Patrick detailed his diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica and subsequent issues during treatment, including memory loss, during his eponymous radio show Thursday:

Patrick, whose show is simulcast by Bleacher Report, said he was first diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica seven years ago. The condition causes intense joint pain and inflammation, particularly in the shoulder and hip areas.

Patrick said his initial course of treatment included taking the anti-inflammatory steroid prednisone, which he said caused harsh side effects. 

"The prednisone is a horrible drug," Patrick said. "I was depressed. I had suicidal thoughts. I was emotional. I cried for no reason—the smallest things." 

Patrick has since begun an experimental treatment in New York involving "light" rounds of chemotherapy that have caused bouts of memory loss. 

"I couldn't remember Albert Pujols' name last week," Patrick said. "Couldn't for the life of me during the show. I had a dinner with my wife and my daughter last month. And I texted her the next day because I couldn't remember the dinner, and she thought I was kidding ... to this day I don't remember having dinner."

Patrick went into further detail, including moments he's forgotten how to start his car and had memory lapses on his radio show.

"There are these moments that there's a mental pause that's hit, a button," Patrick said. "... There are days that aren't good. But you know what, they're a whole lot better than they were before. There were times I would just brain freeze. I couldn't think of something." 

Patrick, 62, has undergone five rounds of IV treatment and has five more remaining. The treatment has been working on the inflammation after initially failing his first four trips.