Speech

[micheller]

I'm not sure if this will fall into the POTS category or not. I've been noticing I don't speak as clear as I used to, kind of sounds like I have something in my mouth, mumblish. Or I'll be talking and I'll suddenly draw a blank on a word. I also mix up my sentences (talking and typing). All of this has been getting worse the last few weeks and I'm not sure what to think of it?

[Lette]

I get this too, especially when symptoms are bad and im really tired or dizzy, I slur my words, completely brain fog out and mix up words for other words or forget words completely! I think its part of pots and the meds we take!! (well thats my excuse for having my silly moments!!)

[puppylove]

Yeah, this happens to me too. I'll just be talking and then I get all tounge tied and it's like I can't pronounce the word I want to say. Also, I guess this is brain fog but sometimes when I'm thinking I just get completely confused for no reason.

[kmichaelson]

Same here, I especially mix up words and get tongue-tied. Sometimes it just takes me forever to get something out! I only take Florinef, so for me I think it's mostly the POTS brain fog & fatigue.

[micheller]

I'm not on any meds for pots so I can't blame that, wish I could! I get frustrated because I know what I want to say, it just doesn't come out that way. Or people ask me to repeat myself if they can't understand me. I was applying for jobs in customer service but it looks like that's out the window. I got a job cleaning last week but it starts so early and hard for me to function at 5am. The job itself is hard to do for me. I hate to say it, but it feels like I've gotten 'stupider' if that makes sense.

[jenglynn]

I am sorry that so many of us have to feel this way. So many of the physical parts of our bodies don't work the way the way they are supposed to. The mental affects are devastating as well. I just wish that there were not so many of us who have to feel this way.

I have struggled with this for the past year... a few prior to my first obvious symptom of POTS which was a syncope episode. And it hasn't gone away. I know what I want to say... but what comes out of my mouth is not what was (what I thought) was in my brain. Or I will struggle for an uncomfortable amount of time to recall the correct word. Even when I typing I have to very careful because I easily get distracted with what I am hearing and what I am typing (example: Yesterday, I was typing a letter to my HR contact at work wanting to tell her that our Long Term Disability Company is needing information from them to complete my claim. While I was typing, my husband was talking to me in the background about the kids' obnoxious behavior... so instead I typed: "The Long Term Disability Company is needing information about my obnoxious behavior for them to complete my claim." UMMM. Yeah. And yes, I did proofread it and skipped right over it and sent it. Luckily, I know her and she was right at her desk and called right away and we fixed it quickly... but STILL. WHAT on earth is wrong with me????

I have had 3 concussions over the last 4-6 weeks due to head injuries from all of my syncope incidents so I don't know if that is the problem or if it just POTS related.

And like many of you mentioned, people have had to ask me to repeat myself quite often lately. It doesn't sound to ME like I am mumbling but it happens so often then I must be. It is very frustrated. I feel confused and foggy half of the time and not like myself at all. I know a lot of us on all a lot of drugs for POTS... is there anything we can take to help with these symptoms?

[Katybug]

Have this too. It feels like I'm drunk and slurring plus the word search and mixing stuff up is always troublesome. I also sometimes will say a word in the middle of a sentence that makes no sense in place of the word that I can't remmeber. I hear the wrong word come out but I can't stop it. I've had all the neuro tests to rule out anything serious and several docs have said it is from the cerebral perfusion that comes with POTS.

[micheller]

Yes I would like to know if anything helps these symptoms. I'm afraid to talk to someone who isn't familiar with me. People will look at me with the 'are you ok' face and it's embarrassing. It's a relief kind of to know it's a symptom but not. I was just diagnosed in October and things have been going downhill fast since then. It's very scary, not knowing what's going to happen next as far as wacky symptoms.

[Jacquie802]

I suffer from memory problems, however an EEG showed sharp spikes in the left temporal lobe in my brain-possible seizure activity. Sometimes, I do have a hard time coming up with the words I want to say. Not sure if it's due to the spikes or POTS?

[Katybug]

As far as I know, other than trying to treat the larger issues of blood pooling/cardiac inefficiency/cerebral profusion, there aren't any specific treatments for the cognitive issues. (Unless you want to try supplements like ginko that can help increase your cognitive ability.) Generally, the salt and fluid loading, florinef, compression stockings are the kinds of things that will help get a little more blood back to our brains. (I know it's not a really good answer. I really wish I had a better one.)

[Tzipora]

I'm not on anything yet for POTS though I'm on a considerable amount of meds for various other reasons. I'm never sure just what cuses me to feel "stupid" but initially I'd go through spells where I had trouble talking, thinking, concentrating, remembering... lately it's become a bigger problem and I'm not sure why. I was complaining about this when I went to my neurology appointment on Monday and I was stuck with a resident who made a kind of big deal about it but didn't know what the cause was. He actually suggested I had sleep apnea (then blew it down on his own because I'm close to underweight) and also had the nerve to ask me if I was depressed (and honestly I'm not though I can get extremely frustrated with my mind's inability to work as well as I would like it to!0 But then the senior neuro octor came in and I told him the same thing and he didn't really have anything else to say.

I'm generally a lot better in writing and try to communicate important things in that way whenever possible. When I speak I sometimes confuse or forget words or I will forget what I am trying to say or I hear my own voice and I just sound really spaced out. I've also become so terribly forgetful! Like I remember which of my meds are due at which times during the day but I can literally have just taken a medication yet I have no memory of doing so! I was playing a card game with my dad and kept forgetting whod ealt last or even when it was my own turn. And ugh my concentration is terrible! Today I'm even having trouble replying to forum posts and e-mails and all.

On the other hand I do know I am way better when laying down. If I lay down I can generally read books (though lately I largely read graphic novels and young adult books because they're easiest but I used to love reading heavy non-fictiony type books...) and yesterday I even wrote a book review while laying in bed which amazed me because if I sit up and try to do that I just can't. Sitting up I feel so spacey and tired and out of it but then I lay down and I feel way better and more awake so I eventually just get back up and it's back to being spacey again. I really hate it. I keep thinking I want to take some online classes and maybe even finish my degree but I don't see any possible way that's going to work out right now.

[Chaos]

Unfortunately I can relate all too well with this. Some days I can't pronounce words or they slur. Some days I can't find words. Some days I think I'm saying something and hear myself saying the wrong words. A lot of my documentation at work takes me forever and a LOT of re-reading to make it be even half way intelligible. Drives me crazy because I used to be good with language stuff. Now I sound like an idiot a lot of the time.

Then there are the wonderful days where it all feels like it clicks nicely and it's so nice to have it all work like it's supposed to. Wish those days would happen more often.

[GingerA]

I have this too. Actually this is the symptom that finally go the ball rolling for me to get help. The first severe episode I had of this speech and brain fog I was at work. My boss thought I was having some sort of blood sugar problem and took me to the ER. Of course nothing showed up on test but it was my family's wake up call that something was wrong and I wasn't just making everything up. Now they know that if I start "not making sense" then I need to lie down. My 14 year old even sits with me some times and teases me about the funny things I say or the missing words. He does it in a loving way and we have a good laugh until I feel better.

[HopeSprings]

Yes, I have problems with speech and word finding too. Being tired definitely makes it worse.

[micheller]

I've been making myself talk slower which is somewhat hard because I usually talk fast. But when I do it comes out in a mess. I have the problem with writing/typing too. I have to reread it word for word or I will read what I think it says. Makes it a pain to write papers for class.

[jangle]

I've been noticing lately that I've been slurring words, especially when I'm lightheaded and on the job.

[Rachel Cox]

ah, we are all in good company... this is my experience too. It's distressing because eloquence was my thing! I was trying to talk to some people the other day (the sort of people you want to at least be coherent with) and the harder I tried the worse it was. Just couldn't get the word out. It was like it was stuck somewhere. I hate it. I worry about being able to communicate everything I need to, to the doctor. Always sounding like I am lacking in IQ when I get in there. But I am smart! well.... I was.

[Dizzysillyak]

I do this too. I "think" 500 mg b3 / no flush inositol hexanicotinate (by solgar) and jarrow 500 mg nac (just nac) are helping me with this

right now but I only started testing these.

I've been on nac for about a month and it worked great when

I first took it but the that effect didn't last. It's a pre-cursor to glutathione tho so it's good to take.

I just started the b3 and had weird popcorn popping feelings in my head afterwards that have subsided.

I've gotten used to weird feelings in my head so I wasn't too worried about this. Lol.

Together these are definitely clearing up my Klonopin head in the morning which is great but then I'm still

struggling with brain fog in the afternoon.

So far a second nac in the afternoon helps but not as much as the am dose or taking these

together. The problem is that I'm not sure how much b3 is safe of if I need to try nadh instead.

I'll let you know tho.

I realize we're all different and these may not be what you need but I thought I'd pass this on anyways.

Tc .. D

[kitt]

I'm dealing with this as well.

Not just cognitive function but mispronunciation of words.

Several times I've said referring to the show 'Project Runway', I've called it Pwoject Wonway'

Sounds like Gilda Radner doing Babwa Wawa.

Have a neighbor who is a neurologist, and once during a casual conversation I couldn't think of the word I was was looking for, and she watched me try and said, 'Dysphasia'. She couldn't help but be a doctor and diagnose me. Guess she'd heard me do it enough.

But find turning my R's into W's really strange.