slurred speech and chiari

[DAWGS]

I've had on/off (sometimes within minutes to hours) of slurred speech...It's almost as if the left side of my face doesn't want to work properly...Like a Slur or have to stress to articulate words properly. Anybody else have this?

anyone with chiari and speech problems let me know what yours are like? Mine definately come and go. I also have TMJ on my left side and wonder if this also leads to more problems. I don't know. Nobody around me has ever noticed - I just notice myself...

Anyone notice this symptom improve with surgery? I still have not had surgery - so far no neurosurgeon considers me a candidate

thanks

[shanmomof3]

I had slurred speech pretty bad before surgery and also had several of the episodes were it looked like i had Bell's palsey. The only people that really noticed was my family because i didnt go many places. But it got so bad that i didnt even like to talk on the phone because i had to repeat myself constantly, it was very frustrating! Since surgery, and its only been 4 weeks, i have only notice my speech slur twice. So that is very encouraging ;-)

sweetpea, i guess if it was extreme fatigue it could cause slurred speech but this is also a chiari symptom. Is your NS a chiari specialist? Actually the times it has happened since surgery i was very tired and kinda upset, but before surgery it happened more so first thing in the morning so that wouldn't be from fatigue. Blessings ~ Shannon

[DAWGS]

Hey I noticed you live in Tacoma...I'm also in Seattle - who did you see for Chiari? Was it Dr. Ellenbogen at University of Washington? Just curious if there are other Chiari experts in this area as I haven't heard of any as of yet...

[Sweetpea32]

I have slurred speach often but the NS said its due to fatigue ?

[selmaS]

Hi...yes, even a bells palsy type of facial drooping can happen as well as the slurred speech....as to if surgery will correct this issue for u, it all depends if the nerves that r being affected to cause r the issue have been damaged past the point of return.,...then no, u may not see improvement....if it is  a new symptom and the nerves r not yet damaged, then there is  a possibility....plus, it can take up to 2 yrs to see all the benefits as nerves take that long to heal...some of us r even slower to heal....

A chiari specialist should be able to tell u what benefits u may encounter from having surgery....but there r never guarantees.

"selma"

[fatenabu1]

I've been that way for about 2 weeks now post surgery. Had surgery back in Jan. 09 This symptom developed after I took a fall. Every now and then my vocal cords don't want to work properly.  This is a symptom of ACM also not being able to find the proper words to use is also a speech issue ACM causes. I have talked to some people on yahoo where this was improved post surgery, others not at all. Each case is different from what I have read. Sometimes surgery helps other time it doesn't. I wish you luck though and will be praying for you. I know it is hard not being able to speak correctly.

[rod44]

I do sometimes notice this if I have not slept well but it is very mild.

When I first got my DX and I was researching CM I saw that this is a symptom of CM......


Ray

[n40066]

i used to slur my words so bad that some of my family members thought i was on drugs! lol!  it was so bad by the time i went for surgery, that i really didn't talk much at all and if i did, it was mostly to other chiarians.  i usually didn't have to repeat myself to them! lol!!
good thing is, that symptom went away completely after surgery!  even though i was "on drugs" right after, i never slurred my words again!  lol  it has been almost 7 months since my surgery.  i believe it has to do with the over crowding and the pressure being put on certain nerves.