swallowing/speech

[kelbell2]

I have not been diagnosed with MS however I am in the process. I have had speech and swallowing problems for the last two years. I do have dry mouth occasionly and I cannot contribute it to any medications that I take at this point.

I do not have Sjogrens, Lupus or any of those auto-immune diseases according to my Rheumy. I would have to say the swallowing problems came first but now my speech is being effected dry mouth or not. I do this most everyday at some point or another. This started this year, it is my fairly newest symptom. The best way i can describe it and it is this way every time is that when i am speaking i pause before the last word of every sentence or i might pause in the middle-but mostly it is right before the last word. thanks, Kel

[Milliepede]

I'm with you, JJ! Talk about tangle tongue. :-D (and I doubt I could pronounce that) :-D

Also find myself pronouncing a word in the same way as a previous word - e.g.  saying 'fossible' instead of 'possible' because I just said something else that started with 'f'.

And joining two words because my new brain remembered this word AND that word (regardless of whether they are in context lol) - basically making fabulous new words that miraculously my husband understands (or says he does lol).

Get the swallowing/choking problems too. Sometimes I sound drunk when speaking. Muscle related.

These are all intermittent and can happen any time, not as consistent as last/first/middle word. Bloody annoying and sometimes it's easier for me to just not talk. :-(

Link to stress/fatigue levels?

Blessings, Karen

[kelbell2]

I guess what I must have right now would be Fibro Fog aka Cog Fog

I have a friend that pointed this out to me along with my Husband and Mother, this is one of the things that I explained to the Neuro and noticed she did make a note of it. I knew I was doing it and it is very aggitating when you cant just spit it out.

Thx, kelly

[kelbell2]

I guess what I must have right now would be Fibro Fog aka Cog Fog

I have a friend that pointed this out to me along with my Husband and Mother, this is one of the things that I explained to the Neuro and noticed she did make a note of it. I knew I was doing it and it is very aggitating when you cant just spit it out.

Thx, kelly

[kwarendorf]

Hi KB

As JJ said, the issues you describe are not necessarily related to one and other.

I do not have any issues with swallowing or dry mouth, nor is my speech effected by MS. I do occasionally  lose words. Mid sentance I will suddenly not be able to find the word that was on the tip of my tongue a nano second before. This is a cognitive thing, often referred to as part of Cog Fog.

Kyle

[kelbell2]

ok, thank you

[supermum_ms]

Kel you didn't ask a question, so i going to assume you are wanting to know if what you experience and described, could be MS sx's of speech and swallowing issues?

Lack of saliva production, if that is what you experience with your sx of dry mouth, is 'not the same' as the swallowing issues you generally read about in MS, dysphagia is basically to do with the actual muscle and nerve signal etc needed in the action of swallowing.

Many different types of medications list dry mouth as a common side effect, dental issues, allergy etc and sometimes it can be a sx of a condition though you've said autoimmune have been ruled out, so it's more likely a side effect and i'd have a look of all the medications you take. [drugs .com]

"Among the more likely types to cause problems are some of the drugs used to treat depression and anxiety, antihistamines, decongestants, high blood pressure medications, anti-diarrheals, muscle relaxants, drugs for urinary incontinence"  
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dry-mouth/HA00034/DSECTION=causes

Also what you've described  - "...when i am speaking i pause before the last word of every sentence or i might pause in the middle-but mostly it is right before the last word."  doesn't sound particularly similar to the speech issues you generally read about in MS, dysarthrias is motor muscle effecting volume and articulation and dysphonias is voice quality.

http://multiplesclerosis.net/symptoms/speech-difficulties/

The pause you are doing, if it is more than just taking a breath or swallowing, could possibly be scanning speech but that is a stretch because usually people describe this issue as a noticeable or prolonged pause whilst speaking, it is not predictable in any way because it is a cognitive issue that happens due to loosing the word they were about to say or can't get the word out or lost train of thought etc

Personally, verbal communication is difficult, articulation on good days is off because i can't quite create all the right sounds any more, and on bad days I can't get a word out with out my mouth getting stuck on a sound. Unlike a stutter that repeats the beginning of a word eg m m m m m um and you can hear a slight cap as the sound repeats, I get stuck and can't get my mouth to change into the next sound eg mmmmmmmmmmmmmm [stop, think the word, say the word] mum.

Some combination of sounds i just can't do very well any more, and none of my tricks always work, so i have to choose an alternate word, it effects conversation flow but I also have scanning issues too lol i have prolonged pauses hunting down the word I want and then can't get the stupid thing out anyway. It also effects my ability to chew and swallow.

I hope that was the type of thing you were looking for.

Cheers.........JJ