Sudden onset slurred speech

[music234]

8 weeks ago I had a sudden onset of heavy coordination and slurred, very slow speech. I was hospitalized as they thought I had a stroke. My hands curled towards me and my legs dragged as I walked into the ER. They did a CT scan, MRI, MRA, chest X-ray and blood work. The speech therapist said that it seemed as though my problem was coming from 2 parts of my brain, lower and higher in the brain. My eyes wanted to fix in a daze and I seemed distant although I knew everything going on around me. On the 3rd night in the hospital, my speech returned.
Now 8 weeks later my symptoms are: bilateral pins and needles in waves; tingling and headache in back of head; tremors and left side weakness; altered feeling-like slightly drunk; when I explain things verbally- halting at times for word selection (but not slow speech); mental and physical fatigue and low stamina. The sudden onset suggests atypical migraine syndrom but the ongoing symptoms confuse the diagnosis. What do you think?


This discussion is related to Tingling Feeling In Head.

[sickofit48]

Adding to my comment. I may go without  My eyes wanted to fix in a daze and I seemed distant although I knew everything going on around me. On the. But I also may have this 3to 4 times a day

[sickofit48]

  I have these exact symtoms for 8 months now intermitted. i may go three or four week without the dazed issues but my thought process and concentration are not good. Did you get a diagnosis. Please help

By music234 | Mar 30, 2008  
8 Comments
Sudden onset slurred speech8 weeks ago I had a sudden onset of heavy coordination and slurred, very slow speech. I was hospitalized as they thought I had a stroke. My hands curled towards me and my legs dragged as I walked into the ER. They did a CT scan, MRI, MRA, chest X-ray and blood work. The speech therapist said that it seemed as though my problem was coming from 2 parts of my brain, lower and higher in the brain. My eyes wanted to fix in a daze and I seemed distant although I knew everything going on around me. On the 3rd night in the hospital, my speech returned.
Now 8 weeks later my symptoms

[xjudex]

sounds like symptoms I'm having even typing this ,i feel like I am holding on in order not to tip off the chair,took 2+ months to get appt with neurologist,going next week. Try not to let your friend get discouraged. If her Docs definitely know its MS it can be well maintained. She may have to try varies meds and therapy until it suits her. My neighbor and friend was diagnosed 20yrs ago at ago 32,she has her ups and downs but for the most past lives a full life. She needs to push her doctor to help her or find another one. I wish you both the best and hope I can heed my on words

[Karen99]

Hi.  I see you have posted on an old thread.  

We have two very active and informative forums on MedHelp that could benefit your fiancee.  

The MS Forum:
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Multiple-Sclerosis/show/41
And the Lyme forum:
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Lyme-Disease/show/148

She will be highly supported on either of these forums. There are treatments and medications that can help. I urge you to have her/you to join the MS group.  They are the best-of-the-best to help.

It is very good of you to help her.  

[jamie1972194]

its been a year since you posted this. If you get this let us know what you were diagnosed with.
My Fiance has the same symptoms for months now. She is being diagnosed with MS and has spinal and brain lesions. This all started a year ago after a Lyme infected tick and has gotten worse and worse until this point where she now is giving up her business and is totally disabled from it. Ativan seems to be the only thing so far that helps these attacks, which happen 3-4 times a day some days. I have watched her go from a professional outgoing woman who owns a hair salon to a broken shell of herself. She suffers every day.

[crzy2btechno]

I had a TIA in Aug '09.  Since I came home from the hospital I have continued to have episodes of drunkeness, slowed speech, mechanical walking, left hand corindation is bad, look dazed-but know what is going on, weakness and shakiness, lethargic, stumbling, and bad balance.  This has been dibilitating.  I can not work or do anything around my own home when I am like this.  I have memory loss and have had to get glasses since the TIA.  I have days where I am my old self, but I never know when the episodes are going to hit.  The episodes can be brought on by overload, too much going on around me good/bad.  It's like my brain starts shutting down, I am on a roller coaster.  I have had MRI, MRA, Echocardiogram, Doppler of neck and legs all trying to determine why I had the TIA.  I have been a healthy 41 yr old up until August.  All of this has just started since I came home from the hospital after the TIA.  Do you have any thoughts as to what could be the cause or what else I can do to get off the roller coaster and be "me" again?

[crzy2btechno]

I had a TIA (mini-stroke) in Aug '09.  Since then I have continued to have many spells that are like what you described.  Some spells is like I am drunk, others is where I have slowed speech and have delays when trying to think of what I want to say.  When I walk my left leg drags and I have bad coordination in my left hand.  I have times when I am dazed, but know what is going on around me.  I stumble and have major loss of balance.  Sometimes I am so lethargic and week that I can not function.  I am currently on FMLA and my doctor wants me to go on disability, so he is sending me to a Neurologist, which I see on Thursday.  I was wondering if you had any new information.  I am quite tired of the roller coaster, but reading this has made me feel better, like I'm not alone.

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,

What was the result of your CT scan and MRI? Please elaborate.
A diabetic hypoglycemic attack can also cause sudden onset of slurred speech. Apart from this hemiplegic migraine can cause weakness in one side of the body and tingling numbness.
Temporary ministrokes can also these symptoms. Other causes include traumatic brain injury, primary lateral sclerosis and MS.
Let me know if you need more information.

[roark]

I spent a week in the hospital with similar symptoms.  After a month, my symptoms seemed to improve for a couple of weeks, but now they are worse again.  I feel so spacey and dizzy, I can't operate a vehicle anymore.  I had shingles 6 months agao and my GP would like to attribute it to post herpetic nueralgia but I have a hard time buying it.   I discovered on this forum a condition called chiari malformation.  I sent my MRI's to a neurosurgeon today to review them.  It might be worth checking into.  It is unusual enough that it seems to be overlooked frequently.  Good luck!

[encarrasco]

I'm currently experiencing the exact same symptoms.  They are telling me the same thing, atypical migraine, but they will be doing an ambulatory eeg because of an abnormal eeg I had in the hospital.  I continue to have these spells daily and I"m on short-term disability leave from work because it has not stopped.  Have you had any relief?