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Avatar universal

Could I have PPA/early onset dementia?

This is my first post here and i discovered the forum while looking for information about symptoms I've been experiencing.

For the past few months I've been experiencing what I called difficulty accessing my vocabulary, or finding words as it more commonly seems to be described. Like most people, I've experienced tip-of-the-tongue feelings before but this was different. it didn't feel like the word was on the tip of my tongue, it felt more like a complete blank, even though I knew I knew the word I was searching for. Normally it would come after a few minutes or a few hours.

The pauses in my speech seemed to be happening more regularly so I made the classic mistake of googling the symptoms. First up: Primary progressive Aphasia. I have been panicking ever since. I have also been fitting other possible symptoms in which make things appear worse. I maybe have been mispronouncing words more frequently. I do confuse certain items (tumble dryer, dish washer and washing machine etc), and I drive my wife crazy telling her to turn right instead of left when she's driving. Maybe I have been using different words from the ones I mean.

I have been trying to stay calm and tell myself that, while not all aphasia/dementia sufferers are old, it would be highly unlikely that it could be the case given my age and profile.

I am 36 years old and generally in good health apart from minor asthma and allergies and being around half-a-stone overweight. My job is in PR so I work with language more than most people and have a sideline writing and publishing. We have been approaching a deadline so I've really been putting the hours in and stressing about the situation. On top of that I have a 10-month-old son so it's not as if I haven't had a lot on my mind and I have wondered if this could be stress/tiredness related. Now that I've found out about PPA and early onset dementia I'm much more aware of my speech and language use and this is exacerbating my anxiety. I wouldn't have said there was any major issue with my memory until my fatal googling but now I'm feeling like I'm all over the place and need to concentrate to perform even the simplest of tasks.

The only major head trauma I've experienced was an assault which left me needing eight stitches, but that was 18 years ago. I did take a fair amount of ecstasy and cannabis when I was younger as well as being quite a heavy drinker but I've hardly touched anything stronger than a pint in the past decade and rarely drink to excess these days.

I have an appointment with my GP this week so what I'm really looking for is information about what I should ask him as well as what I should look out for and what i should dismiss as being figments of my panicked imagination.
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Avatar universal
I'm just back from seeing the doctor, who has strongly encouraged me to take a week off work.

She listened patiently to me describe my symptoms, asked a lot of questions about how I've been feeling and generally couldn't have been nicer. She hasn't diagnosed stress or anything else, but did say it was the most likely cause of the problems I've been having.

The doctor wasn't dismissive of my fears about aphasia etc but she did remind me of how rate it would be and suggested we look to deal with a possible case of stress/anxiety in the first instance. If the symptoms have not improved after that then she'll look for an alternative cause and seek a different treatment route.

I'm getting some blood samples taken next week and have to make a follow-up appointment for results and to report on how I'm feeling after resting up for a bit.

Here's hoping.
Helpful - 0
15439126 tn?1444443163
For sure on occasion (so much so, that I tend to avoid being in such situations in the first place).  However, I recognize the source (untended anxiety that's slipping out of control) so see it as a reminder that I need to knuckle down on my routines (and reduce mindless stimulation like PC/TV use which tends to aggravate my condition).
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Scalpmassager - do you have dificulties finding words and other issues I mentioned?
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Avatar universal
Hi Scalp,

I've been diagnosed as having anxiety/compulsion problems in the past so I'm sure the doctor will cover that possibility.

Apart from one takeaway a week my diet is pretty healthy (plenty of oily fish, hardly any red meat, five pieces of fruit and veg, 2 litres of water a day etc) but I need to get more exercise. Pressures of work and other commitments I've had very little time for walking of late. I used to walk at least six miles every day but this is down to 1-2 now.

Thanks for the advice. I know how important diet and exercise is so I will endeavour to improve this further. I will also think about the calming measures you mentioned and what is likely to work for me.
Helpful - 0
15439126 tn?1444443163
For starters, I recognize much of the symptoms as my own at times (and I've a serious anxiety disorder I contend with) so believe it could be a simple anxiety syndrome (leading to a lack of focus, being distracted somewhat by inner thoughts).  To test that, you could ask the doctor for an anti-anxiety med to try (eg. oxazepam/serax is marvellous, not at all suitable for long term use [tends to become addictive & far less useful over time], but excellent for short term use and acts within 30-40 minutes).  

If that largely or completely cleared up your problem most of the time, then I'd strongly recommend lifestyle changes including healthier diet, avoiding bingeing on booze even once a year, seeking out and using calming routines to help settle your mind down [puzzle books, long walks, reading, meditation, that kind of thing].
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Height is 1.82m, weight 189lbs, waist 34".

Absolutely no problem with aspirin.

I normally have 4 beers on a Friday night and maybe a couple on a Saturday. I probably only exceed that six or seven times a year.
Helpful - 0
15439126 tn?1444443163
Your weight, height and waistline measure?  Do you tolerate taking aspirin well?  (some people find it troublesome)

How often do you drink to excess these days?
Helpful - 0
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