I would like to know if anyone has difficulty saying certain words and spelling certain words.
I'm new to TN, only a month or so, and I have noticed I have problems saying: foot and boot. It comes out like fooot and booot. Just the accent on the 'o' is different. Also, when writing I have difficulty spelling some words and if I say the spelling out loud, I can not speak the vowels and/or consonants correctly. Also, when speaking, I will lose a word while talking and not be able to search or find the word I want to say and will just get frustrated and skip it altogether or use a different word that comes to mind.
Could it just be the Gabapentin or Lyrica or has anyone else had experience with this. After almost two months of this, I'm getting really tired of it. If anyone has experienced this at the onset of their TN, could you let me know if it has lessened?
Many people on Tegretol or Gabapentin have what the neurologists call "word finding difficulty". Some experience slurred speech. Others have problems with short term memory. Many patients report a kind of "brain fog" or "sleep-walking" character to their interactions with the immediate world around them.
There's quite a spectrum of effects. To read up on them, you might spend some time at http://www.rxlist.com. And yes, quite a number of folks find that they get acclimated to these meds, and have fewer side effects after a few weeks. No one-size-fits-all answer here, of course.
Yep, I had some interesting experience with Lyrica when I first started taking it. I actually could not speak at all one time but that was at the very beginning and also I said something totally off the wall that I should have known that was so simple and my boss looked at me like I was crazy… Looking back it’s funny. At the time, however, twas not so funny. It got better tho. Hang in there Rockinhopper!! Min
I absolutely had these effects with Tegretol (especially in combo with Neurontin) and it never really got any better. The longer I took the meds, the more meds were required to be effective and the worse the speech/spelling/word search side effects. It's a major reason I had the MVD surgery.
Since my surgery two weeks ago today, I've reduced the medication and the cognitive effects have also reduced.
Craig,
Wooppie! For you! I hope you continue to get better and that you have good success with the MVD.
Thank you all for responding to the post. I have read those little pamphlets they give you when you get your medications and (I’m really quite methodical with them and look them up online, yadda, yadda) but I really wanted to get a reaction to this to find a ‘temperature of the room’ so to speak. All of your responses were really interesting. Yours especially, Craig, since I found it worse as well with the addition of the Tegretol to my Gabapentin and Lyrica diet.
This word retrieval stuff bites. In my honest opinion.
I've had pretty much the same experience as Craig. As I reduced the meds, especially the Tegretol, my mind became clearer and I was able to start articulating myself in the manner I would have wished rather than constantly stumbling over simple words or not being able to find the word I was looking for. I'm now on 400mgs Tegretol (originally 1600) and this will be reduced to zero along with my other meds over the next couple of weeks, fingers crossed. As much as I would have liked to reduce or even stop taking it, I was fully aware that the Tegretol was effective in my case and it was always a choice of being debilitated either by pain or meds.
RH, I also have noticed this problem, my Doctor calls it a brain fog, but I like Jackie’s description better “Word retrival” as I think it much better describes the trouble it gives us. Even my husband and children noticed the difference in me after starting the tegretol. I have been on it since May 15th and although it has lessened some, it is still there. Jackie is right once again tho’, as I would take the fog over the pain any day!!! Much love, Ali
As an artist, I am constantly describing my work to others within the terminology of my craft. My sister is a technical writer. She and I are used to corresponding on a regular basis. The email that has typically taken me a few minutes to write has turned into an hour or even two. I struggle with finding my words and articulating my thoughts as I have done before. All this to say I am not beleaguered more than any other here but the full contents of my day are now completely in shambles. I feel like I am picking up one stone to place in a pile that has no end or meaning. Well, I will stop before I go on to much.
Me too! The words are there but won’t come out correctly. Makes me feel like an idiot! I don’t know what to tell you except you are not alone - talking is so painful I try to avoid it anyway, which helps me. I use an erase board when I have too, and text and email as much as I can. Good luck and a hug to you.
Rockhopper. Not only do I have problem saying some words, at times words for things just totally escape me. Like trying to say hair dryer and all I can do is thing a majig for hair. Was also well noted for my being able to work numbers in my head faster then most could do them with a calculator. Now I have to write it all down and use the calculator a couple of times to make sure I entered the numbers right. Once could keep track of millions of dollars in my head, now can not even track my own check book with out help. The meds are almost as bad as the pain in making you stupid, but can not deal with the pain when in full bloom.
Hopefully, you and I and others here will find a reduction in this side effect. Living without pain is marvelous but living with such a sense of frustration is draining to say the least.
After my MVD, I have had problems with getting out words or saying what I mean. I have a hard time remembering things. I couldn't remember my parents phone number that has been the same for the past 30 years. I haven't noticed any difference with those medications but I have noticed it gets worse everytime my Tegretol/carbamazipine is increased.
I will be trying to say a word and cannot think of the correct word but I will describe the word I am trying to say until the person gets it. We call it "Speaking Anna". Sometimes it is so frustrating but it is who I am now so I have to deal with it. I now carry pens and a small notebook in my purse with a med list, in case I forget something or someone tells me something important I can write it in my mini notebook. It has helped a great deal.
Best of luck to you. I hope you find the answers you are looking for.
I have been on Tegretol about 6 weeks and find I am searching for words more frequently. It is more of a nuisance at this stage though…apparently it is a documented side effect. Maybe the meds you are taking have a similar side effect,ask your pharmacist to look for you.
I have had the same problem since I got TN in June. I am still on meds and it has not changed am sorry to say. My brain doesn’t seem to be able to think clearly or get the words out. I think it is the meds.
There is another thread here on the site which provides similar experiences from several patients. To read the previous entries, try a search on "word finding difficulty" in the search box at the top right of the page...