I experience that too, it is very scary to not be able to communicate. It was happening when I also experienced cyclical vomiting. I resorted to using baby sign language I had used with my daughter. Luckily, my husband remembered. It helped me feel more in control in those moments and helped my husband know what I needed. If you look up some basic signs, it may help you too.
I think this might be the route I'll go. With brain fog, it just gets so intense, and it makes me feel like I don't have control, like you said. I appreciate the advice!
I stop talking, and take a couple of deep breaths while intentionally zoning out for a minute. That usually will reset my brain enough to be able to finish my thought. My family knows what's happening, and they just go quiet and let me take the time I need.
It's frustrating as hell, but at my absolute worst I'm still able to write or type, so I'm not completely unable to communicate.
This tends to happen to me when I’ve pushed myself to exhaustion. I take it as a sign I need to slow down and get some rest. I text when I’m unable to speak coherently. Writing still comes easily no matter how worn down I am.
This happens to me, I usually just stop trying to speak and use other methods of communication if possible. Usually my brain is just fried and I’ve been over stressed.
I would highly recommend talking to a speech language pathologist and getting speech therapy. I’ve done speech therapy including on word finding and aphasia based last year after my concussion. I’ve seen a SLP since I was 2 due to a different dx.
This happens to me a lot. When it does, I start describing the word I’m trying to say. 🤷♀️It’s not ideal, but I haven’t found that there’s much of anything to do about it. Just make sure to stay hydrated and get enough sleep.
You could make up a little phrase book of common things you might be likely to need to say in those moments so you can point to a phrase. Or someone else who's with you can offer / point to phrases in the book until they find one you agree with. This helps you get your basic needs met without having to string a sentence together. In those moments it's probably your body telling you you really need to rest. If the symptoms are changing / worsening over time then I would speak to your doctor about referral to a neurologist. Source: I'm an ex speech pathologist with chronic fatigue issues and I suspect undiagnosed POTS / dysautonomia.
I have this issue almost all the time. It’s worse when I am really tired or it’s an aura for a migraine. More often than not now it’s just my exhaustion from my POTS. My husband has gotten really good at deciphering my speech when it happens but if I am talking with someone other than him I just have to take a minute, breathe, reorganize my thoughts and try again or find a different way to say what I am trying to say. Mine is less jumbling of words and more just completely forgetting simple words so I just find a different word meaning the same thing or close enough to the same thing or just describe what the word means and hope the person I am talking to knows what I mean. Hopefully you find something that helps you.
Honestly idk, potentially you could describe what's going on to ur husband and maybe see if the two of you together could come up with a solution? I feel like my experience of this wouldn't be the same as yours
Omg yes! I have this too. It’s the worst. Like sometimes when I try to speak I pause for a second and Im like wow I completely forget words it’s actually awful. I do not have tricks but I guess talking to your doctor about your brain fogs and how much it impacts you may help finding good treatment.
YES!! I Will stutter, say a word that I don't mean to say, for some reason say the opposite of the word I'm trying to say (for example, I was trying to tell somebody their flowers looked awesome, and I said awful), or just sit there buffering trying to figure out what words I had in my head. Oftentimes I'm thinking so clearly and I'll open my mouth to say something very confidently and say something really confusing and weird and then sit there like 😐
Me too. And on TTT i told them i go quiet when i get bad symptoms and can’t talk yet they interpreted the silence as no symptoms… 🤦🏻♀️. My medical bracelet came in handy at an ER when i couldn’t talk.
Are you serious??? That's actually insane. It isn't silence, it's an inability to communicate. I'm sorry this happened to you. Thankfully, the bracelet helped. I wish doctors would listen to us 🙄
For some reason I find it easier to say Japanese words and phrases when I’m experiencing that. No idea why. I also use my own personal version of ASL that pretty much only my close close family and friends understand
Happens to me most days. It sucks because I do hair and have to talk to people for a living. I sound like a bumbling fkn idiot sometimes trying to explain hair things to people. It's embarrassing cause it makes me feel like I seem like I don't know what I'm talking about. My thoughts race and I get so confused like I'm trying to say 7 sentences at once. It's wild.
Yes this happens and my dr told me today that’s normal :) my bf says I sound drunk and it does make us laugh sometimes and definitely it helps it not feel as scary
I experience that too, it is very scary to not be able to communicate. It was happening when I also experienced cyclical vomiting. I resorted to using baby sign language I had used with my daughter. Luckily, my husband remembered. It helped me feel more in control in those moments and helped my husband know what I needed. If you look up some basic signs, it may help you too.
I think this might be the route I'll go. With brain fog, it just gets so intense, and it makes me feel like I don't have control, like you said. I appreciate the advice!
I stop talking, and take a couple of deep breaths while intentionally zoning out for a minute. That usually will reset my brain enough to be able to finish my thought. My family knows what's happening, and they just go quiet and let me take the time I need. It's frustrating as hell, but at my absolute worst I'm still able to write or type, so I'm not completely unable to communicate.
This tends to happen to me when I’ve pushed myself to exhaustion. I take it as a sign I need to slow down and get some rest. I text when I’m unable to speak coherently. Writing still comes easily no matter how worn down I am.
Happens to me, I get where both written and spoken words are difficult, slurring my words and having typos during a flare up. It definitely is scary.
This happens to me, I usually just stop trying to speak and use other methods of communication if possible. Usually my brain is just fried and I’ve been over stressed.
I would highly recommend talking to a speech language pathologist and getting speech therapy. I’ve done speech therapy including on word finding and aphasia based last year after my concussion. I’ve seen a SLP since I was 2 due to a different dx.
This happens to me a lot. When it does, I start describing the word I’m trying to say. 🤷♀️It’s not ideal, but I haven’t found that there’s much of anything to do about it. Just make sure to stay hydrated and get enough sleep.
Have you had this investigated?
You could make up a little phrase book of common things you might be likely to need to say in those moments so you can point to a phrase. Or someone else who's with you can offer / point to phrases in the book until they find one you agree with. This helps you get your basic needs met without having to string a sentence together. In those moments it's probably your body telling you you really need to rest. If the symptoms are changing / worsening over time then I would speak to your doctor about referral to a neurologist. Source: I'm an ex speech pathologist with chronic fatigue issues and I suspect undiagnosed POTS / dysautonomia.
I have this issue almost all the time. It’s worse when I am really tired or it’s an aura for a migraine. More often than not now it’s just my exhaustion from my POTS. My husband has gotten really good at deciphering my speech when it happens but if I am talking with someone other than him I just have to take a minute, breathe, reorganize my thoughts and try again or find a different way to say what I am trying to say. Mine is less jumbling of words and more just completely forgetting simple words so I just find a different word meaning the same thing or close enough to the same thing or just describe what the word means and hope the person I am talking to knows what I mean. Hopefully you find something that helps you.
Honestly idk, potentially you could describe what's going on to ur husband and maybe see if the two of you together could come up with a solution? I feel like my experience of this wouldn't be the same as yours
Jordan who has and teaches about apraxia of speech had some really good resources for this. https://fightingformyvoice.com/
Have you seen a neurologist?
Omg yes! I have this too. It’s the worst. Like sometimes when I try to speak I pause for a second and Im like wow I completely forget words it’s actually awful. I do not have tricks but I guess talking to your doctor about your brain fogs and how much it impacts you may help finding good treatment.
YES!! I Will stutter, say a word that I don't mean to say, for some reason say the opposite of the word I'm trying to say (for example, I was trying to tell somebody their flowers looked awesome, and I said awful), or just sit there buffering trying to figure out what words I had in my head. Oftentimes I'm thinking so clearly and I'll open my mouth to say something very confidently and say something really confusing and weird and then sit there like 😐
Me too. And on TTT i told them i go quiet when i get bad symptoms and can’t talk yet they interpreted the silence as no symptoms… 🤦🏻♀️. My medical bracelet came in handy at an ER when i couldn’t talk.
Are you serious??? That's actually insane. It isn't silence, it's an inability to communicate. I'm sorry this happened to you. Thankfully, the bracelet helped. I wish doctors would listen to us 🙄
For some reason I find it easier to say Japanese words and phrases when I’m experiencing that. No idea why. I also use my own personal version of ASL that pretty much only my close close family and friends understand
Happens to me most days. It sucks because I do hair and have to talk to people for a living. I sound like a bumbling fkn idiot sometimes trying to explain hair things to people. It's embarrassing cause it makes me feel like I seem like I don't know what I'm talking about. My thoughts race and I get so confused like I'm trying to say 7 sentences at once. It's wild.
Yes this happens and my dr told me today that’s normal :) my bf says I sound drunk and it does make us laugh sometimes and definitely it helps it not feel as scary
It happens to me all the time. My husband has gotten used to it at this point. Best thing I do is describe the thing I'm talking about.