Loss of words and awkward pause

[bigl62]

I have PD for 4yr.. recently experienced awkward pause and loss of words in conversation. Words are slow to come out. Anyone else experienced this??

[jeffreyn]

While you're waiting for replies, have a look at this old thread (from about 9 years ago):

healthunlocked.com/parkinso...

[sharoncrayn]

Loss of certain cognition abilities at the same time as the loss of motor control abilities occurs is not uncommon in PD. Usually loss of cognitive abilities comes much later in the progression. as in LB dementia, but not always. It happens especially to those PwP who are in their late 70s- 80s.

Different forms of this type of loss for different people.

Sharon

[Hikoi]

Yes yes yes . Mine depends where i am in the medication cycle.

parkinsonsnewstoday.com/par...

[Pdlolo]

I took some speech therapy sessions recently from LSVT Loud(Google it )....the main thing I learned is that I have to train myself to speak very slowly but loud.

For a naturally fast talker (and thinker) like me, it's not easy....so I'm still training everyday....by reading and conversing slowly and loudly.

My wife said I have improved, but still a lot of times, I still have to repeat myself.

[bigl62 in reply to Pdlolo]

Thank you. Very helpful.

[condor39]

I have this problem and it makes casual chatting very difficult . Other symptoms fairly well controlled. It may well have to with age, i am 86. I think i am mentally capable, we are not always good judges of ourselves.

I can complete the daily Sudoko every day.

[MerckK]

It's a part of this disease. I was known to be a great orator before but now people struggle to understand my speech. I also look for words if I am conscious of my disease while speaking.

The solution to this is that I read loudly. I have taken a karaoke mic and I sing / record/ enjoy.

This serves as a therapy for speech improvement.

Pl try this

[bigl62 in reply to MerckK]

Thank you

[Sapeye2020]

Yes, it is frustrating, as you know. I have slowed my thinking/ speaking so that , I hope, the word I want does not drop from my mind. I have noticed I can be really tongue tied if trying to think on one subject and someone is asking about another topic. Pure pandemonium proceeds in my mind! Then I become completely tongue tied, have to stop and restart the thinking process on one topic...

[bigl62 in reply to Sapeye2020]

Frustrated is the right word

[beehive23]

pd for up to 20 yrs...........happens to me all the time. it conspires to keep me isolated as its embarrassing. its like the harder you try to remember the more difficult it becomes. i try to "walk away from it" and words come to me when i drop the stress of forgetting etc. hang tough.

[bigl62]

What is gwi?

[ion_ion]

I have PD for about 4 years, too. I had the same problem till I started HDT which started to spark my brain plugs. My voice was low, my CPU was slow, my memory was low.

[bigl62 in reply to ion_ion]

I just started HDT injections on August 7th. How long before you noticed voice and conversation Improvement?

[ion_ion in reply to bigl62]

I take Solgar pills (500 mg each); I started in March 2018 with 2g / day and I noticed small improvements after a week; after a month I felt much better but full results I felt after 3 months; now I'm taking 500mg-1g a day, alternatively. I do not know about the injections.

[honeycombe3]

Hi there, I am a 72 yr old female from UK diagnosed for 16 yrs. I have always believed that cognitive deterioration happens very slowly in PD. The symptoms you mention sound more like drug induced. I say this because I have been experiencing similar ones recently. Predictably as part of PD my vocal range and diction are going downhill. As this was predictable I booked myself an appointment with a speech therapist early on. Unfortunately we have been in Covid lockdown since then (March) so no assessment of treatment yet. We know that the autonomic system will break down over time and that this will accelerate, so the better we can control symptoms the better our quality of life.