Sinemet and speech?

[Kt088]

Hi everyone, maybe one of y’all will have an answer this question.Before I take my sinemet I can talk relatively well and people can understand me fairly well but less than half an hour after I take my sinemet I have great difficulty, no matter how much or little I take. I feel like I’ve had my jaw wired shut and I’m having to talk through it. As the meds wear off it improves but come on, really? Do I just put up with it? I’ve been taking it for 12 years but it’s just been in the recent few years that it’s getting really bothersome. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks

[Smittybear7]

I notice a difference in my speech about 2 or 3 hours after taking the c/l. I haven't had the severe jaw involvement but sometimes the jaw is a little tight.

[LAJ12345]

Do you have rigidity with the rest of your body at the same time?

[Kt088 in reply to LAJ12345]

Yes

[LAJ12345 in reply to Kt088]

My husband certainly becomes very rigid all over and hour or so after taking a dose of madopar. I expect it is the same mechanism.

[Ramondo]

I have been on sinemet for eight years and my speech is now my biggest problem, to the point that to have a great conversation is impossible. Is there any proof that sinemet gablets cause this slurring and stamering,.

[Tonia1952]

please answert

[Hikoi]

Same thing is happening to me. It is so debilitating. My voice becomes so quiet i give up trying to talk . 14 yrs on meds .

[Carpediadem]

The same thig happens to me, otherwise Sinemet works fine.

[Kt088]

Is there anything we can do?

[Sherry1960]

Have you gone to a speech pathologist who specializes in the Lee Silverman technique? It is basically like the Big and Loud program.

[enjoy2013 in reply to Sherry1960]

That's a great suggestion.I think the tight jaw may be some jaw dystonia at pic levodopa concentration. I would recommend to talk to your doctor.

Weak voice, slurred speech is a PD symptom. I have seen improvement with mannitol and B1

[Condor13]

I am pleased you brought up the problem of speech and PD. The poor speech is socially embarrassing. The poor walking I can live with. Speech Therapy has helped a little. "Talk loud and slow, pausing between each word" is the advice. It is true that then I can be easily understood, but it sounds as if I am making a speech , rather than taking part in normal conversation.

[Kt088]

I know, right. I’ve tried speaking in an accent which was helpful but I couldn’t keep it up, I’ve tried singing the words but then I start laughing so that failed. I’ve tried talking slow and doing the pause between words but like you said it sounds like a speech. I do have an app on my iPad that I can write or speak the words and it’ll play it back in a clear voice to the person I am wanting to talk to but it takes time for that one but it is effective. It’s funny, my iPad and phone understand what I’m saying, but everyone else, no. Lol.

[Auro1]

Did you ever resolve the issue? I sometimes feel I'm sucking on lemons as the day goes on. I start the day fine.

[Mlvh]

My father had the same thing. His voice was crystal clear in the mornings and became much worse after Sinemet and Entacapone. Like he was sucking a gobstopper. The Sinemet also seems to effect his mouth pulling down the corners when at peak dose. We solved it to a large degree by reducing his meds... He was on 2 x 25/100 and 1 x Entacapone four times a day. Now he takes 1 or 1.5 x 25/100 three to four times a day, NO Entacapone. I believe it's a form of peak dose dystonia/dyskinesia. But many of the MDS and nurses here in the UK will try to tell you it's the PD itself...