Sudden return of speech.

[Alib2408]

My dad has a diagnosis of PSP and is currently in a care home. He has lost all mobility, is peg fed, finds it difficult to open his eyes and has not spoken since July. Over the past couple of weeks he has suddenly started to speak again. While this is lovely, I am aware it will not last and so will make the most of it whilst I can. The only recent change has been an increase in dopamine to help with muscle stiffness. I asked his Parkinsons Nurse if this could have caused the return of speech and she said no… she also said it was very unusual for speech to return once lost. Has anyone else experienced this?

[AnnesHusband]

My wife has CBD went into hospital in August because she couldn't swallow or speak, and I was told she had maybe a few days or weeks to live. She came home for end of life care and has now fully recovered her speech (mainly nonsense because of the dementia) and swallowing, although she is now bedbound.

[Alib2408 in reply to AnnesHusband]

Thank you for your reply, that’s wonderful that your wife regained her speech and swallowing, and encouraging to hear that it can return as it is so hard when your loved one can’t share their feelings and worries. Sending love and hugs x

[Rustington]

My husband had lost his speech and couldn't stand. He had a tube fitted 3 weeks ago and this week he has started to talk (it's minimal, but good to hear!) and is able to walk a few steps supported. I'm not fooling myself that he is recovering, but I think the feed has given him some strength - he had become really malnourished and dehydrated.

[Alib2408 in reply to Rustington]

That’s a great development, we feel the same… we know it’s not forever but it’s so lovely to have an opportunity to ask him all the things we have been unable to ask him over the past few months…

[oilman1]

My wife has PSP and her speech had gotten to the point where you could only understand about 10% of what she was saying. In the past 4 days she has improved to where you can understand about 90%. Not sure what has caused this as nothing new has occured in her "treatment". I wonder if this is normal in the disease to see some improvement (probably short lived, but who knows)? She has not improved in any of the other areas of the disease and seems to be getting worse in bouts of screaming and crying. Pretty tough to deal with at times.

[Alib2408 in reply to oilman1]

That’s so good that you can understand more of what your wife is saying, it’s so heartbreaking when your loved ones are trying to communicate and you can’t understand them. Fingers crossed this improvement continues… for your wife and my dad xx

[SimonandMaria]

My wife Maria, regained speech capability after resuming Amantadine, which although has nothing to do with dopamine, it does seem to influence the same "area"... She then lost it again shortly after. What I do believe in, and I have seen it on many aspects, is that the brain does find new connections, new ways, new routes to convey a message that is no longer being delivered because of an "interrupted" route, and I believe that both Dopamine and Amantadine can help that, although those medications don't work on everyone. Amantadine seems to work only on 10% of PSP patients... hence for oilman1 , yes, it is normal for any brain to rebuild connections, if the will is there, the exercising is also, that the terrain is still good enough and some luck... Alib2408 , with all due respect to the nurse, which are the most fundamental persons in my life right now, I would ask the doctor, the Neurologist that type of question.

[MRSYafffle]

Wow, that's nice to hear, even its for a short while.