Community Forum Archive
The Epilepsy Community Forums are closed, and the information is archived. The content in this section may not be current or apply to all situations. In addition, forum questions and responses include information and content that has been generated by epilepsy community members. This content is not moderated. The information on these pages should not be substituted for medical advice from a healthcare provider. Experiences with epilepsy can vary greatly on an individual basis. Please contact your doctor or medical team if you have any questions about your situation. For more information, learn about epilepsy or visit our resources section.
I have seizures and they affect my speech
Tue, 01/25/2005 - 16:10Hi,
I am 33 years old and I have been having seizures now for about 3 years. It happened shortly after a toxic reaction to topomax. I was in the hospital for a week then and every since then I have had minor seizures off and on. When I do it affects my speech and I stutter bably and lose my thoughts and words. I feel so weird when this happens. I don't know anyone else like this. I have bipolar and dissociative identity disorder (multiple personality). I heard people with these illnesses can have seizures, I just don't know what type. I hate being like this. It makes me more depressed. I am getting so frustrated. I have two young boys and they don't understand why all of a sudden I loose my words or thoughts or I sound funny as they call it. My oldest one is 7 and he does ok. He helps me with my words and he answers the phone for me when I am having trouble talking. I just don't know what to do. My therapist wants to know more information about why it affects my speech but I have nothing to offer because I have been struggling to find information myself. Does anyone have suggestions?
Kym
Comments
RE: RE: I have seizures and they affect my speech
Submitted by kymlovejoy on Fri, 2005-01-14 - 06:34
Hi Zoo,
thank you for the information. The doctors didn't know why I stutter with the seizures either. They say that it maay be because the seizures are near my speech center in my brain. Makes sense but I just don't know why it continues to happen. The dosage of meds are ok, it doesn't stop the seizures totally but it makes them less frequent. I just hate people not being able to understand me. The other day I was so hard to understand so I figured if I talked slower it would help. Boy does that take too long. One lady in the grocery store spoke louder to me because of me talking so slow, I guess she thought I couldn't hear her. I heard her fine just couldn't get my words out.
I just wish there were more information about this type of thing. My therapist is driving me nuts about it because my sessions aren't very productive with my speech like this. I guess maybe the stuttering isn't what is making it so difficult, it is that with the combination of me trying to hold on to the word and not forget what I am trying to say. I seem to loose my words in addition. I just don't know what to do. I am so frustrated.
Kym
Hi Zoo,
thank you for the information. The doctors didn't know why I stutter with the seizures either. They say that it maay be because the seizures are near my speech center in my brain. Makes sense but I just don't know why it continues to happen. The dosage of meds are ok, it doesn't stop the seizures totally but it makes them less frequent. I just hate people not being able to understand me. The other day I was so hard to understand so I figured if I talked slower it would help. Boy does that take too long. One lady in the grocery store spoke louder to me because of me talking so slow, I guess she thought I couldn't hear her. I heard her fine just couldn't get my words out.
I just wish there were more information about this type of thing. My therapist is driving me nuts about it because my sessions aren't very productive with my speech like this. I guess maybe the stuttering isn't what is making it so difficult, it is that with the combination of me trying to hold on to the word and not forget what I am trying to say. I seem to loose my words in addition. I just don't know what to do. I am so frustrated.
Kym
RE: RE: RE: I have seizures and they affect my speech
Submitted by sandimas93 on Sat, 2005-01-15 - 02:26
Kym,
I am new to this site and I to studder. I am diagnosed with Complex Partial Siezures in 6th grade. I am 30 now and I am being tested for my second brain operation (right temporal lobectomy) on my right temporal lobe. My dad told me that something happened to me when I was 3 years old, not sure if it was a siezure or not, but I turned blue. After that I started to studder. Prior to that, I spoke very clear and complete sentences. I still studder when nervous, but I do a pretty good job with general discusion.
Hope your neurologists can narrow the situation down.
Jerry
Kym,
I am new to this site and I to studder. I am diagnosed with Complex Partial Siezures in 6th grade. I am 30 now and I am being tested for my second brain operation (right temporal lobectomy) on my right temporal lobe. My dad told me that something happened to me when I was 3 years old, not sure if it was a siezure or not, but I turned blue. After that I started to studder. Prior to that, I spoke very clear and complete sentences. I still studder when nervous, but I do a pretty good job with general discusion.
Hope your neurologists can narrow the situation down.
Jerry
RE: I have seizures and they affect my speech
Submitted by Zoofemme on Thu, 2005-01-13 - 22:52
Hi Kym,If it offers any comfort...I stutter after a szr too and have problems remembering/losing words. My H says that i start stuttering right before a szr as well. This is actually an improvement for me. When I first started szing almost 6 yrs ago (I'm 39) I started stuttering after a cluster episode and stuttered CONSTANTLY up until about 6-8 mos ago (sorry, I have lousy time sense). In increase in my doseage of trileptal seemed to nip the stuttering 24/7 in the bud.As to WHY i stuttered? The doctors were/are clueless other than it was related to my epilepsy some how. It definitely isn't common. My first neuro was convinced it was psychological but this was later disproved by 2 psychologist, a speech pathologist and the current neuro I have now. "The brain is a funny thing" is their best explanation :-)Regrds,Zoo