I am currently having trouble speaking. This comes and goes and it cannot exactly be called slurring.
It can be best described as the words will not come out of my mouth properly. If they do come out they are either very slow or very quite.
The pronunciation of the words is completely off and it almost seems as though I am going to start stuttering but I do not.
In terms of walking it too comes and goes and occasionally overlaps with the talking problem. It seems as though my legs are extremely heavy and my knees don't work as they should.
When I bend my knees to take a step they either seem to bend too far or not enough. The coordination of my steps is completely off. This happens for between 15-30 Seconds at a time and almost seems to be on a schedule.
Has anyone experienced something similar to this and if so are there any treatments that worked for you? Thanks.
Posted by Dawn in VA (Member # 9693) on :
Are you currently on a really solid combination oral or, better yet with your CNS symptoms, IV treatment?
Speaking of the latter, if you're on them yet, has your LLMD considered IV Tx b/c of your nervous system issues?
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
I had severe balance issues and needed to hold onto someone to be able to walk.
My talking issues were more along the lines of, I had the what I wanted to say in my brain but couldn't get my thoughts into words.
So, similar, but different.
Parasite and bart treatment helped. For balance, it seemed to be more babs.
Posted by Dawn in VA (Member # 9693) on :
Unlike six, I had a pretty decent improvement with balance/vestibular issues after Rocephin IV Tx, so it was (still residual "is") Lyme-related for me.
Posted by nenet (Member # 13174) on :
I have had exactly your symptoms, and sometimes still do (primarily the speaking trouble).
I have been on oral antibiotics that cross the BBB (Blood Brain Barrier) and the CNS since spring of 2008. This is the only thing that has helped. I have not had the opportunity to try IV antibios yet.
The speaking problems have been flaring (after being almost completely gone) just this month with an increase in my antibiotic dosage.
One thing I learned to watch out for are nightshade family foods - they seem to cause neuro-toxicity for me.
I recently accidentally ate some Old Bay seasoning on just 2 shrimp (I didn't know it was used, or what was in it until after the effects were long over).
I felt drunk and drugged for a while after eating it - it was like I was walking up or down steps but I was on level ground.
My legs wouldn't bend or move right - they didn't agree with my eyes or my brain, and my eyes and brain didn't seem to agree either. Hours after that I had seizures and spasms and intense neuro pain the rest of the night into the next day.
So, you also might want to avoid anything that can cause neuro-excitablility or toxicity - foods that you might have developed intolerance to, caffeine, alcohol, low blood sugar, MSG, aspartame, any chemicals (cleaning, health/beauty), or artificial ingredients.
There are also some supplements you might want to avoid, but I can't recall the name just now - lymenet member Keebler has posted about them before.
Posted by dsiebenh (Member # 5353) on :
I have the leg issues and have found no relief. I can barely walk. I have occasional minor speech issues but not as bad as yours.
Posted by Pinelady (Member # 18524) on :
Hot Epsom soaks, lemon and ginger root scrubs, rinsing in as cold as you can stand.
Seemed to wake the nerves up...
Posted by RESOLVED. (Member # 24991) on :
I had the walking issues (used a cane for awhile) and the speaking stuff. Improved with treatment. Occasionally I get a sore knee, and seem to speak slowly, but abx (IV and orals) improved my situation dramatically.
Posted by Lisa1230 (Member # 17525) on :
I don't know if this will apply to your situation, but I had to post this. My daughter had a time when she had a lot of panic attacks. During one particular attack, when she came out of it, she couldn't speak properly.
Her speech was long and drawn out, and she sort of stuttered. I thought this was another lyme symptom. It went on for a week.
One day after a very steamy shower, she came out and she could talk. It only lasted a few minutes. We noticed every time she steamed her voice would come back perfectly.
We were seeing a lyme neuro but it wasn't that doctor that helped us. Her internist sent her to an Ear Nose and Throat doctor. He scoped her throat and found that she had very bad acid reflux which must have been brought on by the panic attack.
She went on Prevacid 30 mg once a day for the next few days and her speech pattern has been back every since. She has to stay away from certain food and try to keep stress free (impossible), but she can take the meds as needed now.
I would have never thought acid reflux could cause someone's speech to be so delayed and to stutter like she was. Hope this helps someone.