Slurring speech or no?

[slurredtalker2]

hey everyone, i have a problem with my speech that id like to ask you guys about. i felt like i was having problems speaking and i googled slurred speech and it ended up bringing me here. nobody else has noticed it and i have been asking people every day for almost two months now. my parents dont notice my girlfriend doesnt notice my friends dont notice. only i seem to notice. would it be possible that if i were really slurring my speech nobody could tell at all? i have read stories of people who noticed their slurred speech first before family and friends but could it really be possible that for a month now only i notice even when asking people constantly?

i have had anxiety before but nothing like this. i am always thinking about my tongue and mouth now, clenching my jaw and my tongue doesnt feel comfortable.

i feel like most of my problem with speaking is with r's in the middle of sentences, as well as "sh" sounds and words with "sl" in it, like slur

i went to my primary care doctor about a week into when this first started happening and he said it was probably just anxiety but it just seems so real. could it be anxiety? should i get a new dr? my insurance wont let me go straight to a neurologist and i am very worried.

i have no family history of als and i am only 22 so the odds are in my favor i suppose, but in my own mind i havent been able to speak properly for over a month and it is devastating me

thank you for your help

edit: i'm not sure exactly what slurring would sound like because when i look it up on youtube everybody talks really slow and deliberately. mine feels like i am not pronouncing right and sometimes with the r's and sh's and sl's it just seems to get jumbled but everyone else says it isnt.

 

[Vincent]

Think of someone really drunk talking. That is slurred speech. People notice.
Vincent

 

[Firefighter58]

The morning that I woke up with slurred speech, everyone I talked to asked me if I had been to the dentist. That was the first day I had it and it doesn't go away.
Al

 

[slurredtalker2]

Like I said it has been over a month, and my PCP didnt seem concerned. If it hasnt progressed and nobody else can notice (even when having them listen), should I just chalk it up to anxiety/paying too much attention?

I am extremely worried, but I am only 22.

Did you guys notice it first, or friends/family? Did it FEEL off or sound off? I have more of a feeling that my tongue and mouth arent doing the right thing sometimes

 

[Atsugi]

Talker, the answers above are consistent with all the people who have told us about ALS and slurring. It is noticeable to others.

Yes, you are paying too much attention. Although your PCP could be wrong, he/she is the right one to go to.

You said, "he said it was probably just anxiety but it just seems so real." Of course it's real. Anxiety really affects our bodies, our muscles, etc. Good luck fixing that up.

 

[slurredtalker2]

So does this not sound like ALS presentation to anyone?

I seem to have the most problems with S's and L's. Nobody else notices, but I am just super afraid and I am constantly thinking about my tongue and the way I talk.

I would just go to a neurologist but I can not really afford one, so I am looking for your guys' experience since you have so much knowledge of this.

 

[soonerwife]

When my husband's ALS started, we both noticed slurred speech. It sounded like he was drunk. There was no question as to whether or not he was slurring. He didn't feel a thing... He didn't know his tongue wasn't working.

He already had weakness in his ankle area when we made it to the Neurologist but he didn't know it. Things just quit working. For him there was no warning, it just happened.

Anxiety can also make you slur. I have experienced that as well as twitching and I don't have ALS. I have stress...

 

[slurredtalker2]

should i not pay for a neurologist then? i dont know what to do. it definitely sounds from you all that it doesnt sound like als presentation. i am 22 i just dont want to have to go through anything like this so young. should i take it to a neurologist or take my pcp word for it?

 

[affected]

no you don't need a neurologist

 

[lgelb]

"Slurred" speech that only you notice is not a symptom of physical illness. Look to your diet, stress and sleep for improvement.

Best,
Laurie

 

[slurredtalker2]

when i look at my tongue at rest in my mouth it has a lot of movement. both big jerks and little twitches that are kind of like small dimples. they arent constant, but maybe every few seconds, towards the back of the tongue mostly. but if i hold it long enough it seems to stop for the most part, with a lot longer between the little twitches and no big jerks

is this tongue fasciculations? i am so afraid

 

[ShiftKicker]

It sounds like you are working on some serious health worry. Can you tell us what would reassure you? Because so far, people here have been unable to convince you it's not ALS. I do not say this with any intent to ridicule or dismiss, but in a genuine effort to get you to address how your worries about a terminal disease is causing you to solicit medical advice from strangers on the internet, and who are unable to physically examine you- and the vast majority of whom are not medical experts but people who are experienced with the day to day trials of a rare disease.

Seems to me that a doctor might be in order, as a forum full of people who are suffering from ALS and their caregivers is not doing it for you. Please let us know how it goes with a medical practitioner. Make sure you advocate for yourself- let them know your symptoms, not what you are worried about getting. It provides a better picture for them, and means they are not spending time and focus on reassurance instead of assessing real symptoms.

 

[slurredtalker2]

i apologize my pcp said my speech is perfectly normal and if it was caused by something progressive, surely other people would notice after a month. i never examined my tongue until after i saw him

i dont know why i am so afraid
i saw my pcp a month ago and he prescribed me anxiety and ocd meds then, but it hasnt kicked in yet as I waited a bit long to start them. ive never worried about anything like i am als, it would just ruin my family and drain them mentally and financially and it is all i think about...i always expected to care for them when they were old not the other way around.

i guess the only thing left to ask is what people's tongue fascics look like?? ive heard like little worms moving. if i remember correctly, big jerks are normal, but little ones?? i have ones that seem to be medium in size and will cause indents in lines almost, but also tiny ones that are like a tiny dimple. they dont quiver fast like fascics ive had in other places in my body, its usually a one off thing, then maybe the same spot will do it again a few seconds later.

if this isnt what anyones tongue fascics look like i guess ill have to stop posting and hope the anxiety meds work i just cant stop imagining being completely dependent at 22 or 23 years old

 

[ShiftKicker]

Again, your descriptions are subjective, and do not provide the kind of information a visual examination by a medical professional can provide.

With regards to meds- many "brain" meds affect the central nervous system and can cause a variety of weird symptoms. From things like "bain zaps" to twitching, from ear ringing to odd sensations, involuntary movements to altered perception. A person prescribed this type of med needs to be monitored for the first little while to make sure the dose is appropriate, effective and is not causing symptoms that outweigh the benefit. Sounds like you need a doctor visit to go over your symptoms and discuss any additional steps you need to take.

Best wishes

 

[slurredtalker2]

does it sound like als tongue twitches though? i honestly only have so much money to even pay my copays, as i am currently independent and paying through college. i am sorry to be such a bother but i cant go to dr soon enough

sometimes the twitches seem more frequent than others. yesterday i could keep my tongue pretty still, but not as much today