The Student Room Group

Frightening Symptoms around thoughts, memory and speech.

Hi there,

I know people will tell me to bring it up with the professionals and not seek advice on forums, but I am very frightened of these new symptoms and I am hoping someone might be able to give me some information to prepare me for the appointment.

First a little background: I'm a 21yo female, I am epileptic and I also have quite a few mental health issues. I had an MRI scan back in January which showed a small cyst in my brain, which the neurologist said was very insignificant and that it was like a mole of some kind. I've had a repeat MRI and just waiting for my appointment on the 23rd January to discuss this with her.

Symptoms

1.

I've always been a very literate person, I enjoy writing and use it as an outlet a lot. My spelling and grammar have always been very good. However, very recently I have been finding myself stuck and unable to spell a word and sometimes I can't even think of what I'm trying to spell in the first place. I end up having to reword countless sentences in just 500 word assignments due to this, I stress that this has never been an issue for me.

2.

I keep losing track of what I am either saying aloud or thinking. I will totally forget what I am trying to say, stumble over words and getting them muddled up incredibly often. i.e. I asked my partner to pass the salt and instead said something along the lines of: "if you could push some of that over here please" This is happening frequently, sometimes making even less sense. I also lose my train of thought completely and only around 5% of the time will I remember it after it has gone.

3.

My memory has become terrible. I end up saying the same thing and do not remember having said it before. In my lectures I have an enabler and when I read back her notes there is usually a huge section of notes of information that I cannot recall whatsoever. The scariest was when she said I should look for some dates in the booklet I was given earlier that day and I had no recollection of having been given one... yet it was in my folder.



My mental health is obviously not helping matters. The more this happens the more anxious I get and so the cycle begins. But as much as my CPN writes this off as additional stress due to Christmas I do not agree, these changes are extremely different than usual, and very distressing.

Of course I will bring these things to the attention of my neurologist when I see her but hope that someone might bring me some insight and prepare me for the appointment on the 23rd January.

Thanks!
Kassy
Hey, you haven't had a response yet and it sounds quite worrying.

I'd write out or print out everything you've written here and take it along to your neurologist. Read it to him or let him read it himself (often you cannot express yourself verbally as well as in writing so I'd let him read). Make it clear that these symptoms are real and not imagined by you. Take your parent, or a friend too if you need it to back up what you are saying. Really hope you get better.
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 2
Hi there,

Thank you, I really appreciate your response and I definitely will print out what I need to say so I don't forget things in the appointment. I will also try to find someone who can go with me to the appointment like you said.

I think that the neurologist will take me seriously but I think I am concerned when professionals do not try to investigate because so many symptoms can be put down to anxiety/paranoia. I think I will be as firm as possible that I need this investigated.

Thank you for your kindness, have a lovely Christmas. :smile:

Kassy

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