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Dr. Hive: would this concern you?


dsmith
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For the last few weeks I have noticed that I will mean to say something and the wrong word comes out of my mouth. This has been happening maybe 4 - 6 times a week that I have noticed, but I guess it could be more. Sometimes it is a word that is close, other times it is an unrelated word. This week it was especially embarrassing. One of the times it was with a medical professional and I could see other people confusing those words, maybe. The other is just too embarrassing!!! Let's just say that I am never going to that hair dresser again. Ever! This morning, instead of blanket I said sleeping basket. These things just come out naturally - I'm not pausing trying to think of the word, although I do have that happen occasionally. Sometimes I don't notice until it is pointed out to me, other times I notice as I'm saying it or immediately after. Has this happened to anyone? Should I make an appointment with my Dr.? I'm going to stop talking soon, lol.

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Happens to me way more frequently than that I do believe. Is it the beginning of old age problems, is that what you're thinking? Or are you under 35? I'm not under 35 so I think I've earned the problem legitimately. Surgery, head trauma, questionable past, many children, menopause, stress, age...sometimes maybe from not having enough intelligent adult conversations then when I am talking to someone (instead of myself or the animals) it comes out all wrong. My kids are doing it too though and they don't have an excuse except for my example.

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I would first assume that I was over-tired or,under stress. I lose my nouns when exhausted. Remedy those conditions first. If it continues minus stress/fatigue or gets worse, or occurs in combination with any other troubling health symptom, then yes, it can't do any harm to get it checked out.

Agree with this.....I do this when I'm tired, stressed, and/or overwhelmed. It seems to come and go during those times.

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I do this too. For a while, I seemed to lose all my negative words, like not and non. I had to edit lots of posts here and my personal writing was confusing when I'd go back to read. It is a little better now, when I'm tired it does happen more often. Mine also kicked in about age 43 to 44. 

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I'd worry, largely because that was the first symptom (that I noticed) my mom had with her Alzheimer's. I'd probably schedule an appointment with my PCP or even a neurologist to have it evaluated. Probably nothing, but I'd probably schedule an appointment 12 months after the first one for a follow up, just in case. If I ever get dementia, I want to know as soon as I can in order to get my affairs in order, as the dementia rapidly attacks "executive function" thereby severely limiting the victim's ability to make important decisions and plans. I'd, personally, want to know ASAP so I could make those plans and arrangements before I no longer could. 

 

I'm sure it's 99% sure it's just being over-tired or stressed or not sleeping well, but I'd personally want to make sure. One appointment right now will unlikely rule anything in or out, but a series of tests could screen you for other causes of "cognitive impairment" and be sure anything treatable is addressed. And, it'd give you a baseline for that appointment 12 months later to make sure nothing is progressing.

 

FWIW, I'd probably look into buying Long Term Care insurance before scheduling those doctor appointments. 

 

(((hugs))) 

 

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I think I'll run it by the doctor just to be safe. I'm 46 and I guess I'm considered post- menopausal since it's over a year now since my last cycle. My grandmother had Alzheimer's but at a later age. I do constantly put things in the wrong place, but I've been doing that for years, lol. Just the other day I caught myself almost pouring half and half into the Keurig, and the cereal has been put in the fridge a few times. This last word mess up was just so absolutely horrifying. I was trying to tell my hairdresser to just give me a quick blow dry. Do I need to say what came out?!?!? I was in tears after I got out of there, but was able to laugh about it later.

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I don't know. Maybe it's problematic. It seems to boarder on normal, but it still bugs me. Today I could not find a simple noun. . It wasn't even on the tip of my tongue, so I said, "That fuzzy long wire thing that you can twist for crafts." I could come up a long-winded description, but not 'pipe cleaner'?  On what brain planet does that make the least little sense? My dd pointed it out to me: "You said all that but not pipe cleaner? "  Yes. Freaking yes.
 

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I don't know. Maybe it's problematic. It seems to boarder on normal, but it still bugs me. Today I could not find a simple find the right noun. . It wasn't even on the tip of my tongue, so I said, "That fuzzy long wire thing that you can twist for crafts." I could come up a long-winded description, but not 'pipe cleaner'?  On what brain planet does that make the least little sense? My dd pointed it out to me: "You said all that but not pipe cleaner? "  Yes. Freaking yes.

 

I do this. Usually my husband is the first one to figure out what I meant. Or someone will suggest something else (I do it with adjectives, too, so that happens) and I'll just go along, "Sure, or that."

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I would first assume that I was over-tired or,under stress. I lose my nouns when exhausted. Remedy those conditions first. If it continues minus stress/fatigue or gets worse, or occurs in combination with any other troubling health symptom, then yes, it can't do any harm to get it checked out.

 

This! I find that more sleep--even an extra hour or so per night--improves my brain functioning immensely, as does coconut oil, taken daily. That said, I started losing my nouns around 36-37. As someone who took pride in being well-spoken (if I do say so myself :tongue_smilie:), and as a former editor, I find it terribly frustrating and more than a little embarrassing! 

 

I agree that if better self-care doesn't help you, it's worth speaking to your doctor about it. 

 

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I do this or just generally struggle to find words.  I have taken to calling every noun I cannot place the word for a "yum yum".  It does not have to be a food item.  It could be a pair of shoes or a toilet brush.  My family makes fun of me.

 

ETA:  I'm 47.

 

:lol: I use the phrase "you know...the thing...for the thing." DH and the girls almost always know what I'm talking about, thank goodness!

 

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I'm terrible with this! And I used to feel horribly self-conscious, as my DH would inevitably correct me and be all "You should be more careful about your word choice, dear." Well, he started it in the past few weeks, as well! I'm chalking it up to neither of us getting enough sleep, but it is probably more that we are both in our 40s now...

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I've done this since I was a small child. My kids do it sometimes too. I've occasionally wondered if I have an issue but I've been generally smart and healthy so I figure it's nothing for me to worry about. It could be concerning if it came on suddenly, however. I've always considered it a result of my brain working faster than my mouth and my mouth trying to compensate by just spitting out a word- any word- to keep up. 

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Well, I  do feel better after reading the replies, but I think I have the most embarrassing word mess ups. I haven't even told my husband that one yet. He got a kick out of the previous one, which was telling the PA that I had white spots on my vulva instead of uvula.  :blushing: I definitely wouldn't have gone to the Minute Clinic for that, lol. 

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How old are you?  I started word mixes between 40 and 44, as well as all kinds of other little annoyances (like burning up in the middle of winter) they tell me will go away eventually. :glare:

I read somewhere that this is very common for women approaching menopause. I think there is a name for it but I can't remember it! :-)

 

(I am afflicted with this condition as well.)

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I am just starting menopause and had my kids late. I don't know whether it is the kids or hormones but I do say a lot of odd things - tell the kids to go to bed rather than eat their breakfast (maybe wishful thinking). I do worry sometimes but I seem better at work.

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It bothers dh more than it does me. My kids are really used to it. They just change whatever I said into what I meant to say pretty well. Dh cannot seem to understand how I could say one noun instead of another and not even notice. Sometimes it is quite confusing. Seems I said 2 instead of 12...Hey, at least it was a number! And, I did it more than once... We've had some good laughs with some of my noun replacements. It bothers me most when I can't come up with the word at all and have to go into a lengthy description instead. The replacements are just funny, when I realize I have done it.

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I'm not sure about it, but I hope it's nothing serious because, while I don't do that exactly, I do forget what I'm saying mid-sentence all. the. time.

 

And as far as doing strange things; today I broke an egg and put the egg in the sink and the shell in my bowl. Yummy quiche huh?!?

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