Supplements for word finding and speaking?

SickOfSickness

SickOfSickness

Messages
2,582
Location
US
My ability to speak has gone downhill because words aren't coming to me as easily. It's not only word finding problems. I'm stumbling with grammar more.

What supplements or vitamins might improve this symptom?

I stopped eating some foods to save money, so this might be related to a new deficiency I developed. I also have worse allergies lately. But I've been going downhill with language for years, and maybe it's not related to anything I changed. It seems like the only symptom which has gotten so much worse in the past few months.

I don't feel like it could be from a medication or supplement. I haven't started anything new or stopped anything.

I'm used to having the possible phrases enter my mind, and then I can hear them silently before I speak them, all in a half second. Now I'm too slow. I don't want to look slow, so I start speaking, and that's when I make spoken grammar mistakes.

It's embarrassing because I have to meet some new people soon, and I don't want them to misunderstand me. Also in typing this, I am making grammar errors, with verb tenses, plurals, etc. I'm fixing them before I post, because they're embarrassing.
 
Hip

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
18,164
SickOfSickness said:
My ability to speak has gone downhill because words aren't coming to me as easily. It's not only word finding problems. I'm stumbling with grammar more.

What supplements or vitamins might improve this symptom?
Click to expand...

Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) may be your answer.

I read a study some years ago which found that ALC helps retrieve words, and helps with those tip-of-the-tongue moments, when you know there is an appropriate word for your needs, but you just can't bring it to mind. The study found ALC makes it easier to fish out the right word.

Before I developed ME/CFS, I used ALC precisely for this purpose, and I can vouch for the fact that when you are writing, it does help the right words spring to mind more easily.

Now with ME/CFS, I take ALC daily because I find it helps reduce the inflammatory feeling in my head. I suspect it may help with the ME/CFS word retrieval problems as well.


The most economical sources of ALC are the bulk power suppliers, such as purebulk.com and www.myprotein.com.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
SickOfSickness

SickOfSickness

Messages
2,582
Location
US
Hip said:
Before I developed ME/CFS, I used ALC precisely for this purpose, and I can vouch for the fact that when you are writing, it does help the right words spring to mind more easily.
Click to expand...

Thanks :) I took ALC a few times in the past months, but I'll start taking it a lot more, and maybe higher doses.

I am worried it's allergy related too, which I may not be able to improve soon.
 
Hip

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
18,164
SickOfSickness said:
@Hip Oh I have been using L-Carnitine Fumarate, not ALCAR. Would that work the same?
Click to expand...

No, that won't work; it has to be ALC.

It's the acetyl molecule on acetyl-L-carnitine that allows ALC to cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain. Other forms of carnitine don't cross the blood-brain barrier to any significant degree.

L-Carnitine I find gives me some energy, but it's only ALC that works in the brain.
 
G

Groggy Doggy

Guest
Messages
1,130
Electrolytes help me. I drink one large glass in the morning, one before going to bed. and two glasses during the day (when my minds starts going blank). I drink on an empty stomach for best benefits. I tried about 4 different brands so far, and still keep trying new ones, and so far this one works for me the best, VegaSport Electrolyte Hydrator
I think others on PR benefit from electrolytes (they recommend 'nuun Electrolyte' and 'EMERGEN-C ELECTRO MIX')

GD :dog:
 
CFS_for_19_years

CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
Messages
2,396
Location
USA
I function much better verbally when I take 5 - 10 mg PQQ in the morning. I use Source Naturals PQQMind brand, and cut the 20mg tablets with a pill-cutter. Some people say it makes them feel speedy, so start with a low dose, and take it before noon so that it won't cause insomnia.

https://examine.com/supplements/pyrroloquinoline-quinone/

PQQ supplementation has also been associated with preventing stress-associated (oxidative stress mediated) declines in memory[113] reducing damage done by methylmercury toxicity,[114][115] and reducing memory impairment induced by a lack of oxygen;[116] at 20mg/kg bodyweight PQQ has a potency nonsignificantly different than 200mg/kg Vitamin E (as R-R-R-Alpha tocopherol) in reversing age-related memory decline in rats.[116] which, together with its neuroprotective status, assure it a position as a rehabilitative Nootropic.

A study has been conducted in humans using PQQ at 20mg daily or using PQQ at 20mg paired with 300mg CoQ10.[117] This study used the supplements once-daily at breakfast for 12 weeks in persons aged 51.7-52.3yrs with the three tests being a Verbal Memory test (seven words read aloud and then asked to recite), the Stroop Test, and the CogHealth test. The results suggested a tendency towards improvement in the Verbal memory test (nonsignificant) a significant increase in performance in the Stroop test with PQQ+CoQ10 but not PQQ in isolation, and the choice reaction and simple reactions subsets of the CogHealth test showed statistically significant improvements with PQQ and PQQ+CoQ10 but the degree of improvement was not recorded.[117]

An additional human study found PQQ to have a modest, but significant effect on cognitive function in aged individuals with visual spatial impairment.[118] Since cognitive function inevitably declines with aging, the goal of the study was to examine whether PQQ could help maintain or improve cognitive function in aged individuals. To examine whether PQQ could augment congnitive function, 42 individuals with an average age of 58 years were divided into placebo or PQQ supplementation groups in a randomized, placebo-controlled and double-blinded trial. Subjects took either 20mg of PQQ disodium salt (BioPQQ, manufactured by Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co., Tokyo, Japan) or placebo after breakfast every day for 12 weeks.

The Stroop test, Reverse Stroop test and Touch M test (a laptop tablet test to evaluate visual-spatial cognitive function) were administered at week 0 to establish baseline/pre-supplementation cognitive function and at week 12, to evaluate the effects of supplementation. No significant differences were noted between the PQQ group or placebo for either the Stroop or Reverse Stroop tests. In contrast, some differences were noted with the Touch M test, where a higher score indicates higher function and a score of less than 70 points is reflective of declined brain function.[118]

Although patients with a mean baseline Touch M score greater than 70 points did not show significant differences after 12 weeks PQQ supplementation, individuals with initial Touch M scores of less than 70 significantly increased from 58.1 at baseline to 71.5 after 12 weeks supplementation. While more research is needed to validate this result in additional subjects, taken at face-value this work suggests that PQQ might help recover some lost cognitive abilities in aged individuals with impaired cognitive function. This work is quite preliminary, however, and warrants further investigation until any definite conclusions can be drawn.
Click to expand...
 
T

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
Unfortunately I havent yet found anything which helps with all the speaking and typing mistakes I do. I dont even stop and try to listen to my thoughts as that just makes me make even more mistakes putting more focus/effort onto it which tires me way too fast... so I just let it all like come out of my fingers and mouth with no thought.

the only deficiencies which correcting has helped my brain some has been the methyl B12 and molybdenum. Keeping well hydrated also helps my brain some too (maybe you're blood volume has dropped or dropped further? any changes in your heart rate and pulse and what they do?)
 
Dufresne

Dufresne

almost there...
Messages
1,039
Location
Laurentians, Quebec
SickOfSickness said:
My ability to speak has gone downhill because words aren't coming to me as easily. It's not only word finding problems. I'm stumbling with grammar more.

What supplements or vitamins might improve this symptom?

I stopped eating some foods to save money, so this might be related to a new deficiency I developed. I also have worse allergies lately. But I've been going downhill with language for years, and maybe it's not related to anything I changed. It seems like the only symptom which has gotten so much worse in the past few months.

I don't feel like it could be from a medication or supplement. I haven't started anything new or stopped anything.

I'm used to having the possible phrases enter my mind, and then I can hear them silently before I speak them, all in a half second. Now I'm too slow. I don't want to look slow, so I start speaking, and that's when I make spoken grammar mistakes.

It's embarrassing because I have to meet some new people soon, and I don't want them to misunderstand me. Also in typing this, I am making grammar errors, with verb tenses, plurals, etc. I'm fixing them before I post, because they're embarrassing.
Click to expand...

I got a huge boost in memory and the ability to express my thoughts from choline (phosphatidylcholine, 420 mg X6/day). However like most things that increase my energy I eventually paid for it. According to Dave Asprey PC works for about two-thirds of people. Might be worth a try.

I think cerebral perfusion is something else to consider; so vasodilators and blood thinners. Ginkgo and garlic can be quite powerful together, but you want to work your way up slowly or you risk a bad headache. Aspirin, vitamin E, serrapeptase, bromelain, etc can be added for blood thinning.
 
SickOfSickness

SickOfSickness

Messages
2,582
Location
US
Dufresne said:
I got a huge boost in memory and the ability to express my thoughts from choline (phosphatidylcholine, 420 mg X6/day). However like most things that increase my energy I eventually paid for it. According to Dave Asprey PC works for about two-thirds of people. Might be worth a try.
Click to expand...

Great.

I know I was deficient in choline for a while, then I was getting enough, and back and forth. I have been supplementing a little with choline bitartrate. I'm not sure if it's helping with speaking, but it helps some other symptoms. Do you know if that form of choline is fine or inferior?

Dufresne said:
I think cerebral perfusion is something else to consider; so vasodilators and blood thinners. Ginkgo and garlic can be quite powerful together, but you want to work your way up slowly or you risk a bad headache. Aspirin, vitamin E, serrapeptase, bromelain, etc can be added for blood thinning.
Click to expand...

Good to know. I'm very prone to headaches, so I can't use most of those, but I'm getting far too little vitamin E. When I can get some, I bet that would help me overall.

Serrapeptase is interesting!
 
M

Mij

Senior Member
Messages
2,353
ALCAR with the combination of ALA. I took this for 2 years during the time I was taking on a lot of responsibilities with estate management for my parents. My brain was "ON"- I couldn't believe how much it helped. I had to stop for a while though because it was making me feel jittery and affecting my sleep.

I will probably go back on them again soon.

I want to mention that Dr's.Best formula's worked for me. I tried other brands before but it didn't seem to have the same affect.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back