Dementia

[paintpony]

I am wondering if a recent change in my abilities to communicate with people is a form of dementia. The change consists of several interconnected parts, all within the last few months. Now, my language has been expert, but at the same time, for many years I also have a word mix-up, where I'll get the category right but the word wrong. Like instead of road, I'll say sidewalk. But this has not been a problem until recently, last three months or so. The changes in this are these:

First, I am saying things I don't meant to say. I will be thinking about a few things, and then I start speaking to someone, and I end up saying one of my random thoughts, and not the one I was intending to say, and also I don't realize I've just said the wrong thing. The way I found out this was happening, I was talking to a relative, and I said something rather negative that I was thinking, but certainly did not want to say, and my relative responded to the negative thought. I said to them, "What did I say?" They thought I was angry and would not tell me. I thought very hard, and realized I may have cursed.

Second, I am not mentally "hearing" what I'm saying. I'm having a very bad recall of what I've just said moments before, and sometimes don't realize what I've said at all. For example, I was visiting a pharmacy to pick up the same pills I've always picked up, and for some reason there was some discussion about the dose, and I am sickly and have a hard time getting around, so I was angry that I was delayed. Next thing I knew, I did not know I had raised my voice until I actually heard it echo against the walls, and the person I was apparently raising my voice with was quite hurt by my upset. Another example is I got upset with a telephone nurse, and while I knew I had probably cursed, I could not remember exactly what I said.

Third, I am finding out I'm saying the wrong word or number, even when I'm concentrating very hard to get it right. I live on a road, not a drive, and yet I'll say drive, which is important because my mail will go to the wrong place if I don't get it right. Just the other day, I said a medicine I'm on to a doctor, but I said the wrong medicine, which created some confusion, which made me realize I had done that, although I cannot recall making the mistake.

All this is causing me to become antisocial and anxious. I used to enjoy writing and talking, and now I don't like it much. I now have to warn people as soon as I see them that I'm sick, before I even begin my interaction with them, so if I have a word fit, they'll go easy on me. Actually, my other illnesses have compromised me enough to where I CAN say that.

I do not know why I'm doing these things, it seems a little strange. I can describe what I think it is in a visual way: I see it as an electrical shock in my head, don't feel it, but see short bright rays as a flash coming out of the top left front of my head. I mean, I imagine this as a cartoon, if I had to describe what I think is going on. I'm not hallucinating...I'm just using a word picture.

There are four types of dementia that I'm thinking I might fall into: Pick's disease (I'm in my 50s), medicine-caused by one listed on this website, brain fungus from mold we had in the basement, and thyroid or liver problem because I've got some trouble with those.

Is there anyone else out there who has this problem, knows about this problem, or can comment on this problem? Also, I noticed nobody has posted here since 2005, so I don't even know why I'm posting here, and I worry about what I'm saying anyway, so this is a little spooky. So, if anyone would just step in, please, and reply, I would appreciate even just that. I'll come back tomorrow or the next day and see if anyone is here. Thank you.

[somewhinUSA]

Hello Paintpony, I am writing to find out if you ever sought medical help for your condition, if you haven't then you seriously need to.
Some of it sounds like what my husbands has FTD he usually says whats on his mind and does tend to explode at times especially if he doesn't understand or follow.
He would get lost and socially he suffers.
Whatever it might be don't continue to analyze yourself and seek medically help.