One of the most noticeable migraine symptoms is what we call the migraine babble: The words just don’t come out the way you intended. Migraine speech problems can be attributed to migraine aura, and, luckily, they are temporary.

Doctors refer to this symptom as “transient aphasia,” a temporary communication disorder characterized by word-finding difficulty.

Aphasia impairs one’s ability to process language, both in written and spoken words. People with transient aphasia have trouble putting words together to speak or write, understanding what others are saying, and comprehending what they read. When they try to speak, words come out garbled and unintelligible.

Experiencing migraine aphasia can range from frustrating to frightening — here’s what you need to know.

What Causes Transient Aphasia?

Aphasia usually results from damage to the left hemisphere of the brain. Many stroke victims suffer aphasia causing partial or complete loss of speech and difficulty with word-finding.

Trouble with speech, mainly word-finding difficulty, is also a possible side effect of (topiramate) Topamax, a medication frequently used for migraine prevention, according to Migraine Again’s network site Everyday Health.

Aphasia Is a Migraine Symptom That Affects Language

Why does it happen? Amaal Starling, MD, neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, explains that when someone is having a migraine attack:

• They often feel like they aren’t thinking clearly. There’s some slowing of cognition.
• Other people may experience speech symptoms, a symptom called** **aphasia: difficulty understanding language or expressing words.
• Some people may have dysarthria: slurred, garbled speech.

Migraine advocate Cannon Tekstar Hodge describes how dysarthria disrupts her speech with a “sharp, staccato stutter” in her battle with an extremely rare form of migraine, migraine with unilateral motor symptoms (MUMS.)

Never ignore migraine speech problems. If you’re experiencing speech issues or trouble word-finding for the first time, contact a doctor or headache specialist to make sure it’s not related to a more serious issue, such as a stroke.

If your friends tell you that you’re talking gibberish, or if you find you can’t get the words out, it could very well be a migraine symptom, regardless of whether you’re having head pain at that time.

How the Community Feels About Aphasia During Migraine Attacks

We asked our community how they feel about the inability to express themselves during a migraine attack. Here’s what they had to say:

It’s a horrible feeling wanting to speak and the words don’t come or they’re all slurred. —Lauren W.

Yes, very scary. I speak two languages and during an attack I cannot put words together. I usually point to things to communicate like a cavewoman! —Sandra R.

I often slur. I know what I’m trying to say, but I can’t get it out. —Dawn R.

Additionally, read Julie H.’s Migraine Journey, where she describes experiencing transient aphasia while reading to her daughter.