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terrif1ed

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Learn about ALS
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Hello all,

Some of you may or may not remember me but I had posted a few weeks ago with concerns of ALS symptoms.. Well so far nothing has really gotten worse in the symptom department (of course how much worse could things get in a week or 2) the twitching still continues, mainly focused in my right calf, the vague cramp like stiffness in that calf still continues, but I've managed to avoid stressing/thinking about all of this and because of that I've been in a much better state of mind.

That being said, This new symptom came on very abruptly and I don't quite know what to make of it... Saturday was a very odd day. I was sitting in passenger seat of our car, we were on the highway and I felt like I was going to have a grand mal seizure... The vague aura feeling continued for about an hour (and luckily no seizure). Well about a half hour after the aura dissipated I very suddenly felt a huge increase in saliva.. it just felt like I couldn't keep up with swallowing the amount that my mouth was producing. I've never experienced anything like it, I felt like a rapid dog or something..I figured it was related to the abrupt neuro symptoms and assumed it wouldn't last long. Well it continued all day/night... I've never spit so much in my life. The next morning I woke up and everything almost seemed back to normal during the day but of course here I am again tonight with the same problem. I can't really pinpoint why this is happening or what's triggering it. I know excessive saliva is a symptom of ALS, but up until this point I haven't had any bulbar symptoms. My symptoms have been all in my limbs. Even If I do have ALS it wouldn't be hitting everything (bulbar & limb) simultaneously would it? No swallowing issues or speech issues that I know of. My sleeping pills are the only thing that seem to help reduce the saliva as one of the main side effects are dry mouth... without them it is BAD. Just trying to make sense of this..... Thanks in advance for any helpful replies.
 
Excessive saliva is not a symptom of ALS. The inability to swallow the saliva, that is being produced in normal amounts is a symptom of advanced bulbar ALS. Barry can comment better than me.

How many Grand mal seizures have you had, that makes you think you are having a pre seizure aura. I have epilepsy and certainly know all about auras, so I am assuming you have epilepsy?

Go to your doctor and tell him/ her about the new symptoms. Luckily non of it points to ALS.
 
Hey Terrified

Have you gone to that neuro appt you had scheduled a while back? Are you still determined not to have an EMG/NCV? They absolutely can not diagnose you without those tests--and many others--whether it's ALS or something else.

I can understand denial--I lived there for nearly a year before I finally realized I was losing more and more abilities before I became adamant that I find a doctor to find out what was wrong with me.

Your Lyme lab has been investigated by the FDA for some of their practices. Find a reputable doctor to diagnose you. You're obviously good at research--do some research on the lab.

Unlike some here--I don't tend to be mean to anyone that comes here looking for answers when they're scared--because I've been there--and like most on this part of the board, am in diagnostic limbo--but you're ignoring the advice from everyone. That's okay--you know we're not doctors. But--hon, seriously, if you want answers, they aren't going to come from the internet. They are going to come from a specialist.

Don't assume your Lyme doctor and lab are correct--like anything else--get a SECOND OPINION before undergoing ANY treatment. If, heaven forbid, you end up having ALS--you could harm yourself with being treated for something you may not have. I'd scheduled myself into a spinal surgeon to fix my neck and another to fix my hand--until the ALS specialist told me I absolutely should NOT have any surgery until she finds out what is wrong with me. My point is--you might be doing yourself more harm than good by going through treatments that may at best not be necessary, and at worse--detrimental to your health.

I'd freak out too if one get seemed to be getting smaller--but remember, most people do have a variance in their limbs. Some even have two different feet sizes.

Please just go to a neuro--the chances are VERY good that they will find out that you do not have ALS. Try to enjoy your life. Fear itself can be very disabling. It really can.
 
ALS doesn't cause "auras", and it doesn't increase saliva production.

Further piece of advice -- when a new symptom pops up in the future, start with the likely causes first and worry about the extremely rare causes if a likely cause fails to materialize.
 
The only reason that drooling occurs in bulbar ALS is because the mouth and throat muscles fail and you cannot swallow the normal amount of saliva that the salivary glands produce. IT IS NOT EXCESSIVE SALIVA. If you have no speech or swallowing problems then it's not bulbar ALS (and probably not any other kind either).

I'll say this one more time (and only one more) See a doctor!
 
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Like said above, ALS does not cause excess of saliva...you just can't swallow it. With this being said, and the fact that is sounds like you have epilepsy, or have at least had one seizure before and know of auras...you know while having a seizure you will get in increase in saliva and most likely drool. It is possible I suppose that you just didn't have a grand mal but maybe a smaller seizure that didn't necessairly manifest into your body parts shaking...but your brain was still going through the motions...causing the saliva. Also, a crazy thing with our brains is if we think for a minute that we have something then we come completely focused on it until something else breaks us from this trance of focus. In other words, you have been focused on ALS for the last couple of weeks and been on edge for any new symtpoms and your body produced them for you. Lastly, go see a doc. if you are still concerned...but I would say you should be more concerned with possibly out of control epilepsy...not ALS.
 
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