bulbar question

[awieleba]

Hi,

just a quick question.
with bulbar, lmn or umn, do present with hoarsness? or a ball of phelm feeling in the throat?
I get hoarse, no nasal. I can swallow and talk fine. no drooling at night. my neuro noted hyper gag reflex. I get a ball of phelm feeling in my throat once in awhile that makes my eyes water.

Is this bulbar?

yhanks

april

[BethU]

Hi, April ... I've had hoarseness, huskiness, breathiness, cracking voice. Now it's all nasal. Also have "lively" gag reflex (very lively :-)), and thick saliva, but have never felt it collect as a ball in my throat.

Also, I don't experience drooling at night when I'm lying down on my side or my back. It's during the day, or when bending over that it's bad. It's very minimal at night. I put a tissue between me and the pillow, and that's enough.

Don't know if that helps!
BethU

[awieleba]

thanks Beth......it helps.

Just wanted to know about the ball of phelm but appreciate all that you share.

[Mommi2One]

I've not yet been officially diagnosed. but believe I have bulbar ALS. I am constantly "clearing my throat" and have hoarseness. I feel like I have a "ball of phlegm" somewhere between my chest and my throat. Some days are worse than others, and if I didn't have the other symptoms I would probably just think my allergies are really bad.

[DeeDeeDell]

Dear April,
My 92 y/o father developed difficulty in swallowing in June, then it became impossible. His speech is slurred. He had 2 days of constant hiccupping. His tongue seemed 'thick' and didn't move normally. His gag reflex was super-sensitive. He was hospitalized & various tests were run. Drs decided inconclusively he had pseudobulbar palsy (and they are becoming more sure that's what he has). A gastric PEG tube was surgically inserted. He is now in a rehab-nursing home center. He has the phlem-ball feeling that you wrote of. It's hard to give him oral care because of the gagging. He has Cheyne-Stokes respirations, so we're looking into a APAP machine just so he'd get more rest. He has felt unutterably tired for some time, so we wonder if he's had the apnea for a long time.
Just wanted you to know he has that same feeling in his mouth. Also he has 'nasal' speech.
Adele

[awieleba]

thanks all,

I went to an ent but he was called something else (otolargye yadda yadda I dont know how to spell).
he did an exam with a thin tube threaded down my nose to look at throat, vocal cords. before the exam I asked him to really look at my cords for bowing,thinning, or paralysis. and to look for fasics. I mentioned I am having some neuro issues. He said he saw nothing of that sort in there and the throat looked red. his dx for me is LPR, a form of gerd. I am not 100% convinced of this. he said LOTS of people come to him with ball of phelm story, he hears it all the time. I asked him if he has seen anyone with vocal cord paralysis, he said he had. I asked again if was 100% sure that he would see that---he said yes and that neuro pts have other symptoms in the mouth and throat that I did not have. So, I will take his word for now he did not give me pills, he gave me a liquid to coat my throat before I eat and b4 bed. We will see how this goes........

I guess it is good news in the regard that he did not see anything obvious or concerning at this point!!!

april