wow - excessive drooling

[Phil's wife]

After so much progression with Phil's bulbar onset just now is he getting the very excessive have to hold a napkin to his mouth all of the time drooling. Prior to the last couple of days he did not have any problem at all with it. Right now we are using atropine drops.

My question is this -- does it reflect lack of swallowing ability or just excessive saliva that I know happens as part of the disease.

With Phil's FTD, it could be that it is harder for him to swallow and he just doesn't realize it or communicate it to me. He only eats a bite or two a couple of times a day if that and a few sips a day already.

Is there anything else I need to be on the lookout for with this? I guess with this comes the increased danger of aspiration?

I always appreciate the help so many of you give in this awful "club" we all belong to.

Stephanie

 

[BarryG]

Like I said to a terrified twitcher just today, it's not an excessive amount of saliva, it's that we bulbarians can't swallow the normal amount of saliva that our salivary glands produce. "Normal" people swallow saliva all day long without realizing it.

I suction at least four times a day and take 5ml of glycopyrrolate three times a day and while it really helps I still drool a lot.

Good luck!

 

[Phil's wife]

That's what I thought I had read previously, Barry, but did want to make sure it was true. Just another very sad sign of advancement I guess. We do have a suction - it isn't used very much but I will suggest him to use it more often now and I will inquire about the medication.

Thanks Barry

 

[Miss]

Oddly, Terry drools alot now but needs very little suctioning. About once a week, he will have an episode of thick mucus in his throat but that's about it.

 

[LizT]

you could always roll up a washcloth and stick it under his chin to catch some of it. i know this isnt a fix but its a sad truth that he will need to get used to having saliva run out of his mouth. so sorry about the progression.

 

[SaraKateW]

We bought a ton of adult bibs. They are relatively inexpensive at Amazon. Mom drooled a lot. everyday I'd tear off a stack of about 20 half-papertowels for her to keep on her table. Be careful witht he glyccopyrolate, though: its a help, but it made Mom terribly uncomfortable with constipation until we added a laxative to her meds.

 

[Chase_Corin]

My dad caries around a towel with him or a cloth of some kind. I think because the nerve impulses arn't reaching the mouth to swallow or close the mouth (I find dad's lower jaw is always slack) that the saliva escapes.

Dad finds it frustrating because he used to be able to talk without spitting and now even when he is eating the saliva comes. The doctor gave him amnitripaline to dry up his mouth but it dosn't seem to work. I hear about somone somwhere getting botox injections to the saliva glands and I am surious if that works.

In canada some of the drugs they have in the states havn't been approved yet so I am still searching for alternatives. Dad's Drooling also got worse over a span of 2 or 3 weeks.

 

[Beach Bum]

I have tons of drooling and have tried Meds and they did not work,I always have a dish towel and have it in my mouth,it adds comfort also to my clenching of teeth and prevents jaw spasm.With the towel,sometimes it makes my mouth to dry and I just take it out.Maybe I should be dish towel rather than Beach Bum.LOL

 

[LauraW]

Mom always has a bunch of Bounty half size paper towels near her. She folds one up and usually has it in her mouth unless we are out, then she just keeps one in her hand. No help for this unfortunately.