scaredaboutmum
New member
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2017
- Messages
- 2
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Country
- US
- State
- Massachussetts
- City
- Boston
So my mum ( 52 years old) has been having a few weird symptoms that have been building up in the past few months (about 1 year).
To start with about 1 year ago she started complaining that she had a lot of mucus on throat, and she had to clear her throat frequently. She complained about that to a doctor who said she probably had allergies and\or reflux. She did a sinus CT scan and it showed severe blockage so doctors thought it was post-nasal drip. It has not gotten better though for the past year and she is constantly clearing her throat. But that wouldn't have concerned me if it wasn't for the past month and some symptoms that have appeared. She coughed\choked ocasionally (2\3 times a week), while eating and some food sometimes goes into her nose. She is also complaining of leg cramps at night. I am a medicine student, currently on my 3rd year so I know a few things about ALS and I know that UMN damage could cause cramps in legs. So yesterday I tested my mother's jaw jerk reflex (I didn't tell her why, I just said it was to compare with mine, she thought it was weird but let me do it and had no idea why) and it was clearly brisk, jaw moving briskly upward when tapped (again could indicate UMN damage). Another symptom she has off and on is yawning (she yawns loudly from time to time, I don't think she did that before, only started about 1 month ago).
So those are the reasons I'm worried she might have early Bulbar ALS. She is not slurring, speech is not nasal, and she doesn't choke on liquids but I'm afraid it's going to go downhill from here....
To start with about 1 year ago she started complaining that she had a lot of mucus on throat, and she had to clear her throat frequently. She complained about that to a doctor who said she probably had allergies and\or reflux. She did a sinus CT scan and it showed severe blockage so doctors thought it was post-nasal drip. It has not gotten better though for the past year and she is constantly clearing her throat. But that wouldn't have concerned me if it wasn't for the past month and some symptoms that have appeared. She coughed\choked ocasionally (2\3 times a week), while eating and some food sometimes goes into her nose. She is also complaining of leg cramps at night. I am a medicine student, currently on my 3rd year so I know a few things about ALS and I know that UMN damage could cause cramps in legs. So yesterday I tested my mother's jaw jerk reflex (I didn't tell her why, I just said it was to compare with mine, she thought it was weird but let me do it and had no idea why) and it was clearly brisk, jaw moving briskly upward when tapped (again could indicate UMN damage). Another symptom she has off and on is yawning (she yawns loudly from time to time, I don't think she did that before, only started about 1 month ago).
So those are the reasons I'm worried she might have early Bulbar ALS. She is not slurring, speech is not nasal, and she doesn't choke on liquids but I'm afraid it's going to go downhill from here....