Crying more

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ECpara

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Jan 7, 2012
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605
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Lost a loved one
Diagnosis
02/2012
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US
State
GA
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Thomasville
My husband has started crying more than usual. Not out of context, he cries when he's feeling bad about his situation, and he just boohooed all the way home from seeing Lone Survivor, which didn't make me cry and I'm usually the sap! Is this common for PALS? He's quite embarrassed by it, he turns away from me and won't let me console him. :-( Makes me feel so bad for him.
 
Oh yes. Emotional lability and it affects my sister the same way. Not out of context but out of proportion and very different than her pre ALS reactions. Not they are not entitled to sob 24/7 if they want but this is different. Nuedexta helped quite a lot. My sister said if she could only have one med that would be it.
 
Nuedexta helped my husband control his emotions also. give it a try.
 
Thank you everyone. This may make him feel better, knowing it's disease related. I've heard of emotional lability with ALS but thought it only applied to emotions that didn't match the context - like laughing at a funeral or crying through a comedy. Makes sense, he's just WAY more emotional than I've ever seen!
 
It can take many forms, and it can change as the disease progresses.

An early symptom for my husband was to just start laughing hysterically and have to leave the room to calm down.

Then he progressed to where he couldn't cry no matter what.

Then laughing without control would hurt (bulbar onset) and cause him to aspirate and got really scary. We had to both work hard to not mess about and joke much which was really hard on us both.

Now he cries way more than he ever did, gets emotional easily, and nearly always when he cries he swings crazily from crying to laughing to crying. Disconcerting for both him and anyone watching.
 
I found my emotion heightened. When I was happy/sad it was just just more intense.
dr put me on a 1/2 pill of something, and it seemed to work.
Oh, and it's harder to control when tired.
 
They put my dad on amytriptoline (sp) and helped lots.
Aimee
 
My doctor has me on NUEDEXTA 20-10 MG, leveled things right. It has been a great help
 
My Husband is also on Nuedexta and combined with celexa. He often cries now, usually after something triggers it that would not have made him cry before. He is also embarrassed by it, but I try to tell people ahead of time before they visit him that he is not in distress, that they just need to let him finish crying about whatever it is, then continue on with his conversation. He seems to be less embarrassed if they don't call so much attention to it.
Mary
 
There is nothing worse than hearing a grown man wail with despair.
I have had ony a few melt downs. They are cathartic, but so embarrassing.

I hope some of the drugs mentioned provide relief.
Best
 
I am on effexor for my EL. It has helped level things out quite a bit. But, I do still have the strong emotions to something that wouldn't have made me emotional before.

Tillie, that is interesting, I seem to be following the same path. I was laughing hysterically before, now find I am unable to cry.
 
Wendy I don't quite know if that is a change in the EL or something from the medications. What I do know with this disease is nothing stays the same and that can be frustrating!

We work out something, we adjust and then turn around and something else changes, so we work out something ... like a circle.

What I didn't mention in my post is that he has been on an anti depressant for about 3 months, so that has possibly having some effect too now, but certainly over the past 2 years the EL has always been there, but it has not always been in the same form.

It really helps I think knowing it is one of the effects of the disease, and not that you are going a bit mad or anything. My PALS would say to me in the early days - it's like I've got some crossed wiring, my brain goes one way and my emotions go another way and they can't quite get it together.
 
My husband has started crying more than usual. Not out of context, he cries when he's feeling bad about his situation, and he just boohooed all the way home from seeing Lone Survivor, which didn't make me cry and I'm usually the sap! Is this common for PALS? He's quite embarrassed by it, he turns away from me and won't let me console him. :-( Makes me feel so bad for him.

Unfortunately emotional lability is one of the main issues with the bulbar dynamic. For me it is my second worst symptom. I was put on Prozac and don't know if it helps or not. I will ask my doc about Nuedexta, maybe it would be better.
In the beginning I thought I was depressed, and certainly ALS symptoms do manifest depression. AS my knowledge increased, it became apparent that it is physiological. Like your husband, it is very embarrassing for me when I have a crying episode....especially when I have never been a crier in my life prior.
Best Wishes
 
It's depression that is making him cry. He should try to be more positive, but it nonetheless devastating for everyone to see or hear that a PAL is crying. I will keep you both in my prayers. Please try to be positive. Depression spreads like cancer, but the good news it that positivity is contagious as well. God Bless you!
 
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