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lpcarr

Active member
Joined
Dec 2, 2010
Messages
61
Diagnosis
07/2009
Country
US
State
IN
City
Rochester
I have posted a few times. My husband has ALS. We have a good friend who started
losing her speech about a year ago. Went to several neuros and had 2 or 3 emgs.
Difficulty swallowing thin liquids, drooling, slurred speech all the classic symptoms. I told him sounded like bulbar ALS to me. They went to Mayo Clinic and she was diagnosised
with Bulbar Palsey. Is this a wicked step child to als? The symptoms are so similar.
I don't know the difference between the two. Is prognosis the same? No limbs affected yet. I know someone on the forum can explain for me. Thanks
 
I have Bulbar Palsy. According to my doctor, it's ALS. I guess the onset is in the bulbar region instead of limb, but eventually it will move to the limbs. Sorry for the bad news.
 
As I understand it, bulbar palsy is caused by lower motor neuron trouble and psuedo bulbar palsy by upper motor neuron death.

Being that this is a case of bulbar palsy, it can only turn out to be ALS if the upper motor neurons become involved.
 
A bulbar palsy can be caused by a lot of different things. Bulbar ALS will cause it but so too will a tumor or a stroke in the bulbar region of the brain. A bulbar palsy can also be caused by damaging the nerves that originate in the bulbar region, and so the bulbar region itself doesn't necessarily have to be damaged. Furthermore, as Zaphoon said, there is also a pseudobulbar palsy, which is caused by damage to the upper motor neurons of the cerebrum that control the lower motor neurons of the bulbar region. Again, this can be caused by many different things, including ALS, tumors, strokes, etc. And as Zaphoon said, both lower motor neurons and upper motor neurons must be involved to be given an ALS diagnosis.

One last thing: A bulbar palsy is not really a disease or condition . . . but rather . . . is a combination of signs and symptoms. Therefore, someone is said to have "a bulbar palsy" instead of "having bulbar palsy."

Bottom line: we can't answer your question until more information is known

P.S. The bulbar region of the brain is the medulla oblongata (in case anyone was wondering)
 
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I learn something new everyday on this site. My dad had bulbar, started in is throat and worked it's way down. Dad drove til the day he went to the party in the sky. It's just started to effect his limbs. He had a feeding tube, and all the machines. Mostly upper. I thought that the Psuedo meant the emotions. The laughing crying spurts.
 
Well said, sir. Symptoms are not diseases. They are clues that lead back to many locations. Welcome to the art of Medicine!
 
My husband just got diagnosed with bulbar als in august at barnes hospital in st. louis mo. We wanted a second opinion so we went to mayo clinic in rochester mn. They told us he had progessive bulbar palsy. I cant help but think Im in a bad dream and Im going to wake up sometime. His symptoms started after a trip to the dentist. After he had 2 root canals his tongue swelled & then he started having noticeable tremors in it. That was later followed by, muffled voice, swallowing difficulties, tremors in the shoulders, & thrush in the mouth. He was in the hospital for a few days & then got the infection C-diff. It was horrible, he lost 65 lbs. Now he is on a feeding tube, & he cant raise his arms & the neurologist said with out a bipap machine he wont make it till spring. I have to give him a bath and dress him now. My husband is just so young he is 32 we just got married in 2010 & I feel like this is just so unfair. This just hit him so quick has anyone ever heard of it doing that? I thought it took awhile for it to progress?
 
My granddad had Bulbar Palsy since he was 23. His mouth slants to the left and sometimes he drools and it is difficult to understand him. He is now 87 and has never been diagnosed with ALS. He has and is still living an active life. He fell and broke his ankle two years ago and has not made a full recovery since but he still gets around and has his activities. True story!
 
When you get ready Home Health will come in to give him his bath Medicare care will pay for them. Also if you can qualify for Medicaid they will pay for someone to stay with him the number of hours you will get depends on the amount of income you have. Medicare will rent(13 months and then it's yours) everything you need except a shower chair we had to buy that but I wish we hadn't because my potty chair works better we taped the holes in the legs so water won't get inside and rust.
 
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