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]

April

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 diagnosed 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