Bulbar?

[Malakithefallen]

I have a catch in the back of my throat for a while now (≈4 months) and now I find myself having to clear mucous on a very regular basis but little to nothing comes up. Barium swallow in December was clean. I have no other noticeable symptoms, but I'm scared as I can't afford to go to a neuro. I have twitching in various body parts as well. I don't know if frequent clearing of the throat (which I do know is a symptom of Bulbar ALS) was frequently a presenting symptom. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[ShiftKicker]

Hello-

I am hoping you've read here Read Before Posting. You've been cleared of any sinister issues with swallowing function via your recent barium swallow test, and I'm assuming, a clinical exam. Frequent throat clearing could be anything- post nasal drip, irritation, inflammation, dryness, gerd, anxiety/hypervigilance, habit, etc. Twitching is also one of those things that can be caused by so many different things- s you will read in the link above.

There's not much we can do for you here, given you don't report the hallmark symptom of ALS- clinical weakness. If you are looking for diagnosis and to figure out what is going on, unfortunately that is something only a doctor can help you with.

 

[lgelb]

Absent any contraindications, you could try a nasal steroid like Nasacort on the theory that allergies are a factor and consider an evaluation by an allergist. You can also monitor your sleep via a wearable and see if you are experiencing normal sleep architecture for your age.