Noisy stomach

[Aussiemndcarer]

This is difficult to describe,but my PALS often has a very noisy stomach. After drinking or eating you can often hear the oesophagus making noises and his stomach is noisy too. It is as if we can hear his body trying to get the food/ drink down. At first we thought that the rumbling stomach may mean that he needed to go to the toilet,but it is not that.
Does ALS affect the muscles involved in getting food down?
My PALS has had very weak upper body weakness since early on. His breathing is very compromised,& reliant on NIV.
Just wondering is anyone else suffers from this? His appetite is usually good,and he only has puréed food now.

 

[lgelb]

Yes, ALS can affect the muscles that control the gates that food and liquids go through, even though they are "involuntary" muscles. That is another contributor to coughing and choking as well as the noise. You can tinker with the food/liquid ratio or order in a given meal to see if there is a difference.

 

[ehd42]

Hi Aussssiemndcarer

The following website might be helpful In understanding swallowing dysfunction in ALS: http://www.alsphiladelphia.org/document.doc?id=827

Best wishes

Eliot